Lights! Camera! PhotoReady!
Revlon's PhotoReady Foundation
in shades Vanilla(002)and Shell(003)
(pictured swatch from left to right: Vanilla and Shell)
Makeupalley is an online beauty site that is home to thousands of beauty junkies, addicts and good friends. This is a crew that is hardcore in their beauty tastes and doctrines. They have seen it and tested it all. You would think this would make them jaded. But they will open their hearts and wallets to a newcomer like Edward Bess or the indies like Lime Crime or Fyrinnae. This group is a barometer of all things beauty,fashion and pop culture. MUA delivers news before CNN and Fox.
So it is no surprise that MUA is where the news broke about Revlon's PhotoReady foundation. This little diddy is a 2010 release but the gems started popping up at various drugstores in December. Lemming and lust spread across the makeup board like a wildfire. It could not be contained. A kind and genius MUA Member(snickersforsnuggles) started a map on which drugstores had PR in stock.
http://tinyurl.com/ybba6s7
When lemmings inspire map making...you know it is serious and you need to be part of the action. I searched throughout my city limits and located bottles at a CVS drugstore in Poland, Ohio. Luckily it was BOGO. I purchased Vanilla(002) and Shell(003). Patti aka Cavewoman had purchased Nude(004) and we are generally a skin tone match. There was no 004 to be had. The display had been ransacked. I counted my blessings and tried to clean it up for the next poor soul.
My first testing was a major fail. I have been using tinted moisturizers for the last few months due to the extreme cold conditions and my sudden aversion to all things heavy and cake-like. The texture and formula of PR foundation gave me a very heavy look. My complexion was even, with a lovely shimmer cast. However, the foundation emphasized every enlarged, cantankerous pore. The overall appearance made me shudder and recoil from my image in the mirror.
I scrubbed it off and started with a recipe of Estee Lauder Perfectionist CP+, a generous lathering of the last drops of my La Mer moisturizer (side note: A Saks Friends and Family sale is much needed for me!), and some Urban Decay Pore Perfecting Primer. I let this recipe dry.
I proceeded with Revlon PR foundation. The results were better. I still was not enthused with the heavy factor but my pores were less terrifying. I needed to go back to the drawing board. I did not have to go through this much trouble with my MUFE High Definition foundation.
The third testing was more successful. I mixed equal parts of foundation with MAC's Moisture Lush Cream. Moisture Lush is a whipped, hydrating moisturizer that gets the job done. The foundation appeared less intense and matte-like. Even during the failed attempts, this foundation had "above average" capabilities with "evening out" the complexion. It contains very small particles of shimmer as a smoke and mirrors device. This adds a cast to the face like a highlighter. It can be detected in both natural and artificial light. Some muaers have complained about quality control issues concerning the shimmer. Some have compared it to the sparkles of Twilight's Edward Cullen while others have found whole glitter flakes. I did not get any of that vibe from either bottles. In fact, I might be going out on a limb, my vanilla had very little shimmer at all. Shell had more glimmer.
According to the online site, Grazia, daily.co.uk, the foundation is based on the"technology of transition lenses in optical glasses". The pigments have been manipulated to cover flaws.
http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/beauty/archive/2009/12/04/beauty-treat--things-we-ve-loved-this-week.htm
The bad news is this foundation "did me no favors". Every flaw was exposed including some I was not aware of having. It is prone to settling onto pores. Coverage was medium to above average. The texture was a light consistency and felt weightless on the face. It just looked heavy and matte-like on my skin. Lasting power during all the testings was first rate. There was no morphing of color throughout the 12-hour period. The foundation did not budge, melt or disappear.
This foundation was created for dry skin. It is a oil free formula with a SPF 20. PR contains Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. It also has no fragrance. I have to report that I did have some tingling sensations with each application. I have never been sensitive to a foundation before.
The color selection for PhotoReady foundation is confusing and limited. I believe these skew light. The lightest shade I located was Vanilla (002). There are reports that an even lighter shade is being launched while others have the bottle currently in their possession. It might be called Ivory.
Vanilla is a very light shade with very slight yellow undertones. I think this might be the most brilliant match for my face. Shell is also worthy being a shade darker with a more pink cast.
Color matching might be difficult at your local drugstore. I have spotted this line at Ulta online. I think a visit to your local Ulta store is in order for accurate swatching. I am hoping there is an Ulta in Karlasugar's neck of the woods.
The color system does not match Revlon Colorstay foundation. From what I could gather, even numbers represent foundations with yellow undertones. Odd numbers represent foundations with pink tones.
For women of color the selection is highly limited. The ultra-pale girls(me) will have more luck.
The shades are: Vanilla (002), Shell (003), Nude (004), Natural Beige(005), Medium Beige(006), Cool Beige(007), Golden Beige(008) and Rich Ginger(009).
