Category Archives: Lip Stain

Becca Dragonfruit Beach Tint – Review & Swatches

Becca Dragonfruit Beach Tint

As part of my Sephora Friends & Family order (I was lucky to get a code from a friend), I bought Becca’s Dragonfruit Beach Tint – my first Becca product! Beach tints are described as a “blendable crème stain,” and they can be used on both lips and eyes. Dragonfruit is, according to Sephora, a “poppy pink” – though I would describe it as more of a reddened pink.

Becca’s Beach Tints are packaged in a small tube with a nozzle. It’s definitely the right packaging choice for the consistency of the product – it’s easy to squeeze out exactly the right amount. The tube is small (.24oz / 7ml), but given how little you need, it’s plenty to last a long time. The only complaint I have is that the Beach Tints do not say the shade name anywhere on the package. The colored stripe is different for each, but if you have several similar shades, it might be difficult to use that to determine the shade.

Dragonfruit Beach Tint – heavy & blended swatches

As mentioned above, I would describe Dragonfruit’s color as a reddened pink. The lovely Drivel About Frivol has some comparison swatches here; she also has a photo of completely unblended Beach Tint, so you can see the consistency – which I would describe as a creamy gel. Dragonfruit is very pigmented, but easily blendable. It’s totally weightless on my cheeks, but slightly drying on my lips. On my cheeks, it started to fade after about four hours, but lasted 6-7 hours. On my lips, it was gone after two hours and a snack – but I did wear lip balm over it; it might have lasted longer if I hadn’t. Do note that it has an artificial fruit scent; I dislike the scent, but it disappears quite quickly.

In the following photo, I’m wearing Dragonfruit on my cheeks and lips:

Dragonfruit Beach tint – cheeks & lips

And a lip close-up; you can see that it adds color to my lips, but doesn’t change the texture of them at all.

Becca products are newly available at Sephora.com, and some, but not all, Sephora stores.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend Dragonfruit. I like the consistency, especially for cheeks, and I like the versatility of using it on both cheeks and lips. I do wish it wore a bit longer on me, and I wish it was unscented!

YSL Glossy Stain in 12 Corail Fauve Review, Swatches, Photos

Continuing on with the mini-reviews, I bring you YSL Glossy Stain #12, Corail Fauve.

I think the packaging is a bit overdone; I’d prefer a black top – but it’s certainly functional, and I very much like that you can see the product color inside. I like the shape of the doe-foot applicator – it makes precise application easy.

The Glossy Stain has a very thin texture, and it’s easy to apply a thin coat to your lips, which is then comfortable and quite long-wearing. The darker colors leave a very long-wearing stain, while the lighter colors (like this one) do not. However, I still find that Corail Fauve lasts extremely well as compared to other lipcolors of similar intensity.

YSL #12 Corail Fauve

I’ve seen several swatches of this around; it’s much more natural looking on me and much brighter on some others. I recommending swatching it in-store if it appeals to you! Note that Sephora only carries this shade online, but Nordstrom has it in-store.

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Revlon Adore Kissable Balm Stain Swatches and Photos

I bought a fifth Revlon Balm Stain! Clearly, I am loving these 🙂 For a full review of the formula, please see my first post on the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. This post is just swatches and photos.

Adore

Here are all five of the Balm Stains I currently own swatched together – As you can see, Adore is warmer and more of a brick red, while Romantic is also red, but brighter and with totally different undertones.

Revlon Kissable Balm Stains

Thus far, my favorite is Romantic (I’m also enjoying wearing Romantic and Rendezvous mixed together, as in this FOTD), and my least favorite is Honey.

Lip swatches of Honey and Crush are here.
Lip swatches of Romantic and Rendezvous are here.

These are my favorite lip product of the year – at least this far! I do think that I’ve bought all I want thus far, unless Revlon releases some new colors.

More Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain Swatches, Photos

I reviewed two of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains a few days ago, and I liked them so much that I went back and bought two more! Please see my previous review for my thoughts on the packaging, formula, and a full review – this most is just swatches of the two new shades I bought: Honey and Crush.

Arm swatches:

Honey, Crush

Lip swatches:

Honey

Crush

And then, all four together! In different orders in each photo – sorry about that!

Revlon Balm Stain in Crush, Honey, Romantic, Rendezvous

Revlon Balm Stain in Swatches Honey, Crush, Rendezvous, Romantic

Revlon Balm Stain in Honey, Crush, Rendezvous, Romantic

If you’ve tried the Revlon Kissable Balm Stains, I’d love to hear what you think of them so far!

