Brand: Revlon
Range: Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain
Shades: Romantic, Smitten, Sweetheart, Cherish, Darling
Swatched by yours truly: Yishan

• Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain’s are a lightweight lipstain with a pigmented flush of colour that’s long lasting and exceptional staining power that lasts for hours and hours.
• No lip balm required beforehand – the smooth gel formula glides on smoothly & softens lips for a supple, conditioned and moistured finish that looks fuller.
• Comes in a retractable chubby crayon applicator – no sharpening required.
• Available in 10 shades – Honey, Darling, Cherish, Lovesick, Sweetheart, Smitten, Charm, Romantic, Precious and Adore.
• Light peppermint fragrance.
• Tip: Make sure your lips are well exfoliated beforehand, otherwise this balm will stain in uneven patches.
• Verdict: As a testament to how amazing the staying power is, I had to photograph the lip swatches over 2 days (well spaced apart) and in a strategic sequence starting with the lightest to the darkest shade to make sure the stains from the previous swatch doesn’t interfere with the next shade.  I’m also amazed by how pigmented & moisturising they are without the need for any lip balm.   If you decide to change your lip colour just as soon as you applied it, the best makeup remover for taking off this stain is Clinique Take the Day Make Up Remover for Lids, Lashes & Lips.

Swatched without any lip balm.
Click below to view enlarged image

Darling & Cherish are better suited to pale lip tones as it contrasts against pigmented lips. That said, I liked the sweet pink stain that Cherish left on my lips as opposed to the red/fuchsia stains from the other shades.

The pink shades may look deceptively similar on my arm, but as you can see they are strikingly different on lips.

RRP: $17.95 AUD

This product was provided for consideration.

Brand: Fresh
Range: Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15
Shade: Coral
Swatched by yours truly: Yishan

• A cult favourite amongst beauty junkies, Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments are scientifically proven to keep lips moisturized for up to 6 hours after initial application, guaranteed to give smoother softer lips and prevent dryness.
• Transforms lips into juicy pillowy cushions, thanks for a blend of repairing oils (rich in plumping essential fatty acids) and waxes with real sugar (a natural humectant to retain moisture) and vitamins A, C and E for anti-oxidant protection.
• Coral is a reddish coral.  Although coverage is buildable, I find it best worn sheer, as over application tends to transfer onto teeth & cups etc.
• Texture is incredibly buttery & waxy at the same time, and the bullet is often left looking like whipped butter after I’m done applying.
• You only need a small amount & press your lips together to blend.  Over applying can lead to a “ring” effect around your lips due to the slippery finish, and losing half of it onto your cup!
• It’s not only citrus in scent, but there’s also a distinct waxiness in the taste too.
• Free of petroleum, mineral oil and lanolin.
• Verdict: I can confidently say that the hype & scientific claims are all true. I apply this 2-3 times a day, and I find the moisture lasts me throughout the whole day and my lip flakes don’t appear until they are ready for “turnover” after a good 3 days.  My only gripe is the waxy taste and the tendency for it to slide & transfer onto teeth and cups.  But as I value moisture over lasting power, this is currently my daily go-to lip product for the office.  Especially when I need to keep my lips in condition for a swatching weekend ahead!

I purchased this product from Sephora.

Brand: Tom Ford
Range: Lip & Cheek Stain
Shade: Tainted Love
Swatched by yours truly: Yishan

• Besides Aphrodisiac, the other lip product I was most excited to try from the Fall 2012 Collection is this Lip and Cheek Stain as it’s something I’ve always liked the concept of but rarely find lip/cheek duos I’m 100% in love with.  Those that I’ve tried either looks lovely on the cheeks but not lips, or vice versa.
• Tainted Love is described as a “deep rose” that gives lips a flushed sheen, or a dewy berry flush on the cheeks.
• A stand out for me is that it glides softly on both skin and lips and leaves skin with a comforting cushioned sensation, thanks to nourishing acai oil and cherry extract.
• Verdict: This gets two thumbs up for me, as it not only looks flattering on both lips and cheeks (“my lips/cheeks but better”), but also for another reason.  I’ve always loved the way Tom Ford Black Orchid lipstick looks on cheeks, but struggled at how the lipstick doesn’t sit well on my dry cheeks, possibly because I have it in the old formula that’s less moisturising (white & gold packaging). But with Tainted Love, it gives a similar flush (it’s rosier than the violet hues in Black Orchid) but is far easier to blend and sits more comfortably on the skin.  Also the sheer buildable formula means I can also apply it liberally directly from the bullet without worrying about overdoing it.

RRP: $65 AUD

This product was provided for consideration.

Brand: Laura Mercier
Range: Lip Stain
Shade: Peach Glaze
Swatched by yours truly: Yishan

• The long wearing formula is described as a hybrid between a stain and gloss – however I found it to be closer to an silky yet waxy lip creme with a semi-matte finish.
• Peach Glaze is a peachy nude that’s understated and natural.   Against my flushed lip tone it looks slightly streaky, so I recommend this for paler lip tones.
• Also available in Mulberry, Moccha, Scarlet, Shy Pink and Sugar Violet.
• It works best when applied directly onto the lips (without lip balm) for the creamy texture to grip onto the lips, and finished off with a gloss or  Chubby Stick in “Heaping Hazelnut” Whilst I’d use a lip brush to get the colour out of the pot, blending with fingers seems to work best at warming & softening the creamy matte texture into the lip creases.
• Verdict: When it comes to lip stains, a peachy nude certainly didn’t cross my mind.  But the more I work with this shade, the more I appreciate what this shade has to offer.   Ideal for pale lip tones that want a long lasting nude lip that tones down your lips without making you look washed out.

It’s not moisturising on its own, but does a great job at toning down lips for an understated nude.

RRP: $42 AUD

Available on counters or at Adore Beauty (Australia).

This product was provided for consideration.

Brand: Clinique
Range: Chubby Stick
Shade: Heaping Hazelnut
Swatched by yours truly: Yishan

• Heaping Hazelnut debuted at the Karen Walker FW12 show, and is one of the 8 new shades added to the Chubby Stick range, along with Pudgy Peony, Bountiful Blush, Two Ton Tomato, Oversized Orange, Might Mimosa, Curvy Candy, and Voluptuous Violet.
• The balm-like formula feels really moisuturising yet lightweight, thanks to a special blend of Shea Butter, Mango Seed Butter and Jojoba Seed Oil.
• Coverage is buildable – one layer gives you a “my lips but better” sheer nude, and the second layer gives a more hazelnut nude.
• Packaged in a convenient retractable barrel, perfect for on-the-go application.
• Verdict: Heaping Hazelnut is a sheer nude that’s wearable on all skin tones & does a pretty good job at adding a sheen to dry lips. Unlike many creamy nudes, the sheer hazelnut tones in this lippy doesn’t accentuate lip lines or flakes making it a nude lipstick you can rely on any day regardless of your lip condition.

Heaping Hazelnut is a “my lips but better” sheer nude with one layer, and the second layer gives a more hazelnut finish.

This product was provided for consideration.