Since Revlon's first BB Cream came on the scene a little while back, I've seen some mixed reviews in the beauty blogging community. I've been using this product, which I received for review, off and on for several weeks now and today I'd love to share my experiences with you.
Revlon PhotoReady BB Cream SPF30 in 010 Light
(retail: around $10.99, 1.0 oz)
Keep reading for my full review...
HYDRATES like moisturizerSMOOTHES like primerCOVERS like foundationBLURS FLAWS like concealerPROTECTS with SPF 30 like sunscreen
Directions:Dab on cheeks, nose, and forehead, and blend outward. Revlon PhotoReady BB Cream may be worn alone on bare skin or over your regular skin care for additional moisture. Three versatile shades will adapt to fit your individual skin tone.
This product comes in a squeeze tube with a very small opening, allowing for great control in terms of how much (or how little) product you want to dispense.
Ingredients:
Active Ingredients: Octinoxate (7.5%). Octisalate (5.0%). Titanium Dioxide (6.5%). Inactive Ingredients: Aqua [(Water) Eau], Dimethicone, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Isotridecyl Isononanoate, Isostearic Acid, Boron Nitride, Alumina, Zinc Gluconate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Algin, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Morus Alba Bark Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice), Root Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Seed Extract, Lecithin, Stearic Acid, Polyacrylamide, Steareth-2, Tromethamine, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Steareth-21, Methicone, Xanthan Gum, Laureth-7, Simethicone, Sorbitan Laurate, Polysorbate 20, Propylene Glycol Laurate, Propylene Glycol Stearate, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben. May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499).
I would describe the color of 010 Light as neutral--it's got some pink undertones but it also has a bit of yellow to it:
Once this product is applied to the skin, it sheers out and becomes lighter than what you see on my hand above. It's actually a good match for my pale, wintertime NC20 skin. Here are some before-and-after shots:
Before (clean, bare skin)
As you can see above, I have quite less-than-perfect skin. I have dark circles, redness around my cheeks, old acne scars, broken capillaries, you name it.
After
In this "after" shot, I am wearing just Revlon PhotoReady BB Cream and nothing else (applied with just my fingers). As you can see, this product did a great job of evening out my skintone and blurring out minor imperfections. The finish is what I would consider natural and "dewy" but the product itself does not contain any shimmer or sparkle (unlike other PhotoReady face products). This product doesn't pool up in my pores, but it does tend to settle into my fine lines (see my undereye area above). Based on several weeks of use, I can confirm that it does live up to its claims. Here's a reminder:
HYDRATES like moisturizerSMOOTHES like primerCOVERS like foundationBLURS FLAWS like concealerPROTECTS with SPF 30 like sunscreen
That said, it's not a perfect match for my oily skin, because even though it does what it promises above, I had a difficult time getting this product to last more than a few hours before my oily skin basically just gobbled it up. I've tried using primer underneath, and that does seem to extend wear a bit, but still not for a full eight hours. I of course also use setting powder (I've been using Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder) and that helps a bit with staying power, but not by much (which is a bummer because my Nearly Naked Pressed Powder really helps with staying power when it comes to my other foundations).
The texture of this product is wonderful straight out of the tube. It's creamy easy and to apply, but once you start working it into your skin, it does become thinner and a lot more sheer. I am able to build for more coverage without things turning cakey, but I could never skip using a separate concealer when using this product.
I haven't experienced any oxidation issues with this BB Cream, but at the same time the color doesn't self-adjust like traditional BB Creams. It stays pretty true to the color you get when you first apply it to the face.
The fragrance of this product is pretty mild--it has a bit of a "suntan lotion" note to it, most likely due to the sunscreen, but it's not strong.
In comparison to other US drugstore BB Creams I've tried to date, I'd say that this product is more reminiscent of Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB Cream, in terms of the finish it leaves on the skin. To me, it's nothing like L'Oreal's Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream.
I also want to add that, even though I can't seem to make this product work for me as a traditional BB Cream, all is not lost! I did find a way to make it work, and that is when I wear it underneath my powder foundations. I find that I can skip my daytime moisturizer altogether and apply this product, followed by my powder foundation, and it really gives me some great, extra coverage. I also find that this combo stays put on my skin for a full eight hours, so if you have oily skin like me and wear powder foundation, you might enjoy using this as a base before using your foundation. I can see this being great in the summertime when you want to skip moisturizer altogether.
FINAL VERDICT: This product isn't an ideal fit for me and my oily skin, but I certainly wouldn't rule out giving it a try. Others have had good results with this product (Gouldylox Reviews and Leighannsays come to mind) and I think that if you have normal or dry skin, this might be a nice option for you if you're not looking for a product with full coverage. This BB Cream does a very nice job of smoothing out minor imperfections and evening out redness, and really the only major issue I have with it is the lack of staying power on my oily skin. Of course I also prefer face products with medium-to-full coverage, but I knew going into it that this BB Cream would not provide that, so this wasn't a let-down. This BB Cream does have a tendency to settle into my fine lines a bit so if you have fine lines, be sure to pay extra attention and try to use a little less product and blend a bit more in those areas to avoid settling. And if you are a powder foundation lover, I would consider giving this product a try underneath your powder foundation (in place of moisturizer). This is my favorite way to wear it because it gives me great added coverage and stays put under powder foundation for a full eight hours on my skin. All in all, this is definitely a "your mileage may vary" type of product, but I do think it's worth a shot, especially if you like face products that leave a natural-looking finish on the skin.
Have you tried Revlon PhotoReady BB Cream? I'd love to hear from you!
A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.
we are the same color! NC 20 :) i have oily skin too. Other than the PF healthy skin powder, what do you like?
ReplyDeletethats too bad! i was hoping that this would replace my loreal bb cream. I was hoping it would work for oily skin. thanks for the review! saved me a few bucks :)
ReplyDeleteI have very dry red skin and love this for a light product. My Skin79 gold BB is still my #1 but I think in the hotter weather the Revlon is gonna get a lot of use. SPF 30 is a BIG thumbs up as I have a hard time with sunscreen on my face making me beet red and this doesn't irritate me at all. (Plus I got mine for around 6 bucks with sales/coupons)
ReplyDeleteI bought this one, same color, too, and am enjoying it. I'd like a tiny bit more coverage, but on good skin days, I use it often.
ReplyDeleteSo far I have yet to find a US BB cream that works as well on my face as the Korean BB cream. I almost got this one, but put it back at the last minute. Glad you reviewed it! I think I'll be skipping this one and sticking to the Skin 79 BB cream =)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds to me like it's basically a tinted moisturizer just like other US BB creams. Do you see any ways the performance really differs?
ReplyDeleteI found it to be more "dewy" as you said but also made me break out so much along the chin area. I don't know why really. However, I use bare minerals powder to set it and it does seem to improve how much it lasts. Still doesn't cover the dark circles though :/
ReplyDeleteI tried this BB cream out and although the color was fine with my skintone it felt heavy on and looked shiny and greasy and I felt like I had to blot my face or use a powder to get rid of the greasy look. I really wanted to like this product but I returned it after using it for a week.
ReplyDeleteI tried out this BB cream a while ago in Light/Medium shade but it really irritated my extremely dry skin and I had dry patches on my face after using it. The patches took a while to go away (even with medication) so I was really disappointed. However, my mom uses it frequently and fortunately it doesn't seem to have a negative effect on her normal/combination skin.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for writing such an informative review! Great to see how this product works with redness and dark circles. I will go out and try this now.
ReplyDelete