May 3, 2012

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain Review & Swatches

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain has recently launched in drugstores in 12 shades for around $6.79 each (that’s what I paid at Harmons).

These are very exciting release as they are a chubby lip balm pencil that resembles Clinique’s popular Chubby Stick and Tarte’s Lip Surgence at friendly price tag.

The variety of colors, budget price tag, and lighter, balmy formula will prove an ideal pick for Summer beauty budget’ors out there but are they as great as Clinique and Tarte?

Let’s take a look and find out.

These chubby pencils are a swivel up design so no need for a sharpener, simply twist them up and apply. The pencils are travel friendly with nice secure caps that don’t have issues falling off in your makeup bag (Clinique has a looser cap that has a way of wriggling off during travel).

0.095 oz of product makes them just a little shy of what Clinique (.10oz) and Tarte (0.10oz) offer in terms of size so there is a deal to be had here particularly when drugstores offer them at around $6-$7 with a possible chance of a BOGO (buy one, get one) offer of some sort. I do suspect you’ll run into issues at CVS, Walgreens, and other less than price friendly drugstores that will likely mark them up to $8-$9 in some cases and that’s when you enter in a realms of, “Is this really a good deal?”

First off, I have to say, that both Clinique and Tarte have the nicer formula in terms of moisture. These both have a soft, easy glide on lips with a soft, balm-y texture that feels moisturizing through the wear.

Revlon, fails in this department. I find the formula tugs across lips to get into place and has a drier texture. Not too dry mind you but it is noticeable when you’ve used this type of product from higher end brands. To soften it up I run the stick across lips a few times and the glide becomes smoother as I go.

(Smitten, Adore, Rendezvous)

(Romantic, Lovesick, Honey)

The texture is that of a balm but it has a nice light feel to it that isn’t waxy, heavy, or uncomfortable to wear. They don’t have a glossy or shiny finish so a little gloss on top (as I’ll show you in photos below) really gives a nice pop to the overall look. They have a very subtle mint taste in the background but nothing too noticeable.

Now the rave….

I do feel they are quite a good deal more pigmented than Tarte’s or Clinique’s version. I feel like those two brands give a lovely overall MLBB (my lips but better) shade that enhances the look of my own lip shade without every looking too overwhelming. Revlon takes the idea to a nicer level in the fact that you can really achieve a bolder look with these if you apply a few layers. What you see in the tube is what you can easily get on lips, there isn’t any subtly here less you choose to use a small amount of the balm.

The stain factor?

Why is it called Balm Stain?

What’s that all about?

First off the balm will last well into a four to five hour period on lips. It’ll begin to fade away slowly as it does you’ll feel less and less of the balmy texture. Now the cool part….underneath your lips will still be stained the shade you applied that day and that color will pretty much last you throughout your day without a touch up. I literally had to remove with a little oil based eye makeup remover since it stained my lips in a major way. That stain isn’t drying either so my lips were pleasantly flushed with color all day without looking dry due to that stain.

Lovesick

Smitten

Honey

Adore

Romantic

Rendezvous

Adore with Clear Lipgloss

(Smitten after six hours of wear)

Overall, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain isn’t the most moisturizing lip pencil around. I find they tug a bit during application and may look a little sloppy on less than smooth lips. However, the variety of colors, interesting stain effect, and overall pigmentation on the product is a solid win at this price. The pros definitely outweigh the single con of the product.

I likey!

Well worth picking up and I think a Muse Approval is in order here!

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Sasha

    So do you think they stain more than Tarte? I was disappointed in Tarte’s and didn’t feel like it left behind a stain, but I might try these if they actually stain.

  • Bee

    when are these and the mousse foundation coming in stores? cant wait to get them 🙂

  • Sung

    ALL of those shades look great on you! Ugh, I cannot decide. I went nuts and bought a bunch of lip butters already. But, I love balms!!!

    Thank you for your review! – love your blog.

    • the Muse

      aw thanks sung <3! haha wait for a BOGO buy a TON! hehe and save! ;-D love ya back dear!

  • Vic27

    Hi Muse,

    I just wanted to say that I like that you’re doing more lip swatches now. Thank you for that! And the colors look great on you 🙂

    • the Muse

      aw thanks vic! I’m trying ;-D I don’t do close up shots so well, they come out nasty but hopefully these images are helpful somehow! <3! aw thank you really thanks!

  • Brit

    I am so addicted to tinted balms & stains. These look awesome! I was honestly kind of disappointed in Tarte’s stain pencils because they’re never the color I expect them to be. I bought Joy, which is orangey-coral in the tube, but it turned into an awful hot pink on my skin. :/

    • the Muse

      aw sorry brit 🙁 I think they are pretty true to color imho! you should be happy!

