Revlon's New Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains- Review & Swatches Part I

Revlon is at it again! I have been very pleased with all of their new lip products lately and believe that they have really stepped up their game (though I am comparatively less enthusiastic about their new eye shadows). I was finally able to get my hands on a few of Revlon's brand new Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains that I found on sale at my local Rite Aid ($5.39 each-40% off the regular price of $8.99). 

It is impossible not to see the similarity between the packaging of this product and Clinique's Chubby Sticks, however I can't give you a comparison between the products themselves since I do not have any of the Clinique Chubby Sticks in my stash. They are also often compared to Tarte LipSurgence Lip Tints, however Tarte uses far fewer chemicals than does Revlon making a tangible comparison difficult. Therefore, for the purpose of this review I will evaluate Revlon's newest lip product in a bit of a vacuum- not because I necessarily find this product to be peerless, but because I either do not have the appropriate product against which to compare it (Clinique), or I have a similarly fashioned product that I don't think is demonstrably similar enough to warrant a comparison (Tarte).

One of the first things that I love about the packaging, aside from the cute bright colors that approximate the colors of the products themselves, is the fact that they opted for twist up tubes. I hate having to sharpen chubby lip products because of the inconvenience, messiness, and sheer waste. NARS, are you listening?!

According to Revlon: "It’s a pampering balm fused with a lightweight lipstain in an adorable chubby crayon. Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain gives softer, smoother lips with a perfect flush of color that lasts hour after hour. The gel formula comes in 12 vibrant shades that match any look or mood."

They further claim: 

-Lightweight Lipstain + Moisturizing Balm

-100% of women who tried it felt their lips were instantly moisturized with a soft stain of color

-Retractable chubby crayon, no sharpener required  

Both photos are taken outside in natural light.

Revlon's tips:
Step 1: Apply Just Bitten Kissable™ Balm Stain evenly to clean, bare lips. Build color and coverage as desired.
Step 2: Reapply as desired for moisturizing shine throughout the day

I think that their classification as a balm stain makes it clear that when they are first applied that they behave a bit like a lip balm, but once they dry down they are ostensibly lip stains. The color is buildable, but can very easily be sheered out as well. My swatches were each given multiple passes to build up the color, but I found that I was actually able to build it up a bit more. The texture is very comfortable and balm-like, but definitely behaves more like a sheer lipstick than a lip gloss. They are not, however, moisturizing in the same way that the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters are- not by any stretch of the imagination.

They do have a slight peppermint smell and taste that does cause a small amount of tingling on the lips, but for me it was neither painful nor unpleasant. While I don't find them particularly moisturizing I likewise don't find them drying. The sheen lasts for a several hours and once it wears away I am left with a stain that lasts for about 4 more hours. Therefore the wear-time is quite good.

Of the 12 shades available, I chose 4. Now here is where things get a little strange: 3 of the 4 shades look virtually identical in my swatches. If you look at them in their packaging all indications are that they will appear wildly different.

Smitten #030: is a darkened berry on the verge of a black cherry in the tube, but swatched it's a hot pink fuchsia.

Sweetheart #025: is a mid-tone bright pink in the tube, but it is just an ever so slightly brightened version of Smitten when swatched.

Lovesick #020: is a bright nearly magenta pink in the tube, but when swatched it barely differs from the other two colors.

I even built up the swatches and let them sit on my arm for a couple of hours, and when I did wipe them off all three of the swatches left behind a stain that was basically the same color. I did find that when I wore each of the three shades built-up on my lips that there was greater variation between the shades than appears in my swatches, but still not enough of a difference to justify having all three of them.

Darling #10, on the other hand, is a lilac pink that is surprisingly wearable and flattering.

Overall assessment: I like the formula a lot, and the colors are gorgeous. However, I am simultaneously wildly disappointed that three of the four colors that I bought look nearly identical on me. Had I known this was going to be the case I would have chosen one of them instead of three!

See PART II: Revlon's New Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains here.