The Newbie - The Balm Instain blushes

The Balm is fast becoming my favourite makeup brand. It's not exactly drugstore but it isn't high end either, just somewhere in the middle, where the quality is wonderful but the prices don't make you fall of the chair.  I already own 1 blush - DOWNBOY, by The Balm and it is wonderful. I bought it on Hautelook where this company is featured every 3 months or so, so do keep an eye out if you don't fancy paying full retail price. I was amazed by the quality of the blush that I own and how long lasting it is on my cheeks. However, then I discovered the Tarte Amazonian clay blushes and I had to redefine what long lasting meant. Well now The Balm are coming out with a new powder blush line called INSTAIN and they claim to be as long lasting as the Tarte Amazonian clay blushes. Obviously I was intrigued and had to investigate further. All in the name of research for my readers of course :) I ordered all 6 of the shades which retail for $22 + tax in the States, however I bought these during The Balm's 50% sale in late April, so only ended up paying $11 each. Yippee..

Now let us talk about the packaging first. It's as cute as a button, which is what I'd expect from this brand. Each blush comes in a cardboard pack which has a magnetic closure with a handy mirror and a sleeve. There is writing along the mirror that reads - 'Wear it well ... Vous va bien...'. The colours at the top of the sleeve (under the word INSTAIN) represent the colour of the blush, so that's handy too. I hate having to troll through all my blushes to find the shade I want as all the blushes come in the same packaging (*cough NARS cough*). The cardboard might put some people off, but for me it's sturdy and environmentally friendlier than plastic. It also means that you are not paying more for the product just because of fancy packaging. I also think that the sleeve was a fab idea as it will hold the blush together while traveling is less likely to be damaged. So The Balm nailed this :)

So what do you get for $22 + tax you ask. Well, you get 5.5g of product, which is plenty and will probably last you a lifetime as it's an extremely pigmented blush, you really only need to dip your brush in once to get what you need for an entire cheek (and maybe if you are super pale, both cheeks!).

Just for comparison, the Tarte blushes ($26 + tax) are 5.6g, but the normal line of blushes from The Balm (I am looking at you DOWNBOY - around $14 + tax) are 