New Revlon Age Defying Foundation & Concealer : Product Review

Another product review! If you guys watched that haul video, then you know that I have a lot of products to be reviewing for you and I want to get the newest ones out first. Revlon has had an age defying line for a long time, but they just release a few new products for it and a two of them intrigued me. As I've mentioned before, I have oily skin most of the year, but in the winter my skin gets much more normal and only gets a touch oily on my nose, so anti-aging products are generally safe for me to use in the winter. That's why I picked up the Age Defying Firming & Lifting Foundation and the Age Defying Targeted Dark Spot Concealer Treatment. 

The Facts

Price: $11.99 to $14.99 (in Kansas)

Amount of Product: 1 fl oz.

Number of Shades:12 - The darkest of which is called "Early Tan", once again, not extremely WOC friendly

Claim: "This all-in-one formula combines hyaluronic acid, a potent dose of moisturizing ingredients and our exclusive Triple Lift Complex™. Relax the look of expression lines, give skin a smooth, tightened feel and boost hydration 3X. For a radiant, rejuvenated look." 

Shade that I used: 10 - Bare Buff

Shades and the foundation itself: Twelve seems to be the lucky number when it comes to drugstore foundations and like most, this isn't very accommodating for the those that don't fall into the slightly tanned to deeply tanned skintones. There is one shade lighter than Bare Buff, but it is very pink toned, so it definitely would not have matched my skin. I picked Bare Buff because I generally wear the second shade in any Revlon product, but this was just too dark. I think if I got a tan, then this would have matched my skin, but Bare Buff is not a match for NC15 skin. 

The foundation is like most liquid foundations, not too runny and not too creamy. It sticks nicely to the skin upon application and blends very easily. It is a more moisturizing formula since this is an anti-aging product (read the claim up above) and makes use of hyaluronic acid, which traps moisture in the skin.

Also, SPF 15... which is pretty much nothing and you should wear a separate sunscreen anyway.

Coverage: The coverage on this foundation is somewhat odd to describe. It makes me think of my NARS Sheer Glow, but maybe with a touch more coverage. I think the best description is a light medium, but if you have any dark marks, you will definitely want a concealer if you want them masked.

Application: Revlon states that this can be applied with fingers, brush, or sponge and I completely agree with them. Any of those methods would be good to apply this, but I applied mine with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush (it's my favorite). If you applied with your fingers, you might be able to get a bit more coverage.

Wear Time: Not impressive whatsoever. After only a few hours at work, I could see that almost all of the foundation was gone from my nose and not in a manner that faded evenly; foundation was on the rest of my face, but not on my nose at all. If you have oily skin of any sort, I'm telling you right now to stay away from this foundation. The rest of my face faded pretty badly by the end of the day as well and by the time I took my makeup off at the end of the night, there was almost nothing on the cotton pad. The only color that I did remove had come from my under eye concealer. I don't have a true wear time for you, but "pretty pathetic" is the best answer I can give you.

Does it deliver on its claim? I will buy their super moisturizing claim because this foundation is incredibly moisturizing and in turn, that helps to relax the look of lines on the face. However, I wouldn't say this made me look radiant or rejuvenated since it all came off of my face. 

Final Verdict: I returned this last night. First of all, the color was wrong and I try not to hold on to products that don't match my skin. Second, I'm not holding onto a foundation that fades off my face (almost completely) in less than 8 hours. That's just ridiculous if your foundation can't last through a work day. If you have severely dry skin, I think that this foundation might work for you, but if you have even the slightest amount of oil to your skin, I pray you flee.

before any makeup, Clinique DDMG applied

full face, you can still see the blemishes on my cheek and chin

The Facts

Price: $11.99 to $12.99 (in Kansas)

Amount of Product: .25 fl oz.

Number of Shades: 4 - the darkest in this is called Medium Deep... sorry to my ladies of color out there

Claim: "Our innovative concealer features a Vitamin C and licorice-enriched formula that instantly reduces the appearance of age spots and discolorations for smooth, more even looking skin." 

