diff --git a/text.go b/text.go
index 32e9a82..4697eec 100644
--- a/text.go
+++ b/text.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package log
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"strings"
@@ -23,7 +22,11 @@ func (l *logger) writeIndent(w io.Writer, str string, indent string, newline boo
 		if nl == -1 {
 			if str != "" {
 				_, _ = w.Write([]byte(indent))
-				l.writeEscapedForOutput(w, str, false)
+				val := escapeStringForOutput(str, false)
+				if !l.noStyles {
+					val = ValueStyle.Render(val)
+				}
+				_, _ = w.Write([]byte(val))
 				if newline {
 					_, _ = w.Write([]byte{'\n'})
 				}
@@ -32,7 +35,11 @@ func (l *logger) writeIndent(w io.Writer, str string, indent string, newline boo
 		}
 
 		_, _ = w.Write([]byte(indent))
-		l.writeEscapedForOutput(w, str[:nl], false)
+		val := escapeStringForOutput(str[:nl], false)
+		if !l.noStyles {
+			val = ValueStyle.Render(val)
+		}
+		_, _ = w.Write([]byte(val))
 		_, _ = w.Write([]byte{'\n'})
 		str = str[nl+1:]
 	}
@@ -54,21 +61,17 @@ const (
 
 var bufPool = sync.Pool{
 	New: func() interface{} {
-		return new(bytes.Buffer)
+		return new(strings.Builder)
 	},
 }
 
-func (l *logger) writeEscapedForOutput(w io.Writer, str string, escapeQuotes bool) {
+func escapeStringForOutput(str string, escapeQuotes bool) string {
 	// kindly borrowed from hclog
 	if !needsEscaping(str) {
-		if !l.noStyles {
-			str = ValueStyle.Render(str)
-		}
-		_, _ = w.Write([]byte(str))
-		return
+		return str
 	}
 
-	bb := bufPool.Get().(*bytes.Buffer)
+	bb := bufPool.Get().(*strings.Builder)
 	bb.Reset()
 
 	defer bufPool.Put(bb)
@@ -118,12 +121,7 @@ func (l *logger) writeEscapedForOutput(w io.Writer, str string, escapeQuotes boo
 		}
 	}
 
-	s := bb.String()
-	if !l.noStyles {
-		s = ValueStyle.Render(s)
-	}
-
-	_, _ = w.Write([]byte(s))
+	return bb.String()
 }
 
