little white truths

I bought three of these a while ago and I've been panning each one in turn.

Yes I do enjoy the formula, but I'm keen to get my lipstick collection down even further before the end of the year so I've been happy to work on these because I like them and they only contain 1.7g of product, meaning they're relatively easy to finish.

Next up for review is Desert, which is probably my favourite of the three shades I bought - the other two being Vineyard and Coral - because it's the best one for everyday use.

Revlon claims/product details:

• Get high-definition, lightweight colour 
• Intensely hydrating formula with hyaluronic acid
• Available in 15 shades
• Gel formula with vibrant pigments for bold lips that stand out
• Slim package and precision tip to sculpt lip
• RRP $24.95 AUD for 1.7g, but do shop around

And indirect sunlight:

Light and heavy swatches, direct sunlight:

Indirect sunlight:

My bare lips for reference:

Wearing the product, natural light: 

And indirect sunlight: 

Verdict

This is a nice product and I enjoy it, and I'm pleased to report that, like the shade Coral, it works a lot better for me than Vineyard did. That is, it doesn't travel up and down the vertical lines around my lips within an hour or two of application, which is why I wouldn't buy Vineyard again.

As for Desert, it's a smooth, lightweight product with a very sweet scent. I can see why they've called it a gel because although I would say that it's creamy and hydrating, it doesn't quite feel like a cream and it has more of a glassy, glossy look and feel than a creamy, opaque one.

The finish has a nice shine that sits somewhere between a cream lipstick and a gloss. Indeed, it's quite hard to classify these and you really need to test one to know what I'm talking about. What I can say is that it's a flattering shine that offers a healthy look to the lips, and the product also smooths out lip texture in the same way that a gloss would do - which is something I personally look for in my lip products.

In terms of pigment, these offer a nice amount of that and you can wear them lightly for a 'bitten' look or heavily for more impact. While you won't get full-blown opacity with these in the way that you would with eg a liquid lipstick, you'll still get a good amount and I personally prefer a little less pigment so I'm happy with how these look.

In other news these feel super hydrating and I don't need to wear a balm underneath them (unusual for me, given how dry my lips are), and while they transfer onto my coffee cup, at least they fade evenly and the wear-time isn't bad - especially because they leave a flattering stain behind that I like just as much as I like how they look when I first apply them.

One thing to note, though, is that you only get 1.7g of product in these, which is less than half of what you'd get in a standard 4g lipstick. And given that these are at the upper-end of what you would pay for a budget lipstick, that's something to be aware of and I certainly wouldn't pay full-price for one.

'Desert' is a nice, nude red-brown that goes with just about everything and that I can wear for everyday looks. It's subtle enough that I won't look overdone with this if I'm wearing a brighter blush, but it has enough punch to stand on its own if I build it and want my lips to be the focus. I think this shade would suit a lot of people.

Overall this is a nice formula and I do recommend this particular shade, which means that two of my three have worked well for me: it's just Vineyard that was a glitch in the Matrix. They're hydrating and they're easy to wear, and I can see why a lot of people love them.

Worth trying.