Hey everyone!
We all know that there are hundreds of foundations to pick from, from your high end to high street brands, with vast variation of the type of foundations whether it is liquid, mousse, cream or powder.
Today I would like to share my thoughts on the Revlon Colourstay Foundation for combination/oily skin types in shade Natural Tan. This foundation has been on the market for years but it is still one of my favourite foundations, I have been using it for about 2 years now, I have sampled quite a few others but always seem to go back to Revlon Colourstay.
What it states on the bottle:
- Wears for up to 24 hours.
- Flawless look.
- Light weight feel.
- SPF 6.
Formula
There are two types of formula’s that they provide which are either for oily/combination skin or for normal/dry skin. I have purchased the formula to suit combination/oily skin types however my skin is now more on the dry side but still works perfectly fine. I would say this foundation is medium to full coverage depending on how many layers you do. The liquid formula is quite thick and can dry up pretty quickly, therefore when applying this foundation I would do a small section at a time, however, despite it being quite thick in consistency it blends very well to my skin. I tend to use my Real Techniques stippling brush to apply this foundation, the finishing effects are flawless. When I tried using my fingers I found that it did not spread and blend evenly on my skin this is probably due to the foundation being thick in consistency and this is why I would recommend using a good foundation brush. The added bonus to this foundation is that it contains SPF 6, but I find this is a low SPF amount compared to many other foundations in the current market, therefore people using this foundation in higher climates will definitely need to use sun screen protection underneath, luckily this has not been a huge issue for me as I live in England so half the year it is raining anyways!
Wear
I do not use any sort of primer, serum or powder when using this foundation, as I don’t think I really need it, therefore considering I don’t use anything else underneath or on top, this foundation for me last about 8 hours before I see a bit of fading and about a good 12 hours when the fading is more noticeable, with a touch up it would last a lot longer and bare in mind if you was to wear a primer and powder it will probably live up to its statement and last up to 24hours. In regards to covering blemishes and spots, I would say it does a good job. I usually just apply one layer all over my face and then on the troubled areas I would go over them again with a second layer. I am very pleased with how the foundation feels light on the skin yet has a good coverage and does not look ”cakey” or ”fake”. May I also add that it has not given me any additional break outs or irritated any of my acne or my sensitive skin.
Shades
There is a good variety of shades to pick from, and unlike a lot of other foundations, Colourstay has darker shades available. I purchased shade 330 Natural Tan; I would say it is neutral with yellow undertones. It’s pretty much a close to perfect colour match for me, however in the summer after a tan it can appear slightly light for my skin. If comparing this colour to Mac foundations I am a NC40. I love the fact that it does not oxidise and remains the same colour throughout the day.
Packaging
I think the packaging of this foundation is its major down fall, its a glass pouring type bottle, due to no pump or squeeze nozzle you can easily waste product by pouring too much out especially when its nearly running out and you have to really turn the bottle up side down – e.g. – a bit like pouring the last bits of ketchup from the bottle. Also, the foundation gets stuck in the lid which is not very sanitary; I have tried buying separate pump lids to fit on top but could not find one that fits well. There is about 30ml of foundation liquid inside which is about the average standard amount with most foundations. I personally like this size as it’s easy to travel with and easy to store away in a make up bag.
Price / Where To Purchase.
This foundation is superb value for its money especially comparing it to its high end competitors, I paid £12.50 for it at Boots and I usually buy it when there are promotional offers, e.g. – buy one get another Revlon product half price. In the UK, you can also purchase this foundation in Superdrug, eBay, Amazon and most chemists.
Overall Verdict.
Revlon Colourstay Foundation is my Holy Grail foundation; I am very pleased with it and so far my favourite foundation. It is light and easy to apply with covering most blemishes giving you a lovely flawless look in minutes with a very affordable price tag. I would definitely recommend any one that is considering this foundation to try this! I have recommended it already to lots of my friends and family and they are very happy with the results. If you do purchase it, feel free to message me and let me know how you find it 🙂
Thank you for reading,
xx Bhavi xx
beautypuzzled.wordpress.com 
Great review
I was debating whether to try this or not but from this review i think id try it out , thanks x
Thank you – Yes give it a try, let me know how you find it 🙂 !!
Wow this is really helpful! Been trying to find the right foundation and thought to try this as my skin is sensitive to and your blog is actually spot on!! And your picture looks very flawless so helped me decided to purchase it even more but after taking it of with make up wipes my skin still felt refreshed which confirms what you have written ! Please post some more stuff on make up
I am glad that this foundation does wonder’s for you too 🙂
I love this foundation, although I am with you on the design flaw the glass bottle ! it just seems ludicrous that they would not put a spatula or a pump dispenser in there ! bizarre , great post though really enjoyed reading it xx
many thanks, yes it is a little silly and i am sure we all don’t mind paying an extra bit of money for them to put a pump lid on top. xx
Nice site with interesting information and advice!
