Alice's Adventures: Revlon's Gucci Westman for Temperley

Who: Revlon’s Global Artistic Director, Gucci Westman, backstage at Temperley

What: Revlon’s Global Artistic Director, Gucci Westman, created a beautiful look inspired by the designer herself, pairing a beautiful bright red lip with a smoky purple eye for a powerful but chic look. “Alice Temperley is a stylish, successful woman. She was the perfect inspiration and loves a red lip. I also wanted to compliment the beautiful muted palette of the collection and the Venetian theme, so I created a confident bright red lip using Just Bitten Lip Stain + Balm and a strong purple smoky eye. I love the combination of red and purple for a look that is chic, expensive and powerful”

Revlon Product Breakdown

Lips:
'Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm' in Flame, $8.99
Matte Lipstick in Really Red, $7.99

Eye:
Customeyes Mascara in Blackest Black, $8.99
ColorStay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black, $7.39
ColorStay 12H Eye Shadow Quad in Sunrise Sunset, $6.99
ColorStay 12H Eye Shadow Quad in Steel Impressions, $6.99
Luxourious Color Eyeliner in Black, $9.99

Face:
PhotoReady Concealer, $10.99
PhotoReady Powder, $12.99
PhotoReady Foundation, $13.99
Revlon Matte Blush in Berry Rich, $9.79

PRODUCT AVAILABILITY: http://www.revlon.com/
Credit: Revlon PR
Photo Credit: Style
http://www.style.com/

New Revlon Eyeshadows

in 030 Platinum Glimmer Satin Formula and 045 Black Galaxy Perle Formula

Revlon's PhotoReady foundation might not have been a smashing success for me, but I did find something to love in the line. These two little gems are new and worthy of love. Platinum Glimmer is a battleship grey with a silver shimmer cast. Black Galaxy is a sooty black with significant silver sparkles. I thought the names of the formulas were mismatched. Perle's are generally cashmere-like in texture with an opalescent quality. Glimmers are "straight up" shimmers or glitters.

I had no expectations concerning pigment power. It was a firm medium. I was pleasantly surprised with the depth and smooth application. Black Galaxy was amazing with both a wet and dry application. I thought this was a more wearable black. It was softer and easier to control coverage. It also had no color casts. It was straight soot. There was some shimmer fall out. Platinum Glimmer had no flake issues. The texture was thicker and the shimmer cast was ultra-fine. These were priced at $4.99 and can be located at your local drugstore.

Disclosure: I purchased these two shadows at a local CVS drugstore.

Platinum Glimmer

Black Galaxy

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.

High Lemming Alert: Revlon PhotoReady Foundation

Tell me everything you know about the New Revlon PhotoReady foundation!

Have you seen it at stores? Did you purchase it? How is the coverage? Is it as "kick ass" as everyone says? Do I need to jump in a car and start hitting every drugstore in town?

My inner lemming monster is awake and ready to pounce! Tell me the deets in the comments.

40 Days and 40 Nights of Beauty Brand Reviews

Day 32, Revlon

In the factory, we make cosmetics; in the store, we sell hope.
-- Charles Revson

Cavewoman: For the astounding story of Charles Revson and the beginnings of the Revlon company, find a copy of the book called "Fire And Ice, The Story Of Charles Revson, The Man Who Built The Revlon Empire" by Andrew Tobias. Revson was a man who lived his life in excess, luxury, and controversy. He was another one of those cosmetic company geniuses, ready with the perfect product at the perfect time, sending Revlon products into the hands of eager makeup customers in department stores everywhere, and enjoying quite well the fruits of his success. I remember when Revlon was sold in the best department store in our area, and I sensed a magic attached to the name. I wasn't wrong. The book is a must-read for everyone who loves the tradition and history of the great cosmetics companies and their founders.


Revlon lipsticks and nail polishes are my favorites from the line. I love the Soft & Smooth lipsticks the best, but I have to do a "show and tell" with two of the oldest colors still in production in the Revlon line. Fire And Ice lipstick and Cherries In The Snow nail polish are products launched in the 1950's and are still popular enough to be sold today, more than 50 years later. Revson's "Fire And Ice" advertising campaign won an award for the best advertising of 1952, and with "matching lips and fingertips" as a new Revlon slogan, he ensured that ladies would buy a nail polish every time they purchased a lipstick.
Read the book to find out how much he disliked Estee Lauder. To put it mildly.
And stop at the Revlon display for a little tube of lipstick history.

