Should You Believe the Hype? Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters Review and Swatches

When it comes to drugstore beauty products, it is very hard to excite me about a product launch, but the Twitter buzz surrounding the Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters had me lusting after a product I had never seen or touched. Beauty addicts were hauling these in multiples and posting "spotted" updates all day. The MADNESS! Seeing them boasted on the Revlon website as "sheer to medium colour with buttery shine, pampering gel formula provides super charged hydration on lips buttery smooth, hydrating mango, Shea and coconut butter formula boosts lip moisture by 156%" sealed my fate. 

(005 Sugar Frosting, 080 Strawberry Shortcake, 045 Cotton Candy, 075 Lollipop, 050 Berry Smoothie, 010 Raspberry Pie, 070 Cherry Tart, 035 Candy Apple, 040 Red Velvet)

Canada is typically slow on American product releases so when people started spotting these in Canadian drugstores I went hunting and discovered something very important. There is a HUGE price discrepancy store-to-store. Some Shoppers Drug Marts are selling them for as high as $13.99 and others as low as $10.99. Superstore has them for $8.99, but the price to beat is London Drugs at $7.99. All stores only had 4 testers available so a lot of the colours are a blind buy with only the cut-out at the top of the packaging hinting at the colour you are purchasing. 

So the big question is, where they worth hype? Well, that depends on your expectations. 

Packaging

The packaging wins major points for the clever peek-a-boo tops that allow you to pick out the colour you need easily. I store all my lipsticks that aren't in palettes standing up and sometimes it can be a pain opening and closing all the lids to find the shade I need. I am not one of those makeup geniuses who can recall a colour to memory simply by reading its name, so this takes a lot of the guess work out of my hunt. 

Also, the coloured exterior packaging, with its pseudo-quilted plastic exterior, is a good indication of what colour is inside. The cover and applicator are reminiscent of Chanel's Rouge Allure packaging in the sense that the cover is the same length as the applicator and the lipstick is housed in a stand-alone wide-based tube. 

Formula

I have been testing these for over a month and have come to a solid conclusion: a solution to dry lips these are not, but still a good overall product. 

The formula is where my hopes and dreams for this product were slightly dashed. The name "Lip Butter" really threw me after I tried this product because it doesn't have the consistency or the results of a lip butter at all. Instead, it applies like a balm but feels like a gel on the lips. The consistency is certainly smooth, light, and has a good amount of slip that lends itself well to layering and really working it in to your lips for a stain effect. BUT (and you knew this was coming)...they are drying on my lips. 

I KNOW! SHOCK, HORROR!

Initially they feel great, but as they wear after an hour, they being to settle into my lips' creases and dry patches. For best results and wear time, I suggest making sure you have exfoliated your lips and have applied a nourishing balm before hand. The lighter shades wear for approximately 2 hours and the darker shades last for 3-4 depending on whether you wear them strong or rubbed in as a stain. 

(Above: Sugar Frosting, Strawberry Shortcake, Cotton Candy, Lollipop)

(Below: Berry Smoothie, Raspberry Pie, Cherry Tart, Candy Apple, Red Velvet)

As a high shine sheer-medium lipstick, these are a success. My disappointment is definitely attributed to the misleading name, but if you can overlook that, I think these are great products to have at hand for everyday wear. I was particularly impressed with the level of pigment and opacity (particularly with the darker shades) for a gel consistency. These are a great way to integrate colour into your daily makeup routine without the heaviness or careful application of a traditional lipstick. They don't bleed or smudge so you can wear a red lip with confidence. 

**Peach Parfait is not pictured because I forgot it in my purse. It is the colour I have been wearing most regularly on a day-to-day basis because it is a lovely soft peach-pink that enhances my natural lip colour.**

GRADE:  B+