I'm usually a high-end foundation person but I started realizing that my skin shade is really hard to match. I am very fair/pale but with strong yellow/green tinges (Asian descent). I learned that most foundation companies start putting in yellow tones only at the "light-medium" level. Everything in the fair and light shades were neutral or pink. I looked at the Colorstay fndn (Oily/Combo) and saw that "Buff" seemed to be a perfect match. I bought it and immediately tried it on 1/2 my face, with my hopeful favorite (Givenchy Photo Perfexion in Vanilla) on other half.

The color match was unbelievable and much better than the Givenchy, but about 5 hours later, I noticed some pore clogs were developing on the Revlon side. When I removed my makeup with Neutrogena Remover Towelettes (blue package) and then washed with Alpha Hydrox foaming face cleanser and then toned with Shiseido Balancing Softening Lotion, I had 2-3 breakouts on the side with Revlon. The next day, I reversed the sides and I could feel pores clogging on the side wearing Revlon within several hours. when I removed the makeup, I had breakouts again on the side that had worn the Revlon. I unfortunately had to return the product. I have since tried other fndns (Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder, Guerlain Parure Extreme, Givenchy Photo Perfexion in shade 101 beige) and there have been no breakouts.

Not a huge fan of the packaging for this product, but that would be my only objection on the cons list.
The foundation itself provides very good coverage, not the best ever but the best one for that price range and for people who don't have any major skin problems; I was looking for a product that would cover the dark circles around my eyes and a few acne scars and it works great.
I don't use it on daily basis because it's quite heavy but I use it from time to time when I need a heavier foundation. I use shade 110- Ivory, and I would recommend everyone to use a slightly lighter shade of this product because it blends perfectly with whatever other products you're using and the lighter shade simply provides a better coverage.
It lasts all day long, never comes off, I would definitely recommend this product !

Revlon clearly never heard the old, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." I tried this before I realized it was a reformulation of the original Colorstay and could not for the life of me understand all the hype. Having tried both, I can't understand what was going through Revlon's minds when they put this little guy out, so here's my imagined scenario...

Revlon Person #1: Man, this original Colorstay sure is the bomb! And people love it, it's basically cult status.
Revlon Person #2: Yeah...but look, I reformulated it.
RP1: But...why? Did you make it better?
RP2: Actually, I made it worse.
RP1: Say what? So does it have the same level of unbelievable coverage and lasting power as the original?
RP2: Nope, in fact it's even less coverage and won't last longer than a few hours, especially on oily skins.
RP1: Did you change the packaging and give it a pump like people were asking?
RP2: Nope. Same bottle.
RP1: But why would we change something that worked perfectly in the first place?
RP2: Because...I put "24 hours" on the bottle. That's different. Different is good.

That's the only explanation I can think of for how this foundation came to be. At least Revlon did us a solid and came out with this version instead of replacing good old Colorstay. It's still on shelves if you look hard enough, usually hidden behind the strange enigma that is Colorstay 24 hours.

I really like the way this looks on. It covers up well and makes my skin look as close to flawless as I think a good foundation could. My skin is not perfect but this does definitely improve the appearance of it quite a bit. My only issue with this is it does give me one or two zits if I use it for several days in a row. Sometimes I will only wear it once a wk and when I do that it doesn't cause me any zits but other wks when I have events or other plans and have to use this two or three days in a row then it does cause me to get a few zits. Nothing too major but definitely one or two small zits it will cause. Since most of the time I only need to wear makeup once a wk this works out ok for me to use this. However if I had to wear it almost everyday I wouldn't want to do that because of the breakouts it would probably cause. It does cover nicely though so as long as your skin isn't acne prone or you only wear foundation every once in a while then I highly recommend it.

WHAT? THEY CHANGED THE FORMULA? NOOOOOOO!

