Here it is!. The most popular and loved drugstore foundation, Revlon Colorstay. How could I not try something that's been compared to Mac's studio Fix fluid? Is it really a cheaper dupe? Scroll down to read how it turned out for me.
My Experience:
Even though I knew long before that it comes in two types, Normal to dry and Combination to oily, I still didn't pay head to it while I was buying it.Finding colorstay at my drugstore was really something exciting and since it was the last piece left with them, I didn't care about the shade that much either and quickly bought it off.
I got the shade Sand Beige and the name sounded like it would be more towards dark tone since most of the time, companies tag the darker shades with names such as "sand" or "beige". But surprisingly its not at all dark. Even though it looks dull inside the bottle (which basically deceived me) but the color is pretty pale and ashy. I was hoping for some yellow tones but no,you get pure pink undertones here (even though the swatch looks a bit yellow,but it's pretty pale in reality.Darn the sunlight) . So to make the shade wearable I mix it with some of my yellow toned foundations. Mostly I choose between Luscious HD mineral (since it has perfect yellow) or L'Oreal True match. Both of them work fine and I get a shade that's pretty close to my own skin. But since this is not the solution for me, I'm going to get another bottle of Revlon colorstay thats one or two shades lighter than my skin to perfectly match up. I hope the sales guy re-stocks it soon.
The bottle doesn't have any pump which is a major con because you have more chances of wasting the liquid. I don't know why they didn't include the pump but it would have been much better.I hate slowly tilting the bottle waiting for a small amount of product to come out at my hand and then swirling the top to fold back the amount that I don't need. It creates such a mess. But I've seen people being fine with no pump as well so maybe it's just me. You can get past to it if you don't care about how you're going to get the product out of the bottle.
The two main reasons that make me stick to this foundation are it's lasting power and coverage.
I LOVE how long this foundation holds up on my skin. I applied it around 12 in the morning and it was still there by 8 p.m. For the coverage,It can give you medium to full.I use a stippling brush with this foundation to achieve an even and better application. It's consistency is quite rich and creamy and moisturising so it's not something you can wear everyday .However if you want to lighten up the coverage and make it wearable for daily usage,you could mix it up with your moisturiser.It leaves my skin with a dewy finish which doesn't look too oily or gooey. If I'm to travel or stay out for longer, this is the foundation that I rely on. I can be pretty much carefree about it, disappearing from,or running down my face. So a big thumbs up for staying power and coverage.It also comes with SPF 15 which is again a pro, but not good if you're photos are going to be taken in flash.
As for the main question, can we call it a dupe for mac's studio fix fluid? We'll technically, I'd have to say No. It's not a dupe for mac. Even though I saw many bloggers saying they're pretty close but I just can't find the coverage and finish that I get from SSF in this foundation. SSF is more thick and the coverage is just flawless. You do not get medium coverage with it,you only get full coverage which you don't need to build up at all. It gives you a smooth finish and feels a bit thick. As for Colorstay, it's not as thick. The coverage is not as rich as SSF,however it's pretty good on it's own. If you can get mac's studio fix fluid then I'd just say to go ahead and get it,no need to invest in this foundation, but if you're on a budget and SSF is a little heavy on your pocket,then this can be good substitute but don't expect the same result as that of mac.
End Note: By far, this is my favourite drugstore foundation. It's coverage and lasting powers is excellent and is moisturising so those with dry skin will like it. This is not one of your everyday foundation since it's consistency is thick, you're face can look heavy if you're using it on daily basis It can be disappointing for those with yellow undertones since the shades are gonna either look too dark or too ashy on them. Revlon should think of coming up with more shades for Asian tones since this is such a popular foundation.
Other then that, this is the foundation that I'm gonna keep re-purchasing. I strongly recommend buying the shade that's much closer to your skin tone since the color of the foundation shows up a little opaque on your face and you have chances of looking too made up specially if you're building it up for better coverage.
Where to Buy: Your Local drugstore.Pakistanis can buy it from facebook pages that order international brands such as Wishlist, Lush grooming Bargains or International Makeup in Pakistan
Price: Around 1600Pkr
Have you guys tried it? What do you think about it?
Do let me know :)
xoxo
