Monday, February 20, 2012

Lipstick Bandits: Becoming a Lipstick Lover

As some of you might already know, one of the official Lipstick Bandits' raisons d'ĂȘtre stipulated in our statute is to make you fall head over heels for the lipsticks we feature. However, not everyone is necessarily a lipstick lover, the fact that we often prefer not to acknowledge, but which unfortunately is true nonetheless - there are individuals who might deem a lip gloss, a lip balm, a lip whatever superior to a lipstick. O tempora, o mores!


Which is why we've decided to tackle the subject of a starter lipstick this month: either our personal very first tube, or a lipstick that would make a great introduction into the wild world of lipsticks. Luckily for you, I no longer own my first lipstick, a very 90's longwearing brown affair acquired when I was maybe 14. Instead, I've found something that I'd happily recommend to anyone looking for their first tube to fall in love with: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie (050).

Just to clarify, I don't really consider Revlon Lip Butters to be that innovative and thus worth all the hype. Still, this particular shade ticks all the boxes for me: it's an extremely wearable color across different skintones, the pigmentation is sheer enough to allow for some of your natural lip color to show through but opaque enough to lift the complexion, the texture is smooth, glossy with the subtlest hint of pink shimmer and comfortable on the lips. The only downside is that it doesn't last very long on the lips, and it's neither drying nor moisturizing.


I wouldn't exactly call these 'lip butters'; they're more of a glossy finish lipstick, which is why I believe they would be a good transitional product for someone who loves lip glosses and tinted lip balms. Also, as much as I love my bold, pigmented lipsticks, I agree that they require a bit of up-keep, whereas Berry Smoothie is a lovely bright pink that you can just throw on mere seconds before heading out the door. While this shade is fresh and saturated, it's still very much daytime/office/school appropriate.

Here are some swatches next to similar sheerer glossy pinks from my collection: a Sleek Pout Polish, which is actually very much like a tinted lip butter, and a Palladio Herbal Tinted Lip Balm.

And the obligatory lip swatches - top is Berry Smoothie lightly dabbed on the lips, on the bottom we have an opaque application (at least 3 swipes).


If you're a lipstick hater, I hope that you give Revlon Berry Smoothie a try and eventually become a Lipstick Lover; but I warn you, once you enter our realm for good, there's no coming back! Meanwhile, check out other Bandits' picks by clicking on the links below:
What was the first lip product you ever bought? Which brand and shade would you consider the perfect starter lipstick?

18 comments:

  1. Eeek Monika why you so pretty. Not just the lipstick colour, but that cat eye flick is to. die. for! :) Seriously!

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  2. Great pick Monika!! It's a really pretty shade on you. And I agree with Arriane-your cat eye flick is PERFECT. :)

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  3. Seriously Monika, that winged eyeliner is amazing. AMAZING. And that shade of pink is perfect for you!

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    1. Awww, thank you so much, my fellow Bandits! I was thinking of maybe writing a post on perfecting the cat eye flick, do you think it could be useful?

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  4. Your winged liner is so perfect! May I borrow some of your winged liner magic? :P Really love that shade on you! I have this in Tutti Frutti, which is also pretty, but I was thinking of maybe getting a darker/berry-ish shade too. Now I know which one!

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  5. Oh my GOD, your eyeliner! D:

    I was busy swooning over how awesome Berry Smoothie looked, but - eep! And then there was your perfect face with your perfect liner and everything was perfect forever! /flails

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  6. You look lovely (and a good liner line is the next best thing to a good lipstick, you're rocking them!)

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  7. I have this shade, so I must agree with this post WHOLEHEARTEDLY! I luuurve Berry Smoothie! <3

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  8. Love that shade on you! Very beautiful and complements your skin tone so well! These lip butters look more pigmented than I expected. These need looking into because my lipstick/gloss has to be pigmented to show on my dark skin :/

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  9. These Revlon Lip Butters would and will be every 14 year old's Beginner's Lipstick (hybrid). I am starting to think that once I collect all the shades I want, I'll move up and onto REAL lipsticks and that's when the trouble really starts.

    Also, EFF your amazing winged liner skills. Please tell me you needed Q-tips to fix any squiggles cause your wing is like pure perfection, it's unreal, not possible!

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    1. Oh, Ashlex, I do mess my liner up quite often! Not sure if this was the case the day I took these photos, but usually there's a fair amount of unevenness between the two eyes :)

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  10. Your winged liner is INSANELY perfect! I always aim for this thin line level of perfection and never quite get there.

    ♥ Jessica

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  11. Lol, I guess I am not the only one who got distract by the winged liner.

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  12. What a very pretty lipstick and a pretty look to go with it! I was going to feature a Lip Butter too originally but decided not to. I love how diverse all our choices are - opens up a whole new world of lipstick out there!

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  13. revlon products are amazing!
    Great post :)

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  14. SO SO PRETTY!

    I am so tempted to get one of these. Didn't want to when the hype was high but Candy Apple looks so delicious. I love the colours you picked, too!

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  15. I have macaroon, red velvet and pink truffle. I thought they were too sheer for me but I find that they give a lot of colour if I layer them

    https://matchamilady.wordpress.com/

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