 |
| Photo: copyright Revlon |
Confession: I have frustratingly oily skin. At nearly 24, I still suffer from an insufferably shiny T-zone and cheeks, and battle every day to prevent myself looking like a walking, talking waxwork. I also have very pale skin*, and so when, despite my diligent cleansing routine, blemishes rear their ugly heads (pun intended) I have no option but to turn to a base, concealer and a light final fixing powder to help disguise the obvious situation.
In the past, I have found some high street ‘translucent’ powders to be far from translucent. Even when applied to sun-screened but otherwise bare skin during the summer months, they endeavoured to immediately take on an orange hue despite having been dusted on sparingly and evenly.
Revlon’s PhotoReady™ Finisher is itself not perfect, but it scores points with me for not following this ‘tango-tinge’ pattern. I have noticed that if it’s applied with a slightly heavy hand over the remnants of my tan, it can appear a little on the white side, however this effect may not even be noticeable once I have fully returned to my usual pallor and for the moment, can easily be remedied with a similarly gentle sweep of bronzer.
Where PhotoReady™ really impresses is with its general tone evening properties. When I first used the powder (with a small kabuki rather than the provided brush, which seems a little too synthetic to hold the product well), I instantly noticed that it diffused any imperfections and refused to cling to (and highlight) any concealed areas as some other powders do. It mattifies well (although with my skin, blotting is still needed around the nose after a number of hours have passed), does not feel heavy, chalky or suffocating and is velvety-fine. Once applied, there is no real scent to the powder and skin doesn’t seem to be clogged or reacting at all in any way either, which is a relief!
I was slightly worried about the ‘light reflecting’ particles that this product inevitably contains, but they are pretty undetectable (you’ll need to examine your face in a x3 magnification mirror to spot them and even then they do not look particularly glittery) and they mean that rather than dulling your complexion or making your face appear ‘dusty’, this powder leaves you feeling like you simply have a better version of your skin staring back at you.
Overall, PhotoReady™ is the best finishing powder I have used to date. If you have a darker skin tone, it may be best to test whether it blends without noticeably lightening on your skin, and I think it is worth using a better quality brush than the one provided as its quality has certainly been compromised due to packaging space. Otherwise, as a high street buy that packs a pore-perfecting punch, I wholeheartedly recommend it.
*outside of the one or two weeks of fading tan following my return from holiday. I am careful in the sun, but have spent time in the US deserts this summer, so picked up a golden tinge.