  • crissylex

    OMG…. I’m going to have to get them all. It’s the pokemon compulsion
    all over again. Thanks Muse. I normally give you the evil eye for enticing me to buy more makeup but in this case I approve since they
    are budget friendly =)

    • the Muse

      i actually wish they had all 12 I’d prob have gotten all of ’em crissy hehehe! LOL!!!!!!!! ;-D they are quite nice and hey, same size as tarte and clinique almost too! so good deal!

  • Lisa

    These look fabulous on you!!! I couldn’t pick out a favorite on your lips. But I may have to try honey and lovesick. Will have to wait for BOGO and coupon though.

    • the Muse

      aw thanks lisa I was a little rushed this morning so it’s nice to hear they look ok! honey is a nice MLBB!

      • Lise

        I’ve used these for years, and I loved them. Then they did an overhaul of the line. Sigh. I’ve ordered 2 trying to get close to my old shade. The two I ordered were not even close. I wish when they did this, they would tell us what would be close to the old shade. Now I am looking in other lines to come close. Everything looks great on you. I need neutral to cool shades. Not a major tragedy, but just another tiny brick in the wall.

  • Suzie

    Revlon why must you come out with so many products I need? Oh well, at least they are affordable, haha. Definitely going to pick these up.

  • Sarah S.

    I second the loving lip swatches, Muse! Thanks for going the extra step 🙂 And I think I must have every color <3 <3

  • ktb

    Hi Muse,

    Where did you find these? There aren’t any Bed Bath & Beyond locations with Harmon stores in my area, so I’m trying to figure out if they’re in any drugstores yet before I drive all over the place trying to find them 🙂

    • ktb

      Ugh, I’m an idiot; read more closely and saw that you found them at Harmon’s. Nevermind!

      On another note, if anybody sees these pop up in Walgreens/CVS/Target, please share!

      • the Muse

        np! 🙂 i haven’t seen at wals, cvs, or tjay yet just harmons and bbb.

        • yelena

          also wanna get them in drugstores. we dont haver harmons where i live boo :S

  • dina

    can’t wait to check these out!!! 😀 love these stain balm things, hope they’re not too dry…. have you tried the pixi ones? picked up a few of those, they have some nice shades but haven’t tried them out yet

    • the Muse

      LOVE the pixi ones d! tried it last night for the first time! LOVE ;-D

  • Michelle

    OK, here we go again. I ran all over town hoarding the Lip Butters like a squirrel with rabies, now I’m going to do the same with these stain pencils. I CANNOT WAIT to try these out with glosses.

  • mcpa0011

    I agree with you on all points muse! I actually got all 12 last night! You’re right about the staining, I can’t get mine off! Which to me is a good thing! 🙂

    • the Muse

      ha awesome mcpa! I’m trying to figure out which shades I missed and NEED ;-D any keepers I didn’t list here??? how’d you feel about the dryness? a little tugging involved or am I nuts?

  • Tammie

    The ones I initially wanted seem a bit bright, but I do want Honey! It seems like a good thing to keep in my bag. I’ll have to pick it up when I see it.

    Would be nice if they’d add these to their core collection like the lip butters, it seems like something that would be a nice staple…

    • the Muse

      i think they will tammie…it’s too big a launch to be LE ;-D

      • Tammie

        That’s good to hear :). Can’t wait until they come out around here!

  • Victoria

    Thanks a bunch for the review. Good to know they arernt as moist. as tartes but they sure beat the other revlon stain,the marker ones. I cant wait for them to be at the stores around my area.

  • Icequeen81

    lovesick nice color,
    Staying power for me is a must, these sound good, hope they bring it over here. I hate touch ups every second, most of the lipstick, and stain do not stay long, even if u don’t drink anything or lick your lips.

  • Jane

    I can’t wait for these to come out in my area! Revlon makes such great lip products. 😀

  • Kate

    I have not tried the Clinique or Tarte products that these are duping because, well, just because I cannot try/own everything under the sun (certain family members would argue that I’m almost there.)

    But I am so eager to try these. For one, I have a good track record with Revlon lip products, I like the price, and I really like the stain effect that you showed us.

    Thanks so much for these swatches, and you look beautiful in every picture, AS USUAL!

    FWIW, someone commented on another blog post that Revlon customer service has confirmed that these will be permanent products. Therefore, I will definitely do my haulage during a BOGO sale.

    Thanks for such an informative review.

