Bite’s crayon brings soft texture and high pigment but little staying power

I’m not that competent when it comes to make-up. I’ve not got a very steady hand, so the intricacies of eye make-up are usually lost on me, and I’m too lazy to invest the time needed to pull-off contouring or highlighting. But one area I can get behind is lipstick and lip colours. They provide pretty much instant gratification, and the level of skill required to get a decent look is achievably low.

So my make-up exploration is most often centred on different lip colours – tints, glosses, stains, matte lipsticks and sheer ones, I’ve tried plenty. One brand I attempted many years ago was Bite, and I recently found myself coming back to them with one of their latest releases: the Power Move Creamy Matte Crayon. I tend to gravitate towards matte products these days, perhaps because when I was growing up lip glosses were all the rage, so it feels a bit more contemporary (and maybe grown-up!) to go for the opposite. They just seem a little more elegant somehow. A frequent problem with matte products is that they are quite drying, so this product’s promise to be both creamy and matte was appealing. I’ve now been wearing this on and off for a couple of weeks, so I thought I’d share my thoughts on whether it lived up to my expectations, what I love about it, and where it could improve.

The best bits

The texture of this crayon is genuinely really lovely. It glides on really easily and feels more like a lip balm it’s so soft. The formula boasts mango, pomegranate and orange peel extracts, which to be quite honest I can’t detect in any meaningful way, but they claim this lends it an anti-oxidant boost and helps with smooth application. It applies evenly, and although it does have some buildability, a single layer still gives decent coverage. The colour is gorgeous – I went for Honeycrisp. I like these colours that bring a bit of brightness and richness but still have a natural edge to them. I have very pale lips, so something that just adds a bit of depth and contrast is always appreciated.

As far as I can tell this tube is going to last me quite a long time. In the past I’ve found Bite tubes are surprisingly short – they’re no where near as long as the actual tube you hold. The twist action of this reveals quite a bit of product, but so far I’ve not needed to twist, so I think a little bit is going quite a long way.

As you can see from the before and after photos here, the crayon sits nicely, providing a good bit of definition but not looking too overwhelming.

In terms of value for money, this product is pretty decent. It retails for AUD$42, but seems to be perpetually on sale at Sephora (I bought mine for a mere $25), so you can almost certainly find it for less. Full-price it’s about on par with a mid-range lipstick, cheaper than say a YSL product, and about the same as a Fenty Beauty lipstick. Given that it’s lasting me quite well, I think it’s going to represent pretty decent value for money, and a reasonable cost per use.

The worst bits

There’s not all that much to say in this category. My main complaint is that it doesn’t last all that long on the lips. It can hold up against a cup of coffee pretty well, but a few hours down the line it is hard to tell you’ve applied it. In the days of going to the office this is something I’d tackle with a bit of Lipcote (a lipstick topcoat), but now I’m primarily working from home I’m happy to just reapply it every so often (e.g. before going to a camera-on meeting!). If you’re going out and about and are looking for something with real staying power which you won’t have to think about, then this probably isn’t going to do the job for you.

One other thing I’ve noticed wearing this is that despite how creamy it feels, it does have a slight drying effect. I don’t wear lip balm anymore so my lips are pretty natural and sensitive to changing moisture levels. When I wear this but don’t reapply it, my lips do seem to dry out a little, in the same way they would when you wear a standard lip balm. I think the way to tackle this would be to be a little more conscientious in my reapplication, so I maintain a steady level of coverage.

Would I buy it again?

Despite my reservations about the staying power of the Power Move Lip Crayon and its drying potential, I think I will be purchasing this product again. I’ve essentially given up on searching for a *comfortable* lip product with amazing staying power, so I’m not going to write off a product for that alone. The more serious concern is the lip-drying effect. I’m pretty happy with having weened myself off lip balm, and my lips are rarely cracked and dry these days, so I’m quite keen to maintain this. However, the fact is that I want to colour my lips, so that is going to require some sort of product. This is a product I’m happy with on all other counts, so overall it’s still a winner. There are a lot of different colours to choose from – I went with the ‘safest’ option for my first go, but I’m looking forward to trying out a few others.

All in all, this is a good product if you’re looking for a smooth, comfortable wear and you don’t mind reapplying a few times over the course of a day. It’s good value for money (especially if you can find it on sale), and with plenty of colour options you’re bound to find one that suits.

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I hope you’ve found my latest foray into the world of make-up helpful! There are so many incredible beauty experts out there in the world, but I sometimes feel that people like me, who kind of enjoy make-up but aren’t necessarily very skilled at it, aren’t very well represented! Think of me as an every-person – if I can manage to make something work, then it’s probably pretty easy! What are your favourite lips products, and do you have any tips for how to get better at make-up when it’s not really your strength? Please do share any product recommendations, articles or just your thoughts and experiences in a comment! Thanks for reading!