I’ve been a long time fan of Dolce & Gabbana Beauty but it has been one of those hard-to-find lines that I don’t have easy access to. For years I’ve ordered items sight unseen over the phone but now the line has started to expand into other retailers. They are currently available at Nordstrom and I’m thrilled that one of my local counters carries the brand so I can test everything in person. Since some of you still might be new to the line or not have easy access to the brand yet, I’ve teamed up with Nordstrom to share some of my favorites in a two-part series. Today’s feature will focus on face products I’ve tested including their primer, several foundations and a couple blushes I really like.
Left to right, Perfect Matte Powder Foundation, Foundation Brush, Perfect Matte Liquid Foundation, Perfect Luminous Liquid Foundation and Sheer Radiance Make Up Base
The Dolce & Gabbana Powder Foundation ($60 for 15 g) was one of the first items I tried from the line. I have used a couple shades over the past few years, but right now my skin match is Warm 100. This product is my holy grail powder foundation. I’ve lost count of how many times I have repurchased this one. I usually have two on hand at any given time. I have one for home and one to keep in my purse for touch ups. It offers medium to full but very natural looking coverage. It comes with a compartment at the bottom to hold a sponge applicator. I prefer to use a brush to apply it as a setting powder, although it does offer enough coverage to use alone. I really like how it offers phenomenal coverage but doesn’t look cakey, heavy or flat. The lasting power on my combination skin is very good and stays put from morning to night. I do need the occasional touch up on the nose in the afternoon, but overall it lasts very long.
I don’t usually do a traditional contour for my face but do like to add a hint of a natural color for warmth or depth. Two of the best natural cheek colors include Luminous Cheek Color Blushes ($45 each for 5 g) in Caramel which is a pinky beige caramel and Tan which is an interesting grey. I like layering them together. Caramel brightens the face by adding a hint of color that looks natural but warm. Tan is one of the most unique blushes I’ve seen that is a grey color but earthy in undertone. I sometimes use this on the eyes as well. The texture is soft and silky without any detectable fragrance. The pigment is medium but easy to build by layering.
In terms of liquid foundations, Dolce & Gabbana has four options right now. I used to use the Perfect Luminous Creamy Foundation a number of years ago and really liked it but once I used it up never repurchased, mainly because I prefer pump or squeeze tube foundations to large pots. (I mixed Warm 100 and Soft Sand 140.) Today I have three of the liquid foundations to review and compare for you. All of them come packaged in a sturdy glass bottle with a handy pump dispenser. Based on my experience, all the formulas have a slight variation in color but they do have similarities.
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The Perfect Luminous Liquid Foundation ($60 for 1 fl oz) is my favorite out of all the liquid formulas. I use Caramel 110 and it is a perfect match with olive but neutral undertones. The formula has a medium liquid texture that is easy to blend and offers medium to full coverage. It evens out the skin tone and has a very subtle luminous finish. I would say this is good for normal to dry skin. It lasts all day for me and doesn’t get oily or greasy as the day wears on. If you have super oily skin you may feel this is a bit too dewy for you. Dolce & Gabbana has a Foundation Brush ($41) made of synthetic material that I received as a gift with purchase many years ago. I’ve found it works well to apply liquid products, but I prefer to apply my foundations with a sponge like a damp Beautyblender.
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The Perfect Matte Luminous Foundation ($67 for 1 fl oz) is a full coverage matte finish foundation. Out of all the foundations I’ve tested from Dolce & Gabbana, the matte version gives the fullest most opaque coverage, but it doesn’t make the skin look flat. The formula and coverage is phenomenal, but for me the downside is I can’t find an exact match in this formula. I was told that the shades in the matte formula are slightly lighter than the other foundation formulas because it warms up to the skin and adjusts as your natural oils warm up the product. Caramel 110 is a bit too light and too pink for me. On my skin it will warm up after a few minutes and if I set with a slightly darker powder or mix in a bit of a liquid bronzer it works just fine. The next two shades up are quite a jump for me. Natural Beige 120 is very olive and Warm Rose 130 is very pink. The lasting power on this is really good and it will last all day. However you do need to take extra care to remove all traces at the end of the day because it really lasts (and sticks). I wish I had a perfect match to this formula because the finish is flawless. I have been mixing my Caramel 110 with a few liquid bronzers to make it work better. I have contemplated buying the Natural Beige 120 to mix the two colors but haven’t splurged yet.
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The Perfect Reveal Lift Foundation ($72 for 1 fl oz) is the newest addition to the Dolce & Gabbana foundation lineup. This one is enriched with special skincare properties designed to add moisture and reveal younger-looking and natural skin. I’ve been testing this for a couple months now and think it is a decent foundation. The color Caramel 110 is a very good match for me. The formula on this one offers sheer to medium coverage on my skin. It does smooth out the skin and does give it a youthful appearance but I haven’t noticed any changes to my skin yet. I suspect one needs to use this over a long period of time to see the skincare effects. Out of all the foundations Dolce & Gabbana has to offer, I think the Lift formula will be the most universally suitable for a wide variety of skin types. It seems to be the type that will suit normal, dry or oily skin. The coverage is medium and although it’s not sheer, I do find I need a powder foundation on top to give me more coverage.