The packaging for PR foundation is simple yet all kinds of genius. It is a pump that has been designed to deliver just the right dollop of foundation. Not to sound like Goldilocks...but the amount is just perfect! It leaves no mess or foundation around the nozzle. Serious engineering is behind this bottle.
Pros: inexpensive drugstore find, great shades for the pale girls, magnificent for photography(amazing results on MUA---no white cast even with a SPF of 20!), great lasting power, weightless feel and even coverage, slight shimmer for luminosity, and exceptional packaging.
Cons: heavy looking, emphasizes imperfections, settles into pores, matte-looking(not good for dry skin),varying skin reactions like tingling, shimmer issues in the darker shades, limited shades for women of color.
This product can be found at various CVS and Rite Aid drugstores. It retails for $13.99.
It is located at Ulta online @http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod1790139#sku2212501
It is not online at Revlon's site.
Please share you experiences with this foundation in the comments. Gushing and dissing is encouraged! Any help with colors would be so appreciated by all of us!
Credits: Grazia, MUA, Ulta
Shout Outs: Karlasugar and snickersforsnuggles
Photo Credit: Blogdorf Goodman
Disclosure: I purchased these two shades of foundation from a CVS store in Ohio.
Labels: High Definition, lemmings, Makeupalley, Revlon, Revlon's PhotoReady foundation
posted by Annieytown @ 4:19 AM
26 Inspired Comments
26 Inspired Comments:
There is nothing like the MUFE HD. I like the Smashbox Photo Finish primer too. I'm suspicious of cheaper knockoffs and I suspect Revlon is one of those.
I got this in 003 Shell after hearing about it on MUA, and I must say that so far I love it. I will probably buy 004 Nude when we get closer to summer, or even sooner if there is another BOGO sort of sale around town...I have a feeling that mixing Shell & Nude would give me the shade that would actually be best for my skin tone.
So far, it's wearing well on me; I also love the pump...I'm sorry it didn't work as well for you!
I must also suggest the PR powder. I bought the translucent, and I think it finishes everything so nicely. Normally I use MAC Blot loose powder, but the PR pressed powder may replace that for me.
Hi Annie! I just wanted to say that I am in love with this foundation. I had a different experience than you, though - which, oddly, seems to be the case with this foundation. Quality control issues, perhaps?
Anyway, I have dry, sensitive skin, and applied to a moisturized face with my Sephora #55 brush, it looks quite natural, and not mask like at all! I haven't noticed any shimmer in my bottle, either. I hope they work out the kinks, because I adore the bottle of the stuff I have now! :)
Thanks for this one. I'd been developing a minor curiosity about this, but from your report this is nothing I'd need to try. If it doesn't quite work with La Mer moisturizer (HG for poreless skin on me), then it's a no-go.
I really thought this would work for me. I am the targeted demo---dry skin with issues to disguise.
I am going to revisit it in the summer. It just might be that my skin is in crisis.
Cookie: I think it could be a worthy alternative. It is working for so many muaers. If you do a search...you will come across some amazing pictures. It is transforming...for real.
Suzanne: It required too much tinkering for me. I could not spare my La Mer like that. LOL
Sarah: I have not read good reports on the powder...but it looked nice. They did not have two in stock...so I passed.
I purchased the foundation in shell and the powder in translucent (CVS BOGO). The first time I applied I went way too heavy and had to wash off and try again. A couple of light dabs blended with a sponge and I'm good to go. I can detect no sparkle and am thrilled with the matte finish. The powder is super silky and I am truly in love with it! Note that I have 50 year old skin and the foundation/powder lasts all dry and looks great. I just use a heavy dose of Aveeno day moisterizer first.
Annie, this is a GREAT review! You covered everything perfectly!
I think that like Sarah, I will mix 003 and 004. This stuff requires meticulous moisturizing underneath. And I find that using the beautyblender just applies too much foundation. Maybe we need to go back to finger-application!
Titanium dioxide is the culprit for the heaviness and also the dry look on the face. It has to be a cheap sunscreen ingredient because it's everywhere in foundations and I try to avoid it whenever I can.
Next on the drugstore foundation agenda, we need to try out that crazy paint-roller foundation from L'Oreal! But not at full retail, it's $15!
Patti aka cavewoman
Great review. I'm skipping this lemming. Tingling? I cannot put anything on my skin that might irritate it. Irritation is the enemy!
