Cosmetics review: Revlon’s new products for a new year!

Do you ever have those moments when you just have to go buy something new? I have those moments every now and then, especially when it comes to my cosmetics collection. However, I’m also fairly frugal, so I generally try to fill this craving by hitting up my local Walgreens or Target rather than heading to someplace more expensive. This has a few benefits in addition to the reduced stress on my pocketbook. For one you aren’t getting pressure from a commissioned salesperson and, second, you can often find products that are similar to what you’d find at the bigger cosmetics counters. Plus, if you buy something and hate it, you haven’t spend and arm and a leg on it just to toss it in your drawer.

My latest beauty department foray had me searching for a new lip color, something to pep up the dreary rainy days we’ve been having around here lately. In recent months I’ve been  collecting pink/peachy colors, so I was in the mood for something with a little more depth. I found almost exactly what I was looking for on an endcap with the word “NEW” splashed all over it. I do lurve me some new, so I snatched up a twin pack of Revlon’s Colorstay Ultimate liquid lipstick in Superb Sangria, a deep wine color with flecks of golden shimmer. While I was at it I snagged a two pack of their new DoubleTwist mascara in Blackest Black. I know, lots of people say to avoid the deep black mascara, especially with my fair skin, but I just love how striking it is, I can’t help it.

The liquid lipstick is similar to most color stay formulas out there, though it lacks the clear gloss most are paired with. The claim is that you don’t need the additional gloss for comfortable wear, but I’m gonna have to disagree with that one. It wasn’t as drying as some others I’ve used, but I did use an additional gloss to ease some of the tightness while wearing this formula all on it’s own.  The surprisingly thin formula took a bit longer to dry than I expected, and was a little tacky feeling when I pressed my lips together, but after a few hours both the tacky feeling and the dry tightness disappeared. The color was more of a deep berry than the darker wine color I expected, but I wasn’t altogether disappointed because it’s still a lovely color. The staying power is awesome, with total coverage lasting me all through the day, even the flecks of shimmer. The staying power of this formula is right up there with my beloved MAC  Longwear, but at half the price.  The 20 shades offered are pretty basic, nothing shocking or off the wall, but a good base layer can always be used with your favorite bright gloss for some added punch.

The mascara’s “revolutionary”  brush didn’t wow me at all, but it wasn’t a total disappointment either. It didn’t feel like it really grabbed each lash, though the coverage still ended up very even. One thing I found admirable about the brush is that there was absolutely no clumping with my first use, which is when the overabundance of mascara on the brush tends to cause spider eyes, and I’ve experienced no clumping since then either. The formula really makes it worth the money here, imho. It doesn’t excel at either volume or length, but gives a bit of both for an all around  boost. It stays quite well, to the point where I’ll tell you to prepare for a double pass with your makeup remover, it’s pretty tough stuff. I’ve experienced absolutely zero flaking from this formula, though I did get some minor raccoon eyes around the 14 hour mark. But honestly, 14 hours with no flaking? That’s pretty good. In addition to the usual blacks and black-brown they offer Blackened Ruby, a deep plum/mahogany color that might be a nice change if you’re used to wearing brown mascara.

Ultimately it wasn’t a totally disappointing trip to Target, with a new gloss I really love and a more than passable mascara that will easily get me through an early morning shift looking bright eyed. All without sacrificing my pocketbook!