For Dry Skin
Revlon is a drugstore brand that offers good quality make-up products for a fraction of the price. I recently purchased mine online, and I was happy to discover that this particular product was on sale. It was buy one, take the second item at 50% off. Great value!
I’ve tried foundations by MAC, MUFE, Chanel, Shu Uemura, Bobbi Brown, Maybelline and many more, so I always take into account the cost in relation to the quality of the product. Just because it’s more expensive doesn’t always mean it’s a better product!
I have dry skin, especially around the eyes and cheeks, so I opted for the formula for normal/dry skin. It also comes in a formula for combination/ oily skin. Since I was purchasing these products online, I couldn’t test them, so I decided to get this foundation in both types just to be safe.
Packaging
For the price, you get a decent amount of product in a small glass bottle. There’s no pump to help regulate the amount of formula that comes out, so you could be prone to wasting product if you’re not careful. The cap is made out of thick plastic and feels sturdy enough. There is a sticker on the cap that says “24 hours” which I assume pertains to its staying power.
Formula
Close-up image of the foundation blended into the skin. Notice the tiny specks of glitter.
Upon applying the product to my face, I noticed the smell right away. It’s quite noticeable, but I found it to be pleasant. This may be an issue for other users who prefer their make-up unscented, especially since foundation is used on most of the face. The formula for both dry and combination/oily skin is quite thick, with the latter being too dry for me, but this was to be expected since I have dry skin.
I performed a small test on the back of my hand to test for allergic reactions and found no visible reactions to it. But then again, I don’t have sensitive skin so I rarely react to any make-up products unless they’ve expired.
I noticed some glitters appearing upon buffing in the foundation. Though they are very small and barely noticeable, it was a slight disappointment for me. I hate glitter in any of my make-up products except for the type found in shimmer eyeshadow.
Coverage
Side-by-side comparison of two different shades of Colorstay Foundation.
My skin is fairly clear on most days, with only the occasional zits popping up, so I’ve never felt the need for full coverage; my only problem areas are my lips and my undereyes. After applying the Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Natural Tan all over my face, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it blended into my skin. Usually I’ll do an extra pump of my MAC Fix+ to prevent my MAC Studio Fix Foundation from looking cakey, but the Colorstay Foundation left my skin looking dewy while still providing medium-heavy coverage. I say medium-heavy coverage because the overall effect varies depending on how much product you pack on.
Staying Power
It is said to last for 24 hours for the normal/dry skin formula.
Revlon’s Colorstay Foundation once again exceeded my expectations. First it was for coverage, and now for staying power. I never have make-up on for longer than 15 hours, so I cannot confirm nor deny if this foundation can really last up to 24 hours. What I can say is that it does stay on for at least 10 hours and in my case, up to 15. I tested the foundation both with and without my MAC Fix+ as a base/primer, and found that a little MAC Fix+ extends the Colorstay’s staying power by a few more hours. Again, I have dry skin, so those with oily skin may or may not have problems with this foundation “melting” off.
Verdict
Overall, Revlon’s Colorstay Foundation is a must-have for any make-up fanatic, pro or otherwise. It rivals MUFE’s HD Foundation for coverage, but beats it in formula and staying power. In fact, I’m so impressed with this product I’ve stopped using my MAC Studio Fix Foundation altogether. The best part about it is you don’t have to sacrifice quality for price; I did a lead test on it using gold, and I found no reactions whatsoever that indicates lead content, whereas almost all of my MAC products indicated noticeable amounts of lead. Yet another reason to switch to Revlon’s Colorstay Foundation, my HG (Holy Grail) foundation as of yet.
