Review: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains

The blogosphere has been a buzz regarding the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. To be honest, I've had mixed thoughts regarding the two that I purchased; one I absolutely detest and the other I'm liking a little more but don't think is nearly worth the hype.

I purchased two shades: Charm, which in the tube looks like a peachy nude shade and Honey, which is a more my lips but better shade. Prices vary on these items, I think I paid about $5 per stain (including coupons and sales) for mine and I believe the retail price is somewhere between $8-$10 depending.

The idea of a balm stain is a great idea and sounds amazing in theory, but I'm not sure it really works. My lips are very dry and prone to peeling. Lip balm is a major staple in my makeup arsenal. I consider a lip balm something that I can put on my lips when they are dry and peeling and it will heal them and make them look better. These I don't consider lip balms as they don't cure dry lips. Charm accentuates my dry lips and looks patchy and uneven; although it doesn't feel uncomfortable on the lips after the initial application and Honey is a tad bit better in terms of application and looks better but again, doesn't add much moisture. The sticks are a drier consistency upon first application but with the heat of my lips they become a bit thinner though they still retain a somewhat tacky consistency. Honey becomes more emollient than Charm and feels much more comfortable and looks better.

As far as the staining properties, both transfer on me; Charm very obviously onto the can I was drinking from and Honey a bit less. Honey also leaves more color behind which I'd imagine is due to the darker color so the stain abilities of the product might be better with the darker colors in the range. I actually prefer the color of the stain Honey leaves behind a bit more than the color full on as it leaves your lips looking like you had some red popsicles, add some "real" lip balm and my lips look great and supple.

Charm is my least favorite of the two. As I previously mentioned, it really accentuates the dryness of my lips (a la Illamasqua) and it does a peculiar transformation as you wear it. You can begin to see that there is a variance of color. The peachy nude turns into a much brighter color than it initially appears though perhaps in the most unflattering way possible.

As you can see, Honey is much more forgiving and doesn't settle nearly as bad as Charm around the cracks and dry bits on my lips. Still, I don't find it as moisturizing as my other lip balms although it does feel more comfortable and creamy on the lips than Charm!


One thing I do want to note is as someone that generally dislikes minty lip products, these are very lightly scents and don't bother me nearly as much as some of the more mintier options out there. I don't find that the mint burns though it does tingle a little.

So the general consensus for me is I hate Charm and like Honey but like Honey more worn off a bit topped with lip balm which somewhat defeats the purpose of an all-in-one sort of product.

Have you tried these yet? What were your thoughts? If you are tempted but haven't yet, I would definitely wait for a sale as I don't think they are worth their full retail price.