First, we had the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains that had people clearing out the Revlon counters. Then, a few months later, it was the Matte Balm and again, whoosh! The displays were cleared out faster than you can say “Revlon has done it again!”.
Rounding off the trio is the Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm. Ostensibly therefore, this is one to pacify the crowd who prefers having a shine on their smackers.
As the name implies, the Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm is a high shine lip colour that gives your lips a lacquered finish while feeling comfortable, like a balm. To stress this point further, the body of the lip crayon sports a shiny surface, and the colour of the body reflects the colour of the lip colour, which makes it easy to pull out the exact colour you want quickly.
I spotted these at a pharmacy a while ago and tested them at the counter but I was not impressed. Most of the shades available, while indeed giving you that high shine and lovely slip expected of something called a “Lacquer Balm”, sported glitter and sparkles and boy! I’ve outgrown all that 😛
One or two weren’t as blessed by the glitter fairy and thankfully, Flirtatious is one of them. I’ve got some swatches and thoughts on this but more importantly, I’ve also decided to give a quick comparison with the Just Bitten Balm Stain and the Matte Balm just to point out the similarities and differences of each so settle in for a bit of a read 🙂
The colour I have is Flirtatious, which looks to be a rather bright red in tube. My kind of colour!
If you look at the crayon bit, you may notice the sparkles which are very obvious. When I wear it however, I find that the sparkles in Flirtatious are small enough so they reflect the shine and gloss but they don’t sit on your skin. That is very important for me, because I just don’t do glitter anymore. If I were younger then yes, it would pass as youthful exhuberance. At my age, it just looks like I’m trying too hard 😛
Here are some shades I swatched at the counter a while ago. I can’t recall the colour names now, but I wanted to show you the sparkles and chunky glitter in some of the colours.
So thankfully, with Flirtatious (4th from left), I can sport a flirtatious pucker without looking like I just raided the makeup kit of a teen. It does have that minty taste now associated with all the Revlon Colorburst balm pencils, and although I’m still not a fan of it, I let it slide.
The longevity is pretty good as far as I’m concerned. It does slip off a little more easily than the Just Bitten Balm Stain and the Matte Balm, but it’s good enough to last you through the morning. I do find the colour not as intense, which I attribute to the shine and balm factor. You will see a swatch further down of Flirtatious on my arm (and the colour looks so different as opposed to wearing on my lips!) but here’s how it looks when I wear it.
The colour glides on evenly and with a lovely shine. Flirtatious is a bright red with a slight blue base so find it quite flattering on, especially when you keep the rest of your makeup fairly neutral as I have been lately. Not much mood to put on colour, but give me a bright lipstick and I’m set to face the world and slay dragons! 😀
But despite all this, I don’t know. I’m not feeling this one y’know. I don’t know if it’s the texture but I just don’t feel as much love nor rave for the Lacquer Balm as I have for it’s siblings. I was raving over the Balm Stains and the Matte Balm truly floored me, but this one… hmm… meh. That’s all I feel. Meh.
In a nutshell
The Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm is a high shine lip colour in crayon form. I don’t find it drying and it slicks on well pigmented and delivers the shine as promised. I do however find that with shine comes sparkles and chunky glitter in some of the shades and I’m not a fan of that. On an overall basis, I’m not taken with the Lacquer Balms and I much prefer either the Balm Stain or the Matte Balm both of which I feel are more unique and interesting and truly deserving of their raves. The Lacquer Balm is ok. Nothing to really write home aboue.
Pros: Affordable, Pigmented, High shine lip colours, Not drying
Cons: Some colours have chunky glitter
Who will like this: Anyone who like high shine lip colour with sparkles
Comparison: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain vs Revlon Matte Balm vs Revlon Lacquer Balm
I contemplated a separate post for this but figured I might as well quickly run down the similarities and differences in the 3 different texture of the Revlon lip crayons available so far.