I am so upset colorstay changed their formula. I was a faithful user for 15 years :-( The new formula is not build able and the coverage is awful. It also makes my skin feel very greasy. I have been breaking out the last few months and now I know why! I wrote revlon hoping they change back! I am now using Lancom Long Wear Foundation... I really love it but the $$ is very high :-(

Eeks! Now This stuff was the reminder as to why I rarely purchase drugstore brand foundations; I have only tried 3 in the past 20 yrs if that says anything. My skin hates this stuff! The first time I tried it I applied with my fingers I noticed pooling into my pores right away and just figured it was because I applied with fingers and used no primer. The second time I used with an excellent primer and my best foundation brush (which always leaves my crappy skin flawless) but got the same results. Being as how I purchased the Dry/Normal skin formulation this is not a reaction/result I expected to get at all... Both times I kept it on all day to see if it would sort of “merge” with my skin at some point but it did the opposite – I blew my nose and it all came off, I rubbed my chin and it melted away. And even though its a very sheer and light formula, the spots where it faded were really obvious. So that whole lasts 24 hrs thing is total BS. I suppose this could work for someone with perfect skin, as any product could, however good luck finding a color match as well! I rotate between NC25-30 and purchased this in recommended matching shade of 180 Sand Beige/Beige Sable which gave me an odd cast as well. And what's with giving this product two names? All in all this stuff was a bust. I do not recommend this stuff at all- don't waste your money.

The only way change happens is if enough people voice a demand for it. For those of you lamenting the 16-hour formula compared to the new 24-hour formula, please write Revlon and make a plea for a reversal to the 16-hour formula (or a newly renamed facsimile). Here is the website contact form: http://www.revlon.com/Revlon-Home/Revlon-General/Contact.aspx. If enough of us collectively bombard Revlon with the same complaints, perhaps it will be sooner for another formula change-for-the better, rather than upon their discovery of depleted sales, since most devoted longstanding die-hard Colorstay users agree that this 24-hour formula doesn't even resemble the16-hour formula comparatively that received raved reviews for its superior features of long-lasting, great/buildable coverage, transfer resistant, lightweight/didn't-feel-like-you're even wearing makeup, matte finish. Now it comes off on everything (cell phone, clothes, hands, tissues/blotting papers and more), terrible non-buildable coverage that doesn't cover and depletes throughout the day (sheer to medium at best), itchy, greasy-to-the touch/sticky feel, slides on skin, causing breakouts, doesn't last for even 8 hours, accentuates pores/settles in lines, and devoid of a true matte finish even after powder. They have changed the formula several times before. Join in and let your voice be made known and perhaps we all may see another/hopefully favorable change soon.

UPDATE: I DON'T HAVE TO SWITCH -- After hunting for a ColorStay Combination/Oily Skin in Sand Beige clone (a true light beige, neutral that I didn't realize was so difficult to find) and only finding pink, yellow, orange based tones in MAC Pro Longwear, coupled with EL Doublewear formula change (darn!). To rectify the CS 24 Hrs formula:change of no longer being TRANSFER RESISTANT use a fixing/setting sprays as a mixing medium with a damp sponge application OR a finishing spray on completed makeup, avoiding eyes. Use either/or but not both. Use S P A R I N G L Y ! ! ! Otherwise, it will go through your makeup, and if you have drier aging skin, it will intensify crepiness/cracks like shellac. My fav pics are Kryolan Fixing Spray, Kryolan Ultra Setting Spray (less alcohol denat than the original)--both contain small enough amounts that evaporate quickly--or Ben Nye Final Seal and Mehron Barrier Spray. Applied properly with a light hand it will render the CS 24 Hrs smudgeproof, rub/transfer resistant, moisture resistant and longwearing once again. As far as building the coverage, I've been tweaking to almost what used to be, as the formula in CS 24 Hrs reformulation is thicker, greasier and lacking that hardly-wearing-makeup feel of the former CS 16 Hrs formula. I've read in theory on many sites that correct priming would alleviate the need for fixatives or setting products, but after trying so many, none I tried solved the transference problem that I detest the most (clothes, cell phone, etc.). My experimentation yielded relatively successful results after wearing many hours with no transference. Didn't realizing how much I missed my coveted color choice and former 16 Hrs formula that IMO had many coveted features. Give it a try. Hope this helps those like myself that didn't want to switch.

