QUICK REVIEW: Revlon Colourstay 24 Hour Foundation – Normal/Dry Skin (150 Buff) – SPF 20

Busy busy busy, but thought I'd drop in some swatches of a "drugstore" foundation that I actually like (Shock! Horror!). I included it in my big foundation swatch-a-thon a few weeks ago, but have never actually got round to reviewing it (despite the fact I am now on my third bottle).

According to the blurb, this should afford one a “flawless look, lightweight feel” - not sure I agree with that, necessarily. I can definitely feel it on my face - although it's not uncomfortable, I know it's there. This is not a "no-makeup" foundation.

COLOUR: This one’s a tiny teeny bit too light for me on a daily basis – I would normally get 200 Nude, but I must have been feeling pale that day – but would be fine in winter, or with some bronzing warmth added. Nude is also slightly more pink-peach in undertone (which is brightening to my skin) than Buff, which leans neutral.

COVERAGE: Really good, but slightly sheerer in the normal/dry variant. The combo/oily version is much better for coverage but makes me look mask-like - and if I were to turn around too quickly, my face would probably end up on the back of my head.

STAYING POWER: I think 24 hours would be a bit of a stretch (not that I would ever test it for that long) – but it shows some definite signs of wear and tear around the 6 hour mark, with the nose and chin all but disappearing after eight or nine. Fine if you top up at lunchtime, but AIN’T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR DAT.

AND THE DRY SKIN….?: Even with the normal/dry version, there’s still a little bit of “flaking” on my dry patches after a while, but this doesn't set in for a good few hours and is easily rectified with a little squirt of Mac Fix + spray.

Here are some hand swatches, and before-and-afters for your perusal.......... (bare skin alert!).

Bare skin - just a dash of moisturiser (and a self-inflicted poke in the eye, as you can tell from the bloodshot stare)

Just one layer of Revlon Colourstay - applied with a flat-topped stippling brush

Still only one layer, but a bit more face added - this is my "day" face, i.e. NYX Rouge Cream Blush in CB02 Natural, NARS Loose Powder in Flesh (just on chin and bridge of nose), No7 Exquisite Curl mascara in black, and a slick of Lanolips Lip Ointment in Apples

Left: natural (overcast) daylight      Right: indoors, titanium bulb light

Revlon Colourstay can be bought from Boots for £12.49, but is more often than not on some sort of three-for-two deal (which it is at the moment, so bag yourself a bargain!).

Jen

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Oh dear god, not another new “favourite” skin care brand…….

Introducing Avene – not a brand I had heard much of, serial lagger-behinder that I am, but since the introduction of a relatively comprehensive range in Victoria Centre Boots (Nottingham) I picked up their Gentle Toner (thinking nothing of it – it was decently priced and saved me walking into the shop too far) – but when I got it home for “first contact”, a new love affair was instantly kindled.

My interest piqued, I went on to the Avene website for more info on the brand, and came across their Skin Diagnosis tool - a series of questions which ask you to describe your skin type – one of the more detailed questionnaires I’ve come across on website like this.

Shock of shocks, my results came out to be both “very dry” and “sensitive” (not in itself ground breaking information….), and the website then very helpfully took me to a new page where several products were listed that would be specifically suited to my skin type. Again, not necessarily that innovative, but I found myself being impressed with their detail – there were products across all stages of a typical skin-care routine, along with suggestions of complementary products such as night creams etc.  Something I particularly liked, was the lack of hard sell – and the product recommendations could then be saved on the website by setting up (what I presume to be a secure) account, so the info could be modified/retrieved at your leisure.

The bit that really made my day however, was that just over a week later, a little parcel of samples landed on my door mat, completely unannounced. I guess this happens to everyone so I am probably not special (sad face) but I FELT special, just for that brief moment in time. Those little details are what makes me loyal to a brand – and the fact that these products work wonderfully just put the icing on the cake. Avene, I am your new Number One fan…! 

These samples were tiny teeny versions of a couple of the products that had been recommended to me, namely:

Hydrance Optimale Rich Hydrating cream (SPF 20) – sample size 5ml (for me, two applications!)

Thick, gooey, smells a bit “sun cream-y”, but OH MY GOD MY SKIN LOVES THIS STUFF – new replacement favourite for my much-loved Embryolisse Lait Crème Concentre/Baume Riche combo, or No7 Beautiful Skin (dry to very dry).

