Revlon PhotoReady Primer & Shadow

These are sold pretty much wherever Revlon products are carried. They range from $8-$12.

The idea of a primer eyeshadow was interesting to me and I haven't really seen anything like it before. The sparkle top coat was also intriguing!

Graffiti

Metropolitan

The bottom two eyeshadows are steps 1 and 5. The rectangular eyeshadow on the bottom left is the "primer" eyeshadow. This is to be applied first all over the lid. It has a smoother consistency than the rest of the eyeshadows in this quad. Above it are the eyeshadows which are steps 2 through 4. The eyeshadow pans mimic the shapes of an eyelid, crease and brow bone. The bottom right eyeshadow is the sparkle top coat which is meant to be applied as an accent.

Graffiti (flash)
I've swatched the eyeshadows in the same order as the steps (the primer is swatted first on the left, ending with the sparkle top coat on the far right).

Graffiti (no flash)

Metropolitan (flash)

Metropolitan (no flash)

The primer eyeshadow is smoother than the eyeshadows, but I don't think it acts well as a traditional eyeshadow primer. It definitely helps to hide discolouration on the eyelids, but to me it seems like an unnecessary step if you're like me and insist on applying a traditional eye primer. If you can't wear eyeshadow primers (like Too Faced Shadow Insurance or Urban Decay Primer Potion), then a powder form of an eye primer may work for you. 

In my experience, the primer eyeshadow works well for a couple of hours, but does end up creasing. I have oily eyelids, so I'm sure that's the reason why it didn't work as well for me. This may be a great option for those with non-oily eyelids.

The eyeshadows themselves are very smooth and blend effortlessly. They are richly pigmented and will last a long time with a primer. The sparkle top coats are very glittery and/or shimmery. I don't really like the one in "Graffiti" because it doesn't really match the rest of the palette, but the one in Metropolitan is my favourite. Rather than using it as a top coat, I use it as an eyeshadow. You can see from the swatches that it's more than just glitter- it's a rich gold eyeshadow as well.

I definitely recommend trying out one of these quads/palettes if you can. They're great quality for the price!

Back of Metropolitan

Back of Graffiti

Swatches of Revlon Colorstay 16 Hour Eye Shadow Quad in Brazen

For a full review of this product, click here to see my post on the quad in Adventurous.

I bought this quad in the US at Walmart for $5.99. Much cheaper than in Canada (~$10).

Without primer

With primer

The two colours on the left hand side of the palette are shimmer and sparkly and create some fall out. The smaller pans of colour on the right are shimmery, but more smooth and don't create as much fall out.

Otherwise, this quad is comparable to the one in Adventurous.

The Daily Swatch on Twitter | Tumblr | HelloCotton | BlogLovin | Pinterest

Revlon ColorStay 16 Hour Eye Shadow Quad in Adventurous

These quads are relatively new and retail for about $10 CAD, depending on where you look (WalMart, Shoppers Drug Mart, etc).

The claim is that these eyeshadows will last on your eyelids for at least 16 hours.

I tried using these eyeshadows alone on my eyelids, but as they can get oily throughout the day, they creased quite quickly. I then tried using a primer underneath (Lid Primer from Performance Colors) and I noticed a big difference. Not only did the eyeshadows appear more intense, they also apply more evenly.

These eyeshadows are very pigmented and soft. They are soft without having a lot of fall out, which is great.

The one I got is in 515 Adventurous and it has a light beige colour for a highlight. This highlight colour also has some gold shimmer in it.

The one I got is in 515 Adventurous and it has a light beige colour for a highlight. This highlight colour also has some gold shimmer in it. The lid colour is an olive green, very comparable to Lancome's eyeshadow in Designer. The outer corner colour is a shimmery warm brown/copper colour and the crease colour is a matte chocolate brown.

Swatches with flash

Swatches without flash

As with most eyeshadows, I recommend using any kind of eye primer that you have, or even just a thin layer of creamy concealer (it works pretty much in the same way that a primer would).

I really like the quality of these eyeshadows and I didn't think it was possible that drugstore brands could keep improving upon what they've already come up with!

Unfortunately, this was the only colour combination that caught my eye, so hopefully they released more combinations in the future!

Pigmentation: 5/5

Packaging: 4/5

Staying Power: 5/5

Price: ~$10

Availability: WalMart, Shoppers Drug Mart

Repurchase: Yes

Available on Amazon:

Revlon Custom Eyes: 020 Naturally Glamorous

I put off purchasing this until it came on sale because $10 is too much for a palette like this (in my opinion). Although the pigmentation is nice, I just don't think it's worth the money because they aren't amazing, but they're better than average. I like the pattern that's been stamped into the eyeshadows, but of course, those will wear off after a few uses.

Revlon Custom Eyes in 020 Naturally Glamorous

These palettes open from the side, rather than the bottom.

Without flash

With flash

With flash

Without flash

I think these eyeshadows are pretty good and certainly better than average, but for the price, I was expecting a bit more. They are all slightly shimmery and blend well and I may consider buying another one if they ever go on sale again.

Pigmentation: 4/5

Packaging: 3/5

Staying Power: 4/5

Price: $10 CAD

Availability: WalMart, Shoppers Drug Mart

Repurchase: Maybe

Dupes:

Available on Amazon:

Revlon ColorStay 12 Hour Eye Shadow

These have been out for a while, but I waited to get them until I went across the border as these are about $10 each in Canada and about $5 in the US.

