Clinique Chubby Stick & Chubby Stick Intense

Clinique Chubby Stick and Chubby Stick Intense - RRP £16.00 (link)

A couple of days ago I posted a review on Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm stains that can be found in this post here (link), and in this post I talked about how these balm stains were very similar to Clinique's Chubby Stick but I preferred Clinique's version despite the shocking price difference. These Chubby Sticks are expensive, but with a high price tag comes high quality and I feel like they are worth it. 

There are two varieties of the adorably named 'Chubby Sticks'; the original, and the 'Intense' version, and there is quite a big difference between the two. I received my original version (sample size, that's why it is smaller) as a 'gift with purchase' during Clinique's Bonus Time back in October and received the shade 'Mega Melon', a very natural and wearable shade. The colour pay off is extremely sheer and not very long lasting but it just adds a glossy wash of colour over the lips in a smoothing and nourishing form. These are in effect nothing more than a tinted lip balm in a cute, pencil form. 

The Intense version, however, was one that I knew I just had to have as soon as they were released, priced also at £16.00 but these are much more worth the high price tag. As the name suggests the colour of these is a lot more intense and they are very highly pigmented. The formula is the same and is moisturising and shiny but gives a very hibrant hit of colour that stains the lips and lasts for hours; much more impressive than the original version that does not last more than half an hour before needing to be topped up. It is the Chubby Stick Intenses that are comparable to Revlon's Balm Stains in both the packaging and the way that they are soft and smooth on the lips with a highly pigmented and long lasting stain left behind, the price tag is quite different however - £16.00 v £7.99 - eek!

It is of course all down to personal preference which one of these is for you though; if you're looking for an extremely sheer and not so long lasting colour in a moisturising balm form then the Chubby Stick is for you (£16.00), if you're looking for a brighter and bolder, longer lasting 'stain' in the same moisturising formula then the Chubby Stick Intense might be up your street (£16.00), and if you're on a budget and after a similar product but only slightly less luxurious and without the high end name plastered all over it then hop off down to Boots and pick up a Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (£7.99) as these are currently on offer for just£5!

 What are your views on Chubby Sticks v Chubby Stick Intense v Revlon Balm Stains?

Review: Revlon Kissable Balm Stain - 'Love Sick'

 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain - RRP £7.99

*currently on offer at all Revlon retailers for just £5.00 

As usual I am one of the last people to the party and have well and truly taken my time with hopping onto the bandwagon with the hype for this product. I dismissed these Chubby Stick rip-offs (and the Chubby Sticks themselves) for a long time and expected them to be nothing more than an over-priced fad. After caving and splashing out a full £16.00 on a Chubby Stick Intense and LOVING it (review to come in a couple of days) I thought that I had better test out Revlon's apparent dupes for them before contemplating buying another, and what better time to try them out than when they have nearly £3 off! 

To cut straight to the chase, I'm on the fence. I don't dislike it by any means but I'm not falling over myself in love with it either. I love the colour and I love the formula too - 'balm stain' describes it to a T -  but I personally think the reason that I'm not crazy over it is because I tried the high end version first.. maybe it's just me but if you try 'the best' first then nothing else can ever live up it! These and the Chubby Sticks are so highly comparable (like I said, review to come), but my preference is with Clinique's original take!

I will of course still get regular use from this and more than likely buy another shade too because they're just so easy to use and have an adorable packaging. It's like a chunky little crayon that just effortlessly glides onto your lips lovely and smoothly, much like a balm, and with quite a sheer coverage that can be built up with a couple of layers and the colour, i.e. 'stain', fares well with the test of time and fades gradually over the hours. 

It doesn't look like much really, and they are not as pigmented as your regular lipsticks, but nor do they claim to be. Revlon describes these as 'a pampering balm with a flush of colour that lasts hour after hour' which is a very accurate description. The finish is quite glossy but it feels smooth and nourishing on the lips and with a couple of layers the colour payoff is very good and lasts for hours. Even after the initial glossiness and the balm-like qualities have worn away the colour still remains and it is super quick and easy to touch up throughout the day.

Not the clearest of pictures in the world, but you can hopefully tell that the shade I got was 'Lovesick', a very vibrant hot pink - my favourite lip colour. The colour range that Revlon offer for this is pretty damn good with 12 shades overall, ranging from your nudes (Honey), to your brights (this one, Lovesick) and all the way to your vampy darks (Crush) and I am quite eager to try out Rendezvous next, a coral-y orange colour. 

Although I've mentioned above that I prefer the Clinique Chubby Stick Intense to this, I would purchase another of these Revlon balm stains and try out some more shades, but would not buy another of the Chubby Sticks despite preferring them, and this is mainly due to the price difference. Clinique's version is 3 times the price (when Revlon is on offer), but is not 3 times the quality and that much of a difference between two very similar products seems unjustifiable to me!