Revlon – Colorstay Moisture Stain

Multi-tasking beauty products are nothing new these days (moisturizer & sunscreen, primer & bronzer, foundation & skincare), and yet Revlon® has managed to find something new to add to this category way just the same. Joining the ranks of their successful Colorstay™ range, are the new Colorstay Moisture Stain™ (CAN $12.95) line of lip products (launching in June), a selection of 12 hues in a hybrid gloss/balm/stain formula with names inspired by some of the most exotic locales around the globe.

Packaged in a sleek, travel-friendly and easy to store rectangular container, the transparent body of the tube displays the colour (no guesswork required, thank you). The wand bears a slanted and spade-shaped sponge applicator – very similar to what we’re seeing these days from several brands, from mass market to luxury, making application effortless: the broader portion helps to deposit most of the colour with a quick swipe, while the pointed end is useful for getting to edges and creating a clean line. There’s a slight waxy/plastic-y scent that I initially found off-putting upon opening the tube, but thankfully this is undetected when worn. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I also felt a light cooling effect upon initial application – pretty unique, although it didn’t last. An infusion of Vitamin E and aloe gives these stains a non-sticky, weightless and balmy feel, with a mirror-like shine at the end.

Here’s where it gets really interesting: the formula. The first hue I applied was 050 London Posh and if not for the sake of this review, I may have been tempted to declare this specific shade a fail – but then something happened. What looked like an initial patchy and almost dry-looking swipe of colour, began to morph before my eyes – becoming even & self-levelling, smoothening itself out and completely covering every section of my lips. What sorcery was this? There was even a glassy shine at the end, although not as intense as the other two shades – probably due to its light shimmer. The other two were equally impressive, continuing to alter their composition until the pigment settled into place and sealed the deal with a brilliant gloss. Staying power was longer than I expected with the lightest shade, going easily 3 hours and even longer with the other two. With the darker/brighter shades, there was a definite stain left behind on the lips, but not the “ring” variety – more of an overall colour, albeit paler/faded. For a long-lasting product, I was most pleased with the way my lips felt long after most of it had worn off: hydrated, smooth and totally moisturized.

Revlon® Colorstay Moisture Stain™

050 London Posh – what appears to be an apricot hue from looking at the tube, turned out to be more of a peachy-nude tint on my lips, with an ultra-fine shimmer for depth. Initial application made this shade look almost beige, but like magic, it transformed to the colour shown in my swatch – a gorgeous neutral that’s both warm & cool leaning.

Revlon® Colorstay Moisture Stain™ – 050 London Posh

025 Cannes Crush – a vivid coral/tangerine/cherry hue that instantly brightens your face. While easily worn by fair skin tones for a pop of colour (or as an alternative to less-forgiving red), this shade will also look amazing against darker skin tones. The perfect Summer shade, wouldn’t you agree?

Revlon® Colorstay Moisture Stain™ – 025 Cannes Crush

005 Parisian Passion – deep, rich and ridiculously sexy: a burgundy/berry hue with just the right amount of dark and bright pigment, to keep your lips looking lusciously vampy as well as sophisticated. The stain left behind with this shade was the most visible (naturally): a cool leaning grape hue.

Revlon® Colorstay Moisture Stain™ – 005 Parisian Passion

I absolutely love it when a beauty brand, especially one that’s not usually on my radar (confessions of a cosmetics snob), surprises me like this. Playing with these Colorstay Moisture Stain™ shades has also reinforced another valuable beauty lesson: don’t judge before trying. With their wallet-friendly price points (with many drugstores usually offering promos or rebates for even more of a deal), as well as their awesome formula and colour range (of which I was fortunate enough to see them all – trust me, they’re fabulous!), there is no reason to not indulge.

Revlon® Colorstay Moisture Stain™ will be available as of June 2014 through mass market retailers and drugstores nation-wide (Canada).