Revlon Lip Lacquers Ultra HD Review + Swatches

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I have a gem to share with you today! Literally. The top of the tube is a gem.

These are the new-to-me Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquers. I feel like these had been flying under the radar for a while now. They’re not new, but they also never got the attention I think they deserve.

I purchased four colors to test them out, and I can’t stop wearing them! And can we just talk about the packaging for a minute. They look so regal all lined up there on my kitchen floor. These are the kinds of products that I tend to keep way past their expiration date just so I can look at them. It’s a problem.

Read on to see swatches of the shades on my arm, on my lips, and hear me rave about their amazingness. Let’s go!

Price & Availability

Everyone sells the Revlon lip lacquers. There’s no fancy way to put that. I purchased mine at Walmart, but they can also be found at all drugstores where Revlon is sold, as well as at Bed Bath & Beyond. The price varies between $7.17 at Walmart to around $8.99 at other drugstores.

As with all drugstore brands, seriously, wait for a sale. At the time of this post, Revlon lip lacquers are on sale BOGO 50% off at Ulta. This is not a unique deal, so definitely shop around when looking to purchase these, or any other drugstore products.

Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquers >> Purchase on Amazon

The color selection is gorgeous, but leans on the bright side

There is a good color selection of the Revlon Lip Lacquers. The shades range from lighter colors to very deep colors. However, none of the colors are what I would consider “natural.” Even the lighter shades are pretty vibrant, and there aren’t any really nude shades.

Note that the online color representations of these are wildly inaccurate. I would suggest going to a physical store to look at the colors with your own eyeballs before choosing a color, as many of the colors look very different online as they do in the actual tube. Ironically, it seems that Revlon’s official website is the most off, and Ulta was the best.

I would especially watch out for the color Sandstone (far right, below) as it is depicted as being a pale, nudie peach in the photos. It is most clearly not. The color swatches below are pretty accurate representations of the four shades’  the vibrancy and tones.

Lip lacquers vs. lip glosses

The terms lip lacquer and lip gloss seem to be tossed around interchangeably. So what exactly is the difference between the two? After I bit of research on the subject, I learned that lip lacquers are intended to give you the color payoff of a lipstick, but without the precision application that lipsticks require. Meanwhile, lip glosses are just that, glosses. Think of it like this: a lip gloss is like a varnish applied to your kitchen cabinets. It adds a high shine and a subtle amount of color to enhance the natural look of the wood. Lip lacquer is like high-gloss paint. It covers up the natural wood, and replaces it with a shiny, colored finish.

By that definition, the Revlon lip lacquers fit squarely into the lip lacquer category. They are not just ultra-pigmented glosses, and so they can definitely stand on their own. If you are looking for a gloss to add on top of your favorite lipstick, then this product isn’t it. It’ll steal your lipstick’s thunder. But if you are looking for an easy, on-the-go product to wear on its own, then the Revlon lip lacquers may be for you.

The infamous brush applicator

The Revlon lip lacquers come with a small, lip brush-like applicator. While it’s a departure from the well-established doe foot applicator, I find the brush quite effective for applying the product.

The width of the wand is average, and the brush is quite a bit smaller than the wand. The brush tapers slightly, though it looks more pronounced here because it was difficult to get all of the product off the brush to take the photo. It is possible to wipe most of the product away from the tip, which is great for detailed applications such as around the cupid’s bow. Obviously, the brush holds product very well, so there is no need to constantly double dip into the tube. One dip, and you’re done.

By now we’ve all heard about the controversy surrounding Kylie Cosmetics’ lip gloss brushes. If case you haven’t heard, the issue was that the brushes frayed and splayed inside the tube. When the user pulled the brush out, it basically resembled your worst hair-day ever. This made it impossible to get a clean product application. Obviously, this was unacceptable. I am glad to announce that the brush applicators provided with the Revlon lip lacquers do not have this problem.