UPDATE 2: The above update/fix worked, but it was laborious in getting just the right build, due to the CS 24 Hrs reformulation. Spent the weekend hitting all the dept store counters trying to find a beloved clone to no avail. Would have been possible if ES Double Wear hadn't reformulated there formula too. Spotted a review on another site comparing Boots No 7 Beautifully Matte to ES DW and headed to Target to check it out--wth I'd tried just about everthing else. OMG! I'm actually in shock and disbelief in a good way. Although there are only 6 color choices at only $14, I bought Cool Vanilla (pale neutral w/ yellow undertones) and Cool Ivory (pale neutral w/ pink undertones) and tried at home due to store lighting, having no anticipations either way. I tried each color inside and outdoors and to my absolute amazement each will work, although I'm partial to the Cool Vanilla which actually neutralizes my pale 60 yr old skin with pink undertones and I didn't look like a ghost. Although the colors selection is limited to 6, there is another color called Wheat (medium tan) that I am fairly sure I can mix in during the summer. I used a damp sponge application on bare skin over moisturizer alone with no primer and finished with only blending sculpting shades and a bit of matte bronzer. I didn't even need to use powder. The finish is actually far more forgiving of lines and wrinkles than the CS! With 60 yr old combination skin there are no miracles, but the finish was more of a soft matte and very natural w/o either looking cakey nor greasyl. The color stayed true for more than 10 hours with NO transfer and it has the most natural doesn't-feel-like-I'm wearing-makeup feel that I was truly lamenting in the reformulation of the CS. It is medium to full buildable coverage and concealer was not even necessary on one red spot on my chin. I am indebted to that reviewer who compared ES DW to this rather inexpensive gem that I never even would have considered. This stuff is not only better than the CS 16 Hr clone I was searching for--it exceeds it in every way. For the CS 16 Hrs and EL DW die-hards out there regrettably mounting a hunt for a replacement, I highly recommend giving Boots No 7 Beautifully Matte a shot--and yes it comes with a nice pump dispensing an appropriate amount as a bonus.

Please return me the old formula :) this new formula clog pores..I have serious breakout after 2days application.. I am very disappointed when I went to look for reckon color stay 16 hours, but they don't sell anymore. The new formula foundation is still with me, I even try the 2nd time to ensure wheter is It the foundation cause me breakout. N I'm sure it was the cause now. Waste my money to buy a worse foundation.PLEASE RETURN ME THE REVLON COLORSTAY 16 HOURS!!!

I am not a huge foundation user, but decided to buy this Revlon Colorstay makeup based on the amazing reviews on MUA. I was not aware of the formula change, so I went ahead and bought it for $20, a relatively expensive price for the drugstore.

Tone: I got this foundation in ivory, which was a tad light for my skin tone, but went well with my cool undertones (for once), which is why I gave this foundation two stars.

Packaging: The packaging is just a twist off top glass bottle. I ended up getting twice as much foundation on my hand than on my face when I poured out the formula.

My Experience: Since I prefer a sheer coverage, and was slightly hesitant to try this makeup on my face (I am very conscious of what chemicals my skin is exposed to), I applied it only to my nose and chin with a triangle wedge sponge. It had a matte finish and it was obvious straightaway that my dry spots (chin) were emphasized, as well as my semi-large pores (nose). I decided to stick with it and wear it the entire day- boy, was that a mistake. The foundation stayed on for about four hours and then disappeared (not sure what it rubbed off on, but, it did). I was left with three blackheads on my nose and a big red forming pimple on my chin, and I do not get blemishes often. After just TEN HOURS OF WEAR! Nearly cried. I am returning this foundation tomorrow.

Summary:
Pros- decent color tone selection, matched my cool undertones
Cons- Emphasizes skin imperfections like large pores and dry spots, clogs pores causing unwanted breakouts, weak staying power, expensive for drugstore foundation

Hope this review helps, makeup lovers! xo