    • the Muse

      hi kate! these are nice dupes but not as moisturizing however the staining effect is cool!!!!!!! awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww can I hug yoiu? thank YOU! you’re really TOO kind! <3!

      these will def be perm, I doubt they'd do such a huge launch if they weren't! my pleasure! let me know what you think after you tried?

  • Quinctia

    Sounds like I might find these a little more useful than the tarte version. I’ve got enough tinted balmy things to last me a lifetime. (Jordana’s are the bestest, in my opinion.)

    I wouldn’t mind a balmy product that stained, though! I’m liking honey.

  • Sarah

    So jealous that you can rock every lipstick I’ve seen on you! Honey is reallllly pretty. Almost looks like a ‘your lips but better’ type of color (?) is that true how it appears really or is it a camera trick?

    • the Muse

      whoa sarah you’re too KIND ;-D haha! and not really! yes, honey is def a your lips but butter shade ;-D

  • Majick

    Here we go again! LOL. These colors ALL look good on you. I think I will def b trying these because I like a more pigmented lippie and the stain factor sounds great! Thx Muse!

    • the Muse

      aw you’re too KIND majick thanks girl! ;-D my pleasure let me know what you think!

  • Bailey

    OMG! I love these shades and they look great on you muse! My favorites are “Romantic” and “Smitten” thanks for recommending these shades!! I absolutely love them!!! <3

  • Bailey

    I’m defineatly a lip stain and lipgloss freakkk!!!! <3

  • Anna from CA

    Muse… I must say I am totally jealous. Yesterday, hubby and I took a road trip to find these little gems. Being in N. CA I have never heard of Harmons. Our Bed Bath and Beyonds are just that, nothing additional, but apparently in Dublin CA lives makeup nirvana…a Harmons- Bed Bath and Beyond combo! and yes they had this collection. I purchased 5 colors- four because of your swatches, daring because I wanted to try a unique color- its the purpley shade. Thank you so much for featuring these. I Love your blog and Harmons ( wish it wasn’t 90 miles away tho)

    • the Muse

      YAYYYYYYYYYYY Anna! I’m so glad you discovered the joys of Harmons! Sign up for the Bed, Bath and Beyond newsletter and they send out 20% coupons ALL the time that you can use in Harmons ;-D so sad it’s so far away from you though 🙁 but hey sometimes makeup is worth it right? ;-D <3! Hugs!

  • Jean

    LOVE THESE! I MUST have them. I NEVER wore Revlon before (or even knew what they offered), but now I’m hooked on the lip butters, photoready primer and photoready mascara – and maybe this lippy is next!

  • nakwon

    Oh Muse I finally caved and got the Revlon colorbursts lip balms in peach parfait and the Jordana Easyshine in sugar plum and I just had to add these to my collection too.

    I just went to my Rite Aid yesterday and they had a new set so I picked up Honey, Lovesick, and Rendezvous. I LOVE how pigmented yet sheer they are. I can do one swipe for a bit of color or add more layers for a more intense look. I found the Jordana Easyshine too pigmented for me (I’m super pale), and the Colorbursts a bit too sheer (though it might’ve just been the color I got). This was just perfect!

    • the Muse

      yay I’m happy to hear you love them nakwon! they are really lovely ;-D <3! Enjoy!

  • kate

    hi muse! i saw these at harmon and had to pick them up! I got smitten (because you loved it) & sweetheart (very bright pink!)! I absolutely love these more than the just bitten stain markers and if I use a good lip balm undernearth, they don’t dry out my lips at all. I think I like them better than the lip butters! omg is that blasph? I’m totally going back and picking up a few more colors! yay harmon and yay for this being muse approved!

    • the Muse

      yay kate happy to hear it chica ;-D I like them more than the stain markers myself but damn torn on lip butters, both products are so fab ;D

  • Anna from CA

    Spotted yesterday at Target in Stockton CA. They weren’t on the demo rack, but on a smaller tray within the aisle. Of course I had to buy one more- so now I have 6 🙂 Love these little jewels.

      • Anna from CA

        Muse I love them all! I got Smitten last night so I haven’t tried it yet, but the ones I keep wearing are Rendezvous and Romantic.
        On a side note, have you seen the plush Tardis? I saw it at Fry’s Electronics last night in 2 sizes and thought of you directly. It’s so CUTE! I took a picture with my droid, but with all my kissable purchases this week, it isn’t in my budget till next week.

  • MichelleW.

    I’ve been going CRAZY trying to find these! Target.com even says they have them in stock in stores but I’ve yet to actually see them. Same with the new photo ready cream blushes and the Maybelline Escapism collection. Maybe CA just gets things late. 🙁 Love your blog!