Packaging
In terms of packaging they’re all packaged the same way, in a twist up lip crayon style packaging, that is very portable and easy to use. The colours on the body and cap reflects the lip colour in tube, and the different textures sport different looks so it’s really easy to spot the Matte Balm from the Lacquer Balm, for example.
Flirtatious Lacquer Balm swatches a berry on my arm but as a red on lips. Very strange!
Texture and pigment
In terms of texture they all sport a similar balm base so it glides very easily on skin. In terms of how they fare:-
- Balm Stain (formerly known as Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain) – More balmy texture compared to the others and has the sheerest pigment of the 3 although it is fairly pigmented on its own. It offers a stain on lips after it wears off and is fairly long lasting.
- Matte Balm – Not as balmy but still glides on easily and has the strongest pigment and most opaque coverage of the 3. I don’t find these as matte as the name implies and it also offers a stain on lips after the colour wears off so it’s fairly longlasting
- Lacquer Balm – In terms of balm texture, it fits in the middle and in terms of pigmentation it also fits in the middle. It delivers a higher shine and has the shortest staying power, offering little to no staining on lips.
All three have a minty taste and scent although I feel that the Lacquer Balm is the strongest and lasts the longest. As you can see, the Lacquer Balm sort of falls in the middle of everything which might explain why I feel it so be so average and unexciting. If the Lacquer Balm was a colour, it would be beige 😛
Overall
My personal preference would be for the Matte Balm first followed by the Balm Stain. As far as the Lacquer Balm goes, I’d take it or leave it. Mostly, I’d leave it because it just isn’t as special nor as spectacular as the Matte Balm. For someone younger, I think they’d prefer the Balm Stain or the Lacquer Balm as they both are a bit sheerer in terms of pigment and give a nice shine to the lips. For someone older like me, the Matte Balm is one of the best matte lipsticks I’ve tried in a long while that I’m happy to purchase and wear over and over.
If you’ve been curious about these, I hope this brief run down helps you decide 🙂
Do you like the Revlon Lacquer Balm? Have you tried all 3 textures and if so, how would you rank them?
I’m curious to know if you like the Lacquer Balm, since I’m so ambivalent about it. I just didn’t feel it lived up to its potential. But I personally love the Matte Balm but then it could also be because I haven’t had a lot of luck with matte lipsticks 😀 You?
Paris B
Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm comes in 10 shades locally Price: RM35.90 (look out for sales!) Availability: All Revlon display counters
I think the Revlon Matte Balm is the only matte lipstick that doesn’t dry my lips out or settle into my lip lines. I love this formula the most too! My next two will also be the same as yours – Balm Stain then Lacquer Balm. I think the Lacquer Balms will look better in a lighter shade, I’ve seen them in the nude shades and they look really glossy without the sticky texture.
I fully agree with you Sheila! I’ve never been a fan of matte lips but I love the Revlon ones! Thanks for letting me know about the Lacquer Balms. You could be right. The light shade would give lips a nice slick of shine and that would be pretty too! I’m just not so sure about the glitters though 🙁
Hi Paris! I was super excited when the Laquer Balms came out but when I swatched them I find it to be a let down. Huhu.. Reviews from Makeupalley x sing them praises either so I x buy any of them. I absolutely and most utterly love the Matte Balms though. They’re the best matte lippys that I’ve tried so far. I want all the colors!
Hi Phyllicia! I know exactly how you felt! Were you put off by the glitters too? Just too shiny and sparkly I think which doesn’t appeal to many of us. The Matte Balms are great! I’m not such a fan of the other shades available but it’s definitely one to keep an eye on 🙂
Well I prefer the Matte Balm more 😀 Not a fan of shiny things really. Hehe
Teehee… like Shasha said above, not a fan of shiny things except jewellery eh? hehe… 🙂
Haha jewellery SHOULD shine, not the face :p else you’d end up being shinier than the diamonds and jewellery hehehe.
