Revlon - PhotoReady liquid foundation

As I mentioned in my previous foundation post (click!), I was planning to try out some other foundations available here. And just few days after I posted that review, Revlon's PhotoReady foundation arrived to me! I've been using it everyday for over a month now and to be honest I'm still not exactly sure whether I like it or not. But before I jump to conclusions, let's focus on the details.

According to the producent, the Revlon PhotoReady should help achieve poreless, airbrushed skin in any light. This effect is possible thanks to photochromatic pigments that bend and reflect light to erase every flaw. Revlon also promises that this foundation will give complete, yet undetectable coverage and a soft, luminous finish. It is also oil and fragrance free and has SPF 20 (which adds to the luminosity). Sounds promising, right? PhotoReady is packed in a nice bottle that contains 30ml of product and has a precise pump that will give you the exact amount of foundation you need for your face.

Unfortunately for me, I wasn't able to choose the right colour for me. Revlon hasn't released all the available shades (there are 12 in total) in my country and the lightest one out here is 003 Shell, which seems to be a little bit too dark for me right now. To make it worse, I noticed it sometimes tends to darken on my skin (blaming my current face powder for that) so I need to be really careful with it. At the beginning I was using my fingers to apply it but I find a flat top brush better to blend the foundation well. Once again a good moisturizer is a must before application, since PhotoReady is ruthless for every little bit of flacky skin you may have on your face! So sometimes instead of erasing your flaws it exaggerates them. Not nice of you PhotoReady, not nice! ;) The foundation gives light to medium coverage but you can build it up, since it does not look like you're wearing a mask. It applies quite well and leaves no streaks if blended well. PhotoReady, as promised, photographs really well despite having such a high SPF! I think it looks well in both natural and artificial light and that's why I can forgive some imperfections this foundation has.

Natural light on the left, flash on the right. Noticing the shimmer? :)

Apart from the shade, I think my biggest issue with PhotoReady are the photochromatic pigments, which are nothing else than.. glitter! I really don't mind a little glow (after all this is an illuminating foundation, I knew what I was getting myself into) and when you shake the bottle before application or mix it with a different foundation, you won't look like a disco ball. However, after few days of using PhotoReady I've noticed shimmer on my coat, my collars, on everything that I wore! It also rubs away even though I use setting powder. Because of those infamous photochromatic pigments this foundation is not really suitable for people with combination to oily skin, since your face will look really shiny after all. Even though I'm dry at the moment I get a little bit too shiny and need a fix after 3 - 4 hours. However, if I blot my skin after moisturizer and before applying foundation, PhotoReady sits longer on my face. So if you have a similar problem like me, you should definitely try this trick!

Revlon PhotoReady foundation, which is said to be a dupe for MUFE HD foundation, has it's ups and downs. If you have dry or normal skin with no flaws, this will definitely lighten up your appearance, but if you have combination or oily skin and hate shine on your face with passion, you should look for something else. I was really excited to try this one out after reading so many positive reviews and I'm not gonna lie, I am a bit disappointed. But if mixed with other foundations it gives a really nice glow on my skin and lasts longer so I will definitely use this one up!

What are your opinions on Revlon's PhotoReady foundation? Are other products from this line worth a try? Waiting for your opinions!

A.

Rimmel - Match Perfection Gel foundation

Finding a good foundation is hard. Finding a good foundation when you're very pale is extremely hard! I remember buying my first tinted moisturizer, of course for light skin, and I ended up with an orange face. With that in mind, I was always hesitant to buy a foundation because testers always turned out dark on my skin. That's why I was also afraid to buy the foundation I'm reviewing today but boy, I am so glad I did! Oh, and of course I went with the lightest shade - 100 Ivory.

Before you find out why, I need to mention few things. First of all, I need to say something about my skin type. Well, apart from being pale, my face right now is normal with a tendency to get dry around the T-zone. During my teenage years I suffered from acne and unfortunately I have some little scars and discolourations left on my chin and forehead. What I'm mainly looking for in a foundation is nice coverage and a natural finish. The main reason I chose Match Perfection, apart good reviews floating around the internet, is the fact that - according to the producent - it adapts to the skin tone (and the ad with the lovely Zooey Deschanel).

Rimmel's Match Perfection Gel foundation is packed in a small glass jar and contains 18ml of product. That's a pro and con at the same time! Even though it looks pretty, some may find the packaging unpractical and unhygenic (foundation under the nails, eew!). Also most of the foundations available have around 30ml of product so 18ml may seem little comparing to others. However it isn't really a big issue for me, because finishing one little jar took me almost 6 months! Oh, and one important thing! Apparently, there are two different versions of Match Perfection - one with big and the other ones with a small font on the sticker. Since I had both of those 'versions' (by accident) all I can tell is that the one that I'm currently using (big font, the one on the left on the comparison photo) seems a bit lighter than the other one and has better coverage. I really don't know why there are two versions of the product, because I don't remember Rimmel mentioning any changes. So I guess this will be one unsolved mystery for me. ;)

The application isn't really problematic; the product blends well and doesn't 'cake' on the skin . You have to be rather quick because it may dry quickly on the skin before you blend it out so I use my fingers to apply it. It was quite surprising to discover that the foundation gives a little cooling effect when you put it on your skin! After my first application I was really shocked with the result! Match Perfection looked like my skin, only better - glowy, healthy and with a satin finish. It has medium coverage, so bigger imperfections still need some concealing, but still, it doesn't look like I was wearing a mask. On my face it lasted for about 10 hours but people with oily and combination skin may need some touching up after a while. Just so you know, I rarely use powder, mainly because the one I'm using is rubbish, so more or less 10 hours for a foundation to last on the skin is a pretty nice score. Oh, and even though Match Perfection contains silicones, it doesn't clog up the pores. However, a good peeling and moisturizer is a must because unfortunately it has a tendency to exagerrate chapped skin. Also, from what I know, the foundation does not contain SPF, so it might be a problem for some. Apart from that I was really pleased with this foundation. So pleased, I have bought a second jar and that doesn't happen very often, right? I have tested it for the whole year and it failed me only during extremely hot weather, when it disappeared from my face after one or two hours.

Overall, if you're looking for a foundation that will adapt well to your skintone, give you a nice and fresh finish with decent coverage, this is truly a perfect match for you! Even though I'm planning to test some other foundations, if disappointed I will most definitely come back to this one.

Did you try out Match Perfection already? Feel free to share your opinion!

A.