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Last but not least, I have a review on the new The Primer Sheer Radiance Make Up Base. I am usually hesitant to test primers without trying a sample first, but I went ahead and ordered this sight unseen. Many of my readers have e-mailed me asking for thoughts on this. After doing some testing on this, I am very glad I ordered it. This primer has SPF 30 and comes with a pump dispenser. I like that it comes in the same size bottle as the liquid foundations for packaging consistency and easy storage. The primer is a white fluid with a medium texture. A little goes a long way and I’ve found I only need one pump to cover the entire face. The primer does leave a slightly white cast to my medium/olive skin, but most of my foundations have enough pigment to cover it entirely and cancel out any white cast. I am really impressed with how this primer feels and how it makes a visible difference in how foundation goes on the skin. The primer gives the skin a soft feel and preps the skin well while offering a slightly moisturizing feel. I like that it’s not heavy, greasy and doesn’t have that silicone feel that many primers have. I give it a huge thumbs up, however, I’m not an everyday primer kind of person. The Dolce & Gabbana foundations work so well on their own, I don’t think this is an absolutely necessary step. That being said, this is one of the best primers I’ve tried and I do think it’s definitely worth looking into. For me it’s a huge plus that there is no detectable fragrance.
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Here are swatches of the Dolce & Gabbana liquid foundations I have and the primer. I’ve added swatches of the Matte formula in 120 and 130 for reference:
A few comparison swatches to other foundations I have in rotation for reference:
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My top two picks are the Perfect Matte Powder Foundation and Perfect Luminous Liquid Foundation. I do like the Matte Liquid formula however color matching is essential when it comes to foundations and for me, the current color lineup doesn’t have my exact match. The newest Lift formula performs well, but after a few weeks of testing, I haven’t really seen any changes in my skincare to warrant the extra price (it is still a very good formula though).
I hope you found this roundup helpful! If you’re in the market for a good powder foundation, I really recommend the one by Dolce & Gabbana. If you’ve tried any of the face products or foundations from the line, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
This post was sponsored by Nordstrom. All opinions my own. For more information please refer to my disclosures.
Your website is absolutely stunning! I love how in-depth your reviews are, and the photography is superb! So inspirational! xx
Thank you Collen, glad you find the reviews helpful!
I adore DG Perfect Creamy Foundation, my shade is 100.
I will probably buy Perfect Luminous Foundation in 110 as it seems as good match. Thank you for the great swatches.
I adore the creamy foundation too! Wish it came in a pump form instead. I hope you like the Perfect Luminous as much as I do. If you're the 100, you might want to still stick with the 100 in the Luminous. Check The Raeviewer's blog, I believe she is shade 100 and she has swatches of 3 of the formulas.
Thanks for this comprehensive write up/review Sabrina!
It's too bad that you can't find your perfect match in the Perfect Matte liquid foundation because that one is my HG full-coverage/long wearing foundation for my oily/combination skin! The finish is so nice – matte but not flat!
But I also understand your struggle because I'm literally between 100 Natural Glow (a touch too light) and 120 Natural Beige (a touch too dark!). However, those two have the strongest yellow undertones that actually mesh with my complexion! So in the end, I wound up buying both 100 and 120, and now I mix and match throughout the seasons, depending on my tan. Your review of the primer intrigues me, and I think I'll sample it the next time I'm at a Sephora store that carries D&G 🙂
Hi Tiffany, thanks for your kind comments. I am so close to getting the 120 in the matte because like you I really really love the formula. Good to know you mix two shades, I've found in recent years I've had to mix shades a lot too.
I think the primer is definitely worth looking into. I've seen the line at one Sephora so far and was beyond thrilled 🙂
Thank you so much for this post! I've wanted to try the foundations so badly, but haven't had direct access to them. Hopefully my Nordstorm will get a counter soon. We just got Armani and I'd love to see D&G pop-up next. Your reviews are so thorough and I'm saving this as a reference. Thanks so much!!
xoxo
Kelly
http://www.dreaminlace.com
Hi Kelly, I hope your counter will get the line soon too! For swatch references, you might want to check out The Beauty Professor's blog – she has swatches of lots of colors and formulas.
I have yet to try any of the D&G cosmetics as I've only been back to the US for a few months. I've been most interested in their powder foundation because I hear it's one of the best!
These look gorgeous!!
Candice | Beauty Candy Loves
xoxo
Wow! The powder foundation is almost seamless on your skin.
And the primer reminds me of the Chanel Le Blanc, which I love
Such a pity that this brand is not available in my country (as far as I know)
You're right! The primer does resemble Chanel Le Blanc. I used to use it, but the formula was too thick for me so while I liked it and used it up, I didn't repurchase. The Dolce & Gabbana has a much better texture for my skin and it applies more smoothly.
wow, the powder foundation almost disapears against your skin
and the primer reminds me of chanel le blanc, which I love
thank you for the info on the brand! unfortunately, unless I travel abroad I am not able to get my hands on it!
Hi Transient Beaute – the powder doesn't show up on my arm because it's an exact match, but it does cover the skin entirely. I hope you'll be able to check it out on your travels 🙂
Thanks for the great review. I also do not have access to any DG counter so I would have to order everything online. I am having hard time picking out the color for powder foundation and as well for Luminous one. Do you have any suggestions? I am MAC NC15/20, chanel B10/20 . Thanks!
Hi LilJeJa, I haven't used MAC in years, but I was matched to NC30/35. I suspect you will be lighter than the 100 shades. I am Chanel B20/30 so my best guess is Creamy 80. You might want to try Makeupalley for reviews. Sometimes the Nordstrom online beauty chat can help or direct you to a counter who might be able to match over the phone. Also Beauty Professor has swatches of multiple formulas:
http://www.beautyprofessor.net/2013/01/dolce-and-gabbana-perfect-finish-creamy.html
http://www.beautyprofessor.net/2012/12/dolce-and-gabbana-luminous-foundation.html
Thank you! I did nordstrom beauty chat and once I was told 100- which seemed too dark and next time they told me 75. Sigh…
I want to try The primer of DG. I like its make up very much!