January 17, 2012

Revlon Photoready Color Correcting Primer Review, Swatches, Photos

Anyone try Revlon’s new Photoready Primers yet?

Revlon has two new PhotoReady Perfecting Primers one of which I reviewed for your last week. The other one is a Color Correcting Primer to brighten skin up a bit.

Take a look!

I mentioned in my prior review that the price of the primer does hurt my feelings a bit. At near $15 you can indulge in a primer from Sephora or put the cash towards a higher end purchase. Ouch! Drugstore prices are seeing more and more of an increase lately and the “budget” factor has definitely left the building. The good news is at the very least we have tons of BOGO offers at our local drugstore as well as coupons and other steals and deals that bring the cost down.

On the upside, Revlon has successfully created a primer formula I actually like and I’m willing to dish out a little extra cash if the quality proves worthy and in this case, PhotoReady Primer doesn’t fail to delight me. I’ve been using the original formula for several days without stop so the honeymoon period isn’t over yet and I see no end in site.

This comes in a glass pump style jar. I like the packaging as the primer remains stable since you’re not lacing it with all sorts of bacteria by sticking your fingers in it to apply. The pump flows easily and doesn’t over do things so you have just the right amount of primer to prime your face with not a small village’s worth.

Unlike the original formula’s version this primer is a soft shade of lilac. Lilac is known for its ability to brighten dull skin and even out skin tone. The primer goes on a pasty shade of white but it absorbs easily enough and dries down transparent. As far as brightening and evening out skin tone it proves disappointing as it doesn’t technically do that.

This isn�t a silicone primer so it doesn�t have a powdery dry down. I find silicone primers terribly uncomfortable on my skin so this is a blessing of a formula. The formula has a hydrating feel but dries down to a satiny finish which will mattify oily skin but not still manages to offer a bit of hydration for the drier skin.

I don�t have large pores on my face but my nose I do have visible pores lately and this blurs the look of those pores so it should perform well with ones on your face or if you have finer lines. The product not only photographs beautifully but creates a soft focus finish. It preps my skin very well for makeup and creates a smooth working canvas for BB Cream, foundations, etc…..Reasonably blemish-free, smooth skin will see a flawless finish after application.

It does prolong the wear of foundation slightly as it builds a barrier against my skin and my foundation which prevents my base product from oxidizing too quickly. I actually don�t use a ton of foundation and rely on BB Creams for evening out my skin tone and perfecting my skin but I tested this out with my favorite foundation and thought it extended the wear time by at least an hour or two.

Overall, Revlon Photoready Color Correcting Primer is not a necessary product if you plan on purchasing it purely because you want to take advantage of it as a color correcting primer. I think it failed a bit in this department as I really didn’t notice any difference between using this and the original formula they have available. I liked both primers and thought they performed equally well but in the realms of brightening my skin or evening it out this didn’t quite do the trick. I do feel the price is a bit much since this isn�t exactly higher end but I�m willing to indulge if the quality is there and in this case I felt like the quality met perfectly with the higher cost.

Although the Perfect Primer got my Muse Approval I won’t Muse Approve this one simply because it doesn’t actually do anything in the realms of color correcting which I did find slightly disappointed but the formula overall is very good.

Available now at drugstores.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Abby

    I think this is still a silicone primer (it’s still loaded with dimethicone and -siloxanes), but like Smashbox’s hydrating primer, it’s been diluted with water so it goes on smoother and doesn’t smell as plastic-y!

    • the Muse

      sorry Abby I think I prob should have been clearer, I meant it doesn’t have that silicone-like feel 🙂

  • Annie

    I really like this one. It actually counteracts my sallow undertones really nicely. However, I’m about 10 years older than you, Muse. 😉

    • the Muse

      happy to hear it annie!!!!!!!! ;-D sadly didn’t do much for my dullness I was hoping but overall I love the texture…I’ve been using this and the original for the last few weeks, no end in sight, like ’em :D!

  • Jane

    Hey Muse,
    I am incredibly pale and this stuff does have a brightening effect on me. I don’t *need* foundation usually, and this just adds a bit of polish to my look… If there are any fellow pale folks who may feel the same, thought I’d share.

    • Hanna

      I actually find that I am so pale that this primer still looks vaguely lavender on my face. I ended up having to buying the un-tinted version!

      (The first time I put it on I was reminded of the scene in Edward Scissor hands where she tried to cover his scars and his whole face is purple….)

  • jen

    i’m in the market for a new primer lately. just looking for something that will prolong wear time of my bb cream and foundations and prevent it from sliding off my face. i have combo/oily skin. is it worth it to try this out?

    • the Muse

      jen how oily? It does a decent job mattifying but if you want extra hold I highly suggest deslick in a tube from Urban Decay!

      • jen

        hmmm 1-2 blotting papers oily. is that a lot? would this primer work for that? either way i will definitely check out deslick in a tube! thanks!!!

        • the Muse

          mmm lol 1-2 blotting papers doesn’t really help me. are you shiny, visibly oily? if so deslick in a tube is amazing for this! 🙂 I use it in the Summer and I swear it extends my makeup wear and keeps oil at bay for literally hours ;-D doesn’t blur pores/fine lines but does amazing with oil!!!!!!!

          • jen

            lol visibly oily. bf complains about it when he touches my face but then again his face gets so bad it drips into his eyes (gross, i know!). would you recommend the deslick over the korres primer? now i want to get my butt to the mall!!!

          • the Muse

            I highly recommend deslick! def! if you’re visibly oily it’ll be a huge help! he can use it too 🙂 it’s transparent. Only thing is it doesn’t blur the look of larger pores 🙁 so you might want to get a silicone based primer if you have larger pores, something that will create a smooth surface, fill pores so to speak. It can be used first and follow up with deslick if you want but I def suggest using it, I think it’s really a great product!

          • jen

            ok i’m sold! going to pick me up some this weekend. if it really works as magically as you say then i think he just might use it too!!! thank you so much =)

          • the Muse

            my pleasure 🙂 good luck and please update me curious what you’ll think! buy it at sephora, their return policy is so user friendly!

  • m

    Which one photographs better, this one or the original? Or are they both about the same? I have issues w/ discoloration as well as pores & fine lines so I’m confused as to which one I should pick up?? On the Revlon site they say the original is for fine lines & pores, the color correcting for discoloration, but you mention how this one helped w/ fine lines & pores, too.HELP! 🙂 Thanks.

    • the Muse

      hi m, either/or will be fine. this doesn’t correct skin tone so either one is fine. they both photograph equally well and do a decent job of blurring finer lines and pores.

  • Luisa

    Oh I bought this and totally regret it.When I put my foundation and powder on top of it the whole thing turned into a dry mask and started to literally come off my face….horrible =(((

  • Paula

    Thanks for your fantastic review! I’m so tempted to get this, but so disappointed that it doesn’t color correct. I was hoping it would cover my rosacea. (but then again, according to Revlon, this both corrects redness and brightens. How can it do both?) Hmmm….

  • Rosemary

    I am allergic to several ingredients in cosmetics. I bought the Revelon Photoready Color Correcting Primer, but need to know what’s in it before I try it.