    • the Muse

      michelle try bed, bath and beyond. Some of them have a great selection of cosmetics and they seem to get new collections fast. My BBB always has the latest beauty collections! Hope this helps and good luck hun! and thank you <3 so glad you enjoy musings!

    • foohy

      Hi Michelle and Muse!

      It should now be available at Target.com, at least as of Friday, 05/18/2012, evening. I also saw them at one of my local Targets (I purchased 2 yesterday in Cypress, CA) but of course, only limited as they appear to be flying off the shelves. Thanks Muse for reviewing; I recently lost a Clinique Chubby Stick and the Revlon version came right on time. I do like the Revlon one more as it lasts longer and it’s less expensive. My lips are still stained after I fell asleep over 12 hours ago and I applied it over 15 hours ago.

  • MichelleW.

    I never thought of that! I rarely go to BBB and I didn’t even know they sold cosmetics. Great tip!

  • Emmy

    I just picked this up in Lovestruck. I though this was a REALLY good review!

  • Anna

    I found them on Wednesday at a Target in Modesto. They were in the cosmetic aise on an unmarked , unlabeled tray – no picture.
    Unfortunalely, if your in N. CA I think the only BBB with a Harmons is Dublin CA- I checked on wednesday and they are sold out. Muse got me all addicted to them now. ;P thanks Miss Muse.
    Keep looking tho, these are so worth it and I’m sure your Target will get them soon.

  • MichelleW.

    I found them! I was able to snag one at Rite Aid. I picked up Sweetheart, and I LOVE the way it feels on my lips (No tugging for me), and love the pigmentation. Not a fan of the weird menthol-y smell though. Anyone else notice that?

  • Susan

    Love the staining effect these have! Picked up Romantic and Rendezvous at Target. I would agree that the Tarte lipsurgence ones are more moisturizing, but these seem to leave behind more color for sure.

  • Amber @ Pooch & Puddy

    Hey, Muse, would you recommend shelling out the extra dough for the Clinique sticks over these Revlon ones? I’m usually a two-colour kind of girl (I keep a MLBB mauve/rose and either a fun pink or red) but IDK if I want to shell out 16$+CAD for a pair of Clinique sticks.

    Also, any info on how they react if you apply a balm OVER them?

    • the Muse

      hi amber i dunno hun it really depends on what you are looking for. revlons are more pigmented but less moisturizing and clinique’s are less pigmented and more moisturizing so really depends what you’re looking for in the balm. I like both equally in all honesty as clinique’s have a more natural MLBB look and revlon’s have more pop! They apply a little patchy and crummy over a balm in my experience.

  • Lisa I.

    Found these at Target yesterday and snagged the last Honey. More pink than the Clinique chubby stick in honey, but pretty. However, as michellew stated, there is a menthol smell and it burned my lips. Never had a reaction to a lippie like that before. Bigtime deal breaker for me.

  • cara

    These are way better than the lip butters, or at least the texture is! It felt like lipstick tbh, but maybe my lips were dry. But the colors… wow! Honey and cherish are absolutely awesome! I agree that you should definately exfoliate your lips and a little gloss over would be nice.

  • Avalith

    I have the one in shade called Honey, and I love it. I was hoping it goes on more sheer so I can reapply when my lips feel dry, but it can be a bit overwhelming since it is well pigmented and layers of the same product would look too bold.

    I found that after the first application, I can just go ahead and use numerous amount of no-stain, no-color lip balms I have but abandoned due to my love for lipsticks and glosses, to bring back the moisture and hydration I lost without worrying about color loss 🙂 It’s a great product even for my dry lips.

  • Avalith

    These are exactly what I was looking for, and I wish I didn’t buy all those lip butters -_- To be honest I’m not a big fan of those;

  • Kitty

    Hi there,
    I just want to say thank you for your fantastic review. This aren’t avail. in Australia yet so I’m purchasing online and your fantastic post has helped me immensely with choosing colour/understanding the product etc.

    • the Muse

      aw glad to hear it kitty! that’s awesome ;-D enjoy your haul! Hope you like them!

  • Ally

    I’m actually a fan of these. But the first time I tried it on my hand…It didn’t wash off until after 3 days lol. I do love how the stain works though

  • Judy

    They all look fabulous on you Muse !!! Especially the red shades !!! Ugh!! I want all the shades but at AUD $17.95 for one here, I can only afford one 🙁
    I think I ll go for Honey

    again, they look so good on you :))

    • the Muse

      aw thanks judy you’re too kind. Wow that’s a huge price raise jeepers! I hope you like Honey 🙂 <3!

  • Rashmi

    Hi all Colo look awesome on you….
    After reading your review I buy one…but problem is I have very dry lips… Will you suggest something…