Colorstay Pressed Powder (new 2019 formula)

1 Review

1. 

   kindCamel9

   Reply

   I liked the results of the old formula, but I admit it required a lot more work than usual to look great.

   Here is my original review

   I hate when manufacturers change their formula without mentioning it on the packaging, thus letting the consumers think they buy the same product while it’s actually something completely different, it’s totally disrespectful. In the case of this powder, there’s nothing in common between the old and the new formula. I’d like the manufacturers to remember that they live thanks to consumers money.

   This new formula began to pop-up in 2015.

   – If your powder’s packaging has the half-moon window, then it’s the old formula.
   – If it has the full round window with “Revlon Colorstay” written in WHITE letters, it could be either the old formula or the new formula 2015 first launch.
   – If it has the full round window with “Revlon Colorstay” written in BLACK letters, then it’s the new 2019 formula.

   Old formula after the SoftFlex one (there were 2 to 3 in-between this one and the new one) :
   Mica, Bismuth Oxychloride, Zinc Stearate, Silica, Dimethicone, Nylon-12, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Polyethylene, Octyldodecyl Glycol Grapeseedate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Isododecane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Lecithin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cymbidium Grandiflorum (Orchid) Flower Extract, Silk, Malva Sylvestris (Mallow) Extract, Lilium Candidum (Lily) Bulb Extract, Lactobacillus/Eriodictyon Californicum Ferment Extract, Lauroyl Lysine, Synthetic Sapphire, Dimethiconol, Dimethicone/Silsesquioxane Copolymer, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid +/- (CI 77491/CI 77492/CI 77499/Iron Oxides, CI 77891/Titanium Dioxide)

   New one :
   Talc, Zinc Stearate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Polyethylene, Phenyl Trimethicone, Nylon-12, Kaolin, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Ethylhexylglycerin, Methicone, Lecithin, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Silica, Phenoxyethanol +/- (CI 77491/CI 77492/CI 77499/Iron Oxides, CI 77891/Titanium Dioxide)

   Revlon’s quest for quality seems a bit erratic here, especially the fact they seem to launch every formula tweak, while still searching for something better (so why not wait until a good formula is actually found to launch anything ?).

   All this story reveals Revlon’s lack of quality evaluation and consumer respect.

   Back to the review…

   While the old formula was waxy in the pan, hard to pick up and needed strong buffing to look great, the new formula is light-as-air (when I pick it up with my brush I see a kind of mist of superfine powder particles that actually fly) and blends like a dream. Beware that this powder has a very soft, very silky but VERY powdery texture (especially the top layers). It’s so easy to pick up that I barely dab my brush into the powder to get the amount I need (don’t swirl the brush, you’ll end up in an opaque powder fog).

   As usual, the shade 820 Light is a perfect match to the yellowish-beige undertone of Colorstay Makeup in 150 Buff (for oily skin, the same shade in the dry skin formula is darker/redder) or my current winter go-to Urban Decay Stay Naked in 20NN. It slightly darkens as soon as it sucks moisture (because of corn starch), either from sebum or setting spray, but doesn’t darken further throughout the day or oxidizes to a orange shade, it really stays true-to-tone all day long.

   This is a VERY matte powder : no shine, no glow, no shimmer. It’s long-lasting, non-drying, non-irritating and has a good oil-control (shine peeks through at regular speed, but blotting papers fix that, the powder doesn’t come off or creases). It has a sheer-to-light coverage so don’t rely on it to cover imperfections (it’s not a powder foundation) but it perfectly sets foundation and tones down shine.

   I don’t like the compact : on the one hand the round window allows you to see the actual color of the powder upon buying, and the storing compartment for the puff (underneath the powder) allows the mirror to stay clean and the puff not to stay on the powder (which is better sanitary-wise) but on the other hand it’s bulkier than usual and it’s exasperating to pick-up powder then raise the pan to reach the mirror then lower it to pick-up more powder then raise it again etc.

   The velvet puff itself is of unusual good quality (it reminds me of the puffs in my Korean or Japanese powders) and its black color allows to see the slightest amount of powder you’ve picked-up. I personnaly prefer using a brush, or a damp sponge to layer more powder on my oily nose (this way the result is less plaster-like).

   It’s fragrance-free, smell-free, synthetic sunscreen-free and paraben-free.

   Everyone deserves good REAL swatches (not the digitalized/weird colors Revlon offer on their website or their retailers websites). Here are some swatches on my inner arm (which is pale as an endive). I heavily layered the powder on a sticky base (Paula’s Choice Super Hydrate Overnight Mask, which is as sticky as flypaper).

   Their shades chart has been updated to 14 as follow :

   880 Translucent
   810 Fair
   820 Light
   830 Light/Medium
   840 Medium
   850 Medium/Deep

   (new shades)
   100 Banana
   110 Ivory
   290 Natural Ochre
   330 Natural Tan
   375 Toffee
   410 Cappuccino
   450 Mocha
   500 Walnut

   One last note : the formula is (except for one ingredient) almost a twin of Almay All Set No Shine powder. Not sure if this ingredient alone makes a real difference between both powders. So is it worth it ? Time will tell but I personnaly don’t see that much of a difference except that Almay’s powder darkens much more with moisture. Price wise, on Target Almay’s one is almost 3x more expensive ($14.79 for 0.2 oz so $73.95 per ounce) than Revlon’s one ($7.99 for 0.3 oz so $26.63 per ounce). Seriously Almay, you’re a drugstore brand not a high end one… come back on Earth, honey !! So, the cheaper the better, go for Revlon’s powder.