This might be surprising but as far as I’m aware, I haven’t given the Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balms ($9-10) the credit (through rambling form, of course) that they deserve; I mean I’ve mentioned before that I love them but they really are among the best of the best formulas in my opinion and I wear them constantly. Of all three of the Revlon lip pencils, they are easily the most moisturizing and forgiving on the lips along with having the most subtle mint-induced tingly sensation on the lips that can irritate some. The formula of these strikes me as a slightly amped-up version of the MAC Lustre’s in pigment with the same general characteristics — buildable pigmentation, actual hydrating quality on the lips and forgiving texture. The darker shades of the Revlon offering might have more longevity than the MAC options as well and they tend to be much more pigmented to boot! The brighter/deeper shades that I have do tend to stain the lips slightly and wear for a good 4-5 hours through some light drinking but nothing too strenuous the lighter shade that I have wears more at the 3-4 hour range but this doesn’t bother me as these lip products are so low-maintenance and fuss-free.

Others seem to complain about the visible shimmer/glitter found in these shades, especially as the colour of the product wears off, but I only notice the flecks in my lightest shade, 105 Demure, and even then I don’t find the flecks to be overly noticeable or problematic. Being one of the paler shades in the lineup, this one has the least pigmentation — beginning with sheer payoff but buildable to medium opacity — but at the same time it’s one of those foolproof natural-looking hues. It reminds me a great deal of my lipstick love, MAC Patisserie, but it has slightly more pink in it and a bit less brown but it doesn’t lean pink in the slightest, allowing those like me who cannot pull of pink usually to wear it in a flattering way.

120 Vivacious is a stunning punchy fuschia shade with some corally undertones to it but in all honesty I wear it the least because it’s such a statement lip on me – It pulls bolder than Ruby Woo on me! — but it is a stunning one and doesn’t resemble a cool-toned pink in the slightest. Along with the next shade, there is no sheerness to the opacity in this one by any means – without compromising its balmy texture, the lip crayon gives off vibrant payoff.

150 Enticing is easily the shade I’ve talked the most about as it was the one that was my gateway into the formula and I’ve had it since last year and this isn’t just by chance; it’s a neutral-toned deep red that seems to suit my colouring to a t. Because it’s a deeper hue, it doesn’t have the same dramatic punch that brighter shades do without stepping into vampy kind of territory and it seems to be that effortless dark lip. It’s certainly more of a Fall/Winter kind of shade but I’m known to wear it throughout other seasons…

Have you tried any of these – what were your thoughts?

Maggie, x.