Revlon Kiss Balm Review & Swatches
Revlon Kiss Balm ($5) is a new, permanent Spring 2017 tinted lip /balm that promises to provide lasting hydration to lips as well as protect them with an SPF 20. I recently ran across a display of the new Revlon Kiss Balms at Harmons and of course, I had to snatch up a few shades and try them out. I also got my handed on a limited edition shade called Sugar Plum at Walgreens which reminds me of Clinique’s Black Honey!
Let’s take a look!
Revlon Kiss Balm are available in six flavors (seven if you count the limited edition Holiday 2016 shade in Sugar Plum) and promise a formula that provides up to six hours of lasting hydration as well as an SPF 20. These weight in at 0.09 oz each which makes them a little smaller in size compared to Maybelline Baby Lips which are 0.15 oz and priced at $3.99 to $4.49. I’m not a huge fan of Baby Lips personally so, Revlon Kiss Balms were a welcome change in my drugstore lip balm world!
These resemble the Maybelline Baby Lips Candy Wow in style and packaging with the dome shaped tip but they are considerably smaller and more compact in size. If you want to go way back, these remind me of something that Naturalistics had available in the early 90’s at the drugstore. I tried hunting down a vintage naturalistics commercial on youTube but no luck! A quick Google image search did bring up Alexis Bledel’s ads with the brand. For some reason, the packaging comes across rather retro to me but cute none the less.
These are a twist up dome shaped lip balm. I found the flavors of the balms very tasty but if you’re sensitive you might not love them. I didn’t feel like the SPF left a bitter taste at all and the flavor does disappear fairly fast so, it isn’t something to linger on your lips for hours on end. These are much, much more pigmented than the Baby Lips formula and have provide not only a good deal of color but also shine to lips as well. The most pigmented shade was without a doubt Sugar Plum which Juicy Peach being the sheerest.
I find the formula disappoint on my first few application as they dragged across my lips during application and the tips felt very stiff. They do need warming up and after a few uses you’ll find the consistency of the balms is thinner and slicker compared to the original few applications. A few passes back and fourth over your lips will melt down the tip and give it a less stiff texture. I wouldn’t say these provided long term hydration but they felt pleasantly moist on my drier lips during the initial hour of wear but didn’t really provide linger hydration over a six hour period nor did they even last for that time frame as touch up was required within two hours to maintain color, shine, and moisture.
The good news is Revlon Kiss Balms are a step above Maybelline Baby Lips and should go over big with lovers of Baby Lips. There’s some nice shine here, fantastic color, and light hydration. But the bad news is you’re seeing long term moisture, well, you’ll be disappointed! But for color and shine these provide both in aces!
Revlon Kiss Balms are launching now at drugstores and at Ulta.com.
Tried them?
Do share!