Hey guys! I’ve been on a ‘foundation kick’ lately, trying to find something that minimizes my pores, but doesn’t cling to the newfound dryness that’s become an issue for my skin, thanks to the extremely dry and frigid air we’re experiencing here in New England.
Since I’ve loved Revlon cosmetics in general for such a long time – especially their foundations – and have had such a super duper love affair with their PhotoReady Perfecting Primer, I was curious to try out the Revlon PhotoReady Airbrush Effect foundation. It’s a little bit on the pricey side for a drugstore foundation, averaging right around the $14 mark at most retailers, but I’ll be totally honest, I was really drawn in by their pretty spectacular claims, as follows:
Revolutionary formula with Light-Filtering Technology delivers a poreless, airbrushed look. Soft-focus pigments create a luminous finish. your skin has never looked so flawless.
• High Resolution Shades
• SPF 20
• Medium to Full Coverage
Now, I was a little iffy about the whole SPF thing, because as most of us know, SPF can tend to cause flashback in photos, especially the higher it is. It struck me a little odd that they would put SPF in a foundation that is clearly meant to make you look flawless in photographs, but hey, I decided to roll with it – I’m no chemist. Also, there’s only 8 shades to choose from – which seems extremely limited, in my opinion, as opposed to their ‘ColorStay’ line, which has 12.
So is it as great as it seems? Let’s find out!
PACKAGING
This product comes in the same style glass bottle as both the ‘Perfecting Primer’ and the ‘Color Correcting Primer’, which means it has…..A PUMP!! If you’ve been a longtime drugstore foundation user, you know that this is hard to find (though I hear Revlon will be putting a pump on their new ‘ColorStay’ packaging, so queue the happy dance, folks!). It’s a clear glass bottle with a black, plastic pump, and a smokey clear/black plastic cap.
FORMULA
This has about the same consistency of their primer, which is similar to a thick lotion, which helps is provide that medium to full coverage they say you’ll get. It’s creamy as you can see by the photo on the right, and blends out nicely. Again though, they only offer 8 shades, which is a bit off-putting to me. But it didn’t stop me from trying it out.
APPLICATION & WEAR
Ok, so I applied this in three ways – with my fingers, with a brush, and with a damp sponge. All three ways applied nicely, however I found I got the most natural application with the sponge. I would definitely call this a medium coverage, as it suggests. As long as it’s done carefully, it could easily build to full coverage without looking too cakey.
The shade I selected was ‘Vanilla’, because my trusty findation.com suggested that and well, it hasn’t done me wrong yet! The shade match was alright, but I probably should have gone one shade lighter, because ‘Vanilla’ had the slightest warm undertone, almost orangey, and well, mama likes her neutrals!
So here’s where things went from ‘ok’ to ‘oh hell no!’….this foundation has glitter. GLITTER. Not shimmer, not sheen, freakin’ glitter. In regular, indoor lighting it was pretty prominent, but when I stepped out into natural daylight, it was like BAM! I looked like I came from a casting call for the next ‘Twilight’ movie….uh uh. Nope. Not happening.
Additionally, I suspect that the glitter may have had something to do with the fact that within minutes, my skin was itchy and tingly – I couldn’t even keep it on long enough to get a photo for you guys – and when I removed it, I was red and blotchy, and the next morning had some serious texture going on around my eyes, nose, mouth, and just under my chin, as well as a nice big cyst that popped up overnight on my chin. Yuck.
I really, really, really wanted to love this product – I’ve seen it get some really great reviews – but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. The glitter, the reaction my skin had, I just can’t get on board with this stuff. Which is a shame, because as I said (and you know if you’re a loyal blog follower) I absolutely L-O-V-E the ‘PhotoReady Perfecting Primer’ – it’s one of the only drugstore primers that doesn’t break me out or irritate my skin in the slightest.
Have you guys tried this? What are your thoughts? Leave me a comment and let me know! I love to hear from you!!
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