Gentle Milk Cleanser – sample size 25ml

Does the job, leaves skin feeling nourished, but can be a bit residue-y unless you also use a toner. But, seeing as I had already started to use the Gentle Toner in my previous cleansing routine….. Hakuna Matata. I prefered to use this as a hot-cloth cleanser, just so I could feel it working. Takes off foundation nicely, but struggles a little with gel or liquid eyeliner so I always use a bit of Clinique “Lids, Lashes and Lips” on that bad boy first. I got five decent cleanses out of the sample.

For those of you that don’t suffer with very dry skin, you will probably not be that amazed – but to poor old flaky-scaly-itchy me, the deal clincher here is that I DON’T HAVE TO PUT ON EXTRA LAYERS OF MOISTURISER. For the first time in my life, I can put on one layer, and wander out of the bathroom happy-go-lucky, even whistling a little tune, while I wait the obligatory ten minutes for it to soak in properly so I can put my face on. If you’d told me that was even possible a week ago, I would have slapped you down for crazy talkin’.

Boots, I’ll be seeing you again very shortly. I NEED TO BUY EVERY SINGLE PRODUCT.

Jen

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My current foundations - this may be a long post.........

Realisation dawned this morning, as I had to wade through a collection of tubes and bottles in varying states of emptiness and move several bottles out of the way to reach the one that I wanted – I have LOTS of foundation.  Quite possibly more than one human could ever possibly need, especially all at the same time.  What the yellow rubbery fuck is wrong with me?

In my defense, they are all slightly different shades, and slightly different formulas, therefore they serve different purposes and fulfill different needs at different times of the year.

Hmmmm……. How many times can one person use the word “different” in one sentence in a forlorn and rather pathetic attempt to persuade yourself that you actually mean it? To be honest, I know I’ve got too many, and that I do occasionally get suckered in to hype as I try to find my Holy Grail. But I love buying new foundations – testing them in the shop, finding some natural light, browsing for other stuff while waiting to see if they oxidize……… it’s a ritual that I adore and will never get bored of. In the meantime, the collection grows.

So, for those of you out there that are relatively fair-skinned, with neutral to cool undertones, here are the foundations that work for me.

From left to right:

Lancome Teint Miracle in 010 Ivory

Nars Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc

Estee Lauder Double Wear in 1C1 Cool Bone

Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation in 15 Opal

MAC Face and Body in N1

Revlon Colourstay (normal/dry skin) in 150 Buff

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light in Intensity 01

Diorskin Nude in 020

 

I may have mentioned this before (!) but I have dry skin. Frequently, this turns into very dry skin. Occasionally, this turns into oh-my-god-my-face-is-so-tight-I-think-it’s-going-to-rip skin. With that in mind, I usually go for hydrating formulations (or at least, ones that don’t suck moisture out of my already parched skin). Therefore I don’t suffer much with oxidizing – in fact, hardly ever, as I don’t have much oil on my face to turn things orange. Foundation also normally lasts a relatively long time on me unless I have been sleeping at my desk that day and it’s ended up on my sleeves……. So bear in mind your mileage may vary.

Here are some arm swatches, taken in different lighting so you can get a feel for the range of tones between the brands:

L-R: Lancome Teint Miracle (010), NARS Sheer Glow (Mont Blanc), EL Double Wear (1C1), Vichy Dermablend (15 Opal), MAC F&B (N1), Revlon Colourstay (150 Buff), EL Double Wear Light (01), Diorskin Nude (020)

 

Both the Lancome Teint Miracle and the Diorskin Nude are very neutral, almost ashy. This is great when I feel as though my skin is a bit pinker than normal, which it does occasionally, seemingly entirely randomly. The are lovely and hydrating with a dewy finish, but consequently they don’t last long – about six hours – unless I powder over the top. Defeats the object really. Love them both, though, and these are both repeat purchases.

The Estee Lauder Double Wear doesn’t see much action, unless I’m having a spectacularly good skin day, or if I know in advance that no one will be getting within fifteen feet of me.  This stuff has a tendency to flake off my face if I don’t meticulously prep first – shame really, because the coverage is awesome and it lasts FOREVER. The Double Wear Light is better for my skin, and is easier to apply (a job for fingers rather than blending with a brush) but doesn’t last quite as long – I normally get eight hours before it starts to disappear. Both of them are a little peachy in tone so they brighten up the skin nicely if I'm having a sallow-and-tired day.

