Greetings from my secure lipstick vault, fellow rogues!
First up, I wanted to say how pleased I am with the response to my last post! 😀 I mean, not pleased that so many others have the same struggles, of course, but it’s really nice to be able to discuss these things, finally :-). If you all liked that post, stay tuned for more grad student makeup madness from me and Auxiliary Beauty soon!
Right! As you may or may not have noticed recently, I have a bit of a love affair with the new Revlon Matte and Lacquer Balms (well, they’re new in these parts, anyway! ;-)) It was a truly epic quest to get a hold of them – until one day they just popped up like so many cylindrical enchanted mushrooms in the local apothecaries – and I have embarked on a secondary, equally epic quest to own all the shades that might suit this rogue. Given the prices here, this quest will be incredibly long-term, but I’m pleased to report that the ongoing sale has advanced things somewhat.
Allow me to present two particularly rogueworthy shades, the matte balms in Elusive and Unapologetic:
Revlon’s Matte Balms in Unapologetic and Elusive some onto the scene, accompanied by a handsome and mysterious dwarven stranger…
Certain fellow adventurers will be shouting ‘HA!’ at this point, as they correctly guessed that these shades were next on my list. Of all the matte balms, these two and Shameless were the ones that immediately leapt out at me. How could they not – a purple, a cool tone pink, and a vibrant coral? The rogue’s lipstick bandolier says YES. Elusive is a nice everyday shade – a medium, cool (almost mauvey?) pink that isn’t too chalky or too punchy. That being said, the matte texture still gives it a little something extra in the glamour department. Unapologetic is a fabulous, almost neon coral with the absolute perfect shade name. Depending on the lighting, this can look more or less neon, and more or less pink/orange. It’s definitely a shade to boost confidence and get you noticed!
Who is this mysterious, Unapologetically Elusive dwarf? Even his base is going incognito, although he seems to be a warrior of some sort…
OK, this may be just me (rations have been running low in the catacombs recently – I blame the paladin), but don’t the unmarred tips of these matte and lacquer balms look good enough to eat? Like glossy, bright candy… *drools*
Juicy, delicious, sweet… uh… the product in diffused outdoor sunlight? *deep breaths*Â Unapologetic is on the left, Elusive on the right…*eats muesli bar instead*
There’s not much I can say to these review wise that I didn’t already say about Shameless here. In short, however (I can hear some goblins, I think. This is the trouble with being at the head of the party – even when you find a quiet spot to wait for the rest of the adventurers to haul their robe- and chainmail-clad butts up to where you are, you still can’t blog without something hostile popping up from behind a stalagmite cluster):
These matte balms are smooth and creamy to apply (if your lips aren’t flaky, mind!), dry to a velvety, properly matte finish that feels soft and nice, have a light minty but not plumping scent/taste and last well through your average dungeon raid. Unapologetic, like Shameless, can be slightly trickier to apply if your lips aren’t in good condition, but these mattes are magically good at keeping the moisture in your lips. Lovely!
Right! Here you can see a couple of effects – how the colours look different in different lights, and what happens when you have dry, flaky lips 😛
The lower pictures in the above image were taken on a sunnier but lip-flakier day – you can see that the colours are a little darker/brighter/glowier, but that the product has gathered a little around some of the flakes. The upper pictures were taken on a dimmer, cooler but better-moisturised day! In the centre, we have a rogue’s almost creepily pigmentless lips. I mean, you all know I’m a true rogue, but I’m still not sure why my lips feel the need to stage a permanent disappearing act… thank goodness for lipstick! The neon nature of Unapologetic is quite hard to capture on film, actually, but this picture from the last post comes closest!
The neon is hard to capture, but this recent picture probably does it best. The orcs will flee!
So, what do you think is the name of our new elusive, unapologetic dwarf friend? 😀 Any guesses or suggestions?
The Verdict: These and Shameless have been a really lovely introduction to the world of matte lipsticks for me. They’re pigmented, smooth, non-drying and last well, with absolutely none of the ‘chalk’ factor that I feared. Elusive is a great everyday option, and Unapologetic is something a little bit firey and special. I’m looking forward to trying some more soon (I think some lacquer balms might be next on the list)!
The Practicalities: Revlon Colourburst Lacquer and Matte Balms cost NZD 20.50 / USD ~9.00 each for 2.7g /0.095 oz, and are available from drugstores and pharmacies the world over, as well as Farmers in NZ and http://www.revlon.com.
Until next time, fellow rogues, don’t forget to check for traps!
Syl
I am an adventuring rogue, not a mercenary for hire, and as such, all opinions expressed here are my own, based on a genuine fondness for/interest in this product. If you have any queries or suggestions, please do not hesitate to pin your parchment to the board (contact me) at thepaintedrogue [at] gmail [dot] com., or use the contact form provided! All images on this blog are the property of Syl unless otherwise noted. They may not be reproduced without permission – if you do, I’ll send goblin hordes after you. Plague-ridden ones.
The Painted Rogue 