Revlon Pacific Coast Collection (Spring 2013) - Sea Mist Quad, Lip Butters in Sorbet, Lollipop, Wild Watermelon, Juicy Papaya

I'm a sucker for Emma Stone (Biggest. Girl Crush. EVER.), I dream of living in California, and I love the Revlon Lip Butter formula, so snagging the Pacific Coast spring collection by Gucci Westman was a no-brainer. Oceanic shades for the eyes and neon-ish lip shades? So terribly 80s in the wrong hands, but I had faith in Ms. Westman.

The collection features four lip butters, two quads, two blush sticks and four nail polishes, though I availed myself only of the Sea Mist quad and the Lip Butters.

The quad is a lovely selection of shades that seem geared toward creating a jewel-toned eye look: a pale peach, a misty turquoise, and smoky variants on a forest green and purple. They're an interesting set of colours in the pan, and the texture is nice enough, though not noteworthy. They are soft but not buttery, and not powdery either. They blend out without problems, though the purple does go a bit grey as it sheers out with blending.

Applied to bare skin.

They all have a shimmer finish, with sheer-to-medium pigmentation. The purple and green are the sheerest, especially when applied on bare skin. Over a creamy base, they can be built up quite nicely. (I used the green to layer over a black kohl liner in this review.) If you're wary of wearing non-neutral colours, this might be a good palette for you, as the sheerer payoff but good blendability means they can be worked into an overall design without becoming overwhelming or too difficult to manage. I can't say this is a palette that I would reach for on a regular basis, though I do think the turquoise is lovely.

I was overall much happier with the Lip Butters, as I found they took the classic, balmy formula and tweaked the pigment up a notch for a stained glass effect - high pigment in a sheer formula. Like several other brands have done recently, this makes a bright punch of colour eminently wearable. I can't remember the last time I wore a bright fuchsia without benefit of lipliner and meticulous application, but  these are SO easy. Just swipe or dab on and go out the door. DONE.

Left to right: Sorbet, Lollipop, Wild Watermelon, Juicy Papaya

Sorbet and Lollipop are the most vibrant of the four, with the strongest layer of pigment visible on the lips. Lollipop leans more strongly blue, but on my lips, and because of the overall sheerness of the formula, they tend to look quite similar.

Wild Watermelon is a pink-based red that makes for a nice summer alternative to a defined red lip, and Juicy Papaya barely registers as a colour on my lips, just brings the natural coolness down a bit.

As with the regular collection Lip Butters, these have a balm-like feel and a hydrating quality. The wear is closer to a gloss than a lipstick on me, though the brighter colours leave a faint stain behind.

Availability: Check local drugstores and Wal-mart, as it varies by area. Prices vary as well, but the quad averages between 12-15$ CAD, and the Lip Butters tend to be around 9-10$ CAD at regular price.

Pros: The quad has some lovely colours, and can be a nice option for the colour-wary, as they have the kind of texture that makes blending fuss-free. The lip butters are all hydrating, the potential to be worn very softly or blown out to something very vibrant, yet are incredibly easy to wear.

Cons: The quad is definitely not the palette to get if you like your eyeshadows to have serious payoff. I don't really have anything negative about the Lip Butters, though the shade you prefer will depend on how much brightness you want and how much your lip tone tends to influence the overall colour of your lip product, as these ARE sheer, despite the vivid pigment.

(I purchase these items from Jean Coutu.)