Product Review: The Balm’s Instain Blush

Several months ago, The Balm released a new line of blushes that promised to be so pigmented that no one has ever seen anything like it. Consisting of six colors, these blushes are supposed to be great for all seasons and skin tones. I purchased three of them shortly after their release and am finally getting around to reviewing them. Read on for my thoughts!

The Balm’s Instain Blushes are, without a doubt, the most pigmented and long lasting powder blushes I have ever worn. The idea behind them is that once they are on your skin, they not only apply like a powder blush but they also actually stain the cheeks so that the color lasts and lasts! I found that each color easily lasted twelve hours or more with only minor fading throughout the day. Since I absolutely loathe touching up my makeup during the day (anything but lips and the odd powder every now and then), I consider this a powerhouse of a product! I do find that I have to use a fairly light touch with a fluffy blush brush but they are very blendable and easy to apply. I purchased mine for $22 each at The Balm.com.

Each blush contains the following ingredients:

Ingredients: Mica, Boron Nitride, Polyethylene, Silica, Isoeicosane, PTFE, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Synthetic Wax, Polyisobutene, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Kaolin, Dimethicone, Sodium Dehydroacetate. May contain [+/- Iron Oxides (CI77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Carmine (CI 75470)]

Argyle, Lace and Houndstooth

Argyle is described as a “petal pink.” When I think of petal pink, I imagine a very light, soft, powdery pink with little pigment. I wouldn’t exactly call thin soft or lacking pigment! This is more of a warmer, matte pink and leaves a nice, rosy glow. Out of the three blushes in my collection, it is the lightest of the bunch and I believe it can be flattering on all skin tones.

Lace is a brighter, cooler matte pink that really brightens the face. It’s a fun, happy color that will look good on cool complexions, for sure. Like Argyle, the texture is smooth and not powdery. There is absolutely no fallout when applying this blush with a brush. Lace is a great color for days when you’re going for a very “girlie” look!

Houndstooth is described as a mauve blush that looks fairly neutral on my cool toned skin. It has a very slight, subtle shimmer that I will be wearing quite a bit this fall. This one is probably good for a wider range of skin tones as it seems quite forgiving in its pigmentation.

Here are a few pictures showing each blush.