We&rsquo;ve tested the new Armani foundation, and we have some thoughts.&nbsp;

Few foundations boast the same legacy as <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/giorgio-armani-crossroads-season-5-party-nyc">Armani&rsquo;s</a> Luminous Silk Foundation. Since launching in 2000, it has remained a red carpet mainstay and a staple in the kits of professional makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts alike&mdash;impressively so in an increasingly saturated market. Now, 25 years later, Armani Beauty is reformulating its most iconic product, complete with a star-studded celebration at The Grove in Los Angeles.&nbsp;

Armani Celebrates the New Luminous Silk Foundation. Photography by Stefanie Keenan and Phil Faraone courtesy of Getty Images.

Dakota Fanning. Photography by Stefanie Keenan and Phil Faraone courtesy of Getty Images.

Pia Mia. Photography by Stefanie Keenan and Phil Faraone courtesy of Getty Images.

Anytime a brand reformulates a cult-favorite product, there&rsquo;s an audible, collective sigh from loyalists bracing for disappointment. Beauty history is riddled with promises of &ldquo;the formula you love, now better,&rdquo; only for the update to fall painfully short&mdash;feeling unfamiliar, diluted, or inexplicably wrong. It&rsquo;s a particular kind of heartbreak, not unlike realizing your favorite lip liner slipped out of your purse after one too many drinks, or learning it&rsquo;s been discontinued altogether.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Here lies&hellip;&rdquo; is by no means an exaggeration. Because when a product has been loved, embedded in your routine for years, or <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/best-makeup-picks-fall-2025-foundation-eyeshadow-blush-lips">credited with changing your life</a>, it is quite literally that serious. (Need we revisit the fallout after <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/glossier-play-2019">Glossier&rsquo;s</a> Balm Dotcom reformulation? Or Urban Decay&rsquo;s All Nighter Setting Spray?) Why fix what isn&rsquo;t broken?&nbsp;

So naturally, when Armani announced it was relaunching the very foundation that consistently tops <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/best-summer-foundation">best-of lists from editors</a> and influencers, the reaction was nothing short of charged. And for someone who spent her pre-teens and teens falling asleep to YouTube makeup tutorials&mdash;where Luminous Silk was almost guaranteed to appear in every routine&mdash;it felt especially personal. It&rsquo;s only a matter of time before fans of the original formula either rally in protest or flood the internet with reaction videos to the new version, whichever way the verdict lands.&nbsp;After all, the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation is the kind of hero product that&rsquo;s as instantly recognizable as a <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/louis-vuitton-monogram-130th-anniversary-collections-bags-limited-edition-vintage-archive">monogrammed designer handbag</a>.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s easy to forget that not long ago, foundations were largely thick, heavy, overly matte, uncomfortable, and notoriously pore-clogging. Meanwhile, Luminous Silk was among the first to sidestep those pitfalls entirely, delivering a flawless yet skin-like finish that redefined what makeup could be (until the clean girl aesthetic entered the mainstream, that is).&nbsp;
That innovation is precisely why it has remained a staple despite the countless options available today. Nostalgia aside, the slew of celebrity endorsements from the likes of Cate Blanchett and Kim Kardashian certainly didn&rsquo;t hurt. Ultimately, though, the quality spoke for itself, with reports of 1,000 bottles sold daily in the United States by 2020.&nbsp;

Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. Photography courtesy of Armani Beauty.

Now that the reformulated version has officially hit the shelves, there&rsquo;s that inevitable question: how does the new Armani foundation compare, and more importantly, is it truly better than the original? L&rsquo;OFFICIEL puts the updated best-selling Luminous Silk Foundation to the test.

<h2 style="text-align: center;">Old Armani Foundation vs. New Armani Foundation: What's the Difference?&nbsp;</h2>

First things first: you might be wondering why Armani reformulated the Luminous Silk Foundation at all&mdash;especially when it&rsquo;s long been a case of if it isn&rsquo;t broken, don&rsquo;t fix it. In honor of the foundation&rsquo;s 25th anniversary, the brand set out to evolve beyond aesthetics alone.&nbsp;
Truthfully, despite my personal attachment to the original formula, the relaunch felt like a natural progression. After all, the advancements in makeup and skincare science have accelerated so rapidly over the last few years.

<h3 style="text-align: center;">Added Skincare Benefits</h3>

And speaking of that evolution, it&rsquo;s never been more apparent than in the way brands across every price point have increasingly blurred the line between skincare and makeup. Gone are the days when makeup was purely cosmetic&mdash;often irritating, pore-clogging, and unforgiving even for non-sensitive skin types. Today, complexion products are formulated to minimize the short- and long-term damage historically associated with traditional makeup. Some even go beyond that, offering benefits like hydration support, collagen stimulation, and improved overall skin health with consistent use.
Of course, some have lived up to the promise better than others. Take Victoria Beckham&rsquo;s Foundation Drops, infused with Augustinus Bader&rsquo;s signature cell-renewing TFC8 formula, or even Rhode&rsquo;s Pocket Blush, formulated with nourishing ingredients like peptides and tamanu oil. Armani Beauty follows suit with the enhanced Luminous Silk Foundation.&nbsp;
The reformulated foundation claims amplified skincare benefits, including glycerin to support hydration and niacinamide to help strengthen the skin barrier, reduce redness, and visibly brighten tone over time. Most notably, it retains and refines Armani&rsquo;s signature Liquid Silk Technology, which helps scatter light as it reflects off the skin&mdash;creating a naturally luminous effect with a seamless, smooth finish.&nbsp;
Altogether, the goal was to create a foundation that not only perfects the complexion instantly, but also improves skin tone and texture with continued wear.