Left to right: Succulent Berry, So Blushious, Raspberry Mousse, Plush Peony, and Lush Orchid

Annieytown: My pick for best Revlon product is the Colorstay Soft and Smooth lipsticks. Recommended by Cavewoman and PattyG, they have become part of my lipstick collection. They come in a variety of shades from the stunning lush orchid to the subtle luxe lavender. This is not your average long lasting lipstick. The creamy formula does not dry out your lips and lasts throughout the day.
I loved the rich pigment and texture of the lippie.
It feels and looks high end.

What are your favorite Revlon products? List them in the comments.

Photos: Blogdorf Goodman
Disclosure: The products were purchased by the reviewers.

The Great Mascara Hunt: Lancome Hypnose and Revlon Fabulash

Review by cavewoman
Photos from ochkov.net and Revlon.com
graphic from Katie at Scentzilla

It is mascara madness indeed when I decide to review two mascaras at once! I had this crazy notion to try two mascaras in one day. I just felt like comparing eye-to-eye. So my choices sort of had to be kind of a bit similar in style, that is, I did not want to compare a volumizing mascara to a lengthening mascara, and I wanted to be fair in what I was choosing. And I also had this weird idea in my head (maybe because of yesterday's review for Fresh Supernova in which I stated that I had paid $25 for a mascara!) that I would make this comparison "pricey versus cheapie" and see what results I would get.

So, off to the mascara stash I went. I chose Lancome Hypnose and Revlon Fabulash for my comparisons. I've been wowed by both of these in the past and now I wanted to see if there would be any discernable difference. Plus I was going to go shopping with Annie, and I could ask her opinion too.

Onto the right eye went the Hypnose. As usual it gives great mascara payoff in practically no time at all. The brush is unusual in shape. There are actually 'sides' to the bristles and if you look at it from the tip end, you see that the brush has a squared-off shape. That's great for working the mascara into the lashes and also for coating lower lashes. I love Hypnose. It's just about perfect. No clumping, no need for combing, nicely thickening without goopiness, and decent length without dotting my upper eyelid. Hypnose gave my lashes a slight lifting effect, too. It's just good stuff.

Now to the left eye and Revlon Fabulash. This mascara also has an unusual brush. The bristles on one side are very short and on the other side very long. Again, it makes application very easy, the short side helps to coat every lash, and the long side evens out the application. I was able to build very respectably visible lashes rather quickly, and again no clumps, globs, goops, smears, or dots. I noticed a bit of the lifting effect with Fabulash, too.

Neither one of these mascaras flakes in the least. Both of them are wet formulas that make working through the application very easy. I like a wet formula because a second coat can be applied without the clump-and-comb factor. Fabulash dried more quickly than Hypnose.
When I was finished applying both mascaras, I chose an amateur for my first evaluation. The DH was nearby and I thought there would not be much better of an amateur mascara evaluator than he would be. He put on his reading glasses and looked intently at my lashes, taking his role very seriously. I asked him if he could see any difference between my two eyes. After a bit of studying, he said that the lashes on my left eye appeared to be a bit fuller. That was the Fabulash eye.

Later in the day I asked the same question of our Annie. She could not tell the difference between the two mascaras.

At the end of a very long day, I checked my lashes one more time. Neither one of these mascaras left a single flake under my eyes, no smudging, no dots, no post-application clumping, and no uneven wear. Both of them are easy to use, with well-styled brushes that help to coat all lashes and even out the coating. Both of them are easy to remove with my Almay pads. Both of them are excellent! All that needs to be decided is price. Hypnose is more than twice the price of Revlon. And with the weekly drugstore specials on cosmetics, it's worth the wait to stock up on Fabulash when it's on sale. I don't need to buy Hypnose anymore. I am glad I acted on my wacky whim and tested these two together. I may even do this again soon, with two more mascaras.

Product ratings:
Hypnose: 9
Fabulash: 9

Disclosure: These products were purchased by the reviewer, Cavewoman