Revlon ColorStay makeup with SoftFlex (Normal to Dry Skin)
This would seem rather counter-intuitive for me right now, wouldn’t it? Actually, I didn’t purchase this; The Boss did. It didn’t agree with her skin, so she gave it to me to try and review. She, being a smidge darker than I am, bought “Buff.” I wasn’t sure it would work with my fair skin, but I definitely wanted to give it a go and see how it looked, how it wore, and how it held up after a full work day.
I don’t automatically switch foundations every winter, like some women do. I wait to see how my skin reacts to the changes in the weather and the air and work from that. The changes in my skin from not smoking necessitated a switch this year, for sure. The Lasting was severely irritating my skin. So I think this came along at just the right time. It’s softer and more moisturizing than the Lasting, but without being really heavy like some of the compact foundations or other liquids. It seems just right for my skin’s needs right now.
The “drugstore” brands are figuring out what Merle Norman, MAC, and other high-end brands learned long ago – you can’t just have a “light,” a “medium,” and a “dark” shade; there are too many undertones and variations in skin color for that to work. Buff, despite looking very dark in the bottle, is actually another light tone. It’s as fair as the ivory, but with different undertones that better match my complexion. Even so, I am slightly disappointed in the range of colors. They have the fair end of the spectrum covered very well. But there’s very little for women with darker skin. Cappuccino seems to be the darkest color, and judging by the website, it’s rather pale.
It goes on very smooth and is easy to blend. It covers pretty well – the website boasts “medium to full coverage” but that, of course, depends on how heavily you put it on, and to some degree, how you put it on. I use a sponge, but this product would also work well with a foundation brush, I think (I haven’t tried that yet). If you have really big pores or bad acne, it’s not going to make them disappear. But it will even things out and make flaws a lot less noticeable.
The makeup feels very light. Most days I forget I have it on, even after I’ve had it on for sixteen hours! On most days, I only have to touch it up once or twice with a blotting sheet or my MAC Blotting Powder. Considering that it’s a dry skin formula, that surprises me.
Bottom Line: A surprisingly good drugstore find. If you’re looking for a more moisturizing alternative for the winter months, or if you just have skin that’s on the dry side all the time, this is a good choice.
Of course, I picked this up solely to complement the foundation. They’re made for each other, so they should work well together. Right?
According to the website:
Exclusive ColorStay™ formula with micro-milled powder helps to minimize shine and creates a fresh, flawless finish that wears for up to 16 hours over makeup.
Patented SoftFlex™ provides a lightweight, comfortable feel all day. Never looks dry or cakey. Smooth over makeup, concealer, or bare skin.
Ideal to use with ColorStay™ Makeup. Oil-free. Non-pore-clogging. Non-irritating. 6 shades were specially developed to match the shades of ColorStay™ Makeup and ColorStay Active™ Light Makeup.
I’ve used the Luxiva Flawless Pressed, Luxiva Remarkable Finish Loose, and MAC Select Sheer Pressed with the ColorStay foundation, and each and every one of them performed better than the pressed powder designed to complement it.
In a nutshell:
- I had to touch it up more
- It looked cakey.
- It wasn’t lightweight or comfortable. It felt…chalky.
I got the best results with the foundation and MAC’s Select Sheer pressed. The shades matched up well, it has a better texture, and it held up better overall.
Bottom Line: Skip it.
Take a Powder « Artistry in Kohl Said:
on January 25, 2010 at 7:50 pm
[...] is the feel. It’s not quite as chalky as the ColorStay powder, but it’s [...]