I already have, like, way too many lip products, but when I saw a full display of the new Balm Stains from Revlon at Rite Aid during the Revlon 40% off sale, I couldn't resist picking one up.
I chose Crush, hoping that it would be a nice plum MLBB. It is plum, yes, but it is dark.
It makes me look like Morticia Adams, though my hair is brown, not black.
I think a lighter color would work better, because it is really opaque and does stain nicely (the remnants of color remained for 3+ hours after the product itself wore off), and because it's so firm, there's really no wasted product, which makes the smaller size easier to swallow. I also like that it's a twist-up pencil and doesn't need to be sharpened, which saves on product!
I wasn't wowed, so I returned it, but I think the other colors would work better. If you're looking for an opaque, long-lasting lippie in the style of Tarte LipSurgence that doesn't break the bank, check these out! Just don't get Crush unless you a) are goth or b) have darker skin, because that shit is pigmented.
Compared to Revlon's Lip Butters, the Kissable Balm Stain (based solely on the one color I tried, mind you) are more pigmented, less creamy, and less moisturizing, though longer-lasting and with a pleasant mint tingle. I prefer the lip butters (I have, like, 4 in my stash right now? Maybe 5?), but if you want something less glossy that stains, the balm stains are worth trying.
Overview
~$8.99 for 0.088 oz, available from drugstores
Quality: 8
Effectiveness: 4
Ease of Use: 4
Senses: 4.5
Pigmentation: 4.5
Duration: 5
Consistency: 3.25 (too firm for how pigmented it is! And not nearly as balm-y as advertised; in this respect in reminds me of Clinique's Chubby Sticks)
Price: 3.25
Value: 4
Grade: B-
So, I didn't love this, but someday I will try out Honey, a promising neutral pink. Someday when I don't have 15 lipsticks waiting to be used, that is!
Have you tried the balm stains? What did you think?
Oh fer pretty!
I love balms, and stains, and though I already have several lippies in this style, I wanted to see how this compares.
Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush
I chose Crush, hoping that it would be a nice plum MLBB. It is plum, yes, but it is dark.
here it is in an arm swatch; it's lighter and pinker here than it is applied, and for some reason this picture is really dark, urgh
It makes me look like Morticia Adams, though my hair is brown, not black.
Okay, I'm sorry this is so hideous. It's the best application I could get (this is after applying, blending, blotting, reapplying, reblending, re-reapplying...)
The texture is really firm, which makes the dark color apply a bit unevenly (obviously), so I found I had to swipe a lot to get even coverage. Though, again, this "even coverage" was "vampiric", which is not what I was looking for. It is lightly tingly, because of the peppermint, but it's not irritating; it's also not creamy and moisturizing like you would expect, given the name, but it doesn't dry my lips out further. It's just a much drier consistency than I was thinking it would be! I tried applying and blotting it, because the staining capabilities are good, but I found that it tended to collect in the lines of my lips, which is not a great look (and, as a 22-year-old, my lip lines are quite negligible, so the fact that I could still tell is worrisome!).
Here it is blotted; if I were doing a full smile, you'd be able to see how it pooled in my liplines, but I decided to save y'all the trauma
I think a lighter color would work better, because it is really opaque and does stain nicely (the remnants of color remained for 3+ hours after the product itself wore off), and because it's so firm, there's really no wasted product, which makes the smaller size easier to swallow. I also like that it's a twist-up pencil and doesn't need to be sharpened, which saves on product!
I wasn't wowed, so I returned it, but I think the other colors would work better. If you're looking for an opaque, long-lasting lippie in the style of Tarte LipSurgence that doesn't break the bank, check these out! Just don't get Crush unless you a) are goth or b) have darker skin, because that shit is pigmented.
Compared to Revlon's Lip Butters, the Kissable Balm Stain (based solely on the one color I tried, mind you) are more pigmented, less creamy, and less moisturizing, though longer-lasting and with a pleasant mint tingle. I prefer the lip butters (I have, like, 4 in my stash right now? Maybe 5?), but if you want something less glossy that stains, the balm stains are worth trying.
Overview
~$8.99 for 0.088 oz, available from drugstores
Quality: 8
Effectiveness: 4
Ease of Use: 4
Senses: 4.5
Pigmentation: 4.5
Duration: 5
Consistency: 3.25 (too firm for how pigmented it is! And not nearly as balm-y as advertised; in this respect in reminds me of Clinique's Chubby Sticks)
Price: 3.25
Value: 4
Grade: B-
So, I didn't love this, but someday I will try out Honey, a promising neutral pink. Someday when I don't have 15 lipsticks waiting to be used, that is!
Have you tried the balm stains? What did you think?
