Review: Revlon Colourstay in 150 Buff Chamois

After reviewing a bunch of high end foundations (Chanel Vitalumière Aqua, Lancôme Teint Miracle, Diorskin Nude and Clarins Teint Haute Tenue), I thought it would be nice to take a look at some of the most popular drugstore brand foundations. I know that Bourjois Healthy Mix (which I should take new pics for, because I totally hate the ones I used in that post) is a very popular product, and another beauty blogger favourite is Revlon Colorstay. Revlon isn't easily available in Belgium, but it's sold at Planet Parfum, Galleria Inno and at various webshops (and Ebay). I bought my (new, unopened) bottle for about 12€ on Ebay. Very budget friendly.

I gravitated towards this product because it is nice to have a fall back option at a more affordable price point, and because Revlon Colorstay promises medium to full coverage that stays put for 16 hours, for dry skin specifically. Most long lasting products are more appropriate for oily skin, but Revlon Colorstay actually comes in two different versions: one for oily skin, and one for dry to normal skin. I ordered the dry-normal product in 150 Buff Chamois. Revlon Colorstay does not have a huge range of shades available, and I knew my skin would match either 110 Ivory, or 150 Buff. Ivory seemed too light, so I picked Buff. Since I ordered the product online, I was not able to test beforehand.

In the end, Buff proved to be an OK-match to my skin, not too dark or too light, but the undertone is a bit too yellow to match perfectly. Because Revlon Colorstay is medium-full coverage, the product is very pigmented, which means that I really have to blend it into my neck or you will see the product lying on my skin and notice the colour difference.

I intentionally did not blend it all the way to my ears and down my neck so you could see what I mean: great coverage, but you do SEE the product. It does not melt into your skin like a light to medium coverage product would, and that demands a different application technique. Where I usually just squeeze out the amount of product I need and take my time to spread it out over my face, Revlon Colorstay dries too fast to work like that. You have to grab a bit of product (to cover for half your face at most) and make sure to spread it evenly. If you don't work in two steps, it might come out patchy. 

If I do make an effort to blend the foundation over to my neck and up to my ears, though, the product does nicely settle into my skin without making it appear yellow or "artificial". I found this nicer to work with than the more expensive medium-full coverage foundation I reviewed earlier, Clarins Teint Haute Tenue. I definitely noticed that Revlon Colorstay was formulated to flattery dry-normal skin, as it did not emphasize my dry patches nearly as much as Clarins Teint Haute Tenue did.

This extreme, creepy close up of my forehead (which always has some dryness and the occasional spot) shows that Revlon Colorstay really does do a nice job. Of course this mega zoom shows some unevenness, but no dryness was noticeable from a normal people distance. Let's zoom out again to check out how Revlon Colorstay looks properly blended and incorporated in my daily make up. 

Products used: 

- Sleek Face Form kit in Light (blusher, contouring and highlighting powder)

- Gemey Maybelline Volum' Express mascara

- & Other Stories eyebrow powder "4"

- Mac lipstick in Velvet Teddy

- Catrice eyeshadow 790 I wear my plum glasses at night

- light shimmery lilac based beige from my E.L.F. 100 piece eyeshadow palette

I actually like how the slightly yellow-neutral undertone of the 150 Buff seems to downplay the natural redness in my own skintone? Who'd have thought. I also like how the finish is matte, but still natural and smooth. Super matte foundation can make my skintone look patchy, but that's not the case with Revlon Colorstay.

Overall, I really like this product and will definitely continue to use it on days when I want a bit more coverage, minus the upkeep of having to use powder throughout the day. I don't doubt I'll finish the bottle. Beware, though: Revlon Colorstay does NOT come with a pump, so you have to carefully hold the bottle sideways to get the product out. It's not as hard as it sounds, though. I had no problems with it. Another issue is that it really stays put, as in, you have to thoroughly wash your face if you want to get all of it off. If you don't, your skin might break out.

Two thumbs up, one of the best drugstore foundation I've ever used!

PS: my blush was not this bright in real life, the camera exaggerates it sometimes :-D