Friday, January 18, 2013

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains: Swatches, Photos, + Reviews

 More talk about the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains! I know I reviewed each of these in an individual posts but I thought that it would be helpful to write a post that compares all the shades I own [I believe that I'm missing four] and tell you my personal favorites as well as giving you a nice overall review of this product. Click any of the links below for more pictures and an in-depth review of each shade!



 For those who are unfamiliar with these products, the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Blam Stain is supposed to be the best of both world--glossy and hydrating like a lip balm but long lasting like a lip stain. I don't know what they did in their laboratories at the Revlon headquarters but they did a magnificent job. Mission accomplished. These products are so hydrating and they do last a very long time on the lips. They won't last forever--but I would say that most of them do give about four or five hours. They apply in a glossy pigmented sweep of color but after an hour or two, the gloss fades and they colors fade--beautifully and uniformally--into a soft stain. If you want something that would last for eight or ten hours I would recommend the Revlon Just Bitten Lipstains + Balms! Those last forever.

Although, in my personal experience the darker the color the longer it lasts. I think that Darling and Honey are beautiful shades but I find that they are more like a long lasting lipstick. They aren't quite dark enough to actually STAIN the lips. Thus they tend to wear off sooner. That was a little disappointing but when I thought about it, I couldn't help but admit that it made sense.

The packaging is lovely--if a bit like the Clinique Chubby Sticks. I think these products are far superior to the Chubby Sticks. They last so much longer and they are much more pigmented. No pencil sharpeners needed. All of these are twistable but the packaging is quite decieving. The long tube makes it seem like it is entirely filled with product but I would estimate that about half is only filled with air.

From left to right: Romantic, Smitten, Lovesick, Sweethart, Darling, and Honey

Now, onto my favorites from the line. It should come as no surprise that my favorite colors tend to be the darker ones. I love Romantic [a bright, sheer red]. It isn't too dark and it leaves a beautiful wash of color. It was the first one I bought and you can check out more pictures and an in depth review here!

I also love Smitten [ a deep berry mauve]. If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know that I love the look of just-eaten-berries lips. They look natural and effortless. This will give me effortless, berry-stained lips. It is a bit dark so I think it is more appopriate for fall. But next summer I can make it work. And my final favorite is Lovesick [a bright, bold fuchsia]. This is the color that Emma Stone wears in the advertisements and I thought it looked stunning. It is a brighter color and it can look a bit obnoxious when slathered on but I do find that it looks lovely when dabbed on with a bit of precision. Also, as Emma Stone so effortlessly proved, this color would look FANTASTIC on really light skin tones.

Now...onto the colors that were okay. I liked Sweethart [a medium pink] but I thought that it wasn't the best fit for my skintone. It looked nice but it isn't something that I constantly reach for. And Honey [a dark mauve] is beautiful but it is significantly darker on the skin than it is in the packaging. It wasn't quite the color I was expecting when I purchased it but I've grown to love the color. It is definately the most natural of all the shades I own but if you have darker lips I'm not 100% positive it would be worth your money. It barely shows up on me. There is only one color that I regret buying--Darling [a pale lilac]. Now it isn't because the product is purple. I bought this thinking it would be a longer lasting version of the Revlon Lip Butter "Gumdrop" but it isn't. It's not as glossy as Gumdrop and it is hard to get the color to appear on your lips. Plus, Gumdrop has the smallest hint of glitter which I quite like. I don't think Darling is worth the money. I recommend Gumdrop for a lilac lip--itis cheaper and I think the finish looks nicer.

Wow. That was the longest review I've ever written. Please tell me what you thought in the comments below! Chat with me on twitter! And check out what movies and books I've been reading lately!

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