Earlier this year, Revlon finally listened to its customers and relaunched the beloved Glass Shine lipsticks. For once, a wise decision from Revlon! Of course, they wouldn’t be Revlon if they didn’t fuck up that decision somehow, so they dramatically reduced and neutered the shade range. The original lineup had twenty-five shades, but the 2025 version comprises just ten: one clear, one almost-clear pink, two practically identical corals, and six variations on nude-brown-rose-mauve. It’s fantastic that Revlon made MLBBs for a range of skin tones, but couldn’t they also have given us ONE truly cool-toned shade? A hot pink? A purple? A cherry red? Half of the 2025 shades are re-releases, but they didn’t even bring back the Glass Shine versions of Fire & Ice or Cherries in the Snow, though those two shades are synonymous with classic Revlon. Maybe they’ll expand the range if the new Glass Shine incarnation does well, but for now, I find the selection pretty uninspiring:

However, as a big fan of the original Glass Shines, I couldn’t resist testing one from the new lineup. (Note that the originals were called “Glass Shine Lipsticks,” while the new ones are “Glass Shine Balms.”) I chose Glossed Up Rose, the pinkest of the six MLBBs. Glossed Up Rose is one of the relaunched shades, though I never tried it in the old formula.

Revlon has changed the color of the Glass Shine tubes from black to white, I suppose to keep up with the ongoing “clean girl” (ugh) trend (though, ironically, white packaging shows more wear and grime than black does). Otherwise, the tubes have stayed the same. I have a slight preference for the black tubes, but the white ones are quite pretty, too. It would have been really cool if Revlon had taken a cue from the long-lost Lip Butters and Matte Balms and matched each tube to the shade it contained!

The Glass Shine lipsticks have heavier and sturdier packaging than the regular Super Lustrous lipsticks, but they contain slightly less product: 0.13 oz vs. 0.15 oz.

I’m pleased to report that the infamous issue of the sticky labels has been resolved, and the label now peels off without leaving a layer of glue residue!

Here’s one and two layers of Glossed Up Rose, in indirect (top) and direct natural light. It’s an elegant, slightly dusty tea-rose color; the word “bridal” comes to mind. Though I hate to describe any shade of makeup as “timeless,” I think a time traveler could wear Glossed Up Rose in any year between, say, 1955 and 2025 without attracting too much attention. Too bad the Trump administration has defunded the federal time-travel program.

When I swatched Glossed Up Rose, it immediately reminded me of NARS Sheer Lipstick in Dolce Vita, now discontinued. I dug out my old tube of Dolce Vita (I used it up last year, but kept it the remnants around for comparisons) and swatched them side by side. Here’s Dolce Vita (swatched with a finger) on the left and Glossed Up Rose on the right, in overcast natural light:

They are similar, but I think Glossed Up Rose more closely resembles the original Dolce Vita, which was sheerer and pinker than its replacement. I was never totally happy with the new Dolce Vita, so I’m thrilled to have a lipstick that evokes the older one!

And here’s Glossed Up Rose with Dolce Vita and two other MLBBs. L-R: NYX Fat Oil Slick Click in Going Viral, Glossed Up Rose, Dolce Vita, Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color in Brownie, in the same weak, watery April light as above:

Now for the real question: how close is the new Glass Shine formula to the old one? Revlon promises “same formula, new look,” but the name change from “Glass Shine Lipstick” to “Glass Shine Balm” suggests that the formula is now sheerer. Here’s Glossed Up Rose swatched alongside the three original Glass Shines I still own, and you can see that Glossed Up Rose is just a touch less pigmented (and less shiny) than the others. L-R: Glossed Up Rose, Fire & Ice, Glaring Coral, and Beaming Strawberry (finger swatch), in direct (top) and indirect sunlight:

On my lips, though, I don’t detect much of a difference. Glossed Up Rose has the same faint cotton-candy smell and the same plush, non-sticky feel as its predecessors. It’s just as moisturizing, and it still needs to be touched up after eating or drinking, though it fades gracefully. Because the formula is so soft and needs to be reapplied more often than a traditional lipstick does, I can see myself going through Glossed Up Rose fairly quickly, just as I did with Beaming Strawberry.

Here’s Glossed Up Rose on my lips. It looks a little warmer here than it does on my hand, though the weird light is probably contributing—it’s been raining constantly here.

To make the lipstick last a little longer, I’ve been pairing it with a NYX Slim Lip Pencil so old that the shade name has completely rubbed off (I think it’s either Mauve or Neutral?):

Here I am wearing Glossed Up Rose and the mystery lip pencil together, along with elf No Budge Matte Shadow Stick in Lava Lamp, ColourPop Flirt Alert blush, and my Big Bud Press corduroy hat:

Update, 7/24/25: I’ve discovered an even better layering partner for Glossed Up Rose: Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip in Brownie! Brownie is lightweight enough that layering a glossy lipstick over it doesn’t create a heavy-feeling mess, and it’s matte enough to increase GUR’s lasting power dramatically. From left to right, here’s Brownie, GUR, and GUR layered over Brownie:

And here I am wearing that lip combo and enjoying a piña colada water (pronounced “wooder”) ice at a street fair in May.

Overall, I’m happy with the Glass Shine relaunch; the limited shade range is the only big drawback for me. I might eventually buy Pink Flip as a replacement for Beaming Strawberry, but I’m not tempted by any of the other shades right now—and just as well, considering how the economy is going. On that note, I’m proud to say that Glossed Up Rose is one of just three makeup purchases I’ve made this year, the other two being Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Electric Melon and Merit Flush Balm in Le Bonbon, both of which I hope to review here before too long.

(I’ve also bought six nail polishes, however. Let’s not lie by omission.)

Finally, enormous thanks to everyone who has donated to my Ko-fi page over the past four months! Your generosity has kept me in americanos and cold brews as I’ve finished a full draft of my novel and embarked on the rewriting process. I’ve also found a home for another creative nonfiction piece, forthcoming from Boulevard. Now if I can just land a freaking job, we’ll be all set.