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Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain Review, Swatches, Photos

A new item that’s been popping up at drugstores are the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. They’re chubby pencils that (I think) are supposed to moisturize and give glossy color, but then leave a stain on the lips. They’re somewhat similar in that to the Tarte Lipsurgence Lip Tints (the glossy ones) – but I don’t own own, so unfortunately cannot do a comparison for you! I don’t think they are as similar to Clinique’s Chubby sticks (which I also don’t own); although both are chubby lip pencils, the Chubby Sticks aren’t meant to stain.

I decided to buy two colors: Rendezvous, a peachy orange, and Romantic, a sheer, very natural red, so today I have swatches of both, and my first impressions of the product. Let me just tell you this right now – this review is going to be all positive, because so far I really love these!

The packaging, including the exterior packaging, is nice. Instead of using sticky residue-leaving labels or leaving them open to be molested by people in the drugstore, they come with a small piece of easily-opened shrinkwrap that mostly prevents people from opening them, and lets you know if someone did open one – which I appreciate! The balm-stains themselves are packaged in a plastic tube which is approximately the color of the product inside. They twist up – you don’t need to sharpen them. This is great in that there’s less waste, but it does mean that once you flatten the pointed tip with use, it won’t be sharp again. I tested out the mechanism for twisting up the tubes, and both of the balm stains that I bought twist up and back down again smoothly.

The Just Bitten Kissable Balm stains smell like peppermint, though the strength seems to vary a bit. I barely noticed it with Rendezvous, and while Romantic was more strongly scented and made my lips tingle a bit (though in a pleasant way). They feel nice on the lips – they are moisturizing going on, and my lips felt good even once they had worn off.

I found that the color was very long lasting. I tested Rendenzvous out for several hours. Because it is a lighter shade, I didn’t expect it to last long, but the full color and glossiness lasted at least three hours (and through a meal!), and it left a nice, even stain for a few hours after that, which I eventually removed to try out Romantic. I’m wearing Romantic right now, and I expect that since it’s deeper, it will last as long or longer – but I’ll update this post if it doesn’t! (quick update: three hours after application, it’s not as glossy anymore but the color is still going strong, very even and lovely!)

Revlon Rendezvous

Revlon Romantic

I did notice that the color of Rendezvous reminded me of Tutti Frutti lip butter – though the textures are different, so I swatched both of them together. They’re similar, but Tutti Frutti is more orange, and Rendezvous is more peach.

I’m sure it’s clear from this review – but if it’s not – I love these! I plan to pick up a few more shades soon. So far, I think this is one of the very best drugstore lip products I have tried.

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YSL 13 Rose Tempura Glossy Stain Review, Swatches, Photos

Ever since they first came out a little while ago, I’ve been intrigued by the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture – Vernis a Levres Glossy Stains, which are a combination lipgloss and lip stain. Today, I have a review and swatches of 13 Rose Tempura for you – which, as it turns out, is an exact dupe of NARS Velvet Gloss Pencil in Mexican Rose.

The YSL Glossy Stains are packaged in a luxe black and gold tube with a uniquely shaped doe-foot applicator that works very well for application. I really like the packaging – it is both functional and elegant.

The gloss/stain has a nice texture – it’s nonsticky and only a little bit slippery, which I think is nice. I don’t like thick or slippery lipglosses, and in fact I rarely wear lipgloss at all – but I find this product very comfortable to wear. It is possible to apply a thin coat – which is how I like to wear it – and with a thin coat it’s not very glossy, though it does have a sheen.

YSL 13 Rose Tempura

The color is a mid-toned bright pink, and it does stain the skin. Above, I’ve wiped off the glossy color with a makeup wipe. If I scrub, I can remove all the color with some effort.

Although the packaging is completely different, this product is an exact dupe of NARS Mexican Rose Velvet Gloss Pencil. Not only are they the exact same color, but both apply glossy, but then fade to a long lasting stain.

NARS; YSL

Here are lip swatches of both – sorry but I’ve switched the order from the swatches above!

YSL Glossy Stain 13 on left; NARS Mexican Rose on right

Even if you love this color – and it’s a lovely color – you definitely do not need both of these products! Since the packaging is so different, it’s really up to personal preference; the YSL is better if you prefer a liquid you apply with a doe-foot, and the NARS is better if you would prefer a pencil (though keep in mind that you will lose product when you sharpen). The YSL is $32, and the NARS is $24.

Yves Saint Laurent Glossy Stain 13 Rose Tempura and NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil Mexican Roseare both available at Sephora stores and online.

If this color appeals to you, which of these would you pick?

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