This is the second foundation I've ever used. For a little background, I have combination skin (oily t-zone, dry everywhere else). I use the lightest shade.

I bought this about a month ago, and I really like it. Firstly, it goes on pretty smoothly and blends really easily. It's good for my skin and lasts about 10-ish hours.

The one thing I hate about this foundation is that on my t-zone it kinda melts off. I have to use powder on that area to get it to stay. Other than that, good foundation, will buy again.

This was my go-to foundation for a long time ...that is before I discovered Hello Flawless by Benefit. Anyway, this has nice coverage for daily use. I found a good color to match my skin (Nude) that worked well for me.

I am not a fan of this. I tried in 02 vanilla and it was very sheer and too glittery and melted off my face in an hour. you cant build up the coverage either. Its nice that it comes with a pump, that is all.

I always bought revlon colourstay foundation for dry skin. I was the colour buff . But this week I decided to go for something different so I picked up revlon photo ready in vanilla.
My first impression of the product is it paler. At first I thought I looked like a ghost but after having a good look it wasn't that bad but it is still on the paler side .
The product is quite matt. I would say just as matt as colourstay.
It gives ok coverage but you would still need your concealer with this foundation.
Around my nose is oily and very shiny . I found this product sort of sat on my nose and didnt blend.
I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about this one, but in my opionon get colourstay if your thinking of purchasing this foundation.

It has great coverage and does look amazing in photos so it lives up to its claims, but for me it breaks me out if i wear it for long periods of time so I only use it on special occasions. Everyone complains about the glitter but it's not an issue for me. I have seen glitter on other people's faces but I don't find it ugly or distracting so I don't care. The bottle is bulky however. The cap of it always seems to fall off in my makeup bag but luckily no foundation gets squeezed out accidentally. I like the pump and all but it is quite big. I think revlon can slim down the packaging and it would be better. I find it goes on pale at first but oxidized to match your skin tone later or that's just me. It looks amazing in photos for me so I'll keep using it. It's a little thick but i'm okay with it for the good coverage and amazing photo results

I really love this foundation. It's light on the skin, doesn't look cakey but it still has awesome coverage. I wear 003 sand and it's the best color match I have found with any foundation. It's yellow based which is perfect for me. I love the packaging too and definitely would repurchase. I didn't give it 5 stars as there is fine shimmer in it which can really only be detected in sun light. It doesn't bother me though, and doesn't stop me from wearing it.

UPDATE (June 23 2012): Now that I've got into more diligent exfoliation this stuff can look really good. I'm trying to use less too. Is it perfect? No! The shimmer is still too much outdoors but it does work great for good lighting situations and photography. Color still could be lighter.


(I had already once reviewed PhotoReady, but I'm writing this review over as I've worn it more and have more thoughts. So here's take 2)


I was super excited to try PhotoReady. I've never tried a Revlon foundation, but they get a lot of good reviews, and Photoready was considered a MUFE HD dupe. The reason I went with Photoready was it was much newer than ColorStay, I don't want a very matte finish, and the packaging looked better.


PROS: The pump is so good. There is no waste with it because you can easily control the amount you want. The packaging isn't heavy, and it seems like the pump can be removed so you can stick other things in it (it does not want to come off easily, but I think it comes off - won't try now since foundation will fly everywhere). On the nice areas of my face, PhotoReady simply looks like skin. It looks incredible in flash photography too - I cannot detect it at all.


CONS: Formula grabs onto lines and bad texture, maybe not in a totally horrible way, but be careful in those areas. Also this doesn't feel moisturizing. Thinner, semi runny formula. Coming from Studio Sculpt, it's a bit shocking. Can appear VERY dewy in some light and make skin texture look worse than it is (shine "sharpening" your flaws).


OTHER 1: The coverage of PhotoReady is light to medium. This is not full coverage at all. I'm saying this because some of the reviewers are claiming this is full and it just isn't. I still need concealer for some areas, therefore I know it's not full coverage. If you have nice skin to start with, it may look full because the skin is so even, but that's deceiving you. Using 1 pump, for a light layer, looks really good and gives light, natural coverage. 1.5-2 pumps gives medium coverage but can appear heavy and needs more work on getting it to last. In my Ottlite mirror, before setting, it looks dreadful, but in other light it looks damn good, though a bit fake.