 // isNormal indicates if the rune is one allowed to exist as an unquoted
@@ -235,9 +233,13 @@ func (l *logger) textFormatter(keyvals ...interface{}) {
 				l.b.WriteByte(' ')
 				l.b.WriteString(key)
 				l.b.WriteString(sep)
-				l.b.WriteByte('"')
-				l.writeEscapedForOutput(&l.b, val, true)
-				l.b.WriteByte('"')
+				if !l.noStyles {
+					l.b.WriteString(ValueStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf(`"%s"`,
+						escapeStringForOutput(val, true))))
+				} else {
+					l.b.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf(`"%s"`,
+						escapeStringForOutput(val, true)))
+				}
 			} else {
 				if !l.noStyles {
 					val = ValueStyle.Render(val)
diff --git a/text_test.go b/text_test.go
index 2e6aea4..8275545 100644
--- a/text_test.go
+++ b/text_test.go
@@ -234,6 +234,8 @@ func TestTextValueStyles(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
 	logger := New(WithOutput(&buf)).(*logger)
 	logger.noStyles = false
+	oldValueStyle := ValueStyle
+	defer func() { ValueStyle = oldValueStyle }()
 	ValueStyle = lipgloss.NewStyle().Bold(true)
 	cases := []struct {
 		name     string
@@ -244,7 +246,7 @@ func TestTextValueStyles(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		{
 			name:     "simple message",
-			expected: fmt.Sprintf("%s info\n", InfoLevelStyle.Render("INFO")),
+			expected: fmt.Sprintf("%s info\n", InfoLevelStyle),
 			msg:      "info",
 			kvs:      nil,
 			f:        logger.Info,
@@ -260,9 +262,9 @@ func TestTextValueStyles(t *testing.T) {
 			name: "message with keyvals",
 			expected: fmt.Sprintf(
 				"%s info %s%s%s %s%s%s\n",
-				InfoLevelStyle.Render("INFO"),
-				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render("="), ValueStyle.Render("val1"),
-				KeyStyle.Render("key2"), SeparatorStyle.Render("="), ValueStyle.Render("val2"),
+				InfoLevelStyle,
+				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render(separator), ValueStyle.Render("val1"),
+				KeyStyle.Render("key2"), SeparatorStyle.Render(separator), ValueStyle.Render("val2"),
 			),
 			msg: "info",
 			kvs: []interface{}{"key1", "val1", "key2", "val2"},
@@ -272,10 +274,10 @@ func TestTextValueStyles(t *testing.T) {
 			name: "error message with multiline",
 			expected: fmt.Sprintf(
 				"%s info\n  %s%s\n%s%s\n%s%s\n",
-				ErrorLevelStyle.Render("ERRO"),
-				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render("="),
-				SeparatorStyle.Render("  │ "), ValueStyle.Render("val1"),
-				SeparatorStyle.Render("  │ "), ValueStyle.Render("val2"),
+				ErrorLevelStyle,
+				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render(separator),
+				SeparatorStyle.Render(indentSeparator), ValueStyle.Render("val1"),
+				SeparatorStyle.Render(indentSeparator), ValueStyle.Render("val2"),
 			),
 			msg: "info",
 			kvs: []interface{}{"key1", "val1\nval2"},
@@ -285,9 +287,9 @@ func TestTextValueStyles(t *testing.T) {
 			name: "error message with keyvals",
 			expected: fmt.Sprintf(
 				"%s info %s%s%s %s%s%s\n",
-				ErrorLevelStyle.Render("ERRO"),
-				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render("="), ValueStyle.Render("val1"),
-				KeyStyle.Render("key2"), SeparatorStyle.Render("="), ValueStyle.Render("val2"),
+				ErrorLevelStyle,
+				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render(separator), ValueStyle.Render("val1"),
+				KeyStyle.Render("key2"), SeparatorStyle.Render(separator), ValueStyle.Render("val2"),
 			),
 			msg: "info",
 			kvs: []interface{}{"key1", "val1", "key2", "val2"},
@@ -296,11 +298,11 @@ func TestTextValueStyles(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name: "odd number of keyvals",
 			expected: fmt.Sprintf(
-				"%s info %s%s%s %s%s%s %s%s\"%s\"\n",
-				ErrorLevelStyle.Render("ERRO"),
-				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render("="), ValueStyle.Render("val1"),
-				KeyStyle.Render("key2"), SeparatorStyle.Render("="), ValueStyle.Render("val2"),
-				KeyStyle.Render("key3"), SeparatorStyle.Render("="), ValueStyle.Render("missing value"),
+				"%s info %s%s%s %s%s%s %s%s%s\n",
+				ErrorLevelStyle,
+				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render(separator), ValueStyle.Render("val1"),
+				KeyStyle.Render("key2"), SeparatorStyle.Render(separator), ValueStyle.Render("val2"),
