Challenging a Holy Grail

It's probably a bit strange that my first blog post in a while is a foundation/makeup thing. It really has been a while since I've done anything like this because, let's be honest, anybody reading this is likely 100x more experienced and knowledgable about makeup than I am after spending the year rarely wearing it.

However, when I look online, I struggle to find foundation recommendations for people with similar skin to mine so I thought this might be of some use.

I have very fair skin so struggle to find anything from high street makeup brands (and high end most of the time) that's the right shade as my skin, despite being pale, doesn't particularly have pink undertones, which most foundations at the lighter end of the shade range tend to have.

The only foundation that I tend to buy other than the MAC Studio Fix fluid in NW10 (a tad too dark but good for going out) is the Revlon Colorstay Normal/Dry in 110 Ivory. When I first started to use this foundation, I used the Combination/Oily version, however, as I've got older, my skin has become very dry so for the past year or so I've used the Normal/Dry version, which tends to be the perfect day to day foundation as it provides enough coverage for any breakouts but doesn't cling too much to dry areas.

Nonetheless, I thought it was maybe time for a change, so when Revlon launched their Insta-Filter foundation, I thought I'd give it a go, seeing that 110 Ivory was available in the foundation too. Having tried the new foundation, I thought I'd give a quick comparison.

As you can see, my Colourstay foundation is well loved 

Packaging: as far as I can remember, when I first started using Colorstay, the foundation didn't come with a pump, which was frankly a messy pain in the arse. The pump addition was fantastic and yet now, in some attempt at innovation the Instafilter foundation comes with a sponge that cannot be removed (I've tried). This is great if you fancy using the pump but I prefer to use my own brush to blend foundation and don't like the idea that it's difficult to clean the sponge. Nonetheless, it is quite easy to twist the foundation out and then take it off the top to use a brush. Despite the larger and slightly bulkier packaging, the Insta-filter holds less foundation at 27ml compared to 30 ml (plus I'm not sure how efficient the twisting mechanism is in comparison to the pump and how much foundation the sponge will absorb) however, the plastic bottle of the new foundation makes it more travel friendly. 

Coverage: for me, the Insta-filter was more up my street. I don't like heavy foundations day to day and like to let my skin show through my foundation, using colour correcting and concealer for extra coverage in key areas rather than building up foundation. Insta-filter gives a lovely blurring effect that I didn't notice at first but throughout the day noticed in mirrors. It also shows my freckles through and is a little more sheer and dewy so doesn't cling to any dry patches as much. I had to use a little extra concealer but that wasn't too much trouble. In terms of pore minimising etc, Insta-filter was perfect and my skin does look much more natural. However, if you prefer a slightly more buildable coverage, the Colorstay foundation is likely to be more suitable as it is a tad thicker (especially the Combination/Oily range) but is more likely to separate on the skin.

Insta-Filter at the beginning of the day (other products: Porefessional, Revlon translucent pressed powder, Ka-Brow 05, Hoola Lite, Collection concealer (green and extra fair) and Max Factor 2000 Calories mascara in Brown) 

Lasting power: it should be noted that I do have a cold at the moment and am a glasses wearer so it is unfair to comment too much on how much the foundation wore away around my nose. However, I was really impressed with the lasting power of Insta-filter, especially because Colorstay markets itself on 24 hours wear and I find it gets a bit bunchy and really shows lines by the end of the day. Insta-filter did the opposite with the addition of a little powder (my first time using Revlon pressed powder which blew me away after years of swearing by loose powder) and even though it did fade a little, it only faded, it didn't look a bit gross or noticeable by the end of the day. 

Insta-Filter after a day of wear 

Affordability: the American blogs I read about the new Revlon foundation were a little scathing - it was around $18 (I'm not sure how much Colorstay is abroad) but here it was £2 cheaper than Colorstay due to an offer in Boots putting both foundations RRP at £12.99 which for a foundation which (in my opinion) is at the top end of high street foundations and is one of few catering for fairer skin, seems worth it. 

Shade comparison: the shades do pretty much align with the rest of the foundation ranges by Revlon, which was a relief as there were no testers in Boots. On my hand, the new foundation seems a little more orange, however, as it is more sheer, it doesn't really matter and there's no difference once on the face. Although I can't really comment on the shade range in terms of darker shades, Insta-Filter does have a smaller shade range from what I could see in store, although this may expand. From what I can tell, either end of the shade scale is the same in both lines with Ivory and Mocha yet there are fewer shades in between.

Overall, I'm pretty chuffed with Insta-Filter. It has it's packaging flaws, however, it seems far more suitable for my skin type and the natural make up that I tend to go for on a day to day basis. Both foundations are amongst the best I have found on the high street for me so if you're looking for something new, I would highly recommend either. Yet, if, like me you want to cover imperfections but let your skin show through, Insta-Filter may be well worth a go.

Let me know what you think of the new range or pass on any recommendations for the pale people!
Elle xxx
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