Shade that I used: Light 01

Shades and the concealer itself: Ok, I realize that this is drugstore concealer, but seriously, only four shades? That just seems ludicrous. Luckily for me, the Light shade is straight up yellow and pasty which means that it is absolutely perfect for me. If you're much darker than NC15, I would not recommend the shade Light for you, definitely go up a shade.

The concealer is a thick liquid; it doesn't budge from wherever you dot it, but it does blend out easily. I find that the consistency can be a bit sticky, but that doesn't prevent it from blending which is kind of amazing and perfect. Honestly, this concealer makes me think of MAC Pro Longwear.

Coverage: Heavy. This isn't your liquidy, thin crappy concealer that you got for a one dollar; it's thick and it covers like a beast. It's definitely not as heavy as Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer or Hard Candy Glamoflauge, but it is a good heavy concealer.

Applicator: I didn't know this when I took photos, so excuse me for not having two photos of this; it comes with a removable sponge tip that reveals a needle point tip underneath. The "sponge" tip isn't much of a sponge; it's hard plastic that is covered in a soft felt. I know that it doesn't sound very appealing in writing, but it is a tremendously excellent idea on Revlon's part. Since it's not a true sponge, it doesn't absorb your product, but it does make it easy to smooth on your under eyes. 

Wear Time: One million hours. This concealer can outlast almost any foundation that I own; it's impressive. The only foundation that has proven itself a worthy opponent was Estée Lauder Double Wear.

Does it deliver on its claim? No idea. I haven't been using this long enough to know if it's making any of my dark spots lighter and honestly, I don't give a shit. I hate concealer with a passion and avoid wearing it because of that and I am wearing this concealer with joy. Don't get me wrong, I always wear under eye concealer (that's a whole different animal), but I almost never cover my other facial imperfections... until now.

Final Verdict: I don't know, maybe this only works on my skin and I'm just proselytizing, but I seriously think this is the best concealer that I've ever used. I love it. I'm already going to buy another tube even though this one is still almost completely full (I have coupons and discounts that are going to expire...). I'm in love. 

Revlon Colorstay Matte & Lacquer Balms : Product Review

I try to be as timely as possible when it comes to limited edition items since time is of the essence for those sorts of products. Hopefully, I'm catching this at a time when most of you can still find these in stores should you choose to purchase them. I'm not 100% sure that they are LE, because there hasn't been anything released by Revlon stating either way. I just found them at the Walgreens near my house last weekend, but I live in the midwest and things get here a bit slower than the rest of the country. Anyhow, the two products that I will be reviewing today are the Revlon Colorstay Lacquer Balm and Matte Balm in shades Flirtatious and Unapologetic (respectively).

The Facts

Price: $8.99/each (this was at Walgreens in Kansas)
Amount of Product: .095 oz
Number of Shades: 10 in each formulation; 20 overall

Shade(s) that I used: Flirtatious and Unapologetic
Coverage: Light/Medium (Lacquer) and Full (Matte)
Application: Tube to lips!

Wear Time: The wear time for the Matte Balm is about 4 hours with eating included. I think that the Lacquer Balm can easily be worn for four hours as well, but only if you aren't eating or drinking. The first swipe with a napkin and that sucker will be down to super light coverage. 

Flirtatious - Lacquer Balm

I think that the packaging is very pretty; it's metallic, it's a gorgeous color, and fingerprints aside, I like it. Like the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains, these balms twist up from the bottom, so a sharpener isn't necessary. The Lacquer Balm glides on just like the Balm Stains... and looks almost exactly like the Balm Stains, which is disappointing. This product doesn't even come close to the shine that I would have expected for something described as a lacquer. Quite honestly, it's barely shiny; it has some glitter in it, is that what they meant by lacquer? Which brings me to my next point: glitter. I'm not sure if all of the lacquer shades have glitter in them, but Flirtatious definitely does and after a short time, you can feel the glitter grits on your lips (à la Peach Parfait from the Lip Butters line).

The color that I got in the Lacquer Balm is gorgeous and is really the only thing special about this particular product. If you have been searching for these in hopes of something new and exciting, I wouldn't continue; it's not worth it. The Lacquer Balms are almost exactly the same as the Kissable Balm Stains except that they don't really stain. Meh.

