Sunday 9 March 2014

An Overview of the Revlon Balm Stains, Lacquers and Mattes

Hello all! Today has been a good day as the sun is finally out and I LEFT THE HOUSE WITHOUT A COAT!!!! Happy days! Today I am going to do a bit of an overview on the Revlon Balm Stains, there are now three varieties- Lacquer Balms, Matte Balms and the original Balm Stains (previously Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains). I've picked out my favourite shade from each line, as you will probably gather I am not very daring when it comes to colour and therefore I own the most wearable (safe) shade from each!

The Revlon Balm family: L-R Demure, Elusive and Honey. 

First up I'm going to talk about the original Balm Stains. These were incredibly popular and I can see why. They are extremely hydrating and allow me to wear colour on my lips even when they're in awful condition (in Winter that's all the time!). They give really good colour pay off but not so much that they scare me.

 In terms of wear time they are also fantastic, the initial glossy look lasts for around two hours but after this time has passed you can still see the stain for another two or three. They are wonderful for when you can't (or can't be bothered) to top up your lip colour every hour. They really are just slap on and go. The shade on my lips below is Honey, this is a gorgeous pinky mauve colour which is my lips but SO much better! When I first got this I wore it constantly and it is still my go to colour for days when I just can't decide what to wear as it goes with everything.


Revlon Balm Stain in 'Honey'

The next Revlon lip crayon that I invested in was the Matte Balms. These are HUGE on blogs and youtube at the moment and they seem to be far more hyped than the Lacquer balms. This is probably because they are fairly unique on the highstreet at the moment. Nearly every brand has brought out their own version of the chubby stick but I believe Revlon are the first to offer a matte version. The best thing about these is that they manage to be matte AND hydrating. They are extremely creamy but they still manage to last for a significant amount of time. I got about three hours of wear before I had to reapply. The colour is extremely intense which is why I only own one of these as the other colours are just too bright for me! 

The only criticism of  these I have is that I find that they can appear quite streaky once they start to wear off. I can almost see the lines where I drew it on my lips which isn't very attractive. I haven't seen anyone else mention this though so maybe its just me! The colour on my lips below is Elusive, its far brighter than I was expecting it to be and for that reason I haven't got as much use out of it as I would have liked. I was hoping that it would be like the matte version of Honey but its more of a bright, blue toned pink than a my lips but better colour.


Revlon Matte Balm in 'Elusive'

My most recent addition has been the Lacquer Balm in 'Demure'. At first I wasn't at all interested in these as they just didn't seem all that special. They're not a stain and they're not anything new, what's more they have bits of glitter in them! Yuck! However, I came around when I saw one of my favourite Youtubers wearing the shade 'Demure' and I saw how beautiful it looked on her. It is so incredibly easy to wear and its very pretty, especially seeing as Spring is just around the corner.

 The formula of these I find to be even creamier and more moisturising than the original stains, they remind me of the Bourjois Colour Boost crayons as they almost feel as though they are partially melted! The wear time of these is probably the least out of the three, I get around one to two hours out of this. The glitter is not noticeable in the way that I feared and is very pretty. I can't say that I would invest in any of the other colours of the Lacquer balm, I think that they are over priced for what they are and there are cheaper options out there, but I was happy to pay the £8 for this particular shade as I can see myself wearing it constantly. I know my photos are rubbish but the colour of this is like a peachy, nude pink with shimmer. It is very summery and so easy to pull off- I'm in love!

Revlon Lacquer Balm in 'Demure'

Out of the three formulas my favourite is the original, in my opinion they have everything you could want from a lip product. They're glossy, hydrating, long lasting and have fantastic colour pay off. If you like a matte lip then the Matte Balms are a great option. Personally I prefer glossy lips and the colour selection isn't really to my taste. I wish that there had been a more wearable pink in the collection. Complex looks like concealer to me and Sultry is far too dark for my skin tone. I would only suggest buying the Lacquer balms if there is a particular shade you really like. I think there are cheaper options out there and there isn't really anything new about this product. All three retail at £7.99 each, I think this is a fair price for the Matte and Stain versions but maybe a little steep for the Lacquer balms. I love the packaging, they are very sleek and show the colour of the balm inside. A lot of people seem to hate the smell of these (mint) and I have to say I much prefer Vanilla (or nothing!) but it only lasts for a couple of seconds so its really not an issue for me. 

I hope this was of some help to people! Lip crayons are by far my favourite lip products at the moment and Revlon were the first to provide a lower end offering, if you haven't tried them already I highly recommend them! If you would like to follow me that would be lovely, I try to post a couple of times a week. I would also love to hear your thoughts if you fancy leaving me a comment :) Until next time...

Amy x




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