Review: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain in Honey

This was one of the lip products that I won from the lovely Sukie at A Little Bit of Everything in a recent giveaway.  I was so excited to receive this Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain in Honey, as these lip stains have been touted as a more affordable alternative to the Clinique Chubby Sticks which I adore but do find a little on the pricey side.

The packaging of the Balm Stain is almost identical to Clinique's offerings, with the stick twisting up from the bottom, therefore meaning no need to sharpen it.  You do have to be careful when replacing the cap though as it can smoosh against the tip of the product if you are not careful - take it from someone who has already done just that!

Honey is a gorgeous, suits all nude shade which appears a light rose pink on the lips.  It is such a great everyday my-lips-but-better look!    I can see it being a go-to staple of my daily look as it is so easy to apply on the go - I feel like I am using a giant crayon to colour in my lips! 

Wear time  is up to two hours, which I find similar to the Chubby Sticks.  There is a slight minty scent which I found was only detectable when sniffing the actual product but when applied to the lips, it is undetectable.  I didn't find it at all drying, contrary to other reviews I have read, but it wasn't quite as moisturising as the Clinique products.  I would certainly term it more of a stain or lip stick rather than a lip balm.

Verdict

The Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains are an excellent cheaper alternative to the Clinique Chubby sticks and are, in my opinion just as high performing.  I can see this particular shade being flattering to most skin tones and it would be especially suitable for those who do not like strong, vibrant lips but want a subtle polished look or something work friendly.  If you haven't yet had a look at the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains, go and take a look!

4.5/5

Price - £5.99

Where to Buy - Superdrug, Boots

A Long Awaited Haul!

After a self-imposed curb on beauty product spending, I've recently found my shopping mojo again and this week, I've had a lovely selection of goodies come into my possession.

I went a bit crazy on the nail polish front and purchased 6 Essie polishes - the entire Mirror Metallics collection, and Lilacism, which I've had my eye on for quite some time.

I won a giveaway from the lovely Sukie at A Little Bit of Everything, of one of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stains which I have been dying to get my hands on, along with a Lancome Juicy Tube in Mandarin and a No 7 Lip Liner in Nude.  I'm so excited to try all of these out as I am a total lip product junkie!

And finally, Charlie at Lady of the Lane held a blog sale earlier in the week where I picked up two items - a Mac Lip Gelee in Lush & Bright and a Chanel liner in Platine.  

Let me know if there are any items you would like to see reviewed.  I'm off for a play with my new goodies!

April's Hits and Misses

I know I am ever so late with these, but I actually did write this post a couple of weeks ago - its just been hiding in my drafts!  This month, I've fallen in love with a few new products and rediscovered a couple of old favourites.

KMS Quick Blow Dry Spray

I discovered this through the now defunct Carmine box and its become a staple of my blow dry routine.  I'm not going to say too much about it as there will be a review coming up this week, but suffice to say, I have been very impressed.

Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey Cologne

This is so fresh and summery and feels very light, making it the perfect daytime perfume for warmer days.  It is sweet but not cloyingly so and lasts throughout most of the day for me.  I've been wearing it constantly and have had quite a few compliments on it!

Nars Orgasm Blush

This is much-loved as you can probably see!  Before I was properly into makeup, this was the only blush I owned and I wore it every day.  I've had this one for about three years and, although I now have lots of other blushes in my collection, this is always the one that I reach for if I am unsure about which blush to wear with a look.  It really does go with anything!

Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Fruitti

 

I'm jumping on the Lip Butter bandwagon here but it is totally justified with this colour!  I reviewed it here, along with Lollipop and Creme Brule and although I adore all three shades I own, this tangerine is so flattering and just screams Summer.  

Dr Hauschka Facial Toner

I reviewed this last week here as part of the Dr Hauschka Cleansing Ritual and for me, this was the stand out product.  Refreshing and cooling, helping to close my pores after I've cleansed, I have been really enjoying using this toner on a  daily basis.  I never really understood the need for a toner before, and whilst I wouldn't say it is an essential part of your beauty routine, it is a nice addition and it has certainly left me skin feeling a lot softer as of late.

And now, over to this month's misses...

China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy - review here

 

'Chiptastic' is probably the best way to describe this polish!  It took several coats, applied streaky and the formula was very difficult to control, and after the time and concentration I took to apply it, it chipped the following day!  Love the colour but it is very high maintenance!

