Have a bit of a re-review for you today, rather than an… actual review. Of, um, new things. That we haven’t already covered to death. (Stay with me, I promise this’ll start making more sense in just a sec.) Anyhow, I’ve been wearing theBalm Stainiac more or less every other day, for the past few months, and I wanted to give it a re-review in time for this weekend’s US sales! So, um, yes.
The product: theBalm Stainiac cheek and lip stain in Prom Queen. (Which, incidentally, is phenomenal on the lips but only sort-of-okay on the cheeks.)
I fall in and out of love with lip products on a pretty frequent basis, so when I find something that I actually stick to, through multiple seasons? It’s a pretty big deal.
Prom Queen, described as a “light rosy pink,” gives just the perfect natural flush of colour to my lips. It looks rather coral in the tube, and even in the swatch, but for whatever reason – it really doesn’t read coral on my lips. The colour is very much just an intensification of my natural lip colour, and it’s by and far the most natural-looking lip product I own, both in the shade and the bare-lip finish.
theBalm Stainiac swatch: Prom Queen on dry, bare lips
With the number of stains on the market today, I guess the most important part of this review is not how is the formula? but, rather, how does the formula stack up?
In short: it stacks up well. Very, very well.
Of all the lip stains I’ve tried, be them gel or liquid or cream, this one measures up the best in all categories. There’s no flavour, scent, dryness, or stickiness in the resulting colour; it’s never a fight against the clock to get it on in time (I accredit both the formula and the the doe-foot applicator for this one); and, of course, the colour looks really natural – not overly bright, like many lip stains.
Oh. And did I mention: it barely catches on my dry bits, and fades like a watercolour? That is: it fades in the centre first, of course, but does so in a very ombré sort of manner. There’s never a hard line of demarcation, and it can bet me from breakfast to lunch without touchups, no problem.
L: theBalm Prom Queen only // R: theBalm Prom Queen + Annabelle Coralicious (seen also in: this pink lip comb)
How to apply
(or, “if you’re not doing it this way, you’re not allowed to bitch about the results!!“)
To start, I’ll 1. exfoliate my lips, making sure they’re free of any lip balm or gloss. Then, I’ll 2. carefully apply a layer of product with the doe-foot applicator. After maybe 10-20 seconds, I’ll 3. take a damp q-tip over the entire lip area. It picks up a lot of the colour, yeah, but it’s integral in 4. leaving you with an incredibly even, long-wearing wash of believable colour.
To finish the lip, 5. top with some lip balm, sheer lip stick, or gloss (petroleum-free works best to keep the colour on), and you’re good to go. (The formula isn’t stripping, but it’s like having bare lips! You’ll want something on them, for sure.)
theBalm Staniac in Prom Queen + Annabelle Volumelip gloss in Coralicious
A few last-minute notes…
Stainiac usually retails for $17US, but theBalm is doing 40% off sitewide for Black Friday. Use code BLACKFRIDAY from 9AM PST to 11:59 PST to pick up your Prom Queen for a measly $10.20. That’s practically drugstore prices, people! (Actually, in Canada, I’m pretty sure we have some drugstore lipstains that cost more than that.)
The ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Propylene Glycol, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Methylparaben, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol. (+/- pigments and dyes)
(P.S. Check out this theBalm Stainiac review for more photos, swatches, plus my initial impressions!)
