Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede Lipstick Review & Swatches
Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede Lipstick ($7.99) is a newly launched lipstick from Revlon available in sixteen (possibly twenty) shades. The fact they released these in such a huge array of shades definitely means they will be added to the general catalog and probably won’t be a limited run.
They are formulated with Shea Butter, Aloe, and Vitamin E with the promise of lips being conditioned and hydrated through the wear.
Take a look!
I think “suede” can be a little misleading as it instantly makes me think “matte” but these are in fact semi-matte in finish in my opinion.
I dunno how old you are but you might remember some brand, could have been Revlon, that created these small lip palettes which contained a powder lipstick, a brush, and a Vaseline-like overcoat. You would apply the powder lipstick and slick on some of the balm to set it and give it a bit of shine. Revlon Ultimate Suede Lipsticks kinda sorta have the same texture as that old lip palette. These have a slick application across lips. They swipe on with a hydrating feel but as they dry down they become a bit powdery in finish and have a silicone-y feel that wraps around lips.
Pigmentation is excellent and a single swipe will yield excellent color coverage on lips. They feel hydrating enough going on and don’t necessarily apply patchy or skip during application but you do need a smooth surface to work with. Exfoliate lips well prior to application as these will look very dry and uneven if your lips are flaky, dry, or older. You’ll likely experience migration and feathering on older lips with deep or finer lines.
Cruise, Iconic, Backstage, Supermodel
Runway, Fashionista, Socialite
My lips were chapped during some of my testing and were normal through the other part of my testing. In the case of application on chapped lips I’d say it was a big no as the lipstick lays unnaturally, unevenly, and terribly unflattering on dry lips. Balm helps a little bit but there you’ll still see an unflattering finish. On my normal lips, I felt they looked smooth and quite nice. At first application they feel hydrating enough but the longer I wear them the more I feel they are sucking moisture from my lips. The dry down of the lipstick produces the feeling of applying a long wearing lipstick without applying the follow up gloss or lip balm to set the wear.
Speaking of wear….these have an interesting wear of at least six to eight hours if you can stomach wearing them that long. The longer they wear the more unflattering they begin to look as they start looking dry and flaky as the day progresses. If you drink or eat they don’t fade away easily and will stay in place. Wiping with a napkin will simply remove a little color but a fair bit remains behind as well as a staining effect.
Supermodel
Socialite
Runway
Iconic
Cruise
Backstage
Fashionista
I wouldn’t compare them to any lipstick products currently introduced such as Revlon’s new Lip Butters or L’Oreal’s new Carresse Lipsticks. The formulas are not comparable in the least as Ultimate Suede Lipsticks have a texture, finish, and formula all there own. They might be comparable to long wear lipsticks such as Covergirl Outlast or some other such dual sided long wear lip product.
I know this review sounds like a rant but I actually did like these to some extent. They have really great pigmentation and look very classy once applied. A little clear gloss helps with the overall dryness.
But in the end….
Facts is facts, they do have a rather dry unflattering look as the day progresses. What begins as a hydrating lipstick dries down to a semi-matte finish that tends to suck moisture from lips. I wouldn’t suggest them if you have a chronic case of dry or chapped lips.
Tried ’em?
Do share your thoughts!