+				KeyStyle.Render("key3"), SeparatorStyle.Render(separator), ValueStyle.Render(`"missing value"`),
 			),
 			msg: "info",
 			kvs: []interface{}{"key1", "val1", "key2", "val2", "key3"},
@@ -309,9 +311,9 @@ func TestTextValueStyles(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name: "error field",
 			expected: fmt.Sprintf(
-				"%s info %s%s\"%s\"\n",
-				ErrorLevelStyle.Render("ERRO"),
-				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render("="), ValueStyle.Render("error value"),
+				"%s info %s%s%s\n",
+				ErrorLevelStyle,
+				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render(separator), ValueStyle.Render(`"error value"`),
 			),
 			msg: "info",
 			kvs: []interface{}{"key1", errors.New("error value")},
@@ -321,8 +323,8 @@ func TestTextValueStyles(t *testing.T) {
 			name: "struct field",
 			expected: fmt.Sprintf(
 				"%s info %s%s%s\n",
-				InfoLevelStyle.Render("INFO"),
-				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render("="), ValueStyle.Render("{foo:bar}"),
+				InfoLevelStyle,
+				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render(separator), ValueStyle.Render("{foo:bar}"),
 			),
 			msg: "info",
 			kvs: []interface{}{"key1", struct{ foo string }{foo: "bar"}},
@@ -331,9 +333,9 @@ func TestTextValueStyles(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name: "struct field quoted",
 			expected: fmt.Sprintf(
-				"%s info %s%s\"%s\"\n",
-				InfoLevelStyle.Render("INFO"),
-				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render("="), ValueStyle.Render("{foo:bar baz}"),
+				"%s info %s%s%s\n",
+				InfoLevelStyle,
+				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render(separator), ValueStyle.Render(`"{foo:bar baz}"`),
 			),
 			msg: "info",
 			kvs: []interface{}{"key1", struct{ foo string }{foo: "bar baz"}},
@@ -342,9 +344,9 @@ func TestTextValueStyles(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name: "slice of strings",
 			expected: fmt.Sprintf(
-				"%s info %s%s\"%s\"\n",
-				ErrorLevelStyle.Render("ERRO"),
-				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render("="), ValueStyle.Render("[foo bar]"),
+				"%s info %s%s%s\n",
+				ErrorLevelStyle,
+				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render(separator), ValueStyle.Render(`"[foo bar]"`),
 			),
 			msg: "info",
 			kvs: []interface{}{"key1", []string{"foo", "bar"}},
@@ -353,9 +355,9 @@ func TestTextValueStyles(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name: "slice of structs",
 			expected: fmt.Sprintf(
-				"%s info %s%s\"%s\"\n",
-				ErrorLevelStyle.Render("ERRO"),
-				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render("="), ValueStyle.Render("[{foo:bar} {foo:baz}]"),
+				"%s info %s%s%s\n",
+				ErrorLevelStyle,
+				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render(separator), ValueStyle.Render(`"[{foo:bar} {foo:baz}]"`),
 			),
 			msg: "info",
 			kvs: []interface{}{"key1", []struct{ foo string }{{foo: "bar"}, {foo: "baz"}}},
@@ -364,9 +366,9 @@ func TestTextValueStyles(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name: "slice of errors",
 			expected: fmt.Sprintf(
-				"%s info %s%s\"%s\"\n",
-				ErrorLevelStyle.Render("ERRO"),
-				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render("="), ValueStyle.Render("[error value1 error value2]"),
+				"%s info %s%s%s\n",
+				ErrorLevelStyle,
+				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render(separator), ValueStyle.Render(`"[error value1 error value2]"`),
 			),
 			msg: "info",
 			kvs: []interface{}{"key1", []error{errors.New("error value1"), errors.New("error value2")}},
@@ -375,9 +377,9 @@ func TestTextValueStyles(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name: "map of strings",
 			expected: fmt.Sprintf(
-				"%s info %s%s\"%s\"\n",
-				ErrorLevelStyle.Render("ERRO"),
-				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render("="), ValueStyle.Render("map[baz:qux foo:bar]"),
+				"%s info %s%s%s\n",
+				ErrorLevelStyle,
+				KeyStyle.Render("key1"), SeparatorStyle.Render(separator), ValueStyle.Render(`"map[baz:qux foo:bar]"`),
 			),
 			msg: "info",
 			kvs: []interface{}{"key1", map[string]string{"foo": "bar", "baz": "qux"}},