I have used Revlon's Colorstay lipstick since it first came out on the market a few years ago. The promise of smudge-proof lipstick was a small miracle for a busy professional woman, like myself, who disliked checking the status of her lipstick every hour. There have been some minute changes since this lipstick's debut, and these may have gone unnoticed to non-faithful Colorstay users.


Packaging & Appearance
You'll find the Colorstay lipstick in most retail stores, discount stores and also in supermarkets with health and beauty aisles. Most of these stores have an entire section devoted to Revlon and you may notice the Colorstay section in the famous black display case with Cindy Crawford's picture on it.

The Colorstay lipstick is packaged in a partially clear plastic box with each opening taped for safety. The ingredients are written on the back of each box.

The lipstick's black barrel is round; approximately five inches long and less than one-half inch in diameter. It is trimmed with ribbed gold bans at the base, just below the lid (the older barrels have flush gold bands) and the bottom is labeled with a color identifying sticker.


Colors Available
Revlon has a color that suites just about every skin tone. They've done away with the traditional "cool" and "warm" labels and have upgraded their color schemes, all in matte finishes:

Fleshtones (Ice, Shell, Spice, Fawn, Sand, Nude, Ginger, Flesh, Skin and Dusk);
Neutrals (Cocoa, Mocha, Blush, Copper, Coffee, Bronze, Plum and Earth);
Deeps (Currant, Maroon, Vixen, Raisin, Chocolate, Wine, Burgundy, Grape, Toast and Sienna)
Brights (Clay, Mauve, Rose, Berry, Raspberry, Scarlet, Poppy, Red and Fire).

So far, my collection has consisted of Spice, Cocoa, Mauve, Scarlet, Ginger, Coffee, Chocolate, Mocha and Moonstone (which seems to have been discontinued.) The only color I didn't like was Ginger, which was purchased nearly 2 years ago and it is still, to this day, sitting in my make-up case.


"In the Tube and On the Lips..."
In the tube, the Colorstay lipstick's appearance isn't as shiny as traditional lipstick; it's more matted. The difference can be noted the minute the product touches your lips. It glides on but not as slick as regular lipstick. The temporary permanence, the smudge proofness, takes effect about three minutes after application.

I had difficulties the first year I used this product. It would clump pretty easily, especially after re-application. But after I purchased a newly re-packaged and re-formulated Colorstay lipstick (very small changes, as I noted earlier) my problems diminished somewhat. I still have a little problem with clumping but not as badly as before.

As with most lipsticks, it is very important to use this product with a quality lipliner. This product, however, looses it's effectiveness when it comes in contact with anything oil-based so when applying lipliner, look for one that is on the "dryer" side. I use Estee Lauder's lipliners (from their periodic promotional gift packages) and it works very well with the Colorstay lipstick line.

The Facts
I still get a little lipstick on my coffee cup but I do find that my husband doesn't have to reach for a hanky after giving me a kiss! Now he always asks me, "You wearing it?" before he kisses me. If I'm not "wearing it", he opts to kiss me elsewhere on my face.

I do, however, have to remove the lipstick before meals. As I stated before, anything that's oil-based will smudge this lipstick. Also remove the lipstick completely before re-applying it to avoid clumping. I find that each application lasts six to eight hours (sometimes I don't have time to stop during the day for meals!)

The formula that makes this lipstick smudge proof is the culprit of many Colorstay complaints by most users. The lipstick, once set, leaves lips feeling drier than usual. It takes a little getting used to but in my case, the convenience of not having to check my lipstick and re-applying so often is worth it.

Should this lipstick soil clothing, it is important to pre-treat the stain before the stain sets. I find that a laundry pre-treatment solution (i.e., Shout) or Borax works well.

I like the most of the Colorstay colors that are available. They're a mesh of traditional and trendy colors, and there's something to please just about everyone.

What It Boils Down To

I like Revlon's Colorstay lipstick and use it just about everyday. I save time and money by not having to constantly check and re-apply my lipstick during the day and I also have piece of mind knowing that my lipstick isn't smudged. My husband likes the colors and the fact that the color stays on me and doesn't rub off on him; he even brings me different colors as little "I love you" gifts occasionally. I do wish Revlon would find a formula that didn't leave lips feeling parched but I do think that the trade off is well worth it.



Recommended: Yes