L'OREAL: Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain

I finally got around to trying the notorious dupe for the YSL Glossy Stains that I have been hearing about for months now! I don't own any YSL Glossy Stains and the most I have had in contact with them is swatching them on my hand a long time ago at Sephora, so I'll have to take everyone's word for it. What did intrigue me though, was the fact that a lip product that costs $10 rivals a high end product going for $34! (I mean let's face it, those are always the best finds!)

I remembered seeing these when they first came out and thought the packaging was really nice, the applicator looked interesting, and there was a nice selection of pinks (my fave!). Months went by and I never purchased them because I just thought they were a lip gloss...nothing special and I have so many already, I don't need anymore.

Then a coupon popped up in my email I think, $2 off a L'OREAL lip product. So I did what any responsible shopper would do. I bought something I didn't need, and told myself the coupon justifies the purchase. Right?! No?! Whatever.

So I picked up Pink Rebellion which from the package looked like a hot magenta color. Totally right up my alley. I have to admit though, I was not a big fan that these do not come sealed...who knows what people do with them or where their hands have been. Hello, germ fest! Anyways, I picked the one that looked the least tampered with and I'm happy to report no herpes...yet.

Revlon: Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

Let's just cut to the chase, Revlon you've done did it again in the lip department! I am lovin' the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains! I purchased Honey and Cherish and it's the only lip products I have been wearing since I purchased them!

In general I'm a fan of lip stains in theory, but I've tried numerous marker type lip stains (including Revlon's Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm) and I'm still not big on them. For me, the formula of the marker type stains always fade in the most random places on my lips. They also go on weird on me: either really streaky or leave my lips looking like I've used red food coloring to stain my lips. I don't know if any of that makes sense but my point is, I don't like it. What makes this stain nice is the formula; the fact that they are a creamy "balm" consistency allows them to apply more evenly to the lips than most of the marker type stains I have tried. These balm stains remind me a lot of Revlon's beloved Lip Butters but in chubby stick form which makes them even easier to use. They have a mint scent which is not overpowering so I actually find it quite nice and refreshing. They also require no sharpening which is great! The two I tried had a surprising amount of pigmentation which again is reminiscent of the Lip Butters. As far as lasting power, I can get a good 3 hours of wear before I reapply again and that's with drinking and eating. Again, the chubby stick makes it so easy to apply that I never use a mirror when reapplying. Bonus points for major convenience!