I'm surprised to hear this is formulated for dry skin types. I have it in Shell and it controls my oily skin like no other. I only need one mid-day touch up when I wear this; with anything else, I need to blot every hour or two. I, too, experienced the tingly skin thing with this product. It's a bit disconcerting. I can't stand the sparkles. I don't think they add anything to the overall finish. I think, if Revlon was going for luminosity here, that they should have given it a pearly quality as opposed to a glittery one. Something more akin to Red Earth's Secret Potions than to Bonne Bell body glitter. I've also noticed a certain slipperyness to the formula... if I put it on the eye area before concealer, it causes my concealer to migrate (and I spent the better part of my adult life finding a concealer that Does. Not. Do. That.). I do like the feel of this in general... as a Revlon ColourStay user, I actually find it quite light... and for me it does a great job of covering up my many, many flaws. The sparkles and tingliness ruin it for me though. My drugstore had a fully stocked display including shade 001, so yes, it is available, but I would advise anybody trying this for the first time to buy it one shade darker than you think you need. Lastly, I have cool undertones through-and-through, and I find all the colour choices a tad too yellow. 003 is the right shade for me in terms of lightness/darkness, but it makes me look a bit sickly. It's all very much a shame because with a few minor tweaks, this could have been a great drugstore foundation.
well this doesn't sound very appealing but since all the dry skin ladies are having issues and need ultra moisture before using, maybe someone like me with oily skin will have luck. You said it's very dry on and matte. That sounds exactly what I look for.
Haven't seen it yet in any of my stores, but I'll keep an eye out.
and truthfully with so many great foundations out there, why use one you have to work so hard with.
Beeks: I was weary to rec for the oily skin gals...but I think it will work better for them. I hope more weigh in.
BA: It requires much tweeking for me.
Tbone: It would look amazing on your perfect skin...but there is something going on...if I had a reaction.
Cookie: MUFE worked better for me too.
Jaime: I might have to try a brush. I used my beautyblender and fingers. It looked heavy on close reflection. A few feet away....a millon bucks. I loved the effect.
LOL
After looking for this for EVER, I finally found it in Wegmans (a grocery store!). I have really oily skin, and I bought 005, whatever that is, some kind of beige. Anyway, I love the makeup, I just found it a teensy bit orange for my skin. It's wintry in NY, so I'm pasty at the moment! I used some of my go-to Prescriptives powder though, and love the way it looks! I might have to go back and buy the revlon power, just to try :)
I ran out to find this as soon as the first 'lemming' cries washed up on the blogs. It's a nice try, but no cigar.
I have aging skin with major winter skin issues. This highlights every pore and fine line, even after a thick layer of moisturizer and primer.
Perhaps it'll work better for me once winter is over, but I am disappointed.
Thanks Jana! I am starting to really think PR wields better results for oily skin.
I think the results on some of those MUA pictures have been amazing. That is what made me go hunt it down.
Sage 1: Me too.
I will retest PR during the summer. I really wanted it to work for me.
i want to buy this onlie but how can i tell what color is right for me? i use prescriptives real vellum (yellow orange family) and Deauville in Nars Foundation and Nars powder in eden.
any suggestions? can someone help?
Count me in as one of the many who fell for the hype :-/ ... I couldn't get it fast enough, what with all the miraculous results that were reported on MUA!
Sadly, I think that this is better suited for oily-skinned types, because this just emphasized, as you said, problems I didn't even realize I HAD! It was cakey-looking, emphasized every pore (and mine are small), every flake, and didn't provide the coverage I'd hoped it would have. This performed exactly as MUFE's HD did for me, which I also disliked LOL.
The best part of this foundation was the dispensing system of the bottle, and sadly, I need a bit more than that ;-)
Oh, and FWIW, I had no shimmer whatsoever in mine, and IIRC, I bought the 2nd lightest shade (Vanilla?).
Now I'm on to the next new fun toy -- Maybelline's Eraser foundation -- and so far, having much better results *knocks wood* :-)
I like it. I have combination/aging skin, so I used a Big Moisturizer. I use just a dab, applied with fingertips, and it lasts all day (fairly matte, but I blot a couple of times). I can always find a good match in Revlon foundations, but my favorite may still be New Complexion. MUFE looks good on me for about 15 minutes; after that, it migrates into my pores, settles in and turns to concrete.
Annie,
You might want to try the new Maybelline Eraser fdtn--it was too moisturizing for me, but I think it would be perfect for dry skin if you want light to med sheer coverage.
Dissed: I think we have the same skin issues. We need to do a thinktank.
Cindy: I want to! How are the shades?
I heard is kind of shimmery and I can;t do shimmer on my face
I've tested my bottle of Nude for a few weeks, and through all kinds of Winter skin. I am keeping it to see if it's better once the season warms up. I use a Sephora Airbrush 55 with it and it blends really well. I've also found I use less of any foundation with that brush. I have to make sure my skin is very well moisturized, and then I use MUFE HD powder over it. Flawless results, and it looks great on camera too. I don't get the major shimmer of some people, fine lines, or larger pores at all.
Post a Comment
<< Home