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.

Argyle

Argyle on face

Lace

Lace on face

Houndstooth

Houndstooth on face

I highly recommend The Balm’s Instain blushes! Have you tried them? Please share!

Ages of Beauty rating: *****

Product Review: The Balm Hot Mama Blush

As I mentioned in Monday’s Post, Rose Gold and a Tan, I promised to review the items I used. Well, it is truly my pleasure to review The Balm’s “Hot Mama!” Blush! This lovely, creamy golden rose blush packs a real punch and will bring a beautiful glow to any complexion. Take a look!





 

Hot Mama is a finely milled, well pigmented rose/coral blush with a hint of golden shimmer. The texture is soft but not too powdery and it provides a beautiful, healthy glow to the cheeks. I have used it on my very light skin in its normal state (for reference, I’m normally a NW20 in most MAC foundations) as well as my skin with the St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse applied (right now I’m using color C3/C4 in MAC Face and Body). Amazingly, it provides a natural look in both instances! I also found that it is quite long lasting as I easily got eight hours of wear with no fading.








Although I’ve never done this, Hot Mama can also be used as an eye shadow. I am definitely going to try this!!! It is available for $20 at The Balm.com. Hot Mama is the perfect blush for a sun kissed, tanned look!!





Ages of Beauty rating: ****

Sneak Peak

I’ve been busy doing research on skin care along with my normal search for new products to love. Here are a few shots of products that I’m testing right now. I’ll report back over the next few weeks on which ones I love (and don’t love so much!).

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair Moisturizer; Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 “1970”; Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum

Julep Glycolic Hand Scrub; Hampton Sun Continuous Mist Hydrating Aloe

Smashbox CC Cream; Chanel Soleil Tan; Becca Luminous Skin Color Ultra Sheer Foundation

The Balm and Tarte Blushes

Jergens Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer

The Balm Schwing Eyeliner and What’s Your Type Mascara; Sonia Kashuk Eyeshadow Quad

Maybelline Studio Quad; L’Oreal Eyeshadow; Blinc Mascara

NYX Lipgloss; elf Pout Perfector; Nars Chubby Pencil

Ulta Fragrance Mist

Stay tuned!

Product Review: Manna Kadar Blush

For the past three weeks, I have been wearing my new Manna Kadar blush in High Five. I received this in my last Wantable box. You can find Manna Kadar Cosmetics blush here. It sells for $19.00 per pot and for that price, it's a great value. The color “High Five” does not appear to be one of the choices on the website so it may be a special edition or possibly a new color.

High Five is a powder blush that isn't particularly powdery. It is soft, though, which makes it easy to load a brush and easy to apply. Between the fingers, it feels slightly silky. If you're familiar with the Nars blush in Orgasm, the color is similar but without the gold shimmer. There is a slight shimmer to this peachy pink blush but it's not overwhelming or distracting but rather imparts a slight glow to the skin.

I found that this blush wore about seven hours without fading. After seven hours, fading was minor. High Five is a lovely color which looks like natural, flushed cheeks. This brand was a great find and I love that my obsession with beauty subscription boxes is exposing me to new things. Over all, this is a great blush and I highly recommend it!

Ages of Beauty rating: ****

Face of the Day: Spring is Here!!!

Spring is here and I've been testing out all kinds of products! After spending two weeks in Florida, I thought it was time to break out my Spring clothing, even though the weather here in Virginia hasn't been exactly Spring-like. As part of that, it seemed like a good time to try on a lighter, brighter makeup.

Some of these products have been reviewed but most haven't and I'll be posting reviews of them over the next few days. Here's a list of what I'm wearing:

• Almay Smart Shade Mousse Makeup in Light
• It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye in Light
• CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume (the orange tube) Mascara
• Wet & Wild Eyeshadow in Petal Pusher
• Cailyn Line-Fixx Gel Eyeliner in Black
• Manna Kador Blush in High Five
• Nars Light Reflecting Setting Powder
• Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Pink Freeze (805)

What makeup looks are you wearing this Spring?

Product Review: Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Blush

Happy 1st Day of Spring!!!

Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Blush has been beckoning to me every time I pass a Physicians Formula display. I finally gave in and purchased both colors. Click below for my thoughts!

Product Review: Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Flush

I love a nice blush, especially one that wakes up my skin and lasts all day. Tarte promises that it's Amazonian Clay Blush stays put for 12 hours. But does it?