Revlon Balm Stain Mega Review + Swatches - Part 1!


Anyone who knows me is pretty aware of my love for the Revlon Balm Stain range, so this review might be a little biased!  I picked up my first one in Smitten a little over a year ago and had no idea it would be the start of a very long running romance. 

As I've picked up so many along my journey, I've split the post up into two, this first post will focus on the original range whilst the second one focuses on the Matte (M) and Lacquer (L) balms.




From Left to Right - Rendezvous, Precious, Demure (L), Honey, Elusive (M), Cherish, Darling, Showy (M), Sultry (M), Smitten, Standout (M), Enticing (L), Adore and Shameless (M)

I'll start with an overall review for the range.  The balm stains are easily my favourite lip product, they're a crayon like product with a twist bottom so you can avoid annoying sharpening and really get the most out of the product.  In Australia, these retail at around $17.95 but frequently go on sale at big outlets such as Priceline and Myer.

I find the application for most of the range to be quite dreamy with most balm stains having a soft cream-like texture and a great option for those on the go.  The staying power does vary from colour and range however the colour payoff upon application is all around pleasing without much of a need to build up.  Additionally, all of the original range are quite hydrating and not at all drying which boosts its everyday appeal.  If you've got chapped lips but still want to rock a cute colour, I'd recommend the original range below.

Now onto the individual lip swatches and reviews:


First up is Rendezvous - I don't usually go for orange lip colours myself but naturally I had to pick this one up on my quest to complete my balm stain collection.  I was pleasantly surprised at the result as it is not an awfully bright orange and quite wearable.  Longevity for this colour is average, lasts around 3-4 hours before fading.


Precious is an underrated nude.  I often find this colour in bargain bins and reduced to clear which bums me out because it is such a cute nude!  Longevity for Precious is a little better, lasting closer to around 5-6 hours before needing re-application.  I find the formula for Precious to be a little bit creamier too but sets well.

Honey was my second balm stain and has been a great friend!  My go-to muted pink for everyday looks and is usually found in my purse!  Honey lasts about 5-6 hours before fading.


Cherish is a slightly cooler based pink which I sadly don't reach for as much as I'd like.  Has a similar wearability to Precious and Honey and generally only needs to be reapplied after around 5 hours.

Darling is a much cooler, purple-ish pink.  Similar to some of the others above, it lasts around 5 hours before needing to be reapplied.  I feel this a good cool-toned pink for cooler skin types without making you look washed out.

Smitten is my first love, this  gorgeous berry colour suits everyone in my opinion!  I could write poems about my love for this colour but to stay objective, I find it to be slightly creamier than some of the others and due to the deepness of the colour, will generally need reapplication around 3-4 hours to maintain the bright colour however it does leave a lovely stain on the lips for day-long wear.


Adore is a bit deeper than it shows in this image and is a nice orangey based milder red.  I find this has a slightly wetter texture and stays quite moist on the lips however due to this, will need reapplication more frequently to maintain the colour payoff, around 2-3 hours.


This concludes the swatches for the first post.  I hope this has been helpful and has not broken some no-buy spirits!  Stay tuned for my part two post which will focus on the Lacquer and Matte Balm stains which were recently released in Australia.

4 comments:

  1. Great post! I did a review of all of the matte balm stains if you're interested! http://www.brainonblush.com/2014/04/revlon-matte-balms-review.html

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    1. Thank you so much for sharing this, it's a great post! I just love the matte balms, Shameless is my fave!

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  2. Great collection you have there! I too love the balm stains, and have yet to pick up the matte or lacquer balms, but they do swatch very nicely. Probably will cave in the future!

    Btw I'm an Adelaide blogger too, welcome to the blogging community :)


    Sheri | Behind The Frames

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    1. Thank you :D Can't wait to catch up with some fellow Adelaide bloggers, it's gonna be awesome :3

      The Lacquer and Matte balms are great too! I'm slowly building my collection of them as well.

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