Review: Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in "Twilight"

If this seems like deja-vu to you, it's probably because I just reviewed this product in the color "Frenzy" (click here for that review, plus pictures of the Just Bitten display and more info).

So if you read that review, you know that I had mixed emotions about this product. On the one hand, the lipstain part of this dual-ended tube is very pigmented and the product doesn't have that signature bitter taste that most lipstains tend to have. But on the other hand, while the other side of the tube is a very nice, moisturizing balm (made to be worn over the lipstain) these two products worn together don't provide me with the long-wear benefit of a tradtional lipstain.

So...I mentioned that I was going to try wearing the lipstain by itself for a while (without the accompanying lip balm layered on top of it) but guess what? The color of "Frenzy" was just too dark and too bright of a red for me to wear on a consistent basis, so I ended up going back to CVS and exchanging it for this shade:

Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Twilight (retail: $8.99)

For some reason I just could not capture the real color of this tube in photos. In real life, it's more of a neutral berry shade and not nearly as rust/brick red as it appears in these pics.

I was HOPING that, on my lips, Twilight would be a beautiful medium-tone neutral berry shade. Not too warm, not too cool, but just right.

But then...

I got RED. Again. Seriously, this is almost a true red, and just a tiny bit darker than Frenzy (Frenzy is a very bold, bright, cherry red).

In both of these pictures, I was wearing Twilight for about 20 minutes and I did NOT apply the balm after I applied the lipstain. As you can see, it settled into the lines on my lips (which yes, are dry and chapped again because I was out in the wind a lot over the weekend) and the application was REALLY uneven. I found that this lipstain takes to certain areas of my lips more than it does to other areas. So in the end, it just looks really uneven and spotty and it fades to look even MORE uneven.

Based on how many times I've tried not one, but TWO colors in the Just Bitten collection, I'm afraid that this product is just not for me. First of all, I am way too disappointed by the color in the tube vs. the color that appears on my lips. Second, it makes my lips look even more dry than they are. Third, I don't like the way this product wears off (uneven, spotty, and leaves me with a ring around my lips like I'm wearing dark lipliner). Fourth, the staying power decreases significantly when I top the lipstain with the lip balm.

Even though the taste is better than most lip balms on the market these days, I don't think that's nearly reason enough for me to return this and try to find yet another shade that might work for me. I've run out of options because all of the other shades in the display are either way too cool for my skintone or even DARKER in the tube than Twilight and Frenzy.

For my money, I'd much rather buy another Palladio Lip Ink (click here to see my review). In my humble opinion, they are more true to the color of the tube, they go on more smoothly, they wear better and the shades are prettier. I think the Palladio lipstains are the best drugstore-level lipstains on the market (and much better than even the Cover Girl Outlast Lip Stains--click here for that review).

So again, this is just my opinion, but if you're new to the world of lipstains, I would start with Palladio Lip Ink. I really do think it's the best affordable lipstain for beginners (and also veterans)!

So...have you tried a lipstain from the Revlon Just Bitten collection? Do you love this product or do you share my opinion? I'd love to hear your thoughts!