There is an entire Beyoncé song dedicated to the idea of waking up “like this”—that is, “flawless.” On first listen it can sound discouraging (why are we telling women they have to be perfect?), but deeper down is actually a message of feminism. It’s less about rolling out of bed with impeccable hair and makeup, and more about rolling out of bed with confidence. Some call it swagger. More than a state of appearance, maybe flawless is a mentality.
If that’s the case, we can all get by with a little help from our friends. For Sonia Leal-Serafim, a national makeup artist for Giorgio Armani Beauty, it all begins with a foundation called Luminous Silk. Leal-Serafim had used and loved Armani’s cosmetics products long before joining the team, and credits much of her editorial and commercial success to the brand. “I absolutely fell in love with it,” she says of Luminous Silk, standing at the Armani counter at Holt Renfrew in Vancouver as she puts product on this writer’s face. “It makes your skin look like absolutely flawless skin, but without seeing any product. Which is the dream.” Post up, flawless.
Next Leal-Serafim turns to a tinted cream called Crema Nuda, another Armani offering she uses on clients regularly. It smooths the complexion while providing moisture and fighting signs of aging. “When it’s on, you actually don’t see product,” she says. “You just see very natural, healthy-looking skin. It boosts the natural appearance of the skin, but you don’t see it.” It illuminates the face without appearing to be there at all. Riding round in it, flawless.
What makes an Armani cosmetic product stand out, aside from its undeniable high quality, is the ease with which it can be used, even by the most inexperienced of hands. To make this point, Leal-Serafim brings out the Luxe is More Holiday Palette, with its 10 soft, earthy tones, and gives the colours a “smush” onto the eyelids. “Anyone can use this,” she declares. “These eyeshadows are so extremely blend-able and easy to work with.” The entire line of makeup fulfils a duty that stems from the creative mind of Armani himself, and in fact, many of the offerings are designed for or in response to the season’s runway. “When he designed the makeup line, he wanted it to flatter women the way he spends all his time and energy in working with fabric: how a fabric reflects light and absorbs light, how it floats and flows on a woman’s body,” says Leal-Serafim. “He wanted to come out with a makeup line that has the same principle. And you can see that; you really can see that.” Ladies tell ‘em.