Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain review: Rendezous
When I see enough advertising for a product, I always give in. I only vaguely remember seeing Emma Stone's face promoting the new Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain but found myself subliminally scanning one through a CVS self checkout this weekend.
This is how the "balm stain" is described:
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.
I chose the shade, Rendezvous, which is a coral, orangey colour. I wanted a colour that would take out a bit of the mauve and blue undertones in my lips (they seem to be getting more blue as I get older???). The balm looks bright orange in the pencil but goes on with just enough coverage to even out the tone and shape of the lips without actually being an opaque orange.
The balm comes in a fun twist-up chubby pencil. I was expecting the balm to be soft and melty but it's quite solid (like a fat lip pencil but with more glide) and doesn't squidge when applied. It's feel neither like a lipstick nor a traditional lip balm, but feels great to use.
There is a very faint minty smell to the balm but it's not noticeable once applied.
The balm feels really comfortable and weightless on the lips. I easily forget I'm wearing it. Unlike many other lip stain products, the colour lasts most of the day without drying the lips out. It is quite moisturising but I would still wear my usual lip balm under or over the balm stain though just for extra smoothing and plumping.
Once the shine of the balm wears off (after eating, drinking, licking etc), the colour still remains faint on my lips, but surprisingly still looks fairly even and not patchy.
I am wearing Rendezvous in the photo below:
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain costs around $8 in the US and is out in the UK too. The other shades available are mostly pinks with one light, beigey-looking one.
The full ingredients are:
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Bis Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate 2, Squalane, Bis Behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dilinoleate, Polyethylene, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Triisostearin, Diisostearyl Malate, Cera Microcrystallina (Microcrystalline Wax), Trimethylolpropane Triethylhexanoate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Polyalmide 3, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Pentaerylthrityl Tetra Di Butyl Hydroxyhdrocinnamate, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil (Mentha Peperita Oil), Limonene, Sorbic Acid, May Contain ( /-): Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 27 Lake (CI 45410), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Red 6 (CI 15850), Orange 5 (CI 45370), Red 21 (CI 45380), Red 33 (CI 17200), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Manganese Violet (CI 77742)