HAHAHA Good point! Can’t outshine our diamonds! *preen*
the shade is quite wearable I would say..loved the first swatch..mauvey pink shade 🙂
No quarrels with the shades Parita 🙂 Very wearable shades but perhaps I’m just fussy 🙂
I love the Matte Balms! I was just raving about them yesterday and contemplated doing a blog post to celebrate the existence of the Matte Balms 🙂 Much like you, I’m a bit meh on the lacquer balms, shiny products make me run the other direction, but not if its jewellery though. 😉 The balm stain ones are great for simple everyday use!
Too bad Malaysia doesn’t carry all the shades for matte balms .. The hoarder in me cries :(I’m actually gonna go back and get the Matte Balms in every shade I can find and cry precioussss ala Gollum over them… =D
Haha why not Shasha? The Matte Balms are seriously awesome! I love how they aren’t TOO matte (if there’s such a thing) I think Revlon did so well with the Balm Stain and the Matte Balm the Lacquer Balm just really didn’t live up to its predecessors 😛 Yes it’s a pity we don’t get as many shades as overseas but then there are many ways of getting them if you really want to, I suppose? I haven’t really checked out the other shades myself but I know the others shades available locally aren’t colours I’d wear 😀
I actually own the lacquer balm in Whimsical and although I liked the texture and colour very much when I swatched it on my hand, I realised it has way too much glitter when used on the lips. I still like the texture compared with the Matte Balms but the glitter is a bit too much. Such a pity though because Whimsical is a lovely berry on my lips.
Mmm I love that name – Whimsical 😀 And it sounds like such a pretty colour too! It truly is a pity about the glitter especially once the colour wears off. Methinks in this instance, for shiny lips I’d stick with my Dior Addict 😀
Okay, I LOVE this. I think the Revlon matte balm is a winner!
Hurrah! Another fan! 😀
I don’t know. I just can’t get excited over these types of lip ‘stick’. Every brand is coming out with them nowadays. The Clinique ones don’t last and are drying on my lips. I guess from that experience, I got wary of trying other brands. I’ll stick to good old lipsticks and lip glosses.
Haha I love the way you called it a “stick” coz it literally is one right? 😀 And yes, the lip crayon is making a comeback in a huge way! I didn’t like the original ones from Clinique to be honest despite the universal raves, and it wasn’t until they came out with the Chubby Stick Intense that I fell in love with them because it’s a fun little thing. Like a fun lipstick as opposed to a serious lipstick 😀
I hate to play favourites because I really do like all 3 of them but if I had to pick one, it will have to be the Matte Balm. I love this stuff to bits even the crazy purple one. And this reminds me, I am supposed to do a comparison on the 3 too (which I will get around to sometime later).
Haha you’re so nice, Lyn! 😛 I honestly didn’t quite like the Lacquer Balms much but it’ll be nice to see your take on all 3. Awaiting your comparison post! 😀
I loved the stains. And adored the matte balms. But the lacquers ….Like you, Mehhhhh. Too much shine on my lips methinks. Didn’t look good on me. I just don’t like high shine on my lips. Make me look like I am trying too hard (to re-capture my teen years!) So all together now, MEHHHHHHHH!
MEHHHH! 😀 Was sorta sad that the Lacquer Balm didn’t live up to their brethren. It would have been nice to round off the trio with a good product.
I love all shiny things, but in this case, I prefer the matte balm too. The formula’s lovely and so are the colours.
Absolutely, Gio! I think all of us are in agreement on this one 😀
Love Revlon lip balms … they have one of the best formulas ! I wish they come up with more shades.
Which formula is your fave Shreya? 😀
I was underwhelmed too when I swatched them at the counter. Here in India they are priced quite exorbitantly, so didn’t really feel like getting these.
There was such a big song and dance about these I think I was expecting more 😀 That said, the Matte ones are really nice although if they’re pricey where you are then it might be worth reconsidering!