Alpha-H Handcream - review here

 

I think I may have been expecting miracles with this handcream for the price I paid (£22!) but I was disappointed to find it couldn't compete with my trusty L'Occitaine hand creams.  You don't always get what you pay for!

What have you been loving recently?  Have you tried any of these products?

Weekend Wants!

Why is it that when there are lots of new collections on the way, I have no money?!

I've been reading a lot of US beauty blogs recently and there are several items that are on the horizon and have caught my eye.  I hope they are on their way over here, otherwise I will be resorting to eBay!

Benefit Snow White & The Huntsman Kit

Although you can buy each of these products separately and they are not limited edition, I am in love with this kit!  Containing the POREfessional, BAD Gal Lash Mascara, Benetint and High Beam, and accompanied by a gorgeous large makeup bag which is far more chic than the usual make up bag offerings, this looks like a great way to try out some of Benefits most lauded products.  I haven't managed to try out any of these products previously and I am very tempted.  I hope it becomes available in the UK soon.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

Pic borrowed from Musings of a Muse

I am so excited to try these out!  I love the Clinique Chubby Sticks and these look very similar.  I hope they aren't too drying though as I find the Clinique ones so comfortable to wear and a cheaper dupe would be amazing. I love the look of the coral / orange one, Rendezvous.

Chanel Polish in Delight

Delight (centre)

I adore this bronze, shimmering polish.  Its certainly on my 'to-buy list' when it is available over here.  I can see myself wearing it constantly over the Summer, and it will look stunning with a tan!

 

What do you have your eye on at the moment?  

Revlon Lip Butters in Creme Brulee, Lollipop, and Tutti Fruitti

Revlon’s Lip Butters – I know you’ve probably read a million and one posts about these already so I’ll try to keep this brief.

L to R with flash: Creme Brulee, Tutti Frutti, Lollipop

Attracted by Boots’ current 3 for 2 offer on cosmetics, I decided to pick a few of the Lip Butters.  Stock however were not great, and there wasn’t much choice to be had, with many of the popular colours sold out. In the end, I decided to go for two brights and a nude. 

L to R without flash: Creme Brulee, Tutti Frutti, Lollipop

Starting with the nude, Crème Brulee.   This is an almost invisible shade on my pigmented lips which gives them a very slight shimmer. I am not normally a big fan of nude lippies, however I found this one very easy to wear and I didn’t feel it washed me out, rather it gave me a natural, polished look. All the Lip Butters give a noticeable sheen to the lips, however I found this to be the most subtle with regards to the shiny lips look and it was certainly more of a balm. If you are fond of a my-lips-but-better look or if you prefer a really simple, neutral look, this would be a good choice for you. Wear time was around an hour and a half, which, considering this is a balm / lipstick hybrid is to be expected. 

Next is Tutti Fruitti, a vibrant coal / orange which is a fabulous shade for summer. I adore coral shades and although this leans more orange, it is certainly very wearable, especially with a summer tan. I think I will be getting a lot of use out of this one! Lasting time with this one was around two and a half hours, with the shine disappearing first after an hour, leaving a stain which was still very pigmented. 

Finally, I purchased Lollipop, a blue tinged fuchsia with subtle sparkly shimmer. The shimmer isn’t overly noticeable, but it gives a gorgeous iridescent look on the lips. I believe this is certainly one of the bolder shades in the range as it is very pigmented.  It had a  wear time similar to Tutti Fruitti of two and a half hours before I needed to reapply. 

Verdict

Predictably, I am going to give these top marks as although I initially was skeptical about their ability to deliver after all the hype surrounding them, I was wrong. All three deliver excellent pigmentation, are super comfortable to wear and although lasting time isn’t overly long, it is as expected for a balm / lipstick hybrid. I would stress, however, that despite being non-drying, these lippies are not a substitute for balm, and you will still need to apply this separately if you want smooth, soft, kissable lips! As for my favourite, I would have to say it is Tutti Fruitti, a gorgeous wearable orange which looks super juicy on the lips. I’m certainly going to be looking at more of the range when my local Boots restocks!

5/5

Price – £7.99

Where to Buy - Boots, Superdrug

Giveaway: Revlon Facets of Fuchsia - CLOSED

The Winner is Danielle - an email is on its way to you!

