For Full and Light Coverage Wearers: Revlon's ColorStay and Nearly Naked Foundation

   If you couldn't tell by now, I am a full coverage chick; meaning, I want/need my foundation to conceal more and last me for yrs in one application, baby! lol Ok...maybe not yrs, but I do appreciate a long days worth of BEATness. Nevertheless, I do have my days when I just wanna pat a lil liquid or cream here and there to leave the house in...rarely happens but it happens. Lately, I've been reaching for a cream foundation more so than a liquid, since it gives me more coverage.However, my complexion can be tricky, and liquids are easier to mix in order to get the best match. Such is the case with Revlon's liquid foundations.
  
   When it comes to liquid foundation, I'm a MAC girl all the way. When matched well, MAC has some of the best tones for women of color, don't leave that ashy look in pix, set well and have great staying power. The downside is they're like $30 a pop! :/.....and y'all know how I role...on a budget. lol So, when I came across Revlon's 24hr ColorStay for combination/oily skin- medium to full coverage for 40% off of $13, I had to jump on it! And, I'm glad I did.

   The consistency of the ColorStay is not too thick but not too loose. It's just the right texture to go on smoothly over your entire face with just a few dabs, and sets well enough to apply more if needed, without giving the cakey look. It gives somewhat of a matte finish but not the overly dry look which I love.As I've complained about before, I'm super greasy, so I don't wear foundations with satiny/shimmery/glowy finishes. Nevertheless, I don't like to look super dry either so this was perfection :).

   The downside for me was the color. I am a combo of Revlon's  Toast and Caramel- more so Toast in the Winter and Caramel in the summer. It's winter, so I purchased the ColorStay in Toast. Whomp whoomp! fail lol..Although, the more it sets and oxides, it somewhat darkens; but, not quite enough to truely match my complexion. In natural light, the color was great, but on camera, it was slightly too light (everybody knows I love my face pix lol). **Attempting to use a finishing powder to darken it didn't work either.**  

  

   Aside from me being all sweaty and the silly duck face above, notice how I look a lil ghostly a few hrs into karaoke night. lol It's not the flash and there's no filter, so the foundation is the culprit. :/ However, I still had the coverage I started out with, still maintained a pretty, even and somewhat natural look. Even after hrs of sweating, singing and fun lol 

   Here, at the end of the night and after it oxides, I'm still looking a tad too Casperish lol. Still had my coverage tho :)...even the next day when I woke up still wearing it :/

   So, I set out to find the ColorStay in Caramel to combine with the Toast, only to find that apparently, every women of color in Philadelphia who shopped at Rite Aid for that 40% off Revlon products wears the color Caramel. They were out of stock :(. Ugh! So, I opted for the Nearly Naked in Caramel. 

   Now when I brought the Nearly Naked home to meet the ColorStay, they almost looked identical in color while still in the bottle. When poured, I saw the slight difference. I mixed them and the color still was a tad off. In hindsight, I've noticed that the Nearly Naked colors run lighter than the ColorStays. Also in the ColorStay, the darkest color available is Caramel. I believe there's a color in between called Rich Gingerly, but I think it would give too much of a reddish undertone for me. Nearly Naked comes in 3 or maybe 4 shades darker than Caramel. So, if I needed an even darker shade to mix with the Toast, I'd be good to go. However, I was ok with just using the the Nearly Naked in caramel on the outter parts of my face and the ColorStay in Toast on just my tzone. 

    Nearly Naked is a looser liquid and goes on even more smoothly than the Colorstay. It is more sheer and spreads almost like a tinted moisturizer.This is great for those of you who want that everyday, not too heavy, smooth, barely noticeable, yet even look.  It is also buildable for those of us who desire a fuller coverage and seems to last just as long. Nonetheless, it will not conceal as well as the Colorstay and does not set as matte. But, concealing issues can be fixed with concealer lol, and my oil control prepping methods kept me matte enough for it give me a hydrated, dewy after while, but not super oily look. Ehhh, I'm ok with that, but I'd advise my fellow slickies to keep a blotting or finishing powder on hand to maintain with, as you can see I'm slightly glistening below lol.

   Overall, these foundations are half bad for a cheapy like myself. lol

**Warning** Not a glam shot! lol its the end of the day, all nose contouring, concealer, eyeliner, etc. has been rubbed off and/or smeared. I AIN'T feeling dolled up today lol.This is strictly for noticing tone, complexion and color matching purposes :) Don't judge me...