I was having a difficult time trying to decide which of these two to get in the first place; my skin is pretty normal, but combination at times, never overly oily or dry.  So I figured, why not get both?  Try it out and see which I prefer?  Then, I can let you all know!

Everyone raves about the Revlon Colorstay foundations — even comparing them to MAC Studio Fix Fluid, and saying it’s better than that since it comes in lighter shades as well as stays put better without breakouts!

But which formulation should you get?  We all know our skin pretty well, and what if we can’t choose?  What if we want a specific finish?

I’m hoping to eliminate these questions from your purchase by offering my two-cents on both these foundations.

Combination/Oily formula:

Specially formulated for combination or oily skin, this oil-free formula helps control shine all day and gives you flawless looking skin.

Makeup looks fresh and feels great for up to 16 hours thanks to the lightweight, comfortable feel from the Patented SoftFlexColorStay™ formula.

Medium to full coverage in 20 luxurious shades, with SPF 6 protection*.

*Golden, Caramel, Toast, Rich Ginger, Cappuccino, Mahogany, and Mocha do not contain SPF.

**Will not rub off with normal use. (Taken from Revlon.com)

Pros:

• Really stays put.  This stuff does not budge!
• Good range of shades, though folks with really pale skin will have a hard time.  Fear not!  I have a solution for you coming up in a blog within the next couple of weeks
• Darker shades do not contain titanium dioxide so it will not look ashy.
• Looks pretty natural, not super mask looking as long as you get a good match.
• Great coverage, and pretty buildable.
• Matte finish.

Cons:

• When I say stays put, I mean it stays put. This stuff is a bit difficult to wash off.
• Again, the color range is kind of eh.  But don’t worry, I will film a video to help teach you how to alter your foundation color to make it work for you.
• Low SPF if you want SPF coverage, you will need a separate SPF lotion.
• Might make dry skin appear more dry, and most likely feel tight.
• Finish feels slightly sticky.
• Difficult to blend — dries so fast you have to blend very carefully.
• Really matte.  Some people don’t want such a matte finish.

I don’t think this is a foundation I’d wear regularly.  I was looking for a good drugstore alternative because:

1. A lot of people don’t want to spend the money on high-end foundation.
2. Even if they do, they want something to wear on regular days.

Normal/Dry Formula:

Specially formulated for normal or dry skin, this oil-free, moisture-balanced formula gives you flawless looking skin.

Makeup looks fresh and feels great for up to 16 hours thanks to the lightweight, comfortable feel from the Patented SoftFlexColorStay™ Formula.

Medium to full coverage in 12 luxurious shades, with SPF 15 protection*.

*Toast, Caramel and Cappuccino contain SPF 12.
**Will not rub off with normal use.

Pros:

• Really beautiful natural-matte finish.  Not masky matte, but a soft matte that still looks like balanced skin.
• After grilling out and standing outside in ridiculous heat for awhile, it was still fresh and didn’t need any powder touch ups except maybe on the tip of my nose — which is where I get the oiliest.
• Would work well on either dry or oily skin.  It definitely stays good looking!
• Easier to blend than the other formula.  Doesn’t dry as quickly.
• Not sticky, feels like really healthy skin.
• Doesn’t feel like a lot of product is on my face.
• Covers very well.
• Colors look darker, but I felt like it matched me BETTER than the other formula even though that was too dark!  It seems that since it blends better, not too much product is focused on one area so you can get a better and more natural application.
• Higher SPF that still photographs well!
• Not as difficult to remove.

Cons:

• Not enough colors in the line.  Wish it went darker AND lighter, though this can be changed by altering your mixture with oxides (as I will teach you soon).

Overall, I really like this formula.  It stays put even through heat, and all night out at the bar.  I was really surprised!  I didn’t have an issue removing this at night.  Though, I do use baby-oil to help loosen up my make up, and then use a cream cleanser mixed with some sugar to cleanse and exfoliate my face.  The finish was lovely — it looked super natural.  I used it on my friend as well and she looked flawless!  If either formula, I’d highly recommend this one for the great wear as well as the finish — I just like it so much better than the other combination.

If you have any questions for me about either formula, please don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments section!