Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains

As you may have noticed by now, I don't buy or use a lot of drugstore cosmetics. It's not because I don't think they're as good as their higher end counterparts (though in same cases it is true), but mostly because I worked as a cosmetician at a drugstore for so long and got really sick of those brands, and partially because I tend to get those higher end counterparts for about the same price now. But once in a while, there will be a product by a drugstore brand that gets a lot of hype on the blogosphere, YouTube, or in magazines that really piques my interest. In this case, it's Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. I'm not sure exactly when they came out, but it was in the last few months or so that they started to get really, really popular. And, so, when I saw that they were on sale a few weeks ago at Shoppers Drug Mart, I decided to pick up several shades. They are described as "a pampering balm fused with a lightweight lip stain" that promises "softer, smoother lips with a perfect flush of colour that lasts hour after hour." They are peppermint-scented and are slightly flavoured. Each Balm Stain comes in shade-matched self-sharpening "crayon" barrels, contains 2.7 grams of product, and retails for $8 to $12, depending on the retailer (from what I've seen in stores so far).

Darling, Cherish, and Sweetheart

Darling, Cherish, and Sweetheart

Darling is a medium cool purple-toned pink with a sheen. This is a permanent shade. The texture is soft and creamy, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has light-medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is lighter and less purple than MAC Up The Amp, more pink than MAC Asian Flower Sheen Supreme Lipstick, and darker and more purple than Revlon Strawberry Shortcake Lip Butter. 

Cherish is a light-medium slightly cool-toned cotton candy pink with a sheen. This is a permanent shade. The texture is soft and creamy, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has light-medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is slightly lighter and cooler than MAC Hot Gossip, brighter and more pink than MAC Syrup, and slightly darker and cooler than Revlon Cotton Candy Lip Butter. 

Sweetheart is a medium reddened pink with a sheen. This is a permanent shade. The texture is soft and creamy, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has light-medium pigmentation and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is slightly cooler and less bright than MAC Lustering, brighter and more pink than Clinique Woppin' Watermelon Chubby Stick, and less pigmented than Revlon Sweet Tart Lip Butter.

Lovesick, Smitten, and Crush

Lovesick, Smitten, and Crush

Lovesick is a medium-dark vibrant cool-toned fuchsia pink with a sheen. This is a permanent shade. The texture is soft and creamy, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is slightly warmer than MAC Lickable, much cooler than MAC Lustering, brighter and less red than Clinique Chunky Cherry Chubby Stick, and slightly darker and more sheer than Revlon Lollipop Lip Butter. 

Smitten is a medium-dark vibrant cool-toned berry pink with a sheen. This is a permanent shade. The texture is soft and creamy, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is darker than MAC Lickable, more sheer than MAC Quite The Thing! Sheen Supreme Lipstick, brighter and much more pink than Clinique Super Strawberry Chubby Stick, and a touch lighter than Revlon Raspberry Pie Lip Butter. 

Crush is a darkened berry wine red with a sheen. This is a permanent shade. The texture is soft and creamy, and it goes on smoothly and evenly. It has medium pigmentation and semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is lighter and more sheer than MAC Hang-Up, lighter and cooler than MAC Good to be Bad Sheen Supreme Lipstick, and slightly darker and cooler than Revlon Red Velvet Lip Butter.

I've always been wary of wearing lip stains — I mean, sure, the colour stays on your lips all day and all night, but they look like total crap because all the moisture has been sucked out of them and you have to keep re-applying balm or gloss to make them look remotely alive. But not with these babies! Finally, a lip stain that I can get on board with! They don't have opaque colour coverage (though the darker and brighter shades are buildable enough to get almost opaque), but I like that your lips show through these because they actually look like they've stained your lips, which is really the point of a lip stain, you know?

They stay on incredibly well and have a natural sheen that keeps lips looking hydrated. They are not the most moisturizing lip product, granted, but I didn't feel the need to put a secondary balm or gloss on top. The darker and brighter shades stayed on my lips for the entire duration of wear including eating, drinking, and smoking, and actually stained my lips to the point where I still managed to wipe some off the next day. The lighter shades stayed on my lips for the entire duration of wear, also including eating, drinking, and smoking, but they didn't stain my lips and came off easily when I was removing the rest of my make-up. I also love that they're housed in crayon barrels so they're fuss-free and easy to apply. Overall, I'm really impressed with these. Revlon took an idea that previously needed two separate products — the lip stain colour and a gloss/balm — and made the perfect hybrid formula.

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters

After having been so impressed with the first round of Revlon's ColorBurst Lip Butters I bought in January, I decided to pick up another seven shades when they were on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart a couple weeks ago. Revlon's ColorBurst Lip Butter is a hybrid of lipstick and lip balm, with mango, shea, and coconut butters being the main hydration ingredients. They are meant to provide "super-charged hydration" and "sheer to medium colour with buttery shine." I don't detect any distinct smell or taste, so these are great for those who are sensitive to scents. They come in 20 shades, seven of which will be reviewed here. They are housed in translucent shade-matched tubes with a quilted pattern etched into the sides. They have transparent tops so you can see what the actual shade looks like in the tube — this really comes in handy, since drugstores often don't have testers of every shade. Each Lip Butter contains 2.55 grams of product, and retails for around $9 to $10 (though they do go on sale for as low as $6 or $7).