Unapologetic - Matte Balm

And then we get to the Matte Balm. Again, I really like the packaging; good color, it's a matte package, and it's not rubbery, so it doesn't attract every piece of dust and dirt (I'm looking at you NARS and Lorac). I was so incredibly excited for this product, even after swatching it, because it looks awesome on my hand, texture and color wise. However, as soon as I put it on my lips, my excitement started to dissipate. I think I've been spoiled by high end lipstick, which can deliver full opacity and manage not to look cakey; something that the Matte Balm cannot deliver. Unfortunately, as soon as I put this on my lips, it started to look heavy. It can be blended out with my finger, so if that were the only issue, it wouldn't have been a dealbreaker, but it wasn't the only issue.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned on this blog, but my lips can be a bit finicky. After spending about a year looking for a balm that would help my continually chapped lips, I found that Vaseline is the only thing that makes them not chapped (I think I mentioned this in my last review...). One coat of Vaseline in the morning and I am a-ok for the rest of the day, that's how magical the crap is for my lips. I applied the Matte Balm to my lips a few hours after I had applied the Vaseline, so everything should have been ok. I applied around noon and planned on doing a 4 hour test, which I did, but by the time 4:30 rolled around, I didn't want to do anything other than wipe this stuff off my lips. The balm was very slick when I applied and slipped around my lips for a solid 30 minutes, but it completely dried my lips out and made very visible little flakes all over my lips. It also started to do what long wear lipsticks typically do and peeled off from the center of my lips due to saliva...

All around, the Matte Balm was basically what lip nightmares are made of. It just pains me to write it because I am so in love with the color! I'm sure I can find something from Sephora that is very similar, but you know, it's always nice to be able to get a killer product for $7.

I loved the L'Oréal LeMatte and LaLacque line and I was hoping that this was going to be very similar, but it isn't in the slightest. If you want to see my review on those, you can click here AND check out your local Target since they seem to be on clearance right now.

I did this photo with less lighting with the hope that you could see the glitter particles better... you kind of can.

Full Flash

Final Verdict: As much as I love Revlon's lip products and it pains me to write this, skip these. There are much better products available from Revlon and other drugstore brands.

Wearable Orange : Tutorial

If you're like a lot of people, the idea of orange makeup is kind of terrifying. Probably because we've all seen that lady who decided that bright orange lipstick was her color and... it definitely wasn't (but props to this lady for rocking it and simultaneously making us terrified). However, when worn correctly, orange can be a really flattering shade. You'll have to put in the time to figure out what shade of orange works for you, but then you can rock it everywhere. Keep reading to see how I used it!

Metropolitan Eyes : Tutorial

I did a review of a Revlon Photoready eye shadow palette several months ago and after using it a few times, I kind of threw it to the side. While the shadows are really nice for Revlon (if you've ever used Revlon shadows, you know what I mean by this), but they didn't strike me as anything special. Well, I saw this palette a few days ago and decided to try it again. To get this look, keep reading!

Revlon Lash Potion Mascara : Product Review

When this mascara came out a few months ago, I remember that my friend Becca sent me a text and asked me to buy it and review. At the time, I said no because I had about 6 different mascaras lined up to use and review, but somehow, someway, this bottle of Revlon Lash Potion mascara wormed its way into my basket at Target (ok, I basically got it for free due to a sale and coupons). Is this mascara any good? Does it make your lashes as pretty as the bottle looks? Keep reading to find out my thoughts on it!

Revlon ColorStay Foundation : Rave

Rather than do a whole product review on this foundation (which this will probably turn into anyway), I thought I would do a rave post on this. I meant to do this when I was in France, but I'm actually very glad that I waited until I came back because that trip just furthered my love for this foundation.

