Review: Revlon Colorstay Makeup with SoftFlex for Combination/Oily Skin liquid foundation

good morning to you dear readers! i feel very energetic and positive today after a refreshing Holy Spirit encounter last night at my church. ^_^ i really am glad - wait, that's not right, am overjoyed! - that i embraced Christianity. Jesus makes me happy everyday!

ok, so i've been meaning to tell you about a foundation that i've just came across with. since i'm living in Singapore, i want to keep up with what's new and/or highly raved about products here. i noticed most of the blogs i previously follow are either based in Philippines or US - none from here. so while i was browsing for such sites, i came across roseannebeauty's blog. her post for the day was about her top 5 drugstore best foundations. i read each recommendation of foundation and figured i should try Revlon's because i needed a long-lasting foundation for an event at the time that i was one of the makeup artists. i swatched all five shades that are available at Watsons (Sand Beige, Nude, Warm Golden, Early Tan, Toast) and decided i will go for Warm Golden and Early Tan. i was debating at first whether i should get Toast instead because there will be guys i will be applying makeup on too but i got scared, because i thought it was too dark, so i got Early Tan - i actually regretted that later because Early Tan proved light on their dark skins. >_< anyhoo... i forgot to bring my camera today to take the product's picture and i've been itching to post this entry for days now so i won't let the pictures delay it even further. if you want to know how the product looks like, ie. it's consistency, check out roseanne's review post about it.

this is the product pitch:

Want makeup that is flawless and weightless for 16 perfect hours? Revlon has the solution - ColorStay Makeup with SoftFlex. Specially formulated for combination or oily skin, this oil-free formula helps control shine all day and gives you flawless looking skin. Makeup looks fresh and feels great for up to 16 hours thanks to the lightweight, comfortable feel from the SoftFlex ColorStay formula. Medium to full coverage, with SPF 6 protection*. *Golden, Caramel, Toast, Rich Ginger, Cappuccino, Mahogany, and Mocha do not contain SPF.

The full range of Revlon Colorstay Foundation Shades are as follows:
- Ivory
- Buff
- Sand Beige*
- Nude*
- Natural Beige
- Medium Beige
- Fresh Beige
- Golden Beige
- Warm Golden*
- True Beige
- Natural Tan
- Early Tan*
- Rich Tan
- Golden Caramel
- Toast*
- Rich Ginger
- Caramel
- Cappuccino
- Mahogany
- Mocha

*shades available in Singapore

you've actually seen how it looks on one of people i made up for a recent event at our church and i've applied onto her with a foundation brush. i was really pleased with how it looked on her, even after hours of it sitting on her face - she has normal skin type. so, i tried it on myself with 3 methods to see how it will sit on my oily skin.

i used Warm Golden and applied it with a flat top brush, foundation brush and stippling brush. i used this foundation for a few days to see how it differs in terms of application and how long will it last. i took pictures except for using the flat top brush because it just looked so wrong i'm embarrassed to even let my kids see it, let alone the internet community. >_<

so first, using flat top brush: i used Charm Flat Top Brush for application and put some product on the back of my hand. i take some product on the brush, put it on my face and blend. the problem i noticed was the brush picks up more product and when i put on my face, i was blending too much product on my face and immediately it cakes on me. when i finished putting it all over my face, i got the scare of that day, gosh! i applied it too thick and my face kinda felt so stiff. yikes!

next, using foundation brush: i was more expectant using this method because this is what i did to my model Karen. it looked great on her and i expected it will look nice on me too. i used MAC 190 SE and still put the product on the back of my hand. it was easier to get a small amount of product with the foundation brush but i find the application getting streaky. i was able to blend it but it took some more effort. there are also areas i find it difficulty to apply to such as the nose area and under my eyes. with these challenges, i was pleased with the application and far better than using a flat top brush. 

after 3 hours and sweating profusely! (i had to run for a quick errand, no time to take picture of the fresh application lol) also pls ignore the hideous eye makeup haha i was experimenting with neutrals again *sigh*

lastly, using stippling brush: ah yes, this is what really impressed me. once again, this application validated my purchase of the MAC 187. this time i decided i don't want the product to stay on the back of my hand so i used a plastic container to put the product in and for me to dip the brush in. i immediately noticed that the stippling brush gets the right amount to be applied each time. it also blends the foundation easily onto my face and every swirl blends it beautifully, without so much effort. especially for beginners and those not very adept yet with liquid foundation application this is good news because the easy mistake of making the foundation cake is very minimal. in the end, i was elated with the result. i really felt picture perfect. 

all taken right after application 

here are my thoughts...

pros: 

- great coverage, does not need additional coverup such as concealer and also means using a small amount each application 

- smell was not really strong imo (as some reviews mentioned). it was just normal makeup smell to me i guess 

- it dries up fast, so you can finish application in no time 

- does not come off on clothes (when not rubbed off. i am a heavy sweater and when i gently wipe off my sweat with tissue no foundie comes with it, unless i really try hard to rub) 

- great consistency (not too watery but just right creaminess, sounds like ice cream lol) 

- lasts a long, long time (looks fairly decent after 10-12hours even with all the sweating) 

- flawless finish after it settles (which in my case was about 2 hours after application) 

- very camera-friendly (certainly made me photogenic) 

- does not make my skin oil on parts that are not oily (my cheeks) 

cons: 

- does not come with a pump (either pour on a dish or back of hand or get product with cottonbuds - easy to use more product than you need) 

- harder to come off on brushes (i needed to use more cleanser than my MMU powder foundation and MUFE Mat Velvet+ liquid foundation) 

- cakes when applied heavily, very easy to mess up application especially if you keep on layering 

- feels weird on application (like my face feels tight) although feels natural once settled 

- still oils on my nose (but only after 3-4 hours) 

- pronounces big pores (my nose, wah!) 

in the end, i'll be happy to repurchase this product but for application on my clients (naks haha) or models and maybe sometimes on myself. i will not use this on a frequent basis for myself simply because i don't feel it looks natural on my when freshly applied but definitely will on occassions when i know there will be lots of photographing happening and when i will not want to touch up all the time. 

i can say that liquid foundation is not to be ignored in my makeup exploration definitely. next to my MMU powder foundie, i will look out for more great liquid foundation products out there! RMK, you're next - hopefully if my budget is willing hehe!

how is your relationship with liquid foundations? any favorites? do tell! ^_^