Revlon Fire and Ice is a proper Vintage Lipstick.
By which I don’t mean that it’s a 30 year old lipstick. I meant that the shade has proper vintage pedigree, being introduced in 1952.
I will, as ever, start with the lipstick chart. Revlon Super Lustrous in Fire & Ice is Ā£7.49, so falls into the cheaper, under Ā£10 category.
As a “budget brand” it falls in the top 3, but is priced considerably higher than it’s closest rival, the Collection 2000.
The Blurb
According to the Boots website
Silky smooth colour. With an exclusive blend of moisturisers and vitamins. SPF15
The Pros
It really lives up to the silky smooth colour claim, I’ll give it that. It feels lovely to apply, really creamy and rich. If you don’t blot you can really feel it on your lips, which is a plus or a minus depending on whether you like the feeling of lipstick! It’s seriously full coverage. One coat gives an intense bright colour, and can be a bit of a shock to the system, even for a regular red lipstick wearer.
The tip shape makes it fairly easy to apply without a lip brush, though the colour intensity does mean that the slightest flaw shows up, so you might want to use one anyway.
The black and gold packaging also looks unobtrusively classy from a distance.
The Cons
My first con is the colour. I’m an established red lipstick wearer, but this is truly terrifying! I felt it was a bit orangey, as that sort of shade doesn’t really do anything for me. But it’s a bright, bright, intense red. It does feel very 50s, but it’s just a bit too much for me and I’ve only been brave enough to wear it outside 3 times since I got it last August!
The packaging, although classy on first inspection, is fairly flimsy and scratches easily when left in a handbag, plus I’m not really a fan of those clear lid panels, I think they look cheap.
Lastly, to the staying power. The initial creaminess, on me at least, very soon turned into a heavy gloopiness that felt slightly sticky on my lips and created those little “lipstick bogeys” as I like to call them on the inner corners of my lips. I did find that blotting helped with this slightly and made it longer lasting, so it’s definitely one that needs careful application to get the best performance from it.
The Verdict
This is a great lipstick at a reasonable price for a really authentic 50s look, if you’re willing to put the effort into applying it properly to get the best performance.
If you’re a beginner to red lipstick, or prefer more muted shades I’d look elsewhere on the chart as there are better lipsticks for less!
Now another slightly starey eyed full face…..
Thanks for the post, I saw it mentioned somewhere in the ‘vintage’ blogosphere that this is one of the few original Revlon colours still available from the 1950s. So when I saw it in Boots last week, I was keen to try it. Even on the back of my hand, if terrified me and I love red lippie. I’m glad that I’m not the only one.
Johanna x
Especially on that last picture, it does look very bright and orangey. Agree with you with the transparent panel, I do feel those features seem a tad cheap to me, reminds me of lipsticks in the 80s and I just don’t like that.
I really need to go through your lisptick reviews once more, as I need a subtle red, a dark one actually, and I’m really unsure about where to start.
Great review as always Gemma, I do enjoy these xxx
I’m a 1930s/1940s girl, so fire engine and other stoplight reds from the 1950s (a lot from the 1950s) always seemed a bit clownish to me. I understand the want to go as authentic as possible, I even picked up a tube of this when it was on sale here at Sally Beauty and I couldn’t force myself to wear it more than once!
Honestly, though, your skin is so lovely I think it just looks beautiful on you. I can’t pull it off, so I envy those who can!
OMG! This really is a bright red lipstick! *^v^* It suits you very much (especially with red accessories) but I can see why you don’t wear it too often, I wouldn’t either. I’m a dark red lipstick girl myself.
Well I’m definitely a 50s chick and I have to say that looks a bit much for me, thanks for the review though!
I’ve got the Revlon Cherries in the Snow which is another 50s one…..and that’s bright too. I don’t think I’ve even worn it out yet. LOL!
IMO, a “good” orangey red that seems to work (ie: stops your teeth looking 16th century!) that I recently bought was So Chaud from MAC. Doesn’t seem as drying as Russian Red etc either. (Not that anyone asked for orangey reds!! LOL!!)
Goodness me, it’s almost neon and glowing isn’t it!
Wow, that’s some colour! Great review, thanks! X
I felt that the colour is somewhat terrifying too! At least on my winter skin. I will have a go at it in summer and see if it fares better then… However, I really like Certainly Red, which is a 50’s shade as well- very wearable colour. š
I cannot stop giggling at the term ‘lipstick bogeys’. I think you’ve just coined a new phrase!
Wow that’s bright! Looks good on you though.
Lipstick bogeys teehee…