Revlon Matte Balm - Swatch and Review

What a day! Sometimes, it feels like being in a circus full of clowns that aren't funny. I hope tomorrow is a better day.

As far as drugstore lip product goes, Revlon has always been my favorite and I probably own more Revlon lip products than any other brands. When I heard that they came out with these new matte balm and some people said good things about them, I knew I had to check them out. They've recently popped at my local CVS and I was stoked when I stumbled upon them and was able to get them on BOGO along with using some of my Extra Care bucks.


Packaging

• Retractable jumbo lip pencil with a matte finish on the packaging as well
• .095 oz or 2.7 g

• Audacious, I'd have to agree that you need to be audacious to wear this color. It is a very bright coral matte. I find the formula and coverage for this color a bit problematic. It settles into lip line and has an odd texture to it. 

• Standout - OMG totally in love with this color. If you are looking for the perfect matte neutral red, this is the one you need to pick up.

• Shameless is probably one of boldest purple shade I've seen in a drugstore product. This shade applied a bit blotchy but you can't really tell from afar. I really had to tweak the editing on this one in order for the color to look as accurate in real life as possible. I couldn't get the color to look accurate on the facial picture so decided not to post it. Well basically, it turns out just like the color of the packaging, if that can be of any help. I've googled swatches from other people and well I guess I don't feel too bad because none of them look accurate either, lol. It's just one of those colors that looks wack on the camera. 

Striking is a warm matte red leaning coral in a way. The pigmentation is nice but it seems to lack a bit compared to the other shades.

• Sultry is a medium mauve rose.

• The lip color feels lightweight, applied creamy, and has a velvety feel to them. They don't look quite matte when you first apply. It has just a little bit of shine, kinda like a satin finish. 
• Overall, the pigmentation is good but probably due to the formula, you may have to do a couple swipe in order to get a full and even coverage. 
• There is a slight variation in texture and pigmentation between the shades. I found that Standout, Striking, and Sultry, have a smoother finish, though Striking seem to give less opaque coverage. Shameless is a little blotchy when you look up close but not so obvious from afar. Audacious, I don't know what when wrong with this one and how I managed to make it look smooth on the swatch but it doesn't look that smooth and even when applied. 
• They feel quite moisturizing I must say and are very comfortable for up to 6 hours. At least for me. 
• I am able to get up to 5 hours of wear with very minimal fading when having a few drinks. It does fade quite significantly when you're going through a meal but most lipsticks will do that anyways. However, even so, the color stains a bit which prolongs the wear belong the 5 hours even if it is a little faded. 
• Yes, they have the same minty scent as the balm stains. 

Final Thought

They're semi-matte with a light weight, moisturizing, and comfortable wear that is long-wearing. There is a slight variation with the formula and opacity between shades. They will highlight any imperfection and dryness on your lips so exfoliating and prepping your lips is a must before use. They're not quite perfect and I was expecting a little more based on what I heard but in the end I think they are still fairly good overall. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Pricing: $7-$8

Availability: CVS

Have you tried? If yes, tell me what you think.