I've heard about this product for a long time. The Revlon Photo Ready foundation. Is it a dupe of the MUFE HD foundation? Or is it really worth the extra $20 or so to have the original?
Even before trying out the Revlon, I have to admit that I was a bit torn. I'm a cheap person. I love a bargain and I will seek them out like crazy. However, there are some things that I think are really worth splurging on, and foundation is one of them. I've just always done much better with more expensive foundations and tinted moisturizers.
Overall, it was pretty hard to tell the difference between the two foundations. I tested both of them for well over a month before I felt comfortable comparing them in a post. I think that is likely a sign...
First, for a period of about 3 weeks (I've been at this for quite a while) I alternated between the 2 foundations. Revlon one day, MUFE the next. I thought for sure that I would notice differences with this technique. I tried them over different lotions, primers and blending with my fingers, a brush or a sponge. Nothing really stood out as an actual difference. Both had a flawless application. Once on, my skin looked amazing and you couldn't see the foundation. The Revlon might have had a little shorter wear time, though was it because I was more active on certain days? I wasn't sure.
So, I decided that I'd really go crazy. For a few weeks I applied MUFE to the left side of my face and Revlon to the right side of my face. That's right, I did each foundation on every day. I noticed that the Revlon is a bit harder to blend in humidity (it pays to wait a little longer after the shower....) and the Revlon is also a little heavier coverage than the MUFE. I do need to blend the Revlon a little bit more than the MUFE, but really the difference is about 5 seconds. I did note that the Revlon side of my face wore off about 1-2 hours earlier than the MUFE side, though since this was at about 7 pm.... meh. That's already a pretty long wear day.
So, are they absolutely the same? I don't think so. But, they are definitely extremely close. Get the one that has the better color match for you, which means MUFE for me.
I bought the Revlon, MUFE was a sample.
Hope I'll remember your post next time I'm close to a make up forever counter :)
ReplyDeleteLoved this review. i've been thinking about going back to the world of drug store foundations and this sounds like the way to go if I do take that plunge b/c MUFE HD is what I currently use.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this review! I've been wanting to try Revlon's photo ready foundation and now I will for sure. I love that you used different foundations on each side of your face ; )
ReplyDeletebut MUFE is much more expensive than revlon . honestly I can't afford it .
ReplyDeletemaybe I'll take revlon .
thank you for the review :)
Wow, that's actually really cool!
ReplyDeleteI see sparkles in the Revlon one and that drives me crazy.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea for a post and of course, great post! Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeletewhat kind of brush did you use? i was extremely let down by the revlon version. it looked "fake" on me.
ReplyDeleteMarcia-
ReplyDeleteI just ran to check out my Revlon in case I missed it, and I don't see sparkles or shimmer at all, in direct sunlight or in other light. Did you somehow get shimmer in your bottle from another product? I haven't heard anything about people finding shimmer in their foundation. :( Regardless, that's not fun.
Hotsy- I use either a wedge sponge or a MAC 190 foundation brush. I use a very small amount of foundation to start and slowly build to the coverage that I want, which might be the difference. I'm likely using a lot less, because I end up using a very small amount on my entire face.
Oh! I should warn everyone that if you do decide to buy the Revlon, it is hard to get an exact color match because the bottle is a little bit tinted. I had to buy 2 Revlons to get the right shade, the first was darker once I started applying it. So, go for a store that lets you return the foundation (they do exist! I went for CVS), then you can return it for the better color match if you have the same issue I did.
ReplyDeleteI tried the Revlon before splurging on the MUFE HD Foundation. The Revlon did not give me the flawless HD finish that the MUFE foundation does, and the MUFE color also was better. I tested them both with MUFE primer and MUFE HD powder.
ReplyDeleteI have had PhotoReady for a while (I'm a drugstore makeup girl, I've never even seen MUFE in person) but the color I bought was a few shades too light and it was impossible to blend where I have larger pores. I've started mixing it half and half with my Revlon ColorStay (too heavy and dark) and it's this awesome marriage of medium coverage with a long-lasting, dewy finish. I'm so happy! I was just doing it to use up foundations that were the wrong color!
ReplyDeleteThanks - I know which one I'm buying!
ReplyDeleteThis is the first foundation I've ever used, and only because a sales lady convinced me to buy it for my wedding which she was doing the makeup for. It looked awesome when she applied it, and I looked fantastic in photos. My skin was very smooth and even. But I noticed after a few hours it looked very obvious on my face. I still have a full bottle of the stuff. I've since tried once or twice to apply it myself with just my fingers, but it doesn't look good and it's way too obvious and mask like for me. Definitely won't be buying again.
ReplyDeletei have read a lot of reviews saying that revlon's photoready has to much shimer and so on, doi you agree with this general opinion? also could you do a review on revlon's colorstay? i'm torn between photoready and colorstay, i don't have acces to MUFE products because it's notr avalaible in my country :'(
ReplyDeleteI don't remember any shimmer, though the formulation can change year to year (this is several years ago) and by country. I'll pick some up, though I remember really hating colorstay the last time I tried it. Do you have L'Oreal in your country? I've been loving all of their foundations lately!
ReplyDeleteYes they sell L'oreal, I tried the True Match Liquid foundation but I didn't like it so much, the coverage isn't all that good and it lookes a bit fake on my skin at least, so I was going to get Revlon's Photoready,cause i wanted something that lookes a bit more refined and not like a mask. Also I have read that is the closest cheap foundation to MUFE's. If you could give me your opinion on the subject that'll be great, I have oily skin and powders don't give me the amount of coverage I need for a big event, and they fade pretty quickly.
ReplyDeleteI like the Revlon photo ready in shell. What color is the closest match in MUFE?
ReplyDeleteI think you should probably head to your nearest Sephora to be color matched (only Sephora sells MUFE). I don't know what the nearest match would be, sorry!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Could you tell me which shade MUFE foundation you use and which shade with Revlon? Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteI actually don't remember, I'm sorry! I'd recommend heading to your nearest Sephora. They have this amazing machine that can take a picture of your skin and tell you which foundations and shades in the store are the best for you.
ReplyDelete