January 5, 2021

Revlon ColorStay Light Cover Foundation Review & Swatches

I purchased this item and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post.
4 stars out of 5

Revlon ColorStay Light Cover Foundation ($14.99) is a new lightweight, liquid foundation that launched with the Revlon Spring 2020 Collection. You’re going to start seeing a lot of these lightweight, liquid formulas coming out this year that provide lighter, sheerer coverage. I’ve already noticed a few pop up like Wet n Wild Bare Focus Tinted Hydrator Tinted Skin Veil, Tarte Skin Treat Poreless Tinted Moisturizer, and Urban Decay Hydromaniac Glowy Tinted Hydrator Foundation.

I wanna say sheerer, lightweight foundations typically release during Spring because they typically do. I also wanna say maybe the makeup world has realized we are our on a skincare kick lately and we don’t need nearly as much makeup as before and that we finally realized we don’t need to be contoured an inch within our lives to look good. But I think sheerer foundations are actually sort of a sign of the times. The pandemic definitely had an impact on the beauty world and it’ll start a lot of new trends. I believe one of those trends this year will be the less is more trend. Lighter, fresher makeup seems like the way to go when half your face is covered by a mask.

I’ve always been a very big believer in light foundation. Two little dots down the sides of my nose and blended out was all I ever needed. I just want something that eases dullness, brightens up my complexion, and makes me look fresher. I don’t have a lot of imperfections that I need heavy coverage on aside from my eyes where I like to use a good, pigmented concealer. If you’re anything like me and you enjoy lighter, fresher makeup I’d say Revlon Colorstay Light Cover Foundation is perfect for you as it’ll get you that my skin but better look without a heavy formula.

At the moment one of the main issues with Revlon ColorStay Light Cover Liquid Foundation is the shade range. There are only seven shades available at Ulta.com and I do wonder if they plan to extend that. I’ve seen foundations and concealers launch on Ulta from time to time and all the shades aren’t always available but later as the product gets more of a mass launch the displays have a larger shade range. Hopefully that’s the case here as seven shades is a step back from what we’ve been achieving the past two years when it comes to being better equipped to handle a world of different skin tones. I did notice that Revlon’s site has ten shades.

This formula is a light, fluid foundation which had a runny formula that provided light to almost medium coverage. Surprised? I was too! It’s a lot more pigmented than I realized. A little will get you sheerer coverage but it builds very, very well and easily without ever looking overdone and in building you’ll get more coverage. It comes housed in a 1 oz squeezable jar with a little tip that the foundation flows out of. It also happens to have an SPF 34. I would recommend it for drier skin as it sets to a satin but natural finish that wasn’t powdery or cakey. It didn’t adhere to my drier areas and looked like my natural skin! I did feel a little bit greasy during the application (it’s oil-free from my understanding) but it sets within a few seconds and that greasiness disappears leaving behind a smooth, satiny finish that was incredibly lightweight and barely there.

According to Revlon it wears for 12 hours. I used a primer under it and I got about six hours of wear before it started to fade. One of the nicest things about this formula is it’s ability to wear so well under powder. If you like powder but you feel it makes you a little too made up when wearing a liquid or cream foundation this was just made for powder. It’s such a natural and smooth finish that wearing powder on top if gives it a more perfected and flawless look. I tend to avoid powder because I have drier skin but it actually looks amazing when used in conjunction with this foundation.

As I said above the coverage is interesting as it’s quite customizable. A little provides sheerer coverage but a bit more will get you more light medium coverage. It’ll hide smaller imperfections while evening out your skin tone and providing a brighter complexion. It’s not crazy pigmented by there’s pigment enough here to make those with smaller imperfections happy. No matter how much you apply you’ll always have a more natural finish. It’s just a formula that makes your skin look better without being heavy or to makeup-y looking.

One thing that deserves mentioning is it does smell. I’m not really sure what it is I’m smelling. It’s sort of a plastic chemical scent. It’s not the Sharpie Marker scent I get from Tarte Aquaconcealer but it does have a bit of an odd scent. This disappears once you apply it but I think it deserves a mention for anyone sensitive to smells!

The color range as I stated above isn’t great. I got 240 Medium Beige because the other shades either looked too dark or too pasty. The color is a lighter peachy medium which should have worked ok on me but I experienced some oxidation as soon as I applied it and the color went a bit lighter and lost the peach undertone. Apparently the colors adapt to your natural skin tone but we all know that never quite works! We’ll see when this gets a better launch if any of the other shades are more suitable for my skin tone.

All in all, if you like natural I’d say Revlon ColorStay Light Cover Foundation is a win. This foundation provides natural, breathable coverage that makes skin look brighter and healthier!

Where to buy

Ulta

Revlon ColorStay Light Cover Foundation is a new foundation available in ten shades with an SPF 34 that’s 1 oz in size and priced at $14.99. This formula is a light, runny fluid that applies and blends easily into skin. It has surprisingly good coverage that’s buildable and fully customizable! A little gets you sheer coverage and a lot will cover minor skin imperfections! No matter how much you apply the coverage is 100% natural. I had a good experience with it as it gave me a smooth, satiny finish that didn’t adhere to my skin and eased my dullness while giving my complexion a brighter, fresher appearance. It wore for six hours on me versus the twelve hours it promised. If natural coverage is something you enjoy you’ll love this formula!

Pros

  • Very natural looking! Perfects but doesn’t overwhelm.
  • SPF 34.
  • Light, fluid formula is easy to apply and blend.
  • Breathable.
  • Wears well under powder.

Cons

  • Strange scent.
  • Limited shade range.

Who

Revlon ColorStay Light Cover Foundation is an ideal pick for anyone that likes more natural coverage.

I purchased this item and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post.

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

  • kjh

    Just me being a yo, bitch here. This is the coniest formula I ever read, so watch out oilies and Clog/acne prone. Denatured alcohol. And I haven’t figured out what the sunscreen is (it’s not the last ingredient. Perplexing.)

    • Isabella Muse

      the ingreds are wrong on Ulta, just a heads up as my bottle doesn’t mention alcohol!

  • Kimk

    Yikes…. could they make the names any longer or more weird sounding? Why not call it just “light foundation”�or something that a person can remember? Still sounds nice but I have my ride or die foundation… which doesn’t mean I won’t stray from it, but it’ll take some doing to get me to switch…

  • Linda Whitener

    I’m intrigued by this; I’ve been trying to find out whether the sunscreen in this product – and the new Almay Skin Perfecting Healthy Biome Makeup – is chemical or physical (mineral). Contacted Revlon and Almay, but no reply as yet. I’m concerned because I saw an article about chemical sunscreens being carcinogenic, so I’ve been trying to stick to titanium dioxide SPFs.