My first giveaway!

I have a bottle of Revlon’s Facets of Fuchsia to give away to one lucky reader. This polish is amazing – I reviewed it here and it is very similar to some of the Deborah Lipmann polishes.  You will receive a brand new bottle (I've just used a previous picture of it above as my camera lead has gone awol!).

1) To win this, you must be a follower with GFC or Bloglovin.

2) Please leave me a comment letting me know your current favourite polish, how you follow me and your contact details – either an email address or twitter id is fine. You must leave all these details in your comment for your entry to count.

The giveaway will remain open until 11.59pm on Monday 12^th December so that I can get your prize to you before Christmas and you can have super sparkly nails for your Christmas parties!

The giveaway is open to UK readers only.

October Favourites!

This month’s favourites are a bit of a mixture of old favourites and some new loves, so without further ado, I will get started.

Label.m Resurrection dust – I reviewed this here earlier this month so I won’t go into too much detail, however I still love it and I have yet to find ANYTHING that makes my hair look as poofy and volumised as this!

Revlon Facets of Fuschia – another one I have reviewed recently and one that I really like, but it is a major pain to remove, so much so that I wear it until I cannot wait any longer to remove it when it has started chipping.  I then begin the long and painstaking process of removal….

Chanel Graphite – there has been so much written in the blogosphere about this one that I don’t think I can say any more.  It is an amazing multi-faceted colour which always looks polished and makes me feel very grown up.  It is limited edition so if you find a bottle anywhere, pounce on it!

  

Chanel Illusion D’Ombre, Emerveille – my  current favourite easy-to-wear eyeshadow.  I will have a post coming up about my illusion d’ombres but this one in particular is so easy to use.  I just swipe on with my finger, blend a little at the edges with the No 7 eyeshadow blending brush and I’m done.

Viva Glam Cindi, Mac – sadly not available any more but you can probably find it on ebay.  I love this glossy, wearable red lipstick.  It is a lustre formulation, which I don’t find as drying as the cremesheens, and it just provides a polished, easy look.  Its perfect for people who aren’t sure about wearing red lips and honestly, it is a shade that it suits everyone!

No 7 Tinted Moisturiser – I must be onto my 3^rd purchase of this!  A friend alerted me to it when I was staying with her and I had forgotten my usual tinted moisturiser and had to borrow hers. Since that very day, this has become part of my daily routine.  I find it evens out imperfections and redness, whilst giving a subtle glowing effect.  If you have one of the ubiquitous No 7 Boots vouchers you could do a lot worse than pick one of these up.  I will be posting a proper review of this later in the week.

And that’s it for this month – I am on hols for two weeks shortly, although I will schedule some posts for whilst I am away.  Next month’s favourites will very likely feature products more suited for sunnier climes, despite being close to Christmas!

Revlon Facets of Fuchsia

Excuse my cold-looking fingers, it is freezing tonight!

I had seen Revlon Facets of Fuchsia on a few blogs and thought it looked quite unusual and a little like some of the Deborah Lipmann polishes with their chunky glitter, but less than half the price, and therefore I had to have it!  It was also on offer in Boots for £2 off the normal price at only £4.49 so it made it an even better deal.

In the bottle, the polish looks like it will be super sparkly and when on the nail, it doesn’t disappoint appearing as a dark, almost black-leaning purple with bright pink glitter in varying sizes.  It took 3 coats to achieve this glossy, opaque finish and I added a topcoat to smooth it out a bit as it did feel rather uneven, as many glitters do.  I don’t usually use a topcoat with polish as I like to change it every couple of days and  I have usually moved onto another colour by the time it would have started to show wear.  I have a low attention span when it comes to my nails!  I haven’t tried any other Revlon polishes so I’m not sure if all are like this, but I did find the formula quite runny and difficult to manipulate on my nails without it going everywhere so I would suggest using several thin coats rather than a couple of thick ones. 

Verdict

I am pleased that I bought this and it is a relative bargain as I usually prefer OPI and Chanel polishes.    I can’t comment on wear time as I only kept it on for a couple of days but there was no chipping or tip wear evident and it was certainly very different from anything else I own.   

4/5

Price - £6.49

Where to buy – Boots although I can’t see it on their website at the moment.