Review and Swatches of Giorgio Armani’s new Power Fabric long wear full coverage foundation. 

Armani Power Fabric Foundation has had a very mixed bag of reviews. Some top bloggers have hailed it as a holy grail, some users have complained that it breaks down easily and there have been some reports of skin reactions. The positive reviews have been so glowing that I felt compelled to give it a go.
Giorgio Armani does a few raved about foundations- Maestro Fusion (long lasting, pigmented, oil based), Luminous Silk (glowy, perfecting, satin finish), Designer Lift (smoothing and reflecting for wrinkle perfection), Maestro Glow (light coverage, luminous finish). I had a bit of trouble figuring out what each foundation did, what with all the fancy Armani jargon-“Inspired by charmeuse silk, The Fabric of Emperors,”. Oh, that sounds, er, nice. Luminous Silk is Armani’s stand out product, by the sound of it, loved by celebrities and makeup artists for its light texture and perfecting qualities.

Armani embues Power Fabric Foundation with these claims-

Giorgio Armani Beauty introduces new POWER FABRIC, a liquid foundation that teams long-wear, full coverage with a luminous, lightweight second skin finish.

Upon application, the texture melts into the skin, weightlessly concealing the appearance of imperfections and creating a long lasting, no makeup feel. Like the Armani jacket, that timeless wardrobe essential, power fabric has been created for a successful, confident, modern and elegant woman. This full coverage foundation dresses the skin, enhances the look of facial features and targets the appearance of fatigue.

Because every woman, and every complexion, is unique, POWER FABRIC comes in 15 shades to suit every skin tone from pale to dark. The formula is adapted for each shade to deliver optimal coverage that illuminates the appearance of complexion, without creasing or fading. With an SPF 25 filter, POWER FABRIC is a long-lasting foundation that offers effective daily UVB protection.

Ahem! In a nutshell, Power Fabric claims-

• To be long lasting, full coverage
• Comes in 15 shades
• SPF 25
• Luminous finish
• Oil free
• On the website Armani promises that they are cruelty free but they sell to China (read more on that at Ethical Elephant.
• £40 for 30mls, so on the expensive side.

Giorgio Armani Power Fabric Foundation Review

I haven’t tried any Armani products before so visiting the Armani counter in Debenhams was a bit of novel fun (you can also find Armani in House of Fraser). I went in with my usual “I’m a beauty blogger, do you mind if I paint your makeup all over my arm?”. Quite often the beauty counter girls are a bit taken aback, but the Armani girl didn’t bat an eye and merrily painted my arm for me.

Armani Power Fabric Foundation comes in 15 shades. Here are the swatches-

• 2 is light fair warm
• 3 is very light cool
• 3.5 is light fair neutral
• 4 is fair warm/neutral
• 5 is fair neutral
• 5.5 is medium cool/neutral
• 6 is medium warm
• 7.5 is medium neutral
• 8 is medium warm
• 9 is medium cool
• 12 is dark warm
• 13 is very dark with red tones

When I say “warm” I mean yellow, when I say “cool” I mean pink. Note that the Power Fabric shades aren’t the same as those in other Armani foundations. I.e. Shade 3 in Luminous silk isn’t the same colour as shade 3 in Power Fabric. I found it easy to match my fair neutral skin,  shade 3.5 is a great match, possibly the best I’ve found. Since the numbers don’t directly correspond to anything specific, you’re probably best colour matching in store.

The packaging is lovely- matte glass and glossy black. Power Fabric Foundation comes in a pump, points for that.

Armani Power Fabric Foundation has quite a thin consistency. It blends beautifully, you can buff it right into the skin. It sinks in leaving a powdery finish. Armani claim that Power Fabric has a luminous finish but I would describe it as near matte. There is just a slight glow on the high points. This suits my oily skin just fine.

Here are the photos-

As you can see the coverage is full, Power Fabric does a nice job of concealing pigmentation. It doesn’t have any heaviness to it. Some full coverage foundations feel uncomfortable, like Mac Studiofix, you get that heavy sticky feeling. Power Fabric is light but it packs a punch. My face looks flawless but not caked.

The Armani counter girl recommended that I get the Armani Maestro Skin Defense Primer to go with my foundation. I thought at the time that she was just upselling, but it could well have been that she was trying to subtly hint that Power Fabric’s staying power might not be up to scratch. That’s the only downfall I can see with this foundation. It has a powdery finish which transfers long after the foundation has been applied. After a few hours of wear I can see it breaking down on my oiliest areas. I would definitely use a primer and setting spray with Armani Power Fabric (not that that kept it going all day). I’ve seen this foundation compared with Estée Lauder Doublewear, but it’s much lighter in feel and more matte. I’d say Power Fabric is most like Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation but it blends better.

Do I Recommend Giorgio Armani Power Fabric Foundation?

Yes, I think I do. It’s a shame that Power Fabric wears so easily, it’s so close to being completely lovable. It’s expensive for £40 but I don’t regret buying at all. The colour match is so good, the finish is lovely and mattifying, the feel is light as air. It hasn’t broken my skin out or irritated me so far. I’ve been happily using it on a daily basis this week and for the first few hours of wearing it’s an absolute joy. I’m definitely up for trying Armani’s other foundations too.

Armani Power Fabric Foundation is available from Armani.com