Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain - Romantic

I love lip crayons/sticks/balm stains/whatever you wish to call them. I don't know what it is about them that make them so much more appealing than any other lip product, but given the choice I will always, always turn to one of these over a lipstick, gloss, or even a traditional lip balm. I love them.

The Face of Australia lip crayons (see comparison swatches at bottom of post) are just about the greatest things in the world and so when I saw that Revlon had come out with a similar product, I knew I had to have one.

I picked up the shade in Smitten, choosing to select a colour that I wouldn't normally go for in the hopes of adding a slightly different shade to my collection as opposed to yet another (though beautiful and much loved) mid-toned pink.

Smitten is a beautiful shade and I am pleased that I purchased it, however I found that I wasn't getting much use out of it because I didn't feel it was particularly wearable in an everyday scenario. When Priceline was having a sale where Revlon lip products were 'buy one, get one free' I picked up the Revlon lip butter in Berry Smoothie and this Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic, a bright red. An everyday kind of colour? Not at all. What on Earth was I thinking?!

As soon as I got home I realised that I had probably made a mistake in selecting the shade Romantic. I feared that this, like Smitten, would be used very rarely due to the fact that it is bright red but it is just so gorgeous and so far I seem to be able to pull off. It is a little different to the lip crayon from Face of Australia in Macaron, with Romantic being more warmed toned with a slight hint of orange.

In case you haven't used the Revlon Kissable Balms stains before, they are chunky balms with a tapered end that are highly pigmented and have a strong minty scent. I myself don't like the scent (fruity/sugary scents are what I am a fan of but I really don't like mint!) but it is tolerable and fades over time. 

The packaging of the balm is just gorgeous - they look much like the Clinique Chubby Sticks with their coloured packaging (corresponding to the shade of the balm) and the twist up silver end. 

As mentioned, I consider the pigmentation to be remarkably high considering it isn't a lipstick, rather a tinted balm. Having said this, you are able to sheer this out or build it up as you please, so it is a fairly versatile product. The only problem with the pigmentation is that, unlike my FOA lip crayons, I have to pay attention and use a mirror when applying this. 

These are a little drying but it isn't a major problem for me as I apply lip balm before (and sometimes after) using this product anyway.

I think the most impressive aspect of this balm, however, is its lasting power. I am not joking when I say that it lasts about 5 hours before I feel that it has completely worn off, and that includes eating and drinking in the meantime. It really is a lip stain, and the more pigmented colours like Romantic and Smitten do stick like glue. You really have to commit to wearing these for a whole day because once they're on your lips, they aren't coming off! 

I am very glad that I have discovered these Revlon Kissable Balm stains because in terms of ticking all the boxes that I have when it comes to lip products, aside from the scent and price, these check them all. I still think that the Face of Australia lip crayons are my absolute favourite, but these follow very closely behind. 

They do cost $17.95, which is cheaper than Revlon's other lip products like the lip butters and lipsticks, but still more expensive than most other 'drugstore' brands. 

I give this 9 out of 10. 

L-R: Revlon Kissable Balm Stain Romantic
Face of Australia Lip Crayon Macaron

L-R: Revlon KBS Romantic, Revlon KBS Smitten,
FOA lip crayon Sundae, FOA lip crayon Cupcake, FOA lip
crayon Macaron