Review | Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms

If you haven't heard of Revlon's Colorburst Matte Balms yet… where have you been? They've appeared everywhere on beauty blogs, as well as youtube monthly favourites videos, and I'm not surprised as I'm very proud to have them as part of my make-up bag this season.

Revlon have unveiled a new lip product, much like their original balm stains, except in a matte formula. Personally, I'm not a fan of shimmery, glossy lip products so I was quite excited when I heard the new lip crayons were in shops.

The matte balms come in 10 beautiful shades; from subtle nudes to plum purples. I took advantage of Boots' 3 for 2 offer on at the moment and I picked up three shades to show and review for you.

If you haven't seen Revlon's lip balms before, they are a highly pigmented lip crayon, almost like a lip stain. I like these as they don't feel as heavy as a lipstick, however, are more pigmented than a lip gloss or a tinted lip balm. The balms are also retractable so there's no need to sharpen the crayon at all.

As my make-up bag is filled with red lipsticks, I thought I'd venture a little out of my comfort zone and pick some shades I'm not used to normally wearing on my lips. I chose 230 complex- a slightly brownish nude, 235 mischievous- a coral orange and 220 showy flamboyante- a bright, fuschia pink.

I am very pale-skinned, so I'm always searching for a nude lip colour which doesn't wash me out, or appear too brownish for my skin colour. I did expect 230 complex to be a tad lighter on my lips than it is, but I'm surprised I've found a nude shade that I actually suit! I've been loving this shade and it's been on my lips every day; as well as on nights out when my eye make-up is slightly darker and heavier.

I'll always remember the first lip colour I ever bought as a child, No7's Stay Perfect Lip Lacquer in an illuminous neon pink colour (it's discontinued now- I wonder why!). Shade 220 showy flamboyante reminded me of the days I used to pile on No7's pink shade with my purple cord jeans- I was such a cool child. The shade is definitely a bit more daring and bright, but I find a light coat is perfect for everyday wear.

I was a bit skeptical about picking up an orange shade. It definitely used to be the colour I'd steer away most from putting on my face, but I'm actually very surprised I love this colour! There's no denying it is a bright orange shade and I'm excited to incorporate this in with some spring outfits in the future.

I'm really impressed with the lasting power. This morning I left the house with 220 showy flamboyante on my lips, and I'd say it remained a vibrant shade for another 2 hours after application. As I'm very lazy, I didn't re-apply during the day and at around 5pm it had faded into a subtle pink, which I actually really liked. Normally, matte shades tend not to last very long at all, but I'm certainly impressed with the lasting power of the matte balms.

Matte balms generally tend to be more drying than glossier ones. The balms contain shea, mango and coconut butter to help moisturise your lips, but I found this clung to dry patches if my lips were not well moisturised before application. As I'm going to bed and while I'm doing my make-up, I usually apply a coat of vaseline to my lips to make sure lipstick application is a lot smoother.

Revlon have played it safe by adding peppermint oil to the ingredients, which means you're not tasting a horrible artificial cosmetic scent on your lips throughout the day. The smell is very pleasant and strong when the balm is first applied, but wasn't noticeable later on in the day, which is good if you find fragranced cosmetics a little off putting.

I'm sorry I only have three of the shades to show you today, but I will definitely be picking up a few more of the matte balms in the Colorburst range. They also have glossier laquer balms too!

Have you tried any of the Revlon balms? Do you prefer lip crayons over lip sticks and glosses?