Review: Revlon ColorStay Velvet Crème Matte Makeup

Here's my review on the Revlon ColorStay Velvet Crème Matte Makeup. This is my current foundation and I have been using this for more than a year, hence I will be able to give a full and detailed review on this product.

This is what it looks like, a full bottle (my second one),

Product Description (Front):

NEW Matte Makeup with SoftFlex™ SPF 12 30 mL

What it claims (Back):

ColorStay Velvet Crème™ Matte Makeup with SoftFlex™ is a whisper soft velvety rich cream which magically transforms into a silky powdery veil, for the most flawless and natural looking skin. It controls oil breakthrough and retains the skin's moisture.

For proper use:

Shake well and smooth over skin.

Ingredients:

Since I couldn't find the list of ingredients online, I've decided not to type them up. The list is too long and I don't think that it is very necessary.

Price:

The recommended retail price was about AUD$32.00 but as it may now be discontinued foundation, I was able to purchase a new one for AUD$25.95. For Australian prices, it is still pretty 'cheap' compared to other brands and prices for Revlon. Revlon in Australia is heavily overpriced compared to the states!

Score: 10/10

Packaging:

I love the packaging of the product, especially because it is all plastic. It won't break if I dropped it on the ground, unlike other Revlon foundations that are in glass packaging. Also, I can easily cut open the plastic tube if none of it is going through the pump (when it's running out) and so I can scoop out the rest for de-potting (putting it into a small container). I can use up 100% of the product without any going to waste. Its uses a vacuum pump, meaning that it sucks the product out instead of using a tube stick inside like a soap dispenser. This makes it very sanitary because the product is 'clean' when it comes from the pump since it has had no contact with anyone's hands or bacteria.

Score: 10/10

This what one pump looks like:

To cover my whole face, I use 1 and a half to 2 pumps.

Texture:

It definitely is a velvety cream and once applied to the face, it is as though I just applied powder that sticks to my face. It gives a matte finish, meaning that the finish is powdered so there is no shininess on my face. Instead it leaves my face feeling smooth, creamy and lightweight. The texture isn't really recommended for someone with dry skin like me because it doesn't give you a dewy (hydrated, moist) look and you make find that it'll make your skin look more dry. When I first bought this, I didn't know much about skin types and textures, that is why I have to wear moisturiser and a primer underneath my foundation so that it doesn't give definition to my dry areas. I think I would have preferred to use a liquid foundation to better suit my skin type however, the matte makeup actually helps absorb my shiny moisturiser and primer so when I wear them together, I can achieve the smoothness on my face. It also doesn't slide around on my face during the day and it does stay put. I use this foundation both day and night when I go out.

Score: 8/10

Smoothed onto the back of my hand:

Smooth, covered some spots

Coverage:

The type of coverage is matte and coverage is fantastic. I love the fact that it covers up my redness, blemishes and lines as they almost completely disappear and it feels very light on skin, as if i'm wearing nothing at all. This is exactly my reason for not needing to use concealer. However, because it is such a great cover, it makes your skin very monotone. To counteract this, you can use a bronzer to contour or apply blush over the cheeks to put a bit of colour back into your face. I normally just wear the foundation on its own which is still okay.

Score: 9/10

Daily wear:

I wear this foundation often and I've noticed that there is about 4-5 hours of solid cover before it starts to fade. To me this is alright, even though the end of the day it is more of a light/sheer cover. I don't need such a heavy or cakey foundation because I don't need a lot of coverage so it is fine. Also, I don't need to use a powder to go over my foundation because it already gives me a matte finish. If I do tend to sweat on my face during the day, it is likely to slide around on my face however, it'll give me a nice natural, dewy glow. Unfortunately though when I scratch my face or lightly rub it, the foundation does transfer a small amount onto my hands or finger nails which is a bit of a worry.

Score: 8/10

Before applying foundation on my face and after:

It definitely covered my redness and made my face look more smooth

Note: my face isn't this red in real-life, I enhanced both pictures by editing the lighting.

Scent and SPF:

The foundation has SPF 12 and even though it isn't that high, you can smell the sunscreen, which is quite a flaw seeing as so many other foundations with sunscreen have managed to avoid the smell. With that said however, the scent is still very bearable. As the SPF isn't too high, it is suitable to wear at night when there's flash photography because your face won't look so white/dull in pictures. The higher the SPF, the more whiter your face will look. I for one, do not like looking washed out in pictures therefore I can stand wearing this foundation at night. During the day though, I would like to have a higher SPF foundation so that I can avoid being burnt on a warm, sunny day without needing to apply sunscreen. I usually forget to apply sunscreen...

Score: 6/10

Overall:

I believe that it is suitable for all skin types. It is a really good matte foundation for a solid coverage and it is highly recommended for people with oily skin because it will give you a matte finish and absorb the oiliness. The texture may seem cakey at first but once smoothed over, it's actually very light! I don't believe that this can cause breakouts as I didn't experience any.

This is actually my first Revlon foundation and all I can say is that I highly recommend this brand. It's so popular online because it is known to be the most expensive foundation, but it can be comparable to high-end brands. Revlon has such an extensive range of foundations with different textures and purposes to suit you.

Score: 8.5/10

Unfortunately I'm not able to find any more of this foundation so I'm going to have to purchase a different Revlon foundation next time :( But that's okay, because I trust this brand and maybe a liquid foundation will suit my skin type just a little bit more!