Revlon Colorstay Foundation Review and Swatches - Buff and Sand Beige

Today I'm doing a review on the very popular drugstore foundation- Revlon Colorstay. We've all heard the holy-grail claims about this foundation from thousands of beauty bloggers and gurus. I'm not usually one for drugstore foundations, but I just had to give this product a try.

The Shades:

My skin is extremely yellow, so it's very hard for me to find the right color match with most brands. I'm between a MAC NC20 and NC25. I picked up two shades in the Colorstay foundation... Buff and Sand Beige. Both have been recommended to me by the Colorstay color-matching guide. Here are the shade recommendations:

Ivory: NW15/NC15 (lightest shade of the ranges)

Buff: NC20 (best match for fair NCs)

Sand Beige: NC20-25 (with somewhat neutral undertones)

Nude: NC25 (with peachy undertones, definitely not for pinks or true goldens)

Natural Beige: NW20 (tends to run pink)

Medium Beige: NC27 (between Sand Beige & Golden Beige)

Fresh Beige: NW25 (with pinky undertones)

Golden Beige NC30 (with yellow/olive undertones)

Warm Golden: NW30/NC30 (with somewhat neutral undertones)

True Beige: NW30 (with pinky undertones - for Fresh Beige in Summer)

Natural Tan: NC40/NC42 (more neutral than Golden Caramel)

Early Tan: NW35 (with somewhat peach undertones)

Rich Tan: NW35 (with pinkish undertones)

Golden Caramel: NC40/NC42 (more golden than Natural Tan)

Toast: NW43/NC45 (with neutral undertones)

Rich Ginger: NW45 (very peachy-pink)

Caramel: NC45

Cappucino: NC50 (slightly more peach than Caramel)

Mahogany: NW50/NC55 (the darkest of NWs, but not extremely peachy)

Mocha: NW55 (seems to be very cool toned)

I chose the Combination/Oily formula for the lighter shade (Buff) and Normal/Dry for the darker shade (Sand Beige).

Unfortunately, neither shade matched my skin very well. Buff was close, but a little too light and just not yellow enough. My perfect match is NARS Sheer Glow in Ceylan. Here is a shot comparing the three colors:

The Formula:

Revlon Colorstay foundation has an amazing formula. It lasted my entire workday and is definitely full-coverage. It does dry a little fast, so you do have to apply quickly. I have tried applying it without a traditional foundation brush, the Real Techniques Expert Face brush, a sponge, and my fingers. I prefer using the Expert Face brush for this foundation. The product didn't leave my skin feeling cakey or greasy. I ended up preferring the Combination/Oily formula since I do tend to get a bit shiny in the T-zone by the end of the day.

Final Verdict:

I definitely recommend this foundation. It is pretty amazing for a drugstore product. I really wish they had my color shade... I would definitely purchase again if they made something for strong yellow undertones. The only con is that it is packaged without a pump, so I did find myself pouring out a tad too much and wasting product.

8/10