After using the products for weeks, pulling out and reinserting the brush numerous times, all the bristles remain on the straight-n’-narrow. The bristles come out of the tube looking like a perfectly combed coif every time. I’ve never had to trim unruly bristles, or try to rearrange the bristles on the rim of the tube.

Color is buildable, but not completely without issue

The color payoff is variable depending on how you apply the product. You can apply a thinner coat to achieve a good splash of color, or you can really build it up to achieve a full-coverage, high-gloss look.

Don’t think that the color payoff suffers from applying a thin layer. The lip swatches below show the product applied in a rather thin coat. There is a nice translucence to the application, and my natural lip color isn’t completely painted over. It’s like what you think of when you imagine the juicy, “popsicle lips” look. I prefer to wear the product this way for an everyday look, as it is easy to maintain, but there are other options.

The consistency is very thick, so it can be globed on to achieve a full coverage, high-gloss finish. It ends up looking something like gel nails with its dramatic depth of of shine. This makes for a beautiful editorial look. If you need a highly photogenic product for glamorous photos, then this is a great bet.

Though, you’ll want to keep your mouth closed. The main issue I have with the Revlon lip lacquers is its penchant for sticking to my teeth. If you look closely at the lip swatches, you can see where the product slipped off near the center of my mouth. This is fine in most cases, but it can be of concern with heavier applications, as the excess product gets everywhere in my mouth.

Long wearing color, without all the stickiness

For a glossy product, I found the color to be very long wearing. Because of the thick texture, the product didn’t just disappear like thinner glosses do. Although the texture is thick, it is more of a creamy kind of thick, rather than a tacky kind of thick. Hopefully that makes sense. The product doesn’t feel like you’ve just applied tacky glue to your lips, and that’s the main thing.

The Revlon lip lacquers don’t seem to be water soluble. This is a plus for wear time, but makes the product difficult to completely remove. The removal process varies depending on how long the product has been on your lips, and how worn off it is. It sticks very well to your lips, so it does take a bit of scrubbing to get all remnants off. Dish soap, (not that you’d be using that on your lips,) does not do the trick. I learned this when I tried removing those swatches from my arm.

Both soap and water and a regular makeup removing wipe only smeared the product around my arm, and hardly removed any color. You’ll need an oil-based makeup remover to remove the product. I used my favorite, the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Oil, and it worked well. I’m somewhat befuddled that I had to use my waterproof mascara makeup remover for a lip product, but I suppose it’s a good thing.

One more thing to note- the darker colors leave a slight stain behind after removal. I quite like this though.

Scent is pleasant without being overpowering

With all the variation, product scents are a hot topic these days. The Revlon lip lacquers are definitely scented, but it is not too overpowering. The scent does not hit you in the face as soon as you open the tube. Instead, it greets you like an old friend as the brush nears your face.

It is a light vanilla scent that may or may not smell slightly chemical-like depending on who you ask. I find them to smell quite nice. The scent doesn’t linger very long after application, so I don’t believe it will be too bothersome even for sensitive noses. It doesn’t really have a taste, so you won’t have to worry about that.

The final verdict? I think they’re fantastic

The colors are beautiful, the formula is comfortable and long wearing, and the price is right. What more could you ask for? Yes, there are some downsides. Mainly, the sticking to your teeth and the persnickety removal process, but I can get past those.

I’ve been wearing these for weeks, and I plan to continue wearing them.

Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquers >> Purchase on Amazon

Final Tip: Apply a hydrating balm before applying the product. I found the product to be neither hydrating nor drying, but with my constantly dry lips, a good lip balm really helps my lips. Plus, it’ll provide a smooth canvas so the products looks flawless and won’t stick to flaky bits.

If you are on the hunt for a some great drugstore lip products, check out this post next: L’Oréal Pro-Matte Gloss First Impressions + Review.

That’s all for today!

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Till next time. ♥︎

FTC- This post is not sponsored by any brands mentioned. I purchase all products shown myself. All opinions are my own. Some links may be affiliated.