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Monday 22 July 2013

The Balm INSTAIN Blusher

I am completely new to The Balm products. They have always interested me though, especially from watching US bloggers rave on about them to their hearts content. So when I got a tiny sample of one of their blushes featured in this month (July) Birchbox I was more than a little giddy. OK so the sample was very small, but on closer inspection you actually get more blusher than first thought and more than a months supply for sure! The colour I received was 'Swiss Dot' - a lovely matte coral/peach shade.


The Balm 'Swiss Dot'

Apart from the colour being lovely, I was mostly impressed with the longevity once applied. A tiny amount of product on my blush brush was used and the blusher stayed put all day! Pretty impressive when the UK is experiencing a freaky heat wave at the moment. Lets say I was more than ready for the product to disappear into nothing after just a few hours. Once over the shock of having peachy cheeks for a whole day without re-application I decided to bite the bullet and order a full size version. Luckily I had enough Birchbox 'points' to warrant £20.00 off of a full size product from their online shop, making my blusher just £1.50 to pay in total. Result! 

I took a risk and opted for a different colour in my full size purchase. I decided to go with 'Toile' - described as a 'strawberry' shade. I must say I was very happy with the colour when it arrived. Again, it was another matte shade that on first looks appeared to be another coral but on closer inspection and after a few swatches you could definitely tell this shade had redder undertones than 'Swiss Dot'. 

The Balm 'Toile'



As an aid for comparison I took a photo and swatch of this blusher next to Nars 'Orgasm' blusher - as this is a cult peach/coral shade that most could probably relate to.

Bottom: The Balm 'Toile', Top: Nars 'Orgasm'




As you can see Nars 'Orgasm' has more gold reflective particles and creates much more of shimmery effect, where as The Balm 'Toile' has no shimmer or glitter and is an all over rich shade. 

Bottom: The Balm 'Swiss Dot', Middle: Nars 'Orgasm', Top: The Balm 'Toile'




From the above swatches you can make out the Balm blushes are much more opaque and give fantastic colour pay off. Some perhaps wouldn't warrant owning all three shades because they are close in colour, however, a make up artist once told me if you are ever in doubt about what shade of blusher to use, pick a coral. It suits the majority of people, so it is very difficult to get it wrong!

These blushes would be great for a night out, as they really would last all night without the hassle of regular touch ups. These babies have staying power!!! I must admit these have had such a great impact on me that I now have my eye on The Balm's 'Mary Lou Manizer Luminizer' - described as a highlighter for cheeks and eyes. Once again, this is becoming quite the cult product throughout beauty blogs and beauty YouTube videos, so I am sure I wont have to wait too long till I cave in and splurge!


If you are a sucker for pretty packaging and love a 'girly' product, then you will love The Balm blushes (and most likely their whole product range.) I bought my product from the Birchbox shop online, however you can also find them online at Feel Unique.

Enjoy!

Love and hugs
Caz 
xxx


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