Dolce & Gabbana The Foundation Perfect Luminous Liquid Foundation

Monday, December 30, 2013

Recently I was able to test drive a foundation that was completely new to me, The Foundation Perfect Luminous Liquid Foundation by Dolce & Gabbana. I had not read any reviews and other than checking the ingredients for sunscreen, I had no idea what this foundation would behold. The beauty about such a blind test was that I had no preconceived expectations or notions about this base makeup, a rare and refreshing feeling for me because I tend to do quite a bit of research before trying new foundations.

D&G Perfect Luminous Liquid Foundation is packaged in a sturdy glass bottle with gold pump and cap. For $59 you get 1 fl. oz., an amount typical of most foundations. This shade is Bisque 75. I can't seem to fully understand the numbering system; yellow, pink and beige tones seemed to have been assigned numbers almost arbitrarily. Other than finding fairer shades to be smaller in number, there seems to be no other discernible trend.

Ingredients (as per Sephora):

Water, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isohexadecane, Mica, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Titanium Dioxide, Glycerin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cyclohexasiloxane, Alumina, Caprylyl Dimethicone Ethoxy Glucoside, Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate, Silica Silylate, Sodium Chloride, Zinc Stearate, Hexylene Glycol,Methylparaben, Potassium Sorbate, Propylparaben, Mannitol, Glucose, Pca Dimethicone, Fructose, Sorbitol, Urea, Sodium Pca, Sucrose, Dextrin, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Trehalose, Bht, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8,Polyquaternium-51, Glutamic Acid, Alanine, Aspartic Acid, Benzoic Acid,Triacetin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hyaluronate. May contain: (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499)/Iron Oxides,Ci 77891/Titanium Dioxide.

The formula provides high coverage, the best coverage I have ever come across that did not come from a theatrical or artistry focused brand. While wearing this foundation, I don't find the need to wear concealer over blemishes or veining in my skin. If needed, I stipple a bit more product onto those areas. I use my Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush to stipple this foundation, in a couple thin layers.

The color did oxidize a tiny bit, it became a bit darker and more yellow than when I first applied. This actually made it blend much better with my neck.

I find the "Luminous" part of the name to be a complete misnomer. Far from lustrous or illuminated; in fact I would go as far as to call it a decidedly satin finish though not quite as dull as a matte finish. I was most pleased to find how well this formula worked for my combination skin. The D&G Perfect Luminous Liquid Foundation both simultaneously kept my dry skin moisturized and my oily areas from becoming shiny. A perfect balance. The texture was fantastic, the first few times I wore this foundation I could not refrain from stroking my velvet soft cheek and yet it wore better than a second skin. I was also very impressed with how well it wore; not a bit of migration, pilling or hardly any fading. I can go about five hours before blotting (and if I pair this with an oil controlling primer, I never have to blot at all) and at least seven hours of perfect wear. Oh, might I add that D&G Luminous photographs amazingly well? In fact, it was the foundation I wore at my wedding.

I think good skin preparation is key in making this foundation work well for me. I started with clean skin and followed with hyaluronic acid laden products as well as a barrier of Embryolisse and foundation primer. Between the HA and moisture friendly ingredients such as urea in Perfect Luminous Liquid Foundation, it seems to just mesh really well together and wear beautifully.

This foundation has definitely replaced my previous favorite (Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk) and I will definitely purchase after this bottle (given to me by a kind friend) is finished.

Dolce & Gabbana The Foundation Perfect Luminous Liquid Foundation is available online at Sephora and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Have you tried any of the D&G foundations? What did you think of it?