Giorgio Armani Beauty Maestro Fusion Makeup Compact with Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 29

If you loved Maestro when it launched - or have grown to worship it - you'll also love the new Maestro Fusion Makeup Compact Compact ($64). Maestro Fusion Makeup Compact offers the same rare finesse that has made Maestro an international success by combining comfort, radiance, and impeccable coverage. The new cream compact comes in eight shades designed to universally match all skin tones and suit all skin types.

This multipurpose product conceals like a foundation, offers precise touch-ups, and camouflages blemishes. It's the perfect harmony between the lightness of a fluid and the comfort of a compact.
Sophisticated and practical, it provides a new made-to-measure application step dedicated to achieving a pure, luminous finish with an unequalled second-skin sensation.

Whether for makeup or fashion, Giorgio Armani places fluidity at the heart of his creations. He dresses the complexion in light, just like his clothes drape the body in rare, ethereal fabrics. The rich yet ultra-fine texture of this new foundation can be compared to fine and diaphanous organza. Organza gracefully highlights the figure, while Maestro leaves a delicate, luminous veil on the face - soft to the touch for an effect that is imperceptible to the naked eye.

With the Maestro Fusion Makeup Compact, the master of elegance, Mr. Armani, has transcended the boundaries of excellence - again. The result is a fine and delicate texture with the technical expertise of a rich and comfortable formula. “Intelligent Melting Complex” technology, a blend of oils and waxes that become one with the skin, is the secret behind Maestro. The Armani team meticulously selected oils and waxes for the cosmetic and sensory properties of each.

The waxes are able to adapt to different temperatures. This "Intelligent Melting Complex" creates a unique composition that blends seamlessly with the skin, regardless of the application method. The oils were carefully selected for their "skin fusion alchemy and comfort." Five non-greasy dry oils that evaporate at different rates were custom-selected to deliver comfort, protection, and softness. There is a new addition to the blend: argan oil, known for its nourishing and antioxidant properties. The argan oil, along with vitamin E and SPF 29 protection are at the heart of the Maestro Fusion Compact's formula to ensure hydration and continuous skin care.

With 30% fewer powders than a conventional compact, Maestro Fusion Makeup Compact concentrates on the essentials: light-reflecting powders. Free from all superfluous ingredients, the cream compact avoids feeling greasy or creating a mask-like finish.

As soon as the product comes into contact with the skin, thanks to the Intelligent Melting Complex’s transformation properties, Maestro Compact instantly changes into a light cream texture, giving precise and comfortable application. You can apply this cream foundation with your fingertips (I'm not big on that idea).

If you apply it with brush, a fine and comfortable film is left on the skin to immediately correct your complexion, creating a flawless finish. The formula instantly becomes one with the skin. After using it, I found my complexion even, pure, shine-free, and radiant. For really precise, simple, and buildable application, the Giorgio Armani laboratories created an exclusive brush (half synthetic and half natural bristles) that is housed in the compact. Its shape, composition, and travel-friendly size all combine to offer an easy, delicate application. I actually like the brush - rare for me to like brushes provided in compacts.

My favorite applicator is a sponge. I have been applying it with its own brush, but then blending it to perfection with a sponge.

Normally, I am a #2 in Armani foundations. This summer, I found #2 in the original Maestro just a little too light because I unwittingly got a little sun on my face - not much, but enough to notice that #2 made me look pale. So, to have flexibility, I selected #4 in the Maestro Fusion Makeup Compact. I purchased mine at Saks Fifth Avenue in Chevy Chase.

The #4 is absolutely perfect for me now. I have used it for my first foundation application in the morning (with gorgeous results), and I have taken it with me for a mid-day touch-up. One thing I love about it is that it blends right into my skin when applied over the morning foundation - no matter what foundation I applied earlier (Armani of otherwise). The lightest application provides a look of mid-day perfection to my skin. I'm loving that!

I feel like I've found a gold mine. I have missed a discontinued Bobbi Brown cream foundation compact I used to use. Now, I'll miss it no longer. Armani has won my heart with this one.

You can find this new beauty at Armani's Web site. It should be at all Armani counters in October. If you need help, call the Armani Beauty Team at Saks at (240) 497-5206.

Photos at top courtesy of Giorgio Armani Beauty; other photo by Best Things in Beauty