When they’re done right, they can give the skin a great, natural finish that doesn’t look powdery, flat, or heavy, but sometimes they can look oily, slide off the skin easily, or have more visible shimmer particles!
— Christine
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Love: Makes me look healthy, glowy, usually easily blendable
Hate: Can make me look oily (already have an oily t-zone that I need to powder), can’t always find a good shade match for my skintone
I agree, it can be hard to find a balanced formulation. I think it’s a better bet to mix a normal foundation with luminizer, or layer with a highlighter. Trying to find everything you want in one product is a fool’s errand. Plus you don’t always want the same level of glow all over your entire face.
Exactly my thoughts as well. I usually just mix the Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow or a bit of a Becca liquid highlighter into my normal foundation if I want to kick up the glow.
I usually avoid luminous foundations, because I have oily skin. Most of them seem to make my skin look more oily and then slide off. I really on highlighter powder to get my glow.
I don’t know if it’s supposed to be luminizing, but the Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick in Alabaster has been the only foundation that agrees with my skin and gives it the “coming from within” glow.
Well, having oily skin I don’t go for luminous foundations. They make me look even oilier. It’s not a good look!
However, whenever I do my Mum’s makeup I use luminous foundation or a luminous primer and it gives a lovely radiance to her skin that she really likes. So, done right it can look really nice, you just need to find the right foundation for your skin type.
In conclusion, you need to know how much extra radiance your skin can take without looking oily, if any. I can’t take any at all. ?
Pros – I love the idea of it, my skin can look dehydrated and a luminous base can sometimes mask that.
Cons – When the luminosity comes from shimmer, it can be a bit much. I usually try and mix a liquid highlighter with my regular foundation/bb cream for that luminous finish.
For quite awhile, I was using Revlon Age-Defying Foundation in 60 Golden Beige. Very good match, made my skin look like “My Face But Better”. BUT within several hours I looked super shiny in my oil-fest T-zone!!! Now I just mix a luminizer like MAC Strobe Cream or like I did last summer with the GA no. 14 luminizer. Still waiting and hoping that someday there will be my dream foundation at $40 or under.
For some reason, the brands marketed towards us older ladies push luminous foundations really hard. It’s rarely flattering. Every line and pore is magnified & I just look like like a wax figure at Madame Tussaud’s.
I agree with others, I prefer to blend a tiny speck of luminous cream into targeted areas. Or maybe a very gentle powder like MAC lightscapades.
I like: that they make skin look radiant and healthy, erasing dullness. Great on a “bad face day” after a short night. I love YSL Touche Eclat foundation for example (although I haven’t tested the brand new reformulated version).
I don’t like: they can look too dewy for my taste, but it’s usually an easy fix with mattifying powder. I stay away from any foundation that contains shimmer particles, I don’t want to look like a disco ball!
Rave – on the right person it can look lovely
Rant – on me it looks like an oil slick…….
I usually use the Charlotte Tilbury, Wonder Glow as a primer, or Becca Backlighting Primer. I find that plus a bit of highlighter on top of my cheekbones is enough. I don’t want to look like a disco ball.
Guess I prefer to add a tad of luminizing fluid (Nyx, Remede primarily) to Paula’s way-too-long-a-name TM. Gives control of amount; dries down nicely. S.T. add a cheek color gel, to tilt the TM towards whatever color family I’m wearing (Sephora, Benefit, old Clinique.) For more coverage, add some CFX Color Drops, probably real moisturizer. Haven’t ventured into luminous foundations, bec. Don’t have much success with color matching regulars. If using JI or BM powder, use GM or Hourglass to luminize, but that’s non-responsive to the question!
Can’t use as I already have a very oily T-zone and the luminosity makes me look like an oilfield. I would like to be able too use luminous foundations as I think they look more natural, but even with primers it just doesn’t work for me.
Since i have dry to normal skin type; I always prefer a luminuous foundation… Not the disco ball kind of shimmer; but a certain glow from within type of look. I sometimes add a bit of liquid highlighter to my routine sheer foundation for achieving that effect.
Love: The glow it can give my dull dry skin
Hate: I have acne scars and occasional breakouts. Most luminous foundations lack coverage and can sometimes emphasize my breakouts