Mad about Matte

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms

I have an unhealthy obsession with lip crayons. I think it's an extension of my primary school obsession with twistup crayons but there is just something about them that makes me want to collect them all. And I have tried a lot! So ever since I first saw the Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm crayons on YouTube, I have been not-so-patiently waiting for their arrival in Australia. I've even gone into different retailers to ask about them multiple times! I was so excited to see the displays get rolled out a few weeks ago and now they are FINALLY here!

These were released at the same time as the lacquer balms and both ranges come in ten shades. I believe I showed great restraint by only purchasing four - 3 mattes and 1 lacquer.

Say hello to Elusive (matte), Unapologetic (matte), Standout (matte) and Vivacious (lacquer).

L-R: 205 Elusive, 210 Unapologetic, 250 Standout, 120 Vivacious

Here are some swatches. The top image shows the colours with one swipe and the bottom shows the colours more built up. As you can see they are quite pigmented and there's not much difference. 

Swatches L-R: Elusive, Unapologetic, Standout, Vivacious

The photo below shows how the swatches fared after one firm pass of a baby wipe. As expected, the darker colour performed much better. Unapologetic came off almost completely while Standout and Vivacious left a bit of a stain. 

Post baby wipe L-R: Elusive, Unapologetic, Standout, Vivacious

Colour Breakdown

Elusive (205): Cool, medium pink that's comes off as a light, dusty rose on me. It will suit a lot of complexions and is perfect for an easy day look.
Unapologetic (210): A warm reddish-pink that will lean slightly towards neon on some skin tones. Definitely bold, but nothing too scary. 
Standout (250): This neutral, berry red joins the ranks of great Revlon reds. This has the most matte finish of all three and is perfect for the upcoming cooler seasons.
Vivacious (120): Also a reddish pink but deeper and redder than Unapologetic. The shimmer in this lacquer shade isn't noticeable on the lips and it just gives off a nice sheen. Quite cool toned on my lips.   

The following review is only for the matte shades and not the lacquer one. That will come at a later date and probably as a comparison with a different lip crayon.

Verdict?
Colour/Pigmentation: Good. The shades I have are highly pigmented and go on smoothly without patchiness. Once coat is definitely enough. The shade range is also diverse enough that everyone will be able to find a shade to their tastes. 
Lasting Power: Good. Obviously these can't compare to the stains but they still last a good amount of the time. The darker shade - Standout - lasts the longest but I can get a good 5hours out of all of them.
Blendability: Average. They are soft and just glide on but they aren't really balmy to me. They do nothing for smoothing out chapped lips and like most matte finishes just end up emphasising them. You will need to thoroughly exfoliate. Some of the lighter shades will also emphasise fine lines but this isn't an issue with my three shades. 
Packaging: Good. I LOVE the gorgeous matte packaging! It's also quite solidly made i.e. the crayon doesn't move a lot inside the tube. Some crayons are too small for the tube and end up creating a mess because they get pressed against the rim as they're applied. These didn't have that problem. The lids also stay on quite firmly. Very travel friendly.
Final thoughts: I really love how these looks on my lips but I am not a fan of how much prep I need to do beforehand. I know matte finishes tend to emphasise fine lines and chapped lips but I thought this would be less of an issue since the crayon is called a balm. They're not balmy, and they're not as convenient as I hoped. 7.5/10


Give these a go! When applied on smooth lips, these look fantastic. Fantastic enough that I know I will be exfoliating and applying balm more regularly so I can wear these minty friends more often. 

An extra incentive might be the deals that are happening everywhere for these lippies. I know at the moment both Myer and Big W are offering 2 for $20 deals but the best place to go is Priceline because until April 7th they are having a buy one get one free sale on all Revlon lip products so you can get two for $17.95.

xoxo
Enjoy your weekend!