Review: Revlon Photoready Skinlights Face Illuminator in Peach Light

Press Sample 

One of the most anticipated releases from Revlon this year was definitely the return of Skinlights. I think I've done over five posts to date about the return of Skinlights, and if you caught my post from early November, you know that this collection has finally landed in stores (click here to see what the display looks like).

I received one of the four shades in this range for review, and I've been testing this product out for several weeks. I'm finally ready to give you my feelings about this one, so let's not waste any time!

Revlon Photoready Skinlights in Peach Light

(retail: around $12.99, 1.0 oz)

First question: What IS this product? Well, it's an illuminator, which means you can apply it all over the face for added warmth, or in more targeted areas like the tops of cheekbones, bridge of the nose, or anywhere else you would normally apply your highlighter. You can also mix this with your foundation to add a bit more warmth/glow to your foundation.

Next question: Is this product identical to Revlon Skinlights 1.0? No. The ingredients are different (you can see the full list of ingredients for the original here). The original formula was SPF15, and this product does not contain any SPF:

Also, the packaging is obviously different (the original had a pump) and this one's a squeeze tube:

I also want to mention that this product has a safety sticker that's very sticky and difficult to remove (yay!). You can see the residue from the sticker above.

I remember that there was a Peach Light in the original Skinlights range, but I remember it being lighter--like a white base with a tint of color (like this swatch). Peach Light 2.0 is definitely a deeper shade of peach:

The top swatch is what this product looks like before you blend it, while the second swatch is what it looks like when blended. This product is not the same as the original Peach Light, which I remember being more shimmery.

Here's what Peach Light looks like when used as a highlighter on my face:

I like to wear my highlighters on the top of my cheekbones and then blended up into a reverse "C" over my eyebrows. This is how I've been wearing this product the most, and if you look at the photo above, you can see that it gives a nice luminescent quality to the skin.

Here's a photo taken in lower lighting:

It was very difficult to capture in a photograph, but hopefully you can see that there IS some sparkle to this product. It's not chunky glitter though, and it's certainly less sparkly than I was anticipating after reading some comments about this product being a glitterbomb. To me, Peach Light is definitely NOT a glitterbomb, but it does contain some fine sparkle.

Peach Light 1.0 vs. Peach Light 2.0: 

As mentioned, this product is not identical to the original. I no longer own any original tubes of Skinlights and it's been a while since I used the original version. I know that some of you are quite devoted to the original, so if you're looking for a detailed comparison, I'm sorry that I can't give you that because I simply don't remember exactly what the original was like. I DO, however, remember that original Skinlights shades had more of a white base to them. The new Peach Light definitely does not have white base--it is a deeper shade of peach. I also remember that the original Skinlights contained dense shimmer with some sparkle. The new Peach Light does not have that dense shimmer to it--it's more sheer--although it does have some fine sparkle like the original.  As far as texture, I find the new Peach Light to be quite similar to how I remember the original texture. It's thin, lotion-like and very easy to apply and blend (I definitely remember the original being like that). Lastly, the obvious: the new version has a squeeze tube instead of a pump, and there is no SPF (the original was SPF15).

What I like about the new Skinlights:

I love that this product has a thin, easily workable consistency. It applies and blends very easily using just my fingers. You can also build for more intensity without it becoming cakey. I also like that it's quite subtle on my NC20 skintone. This isn't a glitterbomb, and it's not so pigmented that you can see an obvious line of demarcation after blending. It's sheer and delivers a nice luminescence to my skin. I also like that I can wear this product over powder. I've tested it over both setting powder and powder foundation aid it works beautifully worn over both. The key is to dab it very lightly onto the skin with your finger so that you don't disrupt your powder. I also like that this product doesn't contain any heavy fragrance--it smells sort like a fragrance-free lotion (you can smell the "base" but that's about it) and that a little goes a long way. I definitely think that one tube will last you quite a while, since you really only need a tiny dot for targeted application.

What I don't like about the new Skinlights: 

This product has a tendency to accentuate fine lines and other imperfections if I don't use a proper base first. I have the best luck applying this over a combination of primer + foundation + powder.  If I try to wear it over, say, a BB cream and nothing else, it tends to highlight my pores, fine lines and dry patches. I also feel that it's a bit too subtle, for me personally, to mix with foundation (which you can do, for added warmth). But I tend to wear full-coverage foundations, so my foundation literally devours this product. You may have better luck mixing it with a more sheer foundation. Lastly, the staying power could be better for me. When worn on top of primer + foundation + setting powder, it does last longer (about four hours on my oily skin), but if I wear it on bare skin or over a BB Cream, it fades in about two hours. But of course your mileage may vary, especially if you have drier skin.

FINAL VERDICT: If you're new to highlighters, I think this one is essentially fool-proof. It would be excellent for beginners because it's subtle, sheer and it blends effortlessly. You won't have to worry about overdoing it, and you can also go back and add more without it becoming cakey. If you're a "highlighting expert" you may enjoy this product as well, if you tend to favor products that impart a subtle glow to the skin. Some of you may not care for the fine silver sparkle in this product but, just for the record, I am not a fan of sparkle in highlighters and the sparkle in this product does not bother me at all. If you're looking for an exact duplicate of the original Skinlights, you won't find that here. However, when judged on its own, I think this is a nice, subtle illuminator. But I don't think it's ideal for very oily skin and it does tend to accentuate imperfections when worn without primer and foundation (as least for me).

Were you an original Skinlights fan? If so, have you tried the new Skinlights? I would absolutely love to know what you think!

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. For more information, click here.