There were only two sets that caught my eye, Copper Spice and Steel Impressions.

Revlon ColorStay 12 Hour Eye Shadow
Copper Spice, Steel Impressions

Copper Spice, Steel Impressions (without flash)

Copper Spice, Steel Impressions (with flash)

Copper Spice swatches (with flash)

Copper Spice (without flash)

Steel Impressions (with flash)

Steel Impressions (without flash)

I thought I was going to be blown away by these, but I wasn't. I guess the "12 Hour" part of its name made them seem amazing.

The pigmentation is good, but the texture is a little 'dry'. What I mean by 'dry' is that they are kind of chalky and not creamy. These definitely don't last 12 hours, even with a primer, and this is true of many eyeshadows. Most eyeshadows will crease (even with a primer) after 8 hours, which is pretty long, but 12 hours is a bit of a stretch.

Of the two, I like Copper Spice the best because it's less chalky than Steel Impressions.

I'm glad I waited to get these until I went to the US because I definitely wouldn't purchase these at full price. I may try to see if there is a more shimmery set the next time I go across the border as I think they would be a bit more creamy than these satin finish eyeshadows.

Pigmentation: 5/5
Packaging: 4/5
Staying Power: 3/5
Price: $10 CAD/$5 US
Availability: WalMart, Shoppers Drug Mart
Repurchase: Maybe

Available on Amazon:

Drugstore Tinted Lip Balms: Revlon, L'Oreal, Maybelline

This Fall/Winter, many drugstore makeup brands have released tinted lip balms that boast rich pigmentation, along with intensely moisturizing ingredients.

I've collected one tinted lip balm from Revlon, L'Oreal and Maybelline in order to compare the pigmentation and effectiveness of each. I also purchased two of the clear Maybelline Baby Lips lip balms to see how they compare with the tinted ones.

Left to right: Revlon Lip Butter in 050 Berry Smoothie, L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in 518 Tender Mauve, Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in 05 Quenched, 10 Peppermint, 20 Grape Vine

Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie (without flash)

Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie (with flash)

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Tender Mauve (with flash)

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Tender Mauve (without flash)

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in Grape Vine (without flash)

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in Grape Vine (with flash)

Maybelline Baby Lips in Quenched

Maybelline Baby Lips in Peppermint

Swatches (left to right): Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie, L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Tender Mauve, Maybelline Baby Lips in Grape Vine (without flash)

Swatches (left to right): Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie, L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Tender Mauve, Maybelline Baby Lips in Grape Vine (with flash)

For the purposes of this review, I chose one similar colour from each brand so that I could compare the pigmentation of each. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie

Pros:
-Nicely pigmented
-Applies smoothly
-Applies evenly
-Hydrating
-Not sticky or greasy
-Coloured packaging matches the colour of the product

Cons:
-~$10 CAD each
-Unscented (with a name like Berry Smoothie, you expect it to smell good!)

Grade: A-

L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Tender Mauve

Pros:
-Applies evenly
-SPF 15
-Coloured packaging matches the colour of the product
-Has a slight vanilla scent and flavour (in my opinion, this is a good thing)
-Nice packaging
-Hydrating
-Not sticky or greasy
-Contains some shimmer (I'm indifferent about this as I would normally not go for shimmer, but it's nice to have the option in case that's what I'm looking for)

Cons:
-More expensive than the Revlon Lip Butter (~$11 CAD)
-Poor pigmentation in comparison with the Lip Butters
-Sometimes has a slight 'gritty' texture to it, probably as a result of the shimmer

Grade: B+

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in Grape Vine

Pros:
-More than half the price of the other tinted lip balms mentioned in this review (~$4)
-Scented (again, this is my personal preference)
-Applies evenly
-Applies smoothly
-Doesn't apply as thickly as the Lip Butter or Balm, even though the other two aren't very thick to begin with
-SPF 20
-Hydrating
-Not sticky or greasy

Cons:
-doesn't come in a variety of colours

Grade: A

**Peppermint and Quenched are great! I actually like them better than Grape Vine. I think the pigmentation in Grape Vine makes it 'thinner' in consistency, which may not necessarily be what you want from a lip balm. 
Peppermint gives that 'tingly' effect to your lips while Quenched has a mild sweet scent that is difficult to describe!

Overall, I think these are all very good products, but the Baby Lips Lip Balms are a better value for your money (in terms of hydration). If you're looking for pigmentation and hydration, I definitely recommend the Lip Butters. As I have only tried one of the Colour Riche balms, I can't say much, but of the one I have tried, I'm not as impressed with them as I am with the Lip Butters.

Available on Amazon:

Revlon Lip Butters in Canada

After much hype about the Revlon Lip Butters, I figured they wouldn't be released in Canada for quite a while. However, I found them for sale at The Real Canadian Superstore (grocery store chain) for $8.99. There were only about 8 colours on display, but the colour selection may vary from store to store.

I've heard that these will not be released in Canada until January 2012, but some stores may have already received and started to sell them.

03/12/11: UPDATE! I've just seen these for sale at Shoppers Drug Mart. Be sure to check your local Shoppers to see if they've starting selling them!