Thank you 🙂
I’ve been dying to try this! Quick question, I have an oily/combination and acne prone skin, does it do a good job covering those marks (not only blemishes)? Thanks for this 🙂 kisses from roro
Yes, if you do 2 layers on the marks it does a good amount of coverage 🙂 .. As I have acne scarring it covered most of them up. I am currently also trying to beat acne currently on accutane, it’s helping : D x
Thanks for the advice! Do you have other recommendations for a good foundation that could really cover acne marks (my biggest problem 😦 ) and also concealers? Thanks so much 🙂 kisses from roro
I always go back to revlon colourstay as i think it works the best for me and best at covering blemishs, on top of that i work in a primary school where im running around with 5year olds and at the end of the day most my make up has stayed on and without having to blot. i have tried estee lauder double wear light it gives the same result as revlon, and revlon is much cheaper. I have heard many good thing on the Boots perfectly matt foundation, as it has oil control. i recently went to boots and did the new skin match thing, will be reviewing about my experience soon.
Regards to concealers for spots… i actualy do not own one, this is because i have found them to be no different to applying a good matt foundation to the blemish does a better job. some concealers are just so watery and running , how on earth will that ‘conceal’. Even the bobby brown consultant said the same to me, therefore i tend to either use my revlon foundation over a blemish and if it is a bad blemish, i would use a CREAM foundation, as its thick enough to cover a spot. my mum had purchased the bobby brown cream stick foundation for a concealer and it is very good! as you said you suffer from acne, i would try a cream foundation. hope that helps. Also, i have some tips on fighting acne , i will email you privately about some tips 🙂 x
Hi Bhavini your response is very, very helpful to me. I’ll surely try the Revlon. I need a great foundation to stay on may fave very long because it gets quite very hot here in the Philippines. This is a great recommend Bhavini!
Oh, you don’t wear concealers at all? Well, I’m not surprised you hardly need any based from the pics you posted 😀
I use one frequently, then I just realized you are very right about concealers being watery and running and I’m also asking myself why am I still using one? or maybe I just haven’t found the right product yet! Just as you suggested I would also try to substitute it with a cream foundation. By the way, have you tried any mousse concealers? They say the mousse ones work better than the regular concealers. I’m kind of curious aboit it.
Yes Bhavini I’m very open with any advice you can give me. My email: rorodiane@yahoo.com
Accept my huge thanks and a huge hug for this! kisses roro
oh wow yes Philippiness must get very hot, make sure you use a high factor sun screen under neath your foundation.
nope, i do not use any concealers, i used a cream foundation by mistake, as i had purchased Cover FX cream foundation, when the sales advisor tried it on me it looked great, once i took it home, it was waaaay to thick and did not spread on my face, looked very cakey, so i when i read reviews about this foundation, i had found out many other people had similar views and had used this as a concealer instead. it does a great job as a ‘concealer’ , horrible job as a normal foundation. Regards to mouse concealers, i have not tried any, but they sound better than a liquid one. however, i still recorn a cream is still thicker than a mousse, because of the reason you want to use it for… acne…it needs a thick coverage.
thanks for your email…i will email you for acne tips 🙂
Huge thank you!!! Looking forward for more tips from you 🙂
Not a ton of Indian bloggers out there, so thanks for sharing your color! Helpful to know. Please do more swatches, etc in future, it’ll be helpful for women of color!
hey, thank you Anchal.
I would have done more swatches, but Revlon does not do testers to take home, so it would have meant be buying all the bottles which i can not afford to do. Apologies, however please see below for a shade comparison with mac foundation colours, it may help guide you with what colour you may be. Hope that helps 🙂
Revlon Colorstay vs MAC Studio Fix Fluid – Color Chart
Ivory: NW15/NC15 (lightest shade of the ranges)
Buff: NC20 (best match for fair NCs)
Sand Beige: NC20-25 (with somewhat neutral undertones)
Nude: NC25 (with peachy undertones, definitely not for pinks or true goldens)
Natural Beige: NW20 (tends to run pink)
Medium Beige: NC27 (between Sand Beige & Golden Beige)
Fresh Beige: NW25 (with pinky undertones)
Golden Beige NC30 (with yellow/olive undertones)
Warm Golden: NW30/NC30 (with somewhat neutral undertones)
True Beige: NW30 (with pinky undertones – for Fresh Beige in Summer)
Natural Tan: NC40/NC42 (more neutral than Golden Caramel)
Early Tan: NW35 (with somewhat peach undertones)
Rich Tan: NW35 (with pinkish undertones)
Golden Caramel: NC40/NC42 (more golden than Natural Tan)
Toast: NW43/NC45 (with neutral undertones)
Rich Ginger: NW45 (very peachy-pink)
Caramel: NC45
Cappucino: NC50 (slightly more peach than Caramel)
Mahogany: NW50/NC55 (the darkest of NWs, but not extremely peachy)
Mocha: NW55 (seems to be very cool toned)
HI BHAVINI,, great job ur doing here..really helpful info..im nc 30 in mac sff ..i got revlon colourstay in golden beige according to the above chart but its kind of pinkish on my skin..iv spent tonnes and tonnes on various foundation but alas !! please give any advice if i shud b mixing any other shade for a more yellowish colour..many thankx in advance..xx
hi, thank you very much! are you from the uk?? if so, due to the summer i have got a tan and therefore have more yellow tones too, i have purchase the boots No7 stay perfect foundation, there is lots of shades, and even better they have a skin match device!! im shade Warm Sand, this has yellow tones, i mix this with my revlon and have the perfect shade for the summer 🙂 hope this helps x
Nice review Bhavini. Thanks for following my blog, following you back. 🙂 http://voices-in-my-head.net/
Thank you very much 🙂