Revlon Colourstay Moisture Stain in New York Scene Review, Photos and Swatches

Revlon Colourstay Moisture Stain in New York Scene

Inspired by Lisa Eldridge's Dinner Date makeup tutorial, I picked up the Revlon Colourstay Moisture Stain in New York Scene. I admit that drugstore makeup intimidates me. I have no idea what is good and what isn't and because I can't test most of the products, I tend to pass them right by. But seeing Lisa use the Colourstay Moisture Stain, as both a stain to base her lip look and as her final lip look, I was intrigued. 

The Revlon Colourstay Moisture Stain is a highly pigmented gloss and stain in one. It comes in 12 colours, each named after a city (Milan, Stockholm, Rio, LA, London). It retails for about $10 CDN, but of course since Revlon is available at drugstores and places like Walmart, you'll likely be able to find them on sale. 

Revlon Colourstay Moisture Stain in New York Scene

New York Scene is a red that reads more brown or more cherry, depending on the light and depending on who is wearing it. On me it reads more cherry-raspberry than brown.

Revlon Colourstay Moisture Stain in New York Scene

The packaging is sleek and makes it look more high end than drugstore. The rectangular shape of the tube is unique and makes it easy to find by touch in the bottom of your purse.

Revlon Colourstay Moisture Stain in New York Scene

The applicator is a wide, flat shape, which has its pros and cons. On the plus side, it makes it easy to apply the product to your lips, with its wide surface and curved edges. On the negative side, it does grab a lot of product making it easy to get too much of it on your lips.

Revlon Colourstay Moisture Stain in New York Scene swatched on NW15 skintone.

The texture of the Colourstay Moisture Stain is very interesting, and quite unique. It feels like a gloss, a thick gloss, but its got a curiously liquidy texture. This isn't a product you can grab to quickly apply as you rush out the door. It takes a little time to apply it properly. 

As you can see from the above photo, the first layer can go on quite streaky and patchy. You want your lips to be hydrated, and exfoliated, with no dry patches before you apply the Moisture Stain. The product will cling to any dry areas. And do not, as I discovered, try to apply this over a lip balm. It was like painting water onto butter. 

This is how I've discovered is the most effective way of applying it. Start with a very small amount and spread it across your lips in a thin layer. You can use the applicator to get into the corners and create your lines (no need for liner!). Work it into your lips gently with your finger or a lip brush. It will not dry like a stain, it stays shiny, so go ahead and apply a second thin layer. Blend out any patchy areas as needed. Keep applying thin layers until you get the effect you want. It shouldn't take long. On me, I need two or perhaps three layers.

The photos below shows the sheen of the Moisture Stain even in a thin stain-like layer. Pretty right? And it's NOT STICKY! It feels great on the lips - cooling and wet. Never dry like a stain sometimes can feel. 

Revlon Colourstay Moisture Stain in New York Scene

Revlon Colourstay Moisture Stain in New York Scene

Here it is on me applied with a lighter application, showing how New York Scene can be worn more subtly. It's almost opaque but not quite, giving it a gloss-like appearance. 

Revlon Colourstay Moisture Stain in New York Scene

Revlon Colourstay Moisture Stain in New York Scene

Here it is applied more heavily. As you can see it becomes more opaque and looks almost like a lipstick with a gloss on top for shine.

Revlon Colourstay Moisture Stain in New York Scene

Revlon Colourstay Moisture Stain in New York Scene

On me, New York Scene lasted about 3-4 hours, which for something with this much shine and wet texture is very impressive. It also never feels or looks dry after time, like lipstick often does. It lasts better when I'm not eating and drinking, but even then, it wears away evenly, leaving a stain of colour behind. The gloss does fade more quickly than the colour does, but not entirely. 

Below is a photo of my lips after blotting most of New York Scene off. Even as a stain, there's a bit of shine left, but you can also see how it looks patchy and clings to some of the dryer patches of my lips. Still, my lips don't look dry after wearing the Moisture Stain and that's impressive! I'm usually dying for lip balm after wearing lip products with this much colour.

Revlon Colourstay Moisture Stain in New York Scene

I was impressed by New York Scene and will definitely buy some of the other shades. I love that New York Scene is such a dramatic colour and it has shine and it doesn't dry my lips out and it lasts. The texture takes some getting used to and the application takes some effort, but overall, a thumbs up from me. 

Grade: B+

C.