<h3 style="text-align: center;">Improved Color Range &amp; Shade Match</h3>

The newly relaunched Armani foundation now comes in 44 shades, including 18 new additions, offering a wider variety of depths, undertones, and intensities. But expanded shade depth isn&rsquo;t the only standout of the relaunch; the shades are designed to more closely mirror natural skin tones, perfecting the complexion without reading as overtly &ldquo;makeup.&rdquo;&nbsp;
So how did Armani achieve it? For starters, the brand removed white pigments, which can often cause foundations to turn dull or flat just hours after application. Instead, new blue-ultramarine pigments were introduced to better complement deeper skin tones without risking ashiness. Green-ultramarine pigments, on the other hand, help balance olive undertones and prevent shades from skewing overly warm or yellow.

<h3 style="text-align: center;">Slightly Updated Packaging</h3>

Perhaps the least noticeable difference between the original and reformulated versions is the packaging. While both are housed in similarly shaped bottles, the original featured a soft matte finish, whereas the new iteration comes in a classic glossy glass bottle. The logo has also been updated, with &ldquo;Luminous Silk&rdquo; now written in all caps rather than lowercase. (Yes, the changes are pretty subtle and totally easy to overlook unless you&rsquo;re a longtime devotee.)&nbsp;

<h3 style="text-align: center;">Same Texture, Coverage, and Finish</h3>

Not to worry, some things haven&rsquo;t changed. Luckily, it&rsquo;s exactly the qualities that made the foundation so beloved in the first place. The foundation still offers medium coverage, with a silky, creamy texture that leaves a soft, velvet-matte finish (but more on that below).&nbsp;

<h2 style="text-align: center;">Armani Foundation Review</h2>

I&rsquo;ve been testing the new-and-improved Armani foundation over the last month, and I have to admit: it really is as good as everyone says it is (which is saying a lot coming from someone who generally abhors wearing foundation).&nbsp;
For a medium coverage formula, Armani Luminous Silk feels surprisingly lightweight and airy once blended. My skin can actually breathe, yet it still evens my complexion and blurs imperfections and scars.&nbsp;
A little goes a long way: those who prefer a barely-there, natural finish can easily get away with less than a pump or by diffusing it with a milky toner. At the same time, it&rsquo;s buildable for anyone craving an ultra-polished, red carpet-ready look. Either way, Armani delivered on its promise for shades that mirror natural skin depths and undertones.&nbsp;
True to its name, the texture is a silky, cream-liquid hybrid that blends evenly with just about any tool in a matter of seconds. Personally, I&rsquo;m partial to applying foundation with my fingers because it gives me better control over coverage and helps the product melt more naturally into my skin. Still, it performs just as well with sponges and brushes of all kinds, from fluffy and stippling to dense. (For the record, my trusty Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation still wins when I&rsquo;m after the most natural finish without using my fingers.)

Armani Luminous Silk Natural Glow Blurring Liquid Foundation, $69, <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/luminous-silk-natural-glow-blurring-liquid-foundation-with-24-hour-wear-P519887" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sephora</a>

Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

My one caveat is that for a foundation supposedly known for its luminosity, the finish isn&rsquo;t especially radiant. Instead, it leans more velvet-matte. Admittedly, this may have more to do with my naturally dry complexion, but I did expect a touch more dewiness.&nbsp;
Still, I appreciated that it never looked patchy or cakey&mdash;two issues I often run into with foundation, and part of why I rarely wear it, along with my general intolerance for feeling coverage all over my face. That said, the subtle luminosity would read more clearly on normal, combination, and oily skin types, though those with dry skin who prefer that velvet-matte finish would still enjoy it.&nbsp;

<h2 style="text-align: center;">The Verdict: Is the Armani Foundation Worth It?</h2>

All things considered, the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation is a great product. Even with my dry, eczema-prone skin and preference for glowier finishes, it isn&rsquo;t hard to understand why they&rsquo;ve consistently flown off the shelves. And though it may not be my go-to for everyday wear, I can definitely see myself reaching for it on nights out and special occasions&mdash;when I need a longer-lasting base that can stand up to movement, sweat, and time.&nbsp;
At $69 for a 30mL bottle, the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation is certainly a splurge. Are there more affordable alternatives with similar coverage, finish, texture, shade range, and longevity? Absolutely. Still, it&rsquo;s a worthy luxury for those willing to invest in a product that actually delivers a flawless complexion alongside skincare benefits. The fact that the bottle elevates any vanity or makeup bag doesn&rsquo;t hurt, either.&nbsp;
Luxury appeal aside, I&rsquo;ve rarely encountered a medium-to-full coverage foundation that melts into the skin as seamlessly&mdash;or as quickly&mdash;as Luminous Silk.&nbsp;

Armani Beauty Reformulates the Ever-Popular Luminous Silk Foundation

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