Charmed, I'm Sure

Revlon haven't yet released their Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains in Australia yet, but they're available on Ebay for beauty enthusiasts who simply can't wait. Not being Ebay savvy and having a general dislike of Internet shopping, instead I seized the opportunity to get my hands on Revlon's follow up to their popular Lip Butters by asking a friend to scout one for me on her recent trip to the US. The particular shade I was after was Charm (035), after seeing it on various blogs and deciding that it was the colour that appealed to me the most. Honey and Sweetheart are closely behind, but I managed to limit myself to just one.

I've amassed 5 lip crayons from 3 different brands (Clinique, Face of Australia, Revlon) in a short period of time. As cute as they are, the novelty of them has worn off considerably. Applying colour to your lips with a chubby lip crayon is pretty much like having an oversized lip liner that leans more on the sheer side. There really isn't any advantage to a lip crayon over a regular lipstick or stick of lip balm, except that it takes longer and you need to fill in your lips, sometimes resulting in slightly uneven application. I've noticed that the Revlon is a lot firmer and more pigmented than the Clinique Chubby Sticks and the Face of Australia Sheer Gloss Lip Crayons, which are sheerer and softer in texture.

l-r: Charm, Revlon Lip Butter in Creamsicle, Face of Australia Lip Quench lipstick in Iced Almond 

The scent of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain reminds me strongly of candy canes. Sweet and minty. For such a light colour, the crayon itself is decently pigmented, but doesn't quite override the natural pigmentation of my lips. Charm is a peachy nude that gradually leans more and more pink. The colour immediately reminded me of Revlon Lip Butter in Creamsicle, which sure enough, is more or less an exact dupe (possibly a touch lighter). The thing I didn't expect was the weird transformation Charm would have on my lips. First applied, it's quite nude and peachy, but then it becomes increasingly darker and more pink. If you wipe off the product completely, it leaves an almost coral stain to the lips. It stains much darker, brighter and more red than the actual crayon colour, which is unexpected and a bit bizarre.

l-r: Charm when initially applied, stain on lips when Charm is rubbed off

I'm not sure whether other lighter colours have a similar effect. I'd imagine the darker pinks and reds would have similar staining properties which wouldn't be too unusual, as the stain would more closely match the shade of the lip crayon. The strong stain that the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain leaves on the lips does set it apart from other lip crayon products I've tried. The visually appealing packaging is very close to the Clinique Chubby Sticks, but a bit lighter in weight and with a colour-coded cap as well as body. I only wish that the initial colour stayed on the lips and didn't turn into something totally different.