The Vichy Dermablend is one I use as a concealer rather than all over – the pigment is so concentrated it would look like a mask on me if I tried to use it in the normal way. I would imagine this is the stuff for you if you have scars or marks that you want to hide. A few dots under the eyes is all I need to minimize dark circles, but I only tend to use it on days where I think my skin couldn’t cope with the heavier formula of MAC Studio Finish concealer.

I bought the Revlon Colourstay entirely because of the beauty blogging hype (damn you MakeupGeek!). I must say though, for a “drugstore” foundation, this one lives up to its reputation (this is my third bottle, and I will need a new one soon). Great coverage (on a par with Double Wear) but not quite as flake-inducing.

MAC Face and Body tends to be my summer foundation as it is a little darker than my winter skin (bordering on peachy, similar to the Estee Lauders), but I have recently found myself turning to it even in the cooler weather – my skin is going through a rough patch (literally) so needs something a bit kinder to skin, and Mac F&B is it. Although the coverage is initially quite sheer, it can be layered easily - for shits and giggles one day, I tried several layers just to see what would happen – I managed to get to five layers, and the coverage increased with every “coat” but showed genuinely hardly any sign of caking. It contains some kind of film-former which means it miraculously “sets” on the skin (whether you are using it on your face or elsewhere) and I tend to get a good eight hours of wear out of it even without powder.

Lastly, NARS Sheer Glow. Possibly my all-time favourite as it is the best all-rounder – the best colour match to my skin tone as it is so pinky-peach, so it melts invisibly into my skin and gives me a genuine “no make-up” look, but evens everything out beautifully. It can be layered a little bit, but I would stop at two layers because three can start to look mask-like. My only gripe is that the staying power isn’t great – I tend to have to touch it up a little at lunch (five hours of wear).

Next on the list is Bobbi Brown’s Repair Foundation, although I am not overly taken with the concept of dipping my fingers into a jar – I could put up with that if it's as soothing on the skin as the blurb would suggest. For the sake of my poor wallet though, it will have to wait until next payday…………

Jen

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April 2013 favourites

Just a quick post with a few daily beauty essentials that I have been loving this month!

Shampoo: Tigi Bed Head Urban Antidotes Recovery Shampoo

Conditioner: Tresemme Deep Conditioning Treatment Masque (lately my hair has been in frizzbomb meltdown so needs the extra moisture boost)


Styling products: the old faithful CHI Silk Infusion Silk Restructuring complex is still on the rota (I don’t think I’ll ever stop using it!) but I also now use Morrocanoil Hydrating Styling Cream massaged into the roots for some extra oomph


Shower Gel: any old thing at the moment, so long as it’s moisturising – I’m currently working my way through a Radox Moisture Boost Shower Cream 


Body moisturiser: Garnier Summerbody lotion, in a desperate attempt to give my legs and arms some colour seeing as summer is just around the corner! 


Deodorant: Sure 48-hour Intensive anti-perspirant spray


Cleanser: No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm for dry to very dry skin – massage this in and the makeup just melts way – the only non-foaming cleanser that makes me feel as though my skin is actually clean!


Exfoliator: None – I now use a facial sponge with whichever cleanser I am using, it’s cheaper (and more effective!)


Primer: Still none – I just slather my skin in moisturiser and wait ten minutes before applying my foundation. If it’s been any longer than ten minutes I normally slap a bit of NARS Pure Radiance Tinted Moisturiser on for additional coverage as well 


Moisturiser: No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream; Embryolisse Lait Creme Fluide

Foundation brush: Although I still love my Crown Brush flat bronzer, I’ve been preferring fingers recently – it’s quicker!

Foundation: NARS Sheer Glow (in Mont Blanc) and Lancome Teint Miracle Natural Light Perfector (in 010 Beige Porcelain)


Concealer: MAC Studio Finish (NW20)


Powder: NARS Loose Powder (in Flesh) 


Blusher: I’m favouring cream blushers at the moment for a more glowy finish, especially NYX Cream Blush (in Natural)


Bronzer: what’s one of those? 


