December 4, 2012

Revlon Photoready BB Cream Review & Swatches

I picked up Revlon Photoready BB Cream on Saturday and blogged it from my car. Revlon BB Cream? Yeah, I was excited.

I actually found it at Bed, Bath, and Beyond marked at a very reasonable $8.29. I was surprised as although BBB is part of Harmons, typically their prices are higher for some odd reason or another. $8.29 seems reasonable enough. I suspect once it hits the standard round of drugstores the price will range from $9.99-$11.99.

Having been very disappointed with Maybelline’s Dream Fresh BB Cream as well as other US BB Creams I haven’t pinned too many hopes on Revlon Photoready BB Cream.

What did I think?

Here’s a few thoughts!

Revlon Photoready BB Cream promises a range of features like any good BB Cream should. Supposedly it acts as primer with a hydrating foundation finish that blurs imperfections like a concealer and protects with an SPF 30.

Let’s discuss that last part, SPF 30. Intriguing considering many BB Creams released in the US have had a lower SPF. 30 is fairly good, not great, but definitely good. The nice thing about that sun protection is it hasn’t morphed the formula of the BB Cream. It remains thick and creamy without leaving behind a white cast. Nice one Revlon, props for good sun protection.

This is available in four shade selections. Light, Light/Medium, Medium, and Dark are the colors you can choose from. Maybelline does peg the market here with a wider selection of shades. BB Creams were created in one, two, sometimes three shades originally in Asia and were meant to self adjust to skin tones. That’s since evolved considerably especially here in the US market where BB Creams are just another variation of tinted moisturizer.

Ahh..tinted moisturizer.

Well in fact, that’s exactly what Revlon Photoready BB Cream is. A beefed up version of a tinted moisturizer. This is a water based formula which starts out life with a thick, creamy texture. At first application I really like how creamy this is. It’s dense, yet has a sort of whipped up texture. It actually morphs as you begin to massage it in. The texture “bursts” and becomes thinner with a cool, watery feel. It’s quite sheer overall even if several layers are applied. This subtly of the pay off dubs it as more of a tinted moisturizer as it’ll perfect skin, offer minor coverage while evening out skin tone but won’t hide major issues such as redness, acne scarring, darkness, etc…

The Light/Medium shade I choose is a tad too beige but fits my skin tone not too badly. Coverage is lightweight and very breathable however, I did experience some disappointment within an hour or two of wear as it seems like my makeup just disappears rather quickly. At first application my skin looks fairly fresh however, looking in the mirror an hour later and some of my dullness returned. I’ve expressed how much I love BB Creams because they ease dullness and give my face a fresher appearance. So it is disappointing when one wears so shortly.

Overall, I think Revlon Photoready BB Cream will be impressive for those who liked Maybelline Dream Fresh. I can understand that in a market where women are just discovering the joys of BB Cream that this could be easily dubbed as an innovation of sorts. As many of these consumers haven’t technically tried or even knew of Asian BB Creams prior to their purchase. However, those who have tried Asian BB Creams might experience disappointment at the lack of coverage here.

Excellent job with the formula Revlon and props for fairly decent SPF protection however, the sheerness really makes this more of a tinted moisturizer than a BB Cream in the end.

I liked it well enough as a tinted moisturizer however, a long wear would be appreciated as well as a little more coverage. But in the end it really isn’t a BB Cream.

Tried it?

Loved it?

Feel free to share!

I purchased this item.

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‘.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  • Vi

    I’ve been thinking about picking up the Maybelline BB cream, since all I really need is a tinted moisturizer. Does that one wear better than the Revlon one? I can imagine it’d be really frustrating to look in the mirror after an hour and find that your skin just looks back to normal… 😛

    • the Muse

      vi I’d go with dream fresh, it’s a fairly nice formula, decent wear, no oxidization issues, fading maybe…mmm 3 hours, four if you set it?

    • charlotte

      If you just want a tinted moisturizer, my favorite is WnW believe it or not. It has decent coverage and lasts.

  • charlotte

    Is that a ton of shimmer in the last swatch photo, or a trick of the light?

  • Elizabeth S.

    Thanks so much for the review muse. I picked this up yesterday after reading your initial blog about it. I realize this is being totally lazy, but can you remind me what your favorite Asian bb cream is? Thanks!

    • the Muse

      hey elizabeth my pleasure how are you doing with it? curious minds! They often change tbh but Skin 79’s the Oriental is a fav of mine as well as Shills 8 in 1 🙂

      • Elizabeth S.

