Veracious Product Review: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains in Rendezvous, Honey, and Sweetheart

Hi, everyone! Santa was quite good to me this year (to you as well, I hope!), spoiling me with a few beauty-related gifts that I'm really excited about. I can't give Santa all the credit, though- the colourful goodies below were from my lovely sister, Karen, who knows I'm always up for some new makeup items under the tree :) As part of my gift, she got me this amazing selection of Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains, which I've been dying to try for some time. I photographed and swatched them instantly (the beauty blogger in me never rests, not even on Christmas!) and have been wearing them pretty much non-stop since then.

I received three fantastic colours that are all quite unique, both in my collection and from each other. She got me Rendezvous, Honey, and Sweetheart.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains in (L-R) Rendezvous, Honey, and Sweetheart

Rendezvous is a striking tomato-orange shade. Quite warm and somewhat retro-looking.

Honey is a beautiful "my lips but better" shade with brownish and plummy undertones. So versatile!

Sweetheart is a cheery, cool-toned vibrant pink. A perfect mix of cotton candy and cherry popsicle.

Here are some swatches of these delicious shades:

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains in (L-R) Rendezvous, Honey, and Sweetheart (in natural light)

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains in (L-R) Rendezvous, Honey, and Sweetheart (in a mix of artificial and natural light)

And here is what each shade looks like on my lips. For each, I've included a closeup, as well as how the shade complements an entire look. I've applied each shade quite heavily in the pictures below, but you could definitely use a lighter hand to get a somewhat sheerer effect.

Rendezvous:

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous

Honey:

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey

Sweetheart:

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Sweetheart

The proof is in the pictures- these shades are gorgeous! Amazingly, each is quite unlike any other shade in my collection and, as I mentioned, they couldn't be more different from one another, so they really are an excellent sampling of the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain range.

Here are my impressions of the product as a whole, in terms of formula, performance, and value:

Pros:

• Quite pigmented, but buildable. With one swipe you get an instant, yet muted colour payoff. With a second stroke, you get full-force colour!
• Easy to apply and handy packaging. Who doesn't love playing with crayons? ;)
• Feel extremely comfortable on the lips. Although these aren't quite as moisturizing as traditional lip balms, they do feel incredibly smooth and do not promote dryness or flaking in the slightest. A rare attribute for a long-wear product!
• Long-wearing formula that leaves a nice stain once the top layers of product have worn off. Without eating, these last a few hours on my lips in full force. After meals, drinking, etc., the colour does fade but leaves behind a stain that lasts for several more hours. Traces of the colour remain even after fully washing my face. Impressive!
• Excellent range of shades
• Top-notch product for only around $10!

Cons:

• Not quite as long-wearing as other lip stain products (though I am not bothered by this, really, as the formula is otherwise so great and quite affordable!)
• Umm... can't think of any others. I must be smitten!

Overall, I couldn't be happier with these fabulous lip colours. In my books, they really are the perfect balance of long-wear and comfort. If I didn't own a zillion lipsticks already I'd rush out and buy the whole collection! In the meantime, I'll savour the shades I have; I anticipate them being my mainstay lip shades for the next couple months. Thanks again to my sister Karen for these fantastic gifts! :)