Revlon Photo Ready: Less Expensive High Definition Makeup
Companies like Smashbox and Makeup Forever have had high definition makeup on the market for quite a while. Their high-end products are pricey and may be difficult to locate, depending on how far the consumer lives from Sephora or a major department store.
Now Revlon has released Photo Ready foundations and powders that mimic expensive high definition products, but are priced at around $13 (compared to $30-$50 for approximately the same amount of product from the more costly lines).
Review of Photo Ready Foundations
This Revlon product comes in a pump bottle, but does not waste product at all; in contrast, Makeup Forever’s container consistently pumps out too much foundation at once. Photo Ready has fairly decent neutral colors and comes in a range of 12 shades, although none of them seem to be suitable for extremely dark skin.
There are no testers with the displays, so sadly it is a hit-or-miss project to choose the right shade. The lightest shade, 001 Ivory, is a bit too pink for many skin tones.
Photo Ready offers the same light-diffusing effect available from high-priced brands, but does not appear too shiny on the skin. This allows the skin to look fresh and natural, even outdoors. Its appearance may, however, be too shimmering for people with oily skin.
This foundation offers only medium concealment of flaws; unlike many HD bases, which provide heavy coverage. This is not necessarily a bad thing for those who want a more natural look.
Photo Ready boasts a broad-spectrum mineral sunscreen with SPF 20, containing 1.1% titanium dioxide and 2.0% zinc oxide. Therein lies its main drawback: These substances often leave a whitish cast on the skin, which can make the face look almost ghostly. This is especially true for the two lightest shades.
Mixing them with bronzer definitely brings them down to a much more natural skin tone, but many consumers will not want to bother with that extra step. Plus mixing will dilute the sunscreen so that it will offer less protection.
Overall, this foundation is still worth a try for those with lighter skin who want a soft glow and a flawless HD effect; it competes favorably with the higher priced versions. Be aware that it really makes any dry patches of skin very visible, so applying a moisturizer beforehand will be necessary.
Review of Revlon’s Photo Ready Powders
The Photo Ready powder comes in three tinted shades, which have a considerable amount of shine but somehow manage to pass muster in natural light. Again, the colors are not usable on very dark skin.
A translucent finishing powder is also available. This product is loaded with tiny particles of lustrous mica and bismuth oxychloride. In direct light, the face appears very sparkly even if the powder is lightly applied. Unless a consumer desires that particular look, any matte translucent or tinted powder will do a fine job setting the Photo Ready foundation. Note that bismuth oxychloride has been known to irritate sensitive skin and make rosacea and eczema worse; for that reason, it has been removed from many brands of mineral makeup.
For those with non-sensitive, drier skin, the finishing powder can be an nice option for a dramatic evening look. It also makes a lovely cheekbone highlighter when layered over blush. Photo Ready powder also contains many effective skin care ingredients, including humectants, skin conditioners, antioxidants, and plant extracts; which is a nice bonus.
Revlon’s Photo Ready is a pretty good product line, but hopefully the company will eventually create more shades for those with darker skin tones. It is available at most drugstores and mass market retailers.
