Revlon Kiss Exfoliating Balm Review & Swatches
Revlon Kiss Exfoliating Balm ($5.99) is a new sugar scrub lip balm that launched with the Revlon Fall 2017 Collection recently. This is sort of an extension to the Revlon Kiss Balm Collection so, you’ll likely be able to find it in that permanent display in the future since it isn’t a limited edition product.
I’m seeing a lot of these new lip scrub formula that come in a stick or lip balm style packaging that are meant to be applied and left on unlike traditional scrubs which you wipe off. I don’t really know how I feel about that. It seems convenient enough to swipe on a lip scrub and just go. But on the other hand it sort of seems gross to swipe a scrub on and just leave the dead skin hanging around on your lips?
For example, Revlon Kiss Exfoliating Balm suggests “gently massage in small circles and finks with your favorite lip color”. It’s no great surprise they don’t suggest wiping it off because it seems the norm for lip balm scrubs like this to recommend you apply and go. They are supposed to act as not only an exfoliating product but also as a lip balm that hydrates and preps lips for color.
But again, I’m still somewhat grossed out by doing that.
At a glance online I thought that this would be a way chunkier scrub but it is in fact the same exact size, shape, and style packaging as the Revlon Kiss Balm line. It holds 0.09 oz of scrub which swivels up and down easily. It’s the same size but a little more expensive than a Kiss Balm at $5.99 versus $4.99. Honestly, if you want a cool scrub around this price tag, $4.99 to be exact, that’s formulated way better I’d suggest going with Chapstick Total Hydration Conditioning Lip Scrub because Revlon Kiss Exfoliating Balm is a bit meh all in all.
If you’re cool with a transparent lip balm that contains tiny sugar grains which you leave on all day, I say go for this. It’s very lightly hydrating with a balm texture and a strong minty taste. The grains of sugar are very, very refined and I wouldn’t say they transferred to your lips from the stick during application which means you can in fact just walk around with this on or under lip color. Although, depending on your level of sensitivity you may feel like the grainy drag across your lips is a little irritating. It doesn’t leave color or a white chalkiness behind which means you can wear it alone or under your fav lip color.
I felt comfortable wearing it alone and even liked it because it was one of those balms I could chronically reapply all day while getting the benefits of a gentle scrub that would remove any flakiness or dry issues on my lips during the application. However, if you have really flaky lips you’ll find that this whisks those away BUT you’ll want to wipe after application and not just go about lip color application as per their suggestion. Why? Because you’ll have a clumpy gross dead layer of skin showing up after lipstick application. I had this happen since my lips are pretty dry. So, I applied it, applied my lip color, and had less than smooth color. I had a bunch of gross dead skin on my lipstick bullet and also on my lips. Yeah, no, not pretty.
So, wearing it alone you’ll probably not notice but with color? Well, I suggest applying it and wiping it off.
One thing to mention would be it is a gentle scrub compared to some sugar lip scrubs which have chunkier grains. This is way more refined and the tugging during application can be irritating but also far more gentle and less exfoliating than a more traditional lip scrub.
Revlon Kiss Exfoliating Balm isn’t a must have by any means. If you’re anything like me you might want to stick to a more traditional scrub. It’s sort of handy if you’re chronically applying lip balm through the day though as you can get a little light moisture as well as exfoliate lips during application. That can be handy for sure and you’ll probably have the smoothest lips around if you’re apply it three or four times throughout the day.
Revlon Kiss Exfoliating Balm is launching now at drugstores or get it at ulta.com and amazon.com.
