Revlon Matte and Lacquer Balms, Revisited

Hi, everyone! Happy weekend! A couple months ago, I eagerly announced the release of Revlon's ColourBurst Lacquer Balm Lip Pencils and Matte Balm Lip Pencils in this post, where I gave a general review of the products and featured the two shades I'd brought home. Since then, I've accrued a proper collection of them (thanks in part to my lovely sister), so I thought I'd revisit the topic!

Revlon ColourBurst Lacquer Balm Lip Pencils offer shiny, saturated colour. They glide on effortlessly onto the lips, leaving them looking full and glossy. Some shades are quite shimmery, while others offer a more traditional shiny finish. They don't dry out the lips and the lasting power is pretty impressive, at least as far as lip glosses go. Like the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains, they have a subtle minty tingle upon application, which I personally love!

Revlon ColourBurst Matte Balm Lip Pencils provide rich, highly pigmented colour and a matte-but-not-flat finish. They are definitely less moisturizing than their Lacquer counterparts, but due to the lightweight texture, they do not feel heavy or sticky on the lips and do not leave lips parched. The wear time on these is excellent and they also feature that signature minty tingle!

As you can see, the Matte Balms (on the left-hand side of the photo) feature (appropriately) sleek matte packaging and the Lacquer Balms (on the right) have more shiny, reflective tubes:

Here is a peek at the lip pencils uncapped: 

(L-R) Matte Balms in Elusive, Unapologetic, and Standout, Lacquer Balms in Demure, Whimsical, Vivacious, and Enticing

Here's a closeup of the swatches of all the shades, with the Lacquer Balms up top and the Matte Balms on the bottom. As you can maybe tell, the Lacquer Balms are more sheer than their matte counterparts, but can still build up to great pigmentation:

Demure Lacquer Balm is a pale pinky peach with prominent silver shimmer. One of the few nude lip colours that doesn't wash me out, and the shimmer makes lips look extra full!

Whimsical Lacquer Balm is slightly shimmery berry grape shade that has just the right amount of purple. Unique, but wearable!

Vivacious Lacquer Balm is the ultimate fuchsia shade! I didn't only buy it because it fit with my blog's title, but also because I'm a true sucker for vibrant pink tones. It's bright, cheery, but not quite neon.

Enticing Lacquer Balm is a lovely warm-toned brick red. A perfect shade for those who want a full-out red without having to opt for something too bright!

Elusive Matte Balm is a retro-looking cool-toned pink that evokes Betty Draper in Season 1 of Mad Men. A must for any 60's makeup look!

Unapologetic Matte Balm is an electric, warm-toned pink with slightly coral undertones. As the name suggests, it's bold without remorse! Reminds me of MAC Impassioned, which is one of my all-time faves!

Standout Matte Balm is (dare I say) my favourite of the bunch. It's a rich, deep red with slightly rusty undertones. I find it so flattering on my fair skin! Even thought it's a bold shade, there is no hint of pink or fuchsia, so it's really quite wearable!

Lacquer Balm in Demure

Lacquer Balm in Whimsical

Lacquer Balm in Vivacious

Lacquer Balm in Enticing

Matte Balm in Elusive

Matte Balm in Unapologetic

Matte Balm in Standout

One more jumbo-sized shot of the pencils and swatches:

And some artistic styling ;)

Overall, I'm so glad to have built up my collection of Matte and Lacquer Balms, as the shades are unique and lovely and the formulas are top-notch. If my lipstick collection weren't so intense already, I'd be tempted to buy them all! The main strength of the Matte Balms are the rich, long-wearing colours that don't zap the lips of moisture. Not always the case with matte formulas! The best thing about the Lacquer Balms is that they're sheer but easily buildable and leave the lips looking full and smooth. All good things!

Have you tried any of the the Matte or Lacquer Balms yet? Which of the colours in my collection is tempting you most?

Thanks for reading! :)