Lipstick Bandits: Becoming a Lipstick Lover

As some of you might already know, one of the official Lipstick Bandits' raisons d'être 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:

• Arianne (Glitter Geek)


• Dani (Call It Beauty)


• Danielle (Bloomin’ Beauty Blog)


• Jenny (My Funny Valentine)


• Larie (Eye Heart It)


• Makeup Morsels


• Mariella (Musing On Beauty)


• Paris (My Women Stuff)


• Rae (theNotice: a beauty blog)


• Tracy (Beauty Reflections)


• Xiao (Messy Wands)

What was the first lip product you ever bought? Which brand and shade would you consider the perfect starter lipstick?