Revlon HD Photo Ready Foundation Makeup Review

A tempting new makeup is starting to hit the shelves of local drug stores: Revlon Photo Ready Foundation. Although its official release date isn't until March 2010, CVS, Walgreen's, Smith's and Ebay are beginning to sell the product now.

Ever leery of drugstore brand makeup, I staked out several online reviews before purchasing Revlon's latest foundation. Many girls who reviewed it complained of too much sparkle and lack of coverage. Since I have extremely oily skin, the comments about sparkles almost deterred me from trying it out, as the thought of adding extra sheen to my already shiny face was a scary thought. But... a $13.00 makeup that claims to look flawless under any light...how could I pass up the possibility of a new wonder-foundation?

The first day I used this makeup (Color # 08 Golden Beige), I applied it to clean, freshly exfoliated bare skin. Originally, I began applying with a foundation brush, but the result was a streaky mess of makeup that just kind of sat on top of my skin. After blending with my fingertips, the finish was smooth and the makeup disappeared flawlessly. During application, the texture felt kind of greasy and sticky, even though the foundation is oil-free. However, after about a minute, the greasy feel subsided and it felt silky and very light weight. Also, the packaging for this foundation gets five stars. Just one pump neatly disperses the perfect amount of foundation to cover your entire face.

I stood back and looked in the mirror expecting to see a shiny wash of glitter on my face, but to my surprise, the foundation was semi-matte with a nice natural glow. This is a major breakthrough for somebody with oily skin. Let me explain why. I have tried SO many products on the market that claim to give you a "dewy" fresh complexion only to find that they made my face look like an oil slick. This is the very first one to actually accomplish the dewy finish without looking overly wet or shiny. I actually didn't notice any shimmer at all - the result was my natural complexion, only even toned and pore-free. Having freckled skin with quite a few red marks from past acne blemishes, I was afraid the foundation wouldn't cut it for coverage. It proved me wrong! Only one light application hid everything and gave my face a nice uniform look without looking like I was wearing a mask of foundation.

I had also purchased the Revlon Photo Ready Pressed Powder in Light/Medium. Using the included powder brush to dust some onto my nose, I quickly discovered that the brush didn't do a very good job of blending. Instead, I took a small cotton powder puff and gently patted the powder over the foundation. When applying pressed powder, it's important to pat it on to your skin, rather than rub. If you press too hard and rub the powder puff over your skin, you will smear your foundation and end up with a streaky finish. The powder left a fairly matte finish, and provided a little extra coverage. Since I have such oily skin I also used my stand-by Mattify Loose Powder over the top of the Photo Ready Powder. It's a clear powder that really sets makeup for all day wear on oily skin, without adding extra color. Normally after applying my makeup, I spray with Model in a Bottle Makeup Setting Spray to ensure my foundation doesn't budge all day long. But, since I wanted to see how long the Photo Ready Foundation would last without any help from a setting spray, I skipped that step.

The results are in! After 8 hours, my foundation was still going strong. The color was a perfect match for my medium tan skin, and didn't mysteriously change color during the day like some foundations can. Normally, around 11am, I need to use an oil blotting paper because of so much excess shine. Much to my surprise, that wasn't necessary until 5 hours into my day. This is a GREAT foundation for those with oily skin. The color stays true, and the foundation stays put. Throughout the day, I kept checking to see how my complexion looked in various lighting conditions, since Revlon promises "a flawless complexion in any light". For once, a product actually held up its end of the bargain. The foundation kept a consistent look whether I was in fluorescent lighting, sunshine, partial cloudiness, or a dimly lit restroom. Also, it blended invisibly with my skin & for once I didn't feel like I was wearing a mask of foundation. It even seems to be semi-water resistant. At the end of the day, I splashed my face with water before removing my makeup, and the water beaded up and rolled off.

So, you may wonder how this compares to the other highly recommended Hi-Def foundation on the market: Make Up For Ever Invisible Cover HD Foundation, which is strikingly similar to the Revlon Photo ready - but retails for a whopping $40.00! The MUFE brand was the first HD foundation I'd ever tried, but chose not to re-purchase because it didn't wear for very long and was far too expensive to re-purchase since I was less than 100% satisfied. The Revlon formula stays put and color true for about 8 hours, where the MUFE brand disappeared from my skin after about 6 hours. I don't know where it went, but at the end of the day I looked like I hadn't applied any foundation at all! Revlon's Photo Ready is much more reasonably priced and actually out performs the high end brand.

Here are some extra tips that will help you get the most out of your Revlon Photo Ready Foundation. First, apply a good primer to the skin. Use a matte powder primer for oily skin such as the translucent Mattify Loose Powder, or Smashbox Primer for dry skin. This will help the foundation adhere to your skin for longer wear. Second, apply the Photo Ready using your fingertips or a foam sponge - not a foundation brush. Third, apply the Photo Ready Pressed Powder and/or translucent Mattify Powder for an air-brushed look and to set the makeup. Then, for extended all day wear (12+ hours), spray with Model in a Bottle Makeup Setting Spray.

Previously I have not been a fan of Revlon foundations; they've either felt too heavy and cakey, or been too transparent and runny to provide any coverage. Looks like Revlon finally got it right with this foundation. Their Photo Ready makeup provides perfect coverage with a feather light finish.