Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains: A Review

I first read about the Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains months ago when the pre-release hype was building. Since then I have been eagerly awaiting their August release in the UK.

Finally the time came for my local Boots to be fully stocked with the new Colorstay Moisture Stains! I was on holiday when they were first released, but to be honest by the time I made it into Boots I had already been looking at online swatches and had a good idea which shades I would buy. Cannes Crush - a pretty peach coral was already leaping out at me!

I was relieved that my local Boots had plenty of stock so I could swatch away and see all the different shades in the flesh. So often when a new product is released there are only a few shades in store for a few weeks and stock can be limited for the most popular colours. Not this time!!

I swatched 8 of the 12 available shades as you can see above. My first impression was a genuine excitement about the range of shades. Sometimes a product has a great formula but the shades are too bright or too Barbie pink for my tastes. But I am sure that there is something for everyone in here. The 4 that I didn't swatch were Miami Fever (orange), Rio Rush (bright pink), Shanghai Sizzle (bright orangey-red), and LA Exclusive (a Barbie pink) just because I don't wear bright pink lipstick and as much as a love an orangey-red lip I have enough lip products in that shade for now (yes I was at least briefly, the vision of restraint).

Out of the swatches above I bought 4 shades: Stockholm Chic (a rusty brown), Cannes Crush (coral-peach), Parisian Passion (vampy deep berry) and Milan Moment (peach). I didn't buy Barcelona Nights (too bright and cool-toned for me), New York Scene (tempting - but I never seem to wear red lipstick), India Intrigue (but I was tempted as it reminded me of Benefit's Lollitint) or London Posh (it is too pale for me and has a real golden duochrome shimmer effect, which I wasn't keen on).

The Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains are packaged in smart rectangular bottles which show the colour of the product inside - very handy when searching for something in a hurry. The lid unscrews and has a doe-foot applicator wand attached.

I don't really wear lip gloss but I do love liquid lipstick and this is a real trend for new releases. I get very excited by them all starting from the original YSL Glossy Stains then the L'Oreal Glamshine Stain Splash (still think this a daft name!) and followed with the L'Oreal Extraordinaire Liquid Lipsticks (which I reviewed HERE). Recently I have been experimenting with the YSL Baby doll Kiss & Blush matte liquid lipsticks (review coming soon!) and of the course the popular Bourjois Rouge Velvet Matte lipsticks. I am also wondering if/when the Maybelline Color Elixirs will make an appearance in the UK?

The Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains apply well with the wand, they really only need one coat although you can make the colour more intense if you layer up a bit. They aren't streaky and settle nicely on the lips. I also didn't detect any real smell or taste in case that kind of thing bothers you. On the lips the feel is quite silky and moisturising but not sticky, it feels more like a balm. After a minute or so it seems to set a little to minimise colour transfer.

They are called a stain but I don't think the stain is as powerful as the Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain Crayons or the YSL Glossy Stains. When I wiped the swatches off of my hands there wasn't much of a stain left behind. Personally this doesn't bother me as you only need a feint stain to linger, a heavy stain can be annoying if you change your mind about your lip colour or want to change your make up in a hurry.

Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains L-R: Milan Moment, Cannes Crush, Stockholm Chic, Parisian Passion

I am really pleased with the colours that I chose. Milan Moment is very me - a summery peach, Cannes Crush is a brighter peachy Coral that reminds me of summer holidays. The other two shades I chose with autumn in mind. Both are darker bolder shades and Stockholm Chic will be a lovely colour and suitable for work, but I will reserve Parisian Passion for evenings (think Rimmel Kate Moss in 107).

I am really glad that I finally got my hands on these and no doubt will be giving them all lots of outings over the next few weeks!

The Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains are usually £7.99 but are currently in a 2 for £10 Revlon-wide offer in Boots HERE.