BEAUTY RAVE: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

Top to bottom: 'Adore', 'Sweetheart', 'Rendezvous', 'Honey', 'Charm'

Left to right: 'Adore', 'Sweetheart', 'Rendezvous', 'Honey', 'Charm'

Left to right: 'Adore', 'Sweetheart', 'Rendezvous', 'Honey', 'Charm'

Recently, I've been seeing a little bit of buzz over these Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains and I was really excited to see that they were available at my local Rite Aid.  I used this opportunity to scoop up a few, five to be exact, and give them a try.  And let me tell you, they are definitely worthy of the hype!

First off, the color selection is amazing. There are 12 shades ranging from dark berries to light nudes.  I purchased 'Adore', a red, berry shade, 'Sweetheart', a bright bluish pink, 'Rendezvous', a bright orange, 'Honey', a dusty mauve, and 'Charm', a light peach nude.  

The color pay off is quite nice.  They are more glossy and sheer, but the color definitely is pigmented on the lips.  I was actually surprised and impressed with the pigmentation. Comparing them to the Clinique Chubby Sticks, which are quite glossy and sheer, these definitely have a less glossy finish, but are much more pigmented. 

One of my favorite things about the Kissable Balm Stains is that they are actually a stain.  They last forever.  After I did these swatches, I tried to wipe them off my arm and was left with a stain of color on my arm that...is still there. 'Sweetheart' and 'Adore' are particularly long lasting. 

I find these to be quite moisturizing and smooth on the lips.  They definitely live up to the 'balm' name.   I applied them to my lips without any sort of chapstick or other lip balm underneath and they glided on easily and did not seem to highlight any dryness I had on my lips.  The crayon like applicator made it really easy to apply, as well as apply precisely.

Lastly, possibly the best thing about the product is...they smell minty.  They smell really minty and fresh when you apply them and you can definitely smell the mint when you apply it too.  It makes it really enjoyable to apply and refreshing.  I think I've said a million times that I love things that smell good...and these win on that part.

Overall, I think that this is yet another great Revlon product that has come out within the last few months.  I feel like Revlon has really stepped up their game in terms of their products, especially their lip products.  Revlon has easily become on one of my favorite drug store lines, if not my favorite.  This product is a great value at their $8 price point, especially when there is an offer on Revlon products.  They definitely will become a staple in my make up collection, especially during the spring and summer.  

xx,

Jordana

BEAUTY RAVE: My Current Favorite Lip Products

I find that with every season, I have certain products that I constantly reach for.  Since we are in May, I am preparing myself for 4 months of hot weather and constant sunshine.  With this change in climate, I am straying away from my usual fall/winter make up looks like smokey eyes or dark lips and opting for a more neutral, natural luminous eye look and neutral lips or bright lips.  These 7 products are the products I've been constantly reaching for and I think will be staples for me for the rest of the season. 

NARS Lipstick in 'Heatwave'

I am a huge sucker for wearing color on my lips.  During the colder months, I love wearing either a dark red lip or a berry lip.  However, in spring and summer, I prefer a brighter red.  This NARS lipstick is the perfect spring/summer red shade for me.  It's a bright, orangey red shade that is really flattering on my skin tone.  It's a true orange red which I think is perfect for the bright lip trend that always seems to come around when it's warm out.  The consistency of this lipstick is more matte than the other NARS lipstick I own, but I find that because of its matte finish, it lasts forever on my lips.  Even after taking this swatch, I had to basically scrub it off my hand.  It can be a little bit drying, but it isn't unbearable and works fine when layered over a lip balm.

Revlon Lip Butter in 'Tutti Frutti'

I usually gravitate towards orange or peach shades when I look for lip products, because I find that pink tones are not very flattering on my skin tone.  I definitely remember all of the hype surrounding the Revlon Lip Butters and remember that for a good couple of months, I could not find them anywhere! When I finally could get my hands on them, I was immediately drawn to this bright orange shade.  My favorite thing about this product is that when I apply it, I get a light wash of orange over my lips that brings the perfect amount of color to my lips while still looking springy and fresh.  It is super glossy and moisturizing, as well.  Nothing is worse than chapped lips in the summer, so this is the perfect multi-use product for warm months. 

MAC Lipstick in 'Kinda Sexy'

I recently featured this in my most recent 'Retail Therapy' post, and after I received in the mail, I've been wearing this at least 3 times a week.  It is the perfect "my lips but better" shade for me.  I haven't been able to find a good nude shade before, and this has definitely become my "holy grail" nude.  It's not too pink, but not too light so it still looks natural.  It is a little bit drying, which is really unfortunate, but I just chuck on a lip gloss on top and that usually helps.  It's a gorgeous, neutral rose shade that goes with almost every single eye look, without being too bright or overpowering.  

Laura Mercier Lip Glace in 'BonBon'

I purchased this product about a year and a half ago and went through a phase of not wearing it at all.  However, I rediscovered my love for this lip gloss and realized why I bought it in the first place.  First off, the formulation is perfection.  Laura Mercier Lip Glaces are not sticky at all and glide on like a dream.  Not to mention, they smell like vanilla.  This color is a bright pink, but it's a sheer shade so it doesn't look too overly pink on my lips.  And I can't stress enough how much I dislike pink on me! This is definitely the pinkest I'll go.  It looks really beautiful over MAC's 'Kinda Sexy' or with a peachy lipstick underneath.  I am thinking of adding to my Laura Mercier collection because this is the only product I own from the line, and I always hear such great things about it.

Revlon Lip Butter in 'Pink Truffle'

As I mentioned before, I love Revlon Lip Butters. I bought this shade on a whim, since it really isn't a shade I would normally go for.  However, I've found that I have been using this shade a ton since I bought it.  It is a darker, rosy brownish pink shade that is quite similar to my natural lip color, so it's a great lip product for me to just throw into my bag and go.  I can just slick it on without even thinking about it and know that it looks good on.  Since it's such a sheer product, it doesn't look quite as dark on the lips, but just looks really natural.

NARS Lipstick in Barbarella

I featured this lipstick in my 'April Favorites' post.  It's one of my favorite lipsticks of all time.  It's a beautiful, sheer, bright peachy shade that is kind of a no brainer product for me.  I can just always use this lipstick and know that it looks good with whatever make up look I'm wearing.  My only problem with this lipstick is that  because it is such a creamy consistency, it clings to any dry patches I'll have on my lips if they're dry.  So I always make sure my lips are moisturized whenever I use this.  It's a sheer shade, but can be buildable to a brighter peach shade that looks really good for the spring/summer months. 

MAC Lipstick in 'Shy Girl'

I purchased this shade a few months ago after hearing so much about it from a ton of beauty gurus, and I can't believe I waited so long to get it! I asked the lady at the MAC store for a peachy nude that would work for my skin tone and she instantly chose 'Shy Girl'.  It is a light, coral beige shade that is quite sheer but still nudes out my lips a bit, which makes it perfect for when I want to draw focus onto my eyes.  I find that this looks really good when layered with a coral lip gloss on top or even with a lip gloss like 'BonBon'.  I think this shade would look gorgeous on light to medium skin tones, especially with yellow undertones. It's the perfect nude shade without making you look like a corpse like a lot of light nude shades do.

Nails: Essie 'Tart Deco'

xx,

Jordana