Crème Brûlée, Creamsicle, Cotton Candy, Sugar Plum, Red Velvet, Cherry Tart, and Candy Apple

Crème Brûlée, Creamsicle, Cotton Candy, Sugar Plum, Red Velvet, Cherry Tart, and Candy Apple

Crème Brûlée is a light browned beige nude with micro-shimmer. It has low-medium pigmentation, and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is slightly more beige than MAC High Tea.

Creamsicle is a light peach beige nude with micro-shimmer. It has low-medium pigmentation, and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is less pink than MAC Hue.

Cotton Candy is a light neutral pink with gold micro-shimmer and sheen. It has low-medium pigmentation, and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is slightly warmer than MAC Politely Pink.

Sugar Plum is a medium browned plum with micro-shimmer. It has low-medium pigmentation, and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is less brown than MAC Viva Glam VI.

Red Velvet is a medium-dark berry red. It has medium-high pigmentation, and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is similar to MAC Hang-Up.

Cherry Tart is a medium bright cool-toned pinked red with red micro-shimmer. It has medium pigmentation, and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is lighter than MAC New Temptation Sheen Supreme.

Candy Apple is a medium bright orange-red. It has medium pigmentation, and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is less orange than MAC Korean Candy Sheen Supreme.

The Lip Butter love is going strong! These are actually moisturizing — way more than waxy lip balms (e.g. EOS, Burt's Bees) — without being sticky or greasy or thick. And unlike many "moisturizing" lipsticks (e.g. Chanel Rouge Coco Shine), these actually keep lips hydrated throughout its entire duration on lips. Seriously, they wear so comfortably, and my lips still look plump and moist after a few hours of wear. And unlike many tinted lip balms, these are actually quite pigmented — I love that you can do one swipe for a more sheer tint of colour, and layer it for a brighter pop of colour (without staining!). It comes in a large range of gorgeous colours, so there's something flattering for every skintone and undertone. Plus, the packaging is really cute. And the best part is, it's totally budget-friendly! Come to think of it, I don't think there's anything I don't like about these. Go buy one or two. Or ten. You won't regret it. (I have 14, if it makes you feel any better.)

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters

By now, everyone and their mothers have at least one tube of Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter. These were released last October in the States, and became available at select stores in Canada sometime in December. Starting this month, they have been made widely available at all Revlon retailers. Nearly every "YouTube beauty guru" and beauty blogger has raved about these. Basically, they're the new lippie darlings in the beauty world. I don't often buy drugstore make-up, but these piqued my interest. I mean, why are these so popular? I had to know.

In case you've been living under a rock, Revlon's ColorBurst Lip Butter is a hybrid of lipstick and lip balm, with mango, shea, and coconut butters being the main hydration ingredients. They are meant to provide "super-charged hydration" and "sheer to medium colour with buttery shine." I don't detect any distinct smell or taste, so these are great for those who are sensitive to scents. They come in 20 shades, so I picked up seven shades to try. They are housed in translucent shade-matched tubes with a quilted pattern etched into the sides. They have transparent tops so you can see what the actual shade looks like in the tube — this really comes in handy, since drugstores often don't have testers of every shade. Each Lip Butter contains 2.55 grams of product, and retails for around $9 to $10 (some places like Wal-Mart or Rexall have them for less, and some stores like Shoppers Drug Mart have them for more).

Berry Smoothie, Lollipop, Peach Parfait, Raspberry Pie, Strawberry Shortcake, Sweet Tart, Tutti Frutti

Berry Smoothie is a medium rosy pink with pink micro-shimmer. It has low-medium pigmentation, and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is darker than MAC Sweetie, and lighter and less purple than MAC Plumful.

Lollipop is a medium fuchsia pink. It has medium pigmentation, and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is slightly cooler than MAC Speak Louder.

Peach Parfait is a light peachy pink with pink micro-shimmer. It has low pigmentation, and sheer to semi-sheer buildable colour pay-off. It is darker and more pink than MAC Shy Girl, and more peach than MAC Politely Pink.

Raspberry Pie is a medium-dark raspberry red. It has high pigmentation, and semi-opaque to opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is less purple than MAC Quite The Thing! Sheen Supreme Lipstick, and cooler than MAC Perpetual Flame Pro Longwear Lipcreme.

Strawberry Shortcake is a light cool-toned pink. It has medium pigmentation, and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is slightly warmer than Viva Glam Gaga.

Sweet Tart is a medium bright reddened pink. It has medium pigmentation, and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is more pink than MAC Full Speed Sheen Supreme Lipstick.

Tutti Frutti is a medium bright coral-orange. It has medium pigmentation, and semi-sheer to semi-opaque buildable colour pay-off. It is darker and more orange than MAC Blossom Culture Sheen Supreme Lipstick.

Yep. Revlon's ColorBurst Lip Butter totally lives up to the hype. These are ridiculously moisturizing — way more than waxy lip balms (e.g. EOS, Burt's Bees) — without being sticky or greasy or thick. And unlike many "moisturizing" lipsticks (e.g. Chanel Rouge Coco Shine), these actually keep lips hydrated throughout its entire duration on lips. Seriously, they wear so comfortably, and my lips still look plump and moist after a few hours of wear. And unlike many tinted lip balms, these are actually quite pigmented — I love that you can do one swipe for a more sheer tint of colour, and layer it for a brighter pop of colour (without staining!). It comes in a large range of gorgeous colours, so there's something flattering for every skintone and undertone. Plus, the packaging is really cute. And the best part is, it's totally budget-friendly! Come to think of it, I don't think there's anything I don't like about these. Go buy one or two. Or ten. You won't regret it.