When our Bandit Chief announced 'sheers' as the theme of this month's collaboration, my heart sunk a little; I already wrote a post about my favorite sheer coral lipstick last time round... But I sat down to mentally peruse my collection, biting my lips in distress (as you do), and dug out a recent favorite:
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Smitten ($8.99 for 0.09 oz), a beautiful cool berry pink, which as it happens, is also sheer!
I'm pretty sure that by now, everyone and their cat is not only familiar but also raving about these Revlon Balm Stains, a curious mix between a tinted lip balm and a stain. I can't quite comment on how (dis)similar they are to their look-a-likes, Clinique's Chubby Sticks but certainly the Revlon Balm Stains are a fantastic product in their own right. The color selection is beautiful, the price very reasonable (especially if you wait for a discount) and the formula is pure perfection!
Revlon Balm Stains are packaged in a twist-up fat crayon type of tube, which makes applying the product to the lips a breeze - you literally just paint it on. The shade glides easily and evenly on the lips, which is a no mean feat for a stain, and has a slightly glossy appearance of a tinted lip balm - but, with a staying power of a liquid stain that we've all come to know (and, in most cases, hate). The glossiness fades after a couple hours, but the product is still comfortable and most importantly, non drying on the lips.
I've decided to do a little comparison with two other traditional stains from my collection,
The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain in Rose Pink and
theBalm Stainiac in Beauty Queen, a sheer berry pink. As you can see, all three products are quite similar in shade, but very different in formulation. Even on my arm, you can see that the Revlon Balm Stain in Smitten (left) is by far the smoothest application, with both The Body Shop stain (centre), which is a liquid product, and Stainiac (right), which is a gel, being quite streaky and uneven. When I wiped the swatches down with a tissue, all three left about the same amount of pigment on the skin. So, without a doubt, the Revlon Balm Stain is a clear winner here for the evenness of application and a staying power on par with the conventional stains.
The Revlon Balm Stain in Smitten is also a perfect product for summer holidays - in fact, I'm intending to pack this and little else in terms of lip products for our family road trip (which, at the time you're reading this, I'm actually on!). It's a fast, easy and durable way to perk up a sun-kissed face, and I dare say it pairs rather well with my freckles, as you can see in the photo below.
Make sure to check out other Lipstick Bandits' picks by clicking on the links:
Have you already tried Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains? What is your favorite sheer lip product of the moment?
OMG Monika how pretty are you? Your hair is really really cute. :) I love your eye makeup here, too.
ReplyDelete(The lipstick is nice, too, but I got distracted.) :D
Rocaille, so pretty! SO PRETTY! Why can't I have red hair?
ReplyDeletePretty! Now I want one of these! Though I don't like the Chubby Sticks so I'm not sure how I'll feel about this. Tracy said she doesn't like the Chubby Sticks but likes these, so I'm hopeful. You look beautiful, Monika! :)
ReplyDeleteThe lip is great - but MONIKA YOUR HAIR!!! <3 <3 <3
ReplyDeleteYou look very pretty Monika and it's a lovely shade, I can't wait to try those Revlon stains!!
ReplyDeletenice review! i have been eyeing this for quite a while. now i really want to try it :) it looks so pretty on you!
ReplyDeleteLoving this color on you! Smitten is still on my wishlist to pick for a fast pick me up color!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! It does pair well with your freckles! You look so glowy and fresh with this shade!
ReplyDeleteYou're so flippin gorgeous! And Smitten looks great on you. I didn't have as much luck with these balm stains like I was hoping to, but I'm glad you got them to work for you!
ReplyDeleteBAH! So pretty! And look at you with your super cute hair! *pinches cheeks*
ReplyDeleteOoh I love your photo! Its so cute and did you do something to your hair? We don't get these here but I have seen loads of people raving about them. It looks remarkably similar to the Clinique Chubby Sticks but at that sort of price tag, I'd be happy to get this one :D
ReplyDeleteahahah everyone and their cat, so true! I've heard a lot of great things about these, and of course they're so adorable, but still have yet to try. Will definitely start with this shade, it's gorgeous on you!
ReplyDeleteI almost picked it up this morning but I decided that I have too many plums (that turns grandma magenta) that I don't use....
ReplyDeleteOkay WOW this shade was made for you. Monika you look absolutely gorgeous!!!
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica
I so agree with you Jessica!
Delete-Jen <3
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Monika, you are so stunning! Smitten looks amazing on you. When Tracy featured it on her blog, I knew I had to snatch it up during my last U.S. shopping trip. I am so glad I did because if I hadn't, this post would have killed me!
ReplyDelete