OTHER 2: 002 Vanilla is a perfect match for my skin (it's light enough and has the right tone), BUT it oxidizes before I even get a chance to set it. (DISCLAIMER: A lot of stuff oxidizes on my skin + CeraVe AM is heavy - could either culprit, so take with grain of salt). Blending away and it's already shifted to a more saturated or slightly darker color. I know some foundations "adjust" to skin, but this too much. Once it changes it's not a not a good match for pale skin at all either IMO because it fails my neck test. I have a super pale neck and this is noticeable from when I blend down to it. If you have light (not pale) skin with a bit of color, then it will be ok but just white pale, no, it will not work (unless it doesn't change). glamstep's review of the PhotoReady Concealer in Light compares it to a bunch of other things, like NC20, and the Light concealer is about the same as Vanilla. You can see that here: http://www.makeupalley.com/product/sreview.asp/itemid=140094/rid=2165510/ And if it fully oxidizes, it's nothing "Vanilla" at all. It's redder and darker, just ridiculous. I also have a theory that the color is only true when the reflective particles are working (ie have enough light so as to reflect off them) - so it's claim of "airbrushed perfection any light" is 100% false. In some light the color will appear worse than it actually could have been.


OTHER 3: The "glitter" in PhotoReady needs it's own section. I read MANY reviews to draw my own conclusion about it and ended up with it wasn't really a big deal. That's partially true. It's not glitter though, when I think of glitter I think of super chunky rainbow particles. PhotoReady has smallish (yet noticeable) shimmer instead. In the bottle I only see green and pink shimmer (in color 002 Vanilla) and there is a TON OF IT. Yet, if I tilt the bottle ever so slightly, they all disappear. The shimmer is most noticeable at certain angles to light sources, like ones promoting shine/hot spots, looking at the sun (or just being outdoors in bright sunlight). It's not green or pink though in real life, it's soft white. One thing I've learned is to always shake the bottle well so there isn't a bunch of shimmer settling and also, when I pump this on my hand, I see ZERO glitter at all, even in the odd angles I mentioned it. Then when I've used it all, my hand is literally PURE SHIMMER. So I think the visibility is linked to having enough pigment to sit in too, if you overly blend it might take away from that.


OVERALL: This was mostly a disappointment. I would say this foundation would fit those with really good skin texture (or primed 24/7 - probably why they came out with the PhotoReady primers as well) who are slightly dry to normal who want a dewy finish. The shimmer... sometimes you can see it, other times you can't. It is COMPLETELY dependent on the environment. It disappears when powdered too but I don't want to go outside with this for fear or glimmering. Looks plain incredible in photography however... I guess it somewhat did live up to the PhotoReady name in that sense (I don't get pictures taken though). I also really wonder how 001 Ivory would be. It looked really pink in the store. I've searched what feels like the entire internet for a comparison swatch but have found NOTHING. And Revlon should start selling EMPTY PhotoReady containers with twist tops... I would buy extras to put other foundations in. They are that good!

Very pretty foundation except for the fact that I dont want to be covered in glitter all day. I can only wear this when its mixed half/half with another foundation. I mix this with Clarins Skin Illusion and I can maybe get 7 hours out of this before my face starts to itch. I really wanted to like this...

I love this product. It works so well for my oily skin. I break out really easily, So I have sensitive skin. I use this as a base and it has a sort of dewy look but it looks really good and covers a lot! A lot of people don't like the "sparkle" that it has in it, but I love it! It just makes it look better. It also lasts for quite a bit. I bought mine a couple months ago and it's barely half empty! I use a foundation brush to dab it on my face, then I use a stipple brush to blend it in, and so far it has worked so well!

i really like this for my very sensitive and very dry skin (i have eczema as well)
the only thing is the "sparkle" but it isn't too extreme for me and i can usually cover it with a little pressed powder.
i also bought a shade that is a tad too dark so i'd probably adore this if i had the right color!
the pump is also a very good plus!