Highlighter: None at the moment, using cream blush means I am dewy enough and don’t need any shimmer on top of that


Eyeshadows: NARS single eyeshadow in Cairo – a fail-safe, goes-with-anything taupe (swatched here)

Eyeliner: Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner pencil in Zero –the creamiest formula I have ever come across


Mascara: No7 Exquisite Curl mascara




Lipstick: Burberry Lip Velvet in Peony Rose (swatched here)




Lipgloss: NYX Megashine lipgloss in Plum (swatched here)




Nail Colour: As much as I would love to wear luscious, dark and vampy colours like Chanel Rouge Noir, my nails are just in too crap condition to take it so I stick to just coating them generously in Sally Hansen Hard as Nails (the one with the pink tinge, otherwise they look a bit sallow).

Anything you have been loving lately that I should add to the Lust List?

Jen

A tiny-teeny NARS mini-haul - Lhasa, Cairo and Dolce Vita

More shiny pretty things were delivered to work this morning. Honest to god, I think I need some sort of intervention. I buy so much crap that I genuinely forget what I’ve ordered - which means that on occasion, I get that little tingly sensation of delightful surprise as I open the package to reveal that actually, some of the orders I place are not crap at all.

I have always been a loyal fan of the NARS brand. I know, I know, some of you are probably thinking “over-priced nonsense” but to me, in the case of NARS cosmetics at least, you really do get what you pay for. Yes, it’s not the cheapest, but the quality of products is second to none, especially the blushers. Can’t say as I can say the same for their skincare that I’ve tried, which feels a bit too “normal” to justify the pricetag.

Anyway, in this week’s parcel were a couple of eyeshadows and a lip pencil.

Let’s start with the eyeshadows, and see how many beauty-blogger eyeshadow review clichés we can add in. “Finely milled”? Check. “Buttery”? Check. “High blendability”? Check. Sigh.

Why the sigh? Well, I unfortunately LOVE the NARS shimmer eyeshadow formula. It’s very Burberry-esque, in that they are beautifully “soft-focus” and can be applied lightly for a sheer wash of colour, or built up (without any powdery residue or fall out) into a much deeper and more unctuous shade.

The two I added to the collection were Lhasa and Cairo. Lhasa is described on the NARS website as a “lavender grey”, but to me there is a hell of a lot more grey than lavender (I could only spot the lavender under full sunlight, under indoor lighting it seems to disappear completely on me). It also leans slightly taupe on my skintone, but is a gorgeously cool-toned “I can’t be bothered in the mornings” quick application job which always looks polished and perfect no matter how slap-dash I am.

Cairo is a “champagne rose with shimmer” which I can’t say I agree with either. There’s no rose in this bad boy - it’s a beautiful, subtle, shimmering epitome of golden, champagne-taupe perfection. As you can probably imagine, it’s my new favourite eyeshadow colour. For daytime wear, it suits my blue eyes in a way no other taupe eyeshadow from my collection ever has – not sure what it is about this one that makes all the difference but it makes my eyes POP, another clichéd phrase that I hate to use but unfortunately it sums it up perfectly. Swatches below.

Left: Lhasa      Right: Cairo

Cairo; Lhasa; Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita

Next to the eyeshadows you may have also spotted my new Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita, described on the website as a dusty-rose. Again, I am not entirely sure how I feel about that description – on my lips, it’s one of those not-quite-pink-but-not-entirely-red colours that I am seeming to favour nowadays. It reminds me very much of Chanel Rouge Coco lipstick in Mademoiselle, although it is a smidge lighter and warmer than the Chanel.

The formula is…….. kinda weird feeling. The pencil application is absolutely fine, I have no quibbles there – it’s just the feeling you get upon application. It’s almost as though I have rubbed a dry oil all over my lips. They slip and slide all over the place as though wearing a very greasy lipbalm, but my lips look matte. Does. Not. Compute. The feeling reminds me of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams, but the NARS pencil doesn’t “dry down” as much as the NYX formula. It stays quite moveable for some time, and also transfers quite a bit onto mugs of tea. :(

Dolce Vita

On the whole, I like the colour – although it is a little warm on me, when paired with a basic neutral/cool eye (i.e. Cairo or Lhasa!), natural blush and a good slick of black eyeliner, it makes for a gorgeous modern-classic look. Is that an oxymoron? Hmmm.

I have a feeling that there will be more NARS purchases on the very near horizon. Based on the online swatches, my life will not be complete without Cruella (a “passionate scarlet red”), and I have added at least six eyeshadows to the Want List. This is turning out to be a very expensive habit………

Shimmer Eyeshadows are priced at £18.00 each, while the Velvet Matte Lip Pencils are £17.50.

Jen

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