Revlon ColorStay foundation in Normal/Oily is pretty much my holy grail foundation for the summers. I do still wear other foundations, but if I need something to stay put and last all day, this is definitely what I use. I feel as if I've said this one thousand times, but I have oily skin (combo in the winter) and, like most people, the issue gets worse in the summer. I live in Kansas where it gets crazy hot and crazy humid, both disasters for those of us with oily skin. However, this foundation can pretty much live through all of that. It's not the end all be all of oily skin because no matter how much you try to stop it, oil will most likely still leak through, but this controls it so well. It takes hours upon hours for the oil to break through and even at that point, it's minimal. 

Not only have I tested this out in Kansas, but this is the foundation that I took with me to France. I was in the south of France, where it is hot and humid as well and it held up every single day (and my days were often 12+ hours).  

It also doesn't hurt that shade 150, Buff, is pretty much a spot on match for my skin. I love my other foundations, but nothing holds a candle to the staying power and the oil control of the Revlon ColorStay.

I highly suggest this to anyone with oily skin. A+

(all photos copyright Allison Richardson Photography and not available for use without permission)

Revlon Baby Sticks : Product Review

You guys should realize by now that I have a fairly deep seeded love affair with Revlon. I love their lip products, I love their foundations (except for the BB cream fiasco), and I have never truly been so disappointed by anything Revlon has made. The Baby Sticks are pretty much promoted as a cheek and lip tint without saying so directly on the packaging, but they have a striking resemblance to many other cheek/lip tint products, like those produced by Tarte. Keep reading to find out why these are so horrible.

Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss : Killer Watt

Alright... I am really guilty of this, but I can't help that the cosmetics companies do this. This product review is another limited edition product, but the LE shades are always the best ones. Regardless, I know that these glosses are still in stores since I've seen them all over the place. This particular gloss belongs to the Nude Tips, Neon Lips collection from Revlon. Overall though, this review can really speak to the entire colorburst lip gloss line. Keep reading for more!

Revlon Items : Product Reviews

Ok, the snow that hit us here seriously screwed up me entire schedule and it looks like we're going to hit hard again tonight, but I'm better prepared for it this time! If this midwest gets hit with snow again, I promise that there won't be a huge lag in posts again. Since I had so much time to myself in the house, I got around to testing out a ton of new stuff, so I am going to have a lot of reviews. Some of the products that I've been testing are the new Revlon products. These aren't brand spanking new, they've been out for a few months, but I just got around to buying some of them. I have three products to review: Photoready BB Cream, Colorstay Ultimate Suede lipstick, and the Photoready Primer and Shadow kit. We have the good and the bad in this group, so keep reading to find out more!

Lip Service : Real Talk

 

 If you've been following this blog over the past month, then you would have seen it written here that I have a huge love/hate relationship with lip gloss. I love lip products in general, but I absolutely hate gloss 90% of the time. There are certain glosses that I love, which I will mention here, but most of the time, I wear something tinted, mildly sheer, and with a bit of shine. If you like all of those aforementioned things, keep reading to find out about some great products.

Face of the Day : February 1

Occasionally, and not very often, I will wake up and a makeup idea will come into my head and I have to execute it that day. This morning, I woke up with the color pink in my head and thought it would be fun to play with pink shadows. The color pink is often hard to wear around the eyes because it gives a really sickly appearance if the shade isn't right. I chose to go bold and just do pink all over. Click through to read about what products I used and more full look pictures.

Revlon Nearly Naked : Product Review

Growing up, I had one type of foundation that I used and I never veered away from it. It was perfect for me at the time; it matched my skin, it was really affordable, and it covered up my breakouts (it was CoverGirl Smoothers Aqua Smooth in Ivory or Classic Ivory). These days, I jump at the opportunity to try out a new foundation because my skin is under control and I love to explore what the makeup world has to offer. The newest foundation that I picked up is Revlon Nearly Naked in Vanilla. Here's a spoiler: I love this foundation. However, keep reading after the jump to see why I actually like it.

Face of the Day : January 25

 

I've shown you all what I do for my everyday makeup, but what about the days that I break from the norm? Well, for those days, I have a post titled "Face of the Day" (FOTD) where I show you what the look is and what products I used to create the look.

For today, I decided to stay pretty natural, but change it from my regular "natural" look. I played around with my blush, added a lip color, and changed the eyes. Keep reading for swatches and the products used for this look.