This budget foundation was a great fit for my combination skin

You don’t have to ask me twice to test out a new foundation. Especially when it has the potential to be an affordable game-changer like the Revlon ColorStay 24 Hour Longwear Makeup ($36.95 at Chemist Warehouse). Under $40? I’m in.

I read some reviews from our members and decided to try the formula for Combination/Oily skin types. Those who’d tried it described it as having a natural, not-too-matte finish, which got me over the line and squashed my ‘cakeface’ worries.

You see, my skin type is combination, so it would make sense for me to try this variant. But aside from my T-zone, (which racks up a decent dose of shine on the daily), the rest of my skin is dry and loves hydration. So you can understand the pickle I often find myself in when it comes to scoring a base that does the best for both areas.

But with reviews pointing me in the right direction, I was ready to commit and put it to the ultimate test —  my face.

The product details

For a foundation that’s on the more affordable side, the Revlon ColorStay 24 Hour Longwear Makeup ($36.95 at Chemist Warehouse) has got some pretty impressive attributes. The Oily/Combination one helps to control shine and oil with earth-sourced multi-mineral powders. But don’t let the word powder scare you, it also contains vitamin E to nourish the skin and a medium-to-full coverage formula so you can build and blend as you please.

Revlon ColorStay 24 Hour Longwear Makeup review

I don’t think I own any foundations without pump packaging these days, so this was an instant tick for Revlon’s. Upon the first pump, I was super surprised to find it had a more fluid texture than I was expecting. For some reason, I always imagine ‘oil control’ foundations to be thick and creamy, but I could instantly see why reviews had described it as “easy to blend” and it spread across my face with ease. 

One pump is enough for the whole face if you like medium coverage, but I added an extra dot here and there to hide some redness. It layered nice and smoothly, and the shade I’d picked (240 Medium Beige) was a good match.

Although the bottle says ‘matte finish’ I found it looked natural and skin-like on me. I had prepped my skin in the morning as usual with serum, moisturiser, and primer, and it still allowed some glow to come through. 

I was in for a full day at the office, so I set my T-zone with powder in the morning but left it for the day to test out the oil control. When I arrived home almost 12 hours later, my forehead and chin were shiny but the win was that it hadn’t gone blotchy and the coverage was still there. A simple blot and it would still look okay.

I’m not sure any foundation looks pristine after a full day out but this one did hold up really well. It didn’t oxidise, go cakey, or crack. It may not have stopped shine completely, but it minimised the damage oil can do, and perhaps that’s what ‘oil control’ really means.

The final verdict

As far as an affordable, everyday foundation goes, this one is a winner. If you’re someone who likes to look radiant but has an oily skin type or T-zone, it caters really well. It’s not a full-on hectic matte with a powdery finish, but more natural and workable, especially when paired with the right skin prep. If you can find a match among the 11 shades (I was luckily able to), then I don’t think you’ll be disappointed — especially if you nab it on sale!

Main image credit: Supplied

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