To find its way into my permanent rotation, a blush must do three things: deliver plenty of pigment in one swipe, last without touchups at least until my lunch break, and seamlessly blend with my skin to create a natural-looking flush. Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Glow Blush knocks all three right out of the proverbial park, achieving a grand slam with its radiant finish that eliminates the need to add a highlighter step to my routine.
The blush, which comes in eight fairly standard (but certainly pretty) shades of peach, pink, and nude, launched in April 2023 and quickly became an Allure editor favorite. By September, it had snagged the coveted Best Powder Blush title in our annual Best of Beauty Awards. At $38, it’s far from the cheapest item on that list, but with its buttery formula and high color payoff, I think it’s well worth the steeper price tag.
“Synthetic fluorphlogopite is such a wonderful filler technology,” says cosmetic chemist Marisal Mou when I ask what she thinks makes the formula so uniquely lovely. She explains that the uniformly spherical shape of this type of filler can really help a product glide on more smoothly. “This ingredient can help give [the blush] a more transparent, natural look,” Mou says. “Because each particulate is so fine and uniform, it really helps to improve the light reflection on the skin and gives it a silky, natural look.”
It’s that light reflection that really sold me on this blush. Though some of the shades are noticeably shimmery in the pan, most of them look like they’d provide a totally matte finish. Instead, the blush creates a subtle glow — not a full-on powder highlighter effect, but more like you’re extremely well moisturized. I like to pair it with my current favorite base makeup, the super-sheer Prime Skin by Gee Beauty. Together, they tone down any parts of my skin that are acting up without making my complexion look completely flat.
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