        Well I’ve only played around with it so far. I’m the fairest of them all and am pink in undertone (with extreme redness on my cheeks), so I’m weary to say the least. However, I too noticed that really unique texture. I’m going to give it a go tonight – I’m always scared to try new stuff in the morning and then go to work if I don’t have time to wash it off. Thanks for the info on your favs! I’m going to look into them right now.

        • the Muse

          my pleasure elizabeth most are reviewed under the bb cream/bb creams archive 😀

        • Tinkibell

          It sounds like you and I have the exact same skin coloring (down to the red cheeks!) Elizabeth, so I will be really interested in what you think of this!

  • Eli

    Тhe only non-Asian BB I like is Garnier’s oily skin one. The others are, just as you say, tinted moisturisers, and I’m really desappointed to hear this one is no exception…

  • Anna

    What would you say is your favorite tinted moisturizer/BB Cream that is like a tinted moisturizer? Sheer coverage is really all I’m looking for, so I love to hear your recommendation!

  • Janice

    Tnx for the review. I think I will skip out on it since I’d like my tm to last

  • Denise

    I just bought this yesterday at CVS, and I agree 100% with everything you said, Muse! I also bought Light/Medium, and while it isn’t perfect, it works with my skin tone, but I did find that it became a bit darker on my skin than when I first applied it. It also disappeared on me after about an hour or two. Too bad, because I was very happy with the texture, level of SPF, and how comfortable it felt on my skin.

    • the Muse

      le sigh denise….same experience girl! 🙁 sadness! great overall texture, really enjoyed the SPF, but why oh why oh do they continue to create these shabby tinted moisturizers and label them bb cream!

  • April D.

    My curiosity regarding this particular “BB Cream” (tinted moisturizer incognito) because it is part of Revlon’s Photoready line is whether or not it has those shimmer particles in it that appear when you are in the sunlight…?? as it seems to be with the rest of the Photoready line.

    • the Muse

      no shimmer april. def know what you mean about their other PR products…but there isn’t any shimmer in this.

  • Cari

    Your review is saint-like :p Sorry, but I am extremely disappointed with all American “BB Creams”. Honestly, it just seems like they aren’t willing to spend the money that Korean companies are willing to spend to make a great product.

    I will keep sticking with my Lioele Triple Solution BB Cream… for me it’s the best texture ever and even with quite a bit of redness and hormonal breakouts once a month I rarely need concealer.

    • the Muse

      saint like? not sure what that means 🙂 yes, I know, I’ve ranted about American BB Creams a plenty 🙂

  • Adrienne

    I am looking forward to trying this one. I have only seen the display with 3 shades to choose from and when I went to revlons site they only listed 3. I think I would fall in the med/deep based on the way the Loreals have “blended” or “adjusted”.

  • Justine

    Revlon is a nice drugstore brand, but in Canada we pay way more for it. I was curious about this one and checked at my local drugstore, it is $17.99 “on sale”. Wah.

  • Sara

    Out of all of the drugstore BB creams, which would you say is your favorite for pale-skinned (Ivory) girls that have mostly dry/normal skin?
    Thanks so much Muse, I enjoy reading your reviews as they are so thorough! Keep it up!

  • Leanna

    What bb cream would you recommend? I am a light medium in this product. I want to find a good bb cream.

  • Daemonswolf

    It actually makes a decent base and primer for my makeup with the added bonus of being a sunscreen (something I don’t use often enough). Walking in knowing it’s not really a BB cream makes it a lot easier for me to purchase this item.

    For what it is (not a BB cream), I really like it.

  • Melanie

    I was given this as a review product and I couldn’t think of anything nice to say about it. The light was orange on my neutral pale skin tone. Line of demarcation no matter how I applied it.

  • Karen

    Did you know that in Australia, it is illegal to label something as above SPF30+? This is to avoid misleading customers, as an SPF of 30 is actually very high, and there is little evidence to prove that any higher will actually provide significantly more protection.

    Also, make sure that when applying a product with SPF, you actually use enough of the product. Applying too little can decrease the SPF dramatically.
    x

  • Olivia

    Hi everyone! I’m 15 years old, and I don’t wear makeup yet, however I’ve been reading reviews and watching youtube videos for a while now. Anyway, when I turn sixteen (September) I will be allowed to wear makeup and I’m interested in using a bb cream to start with. I don’t have oily skin or really dry….I don’t have crazy breakouts *knock on wood* but I DEFINETLY get some minor mountains on my face sometimes! I’m just wondering what you all, but especially “Muse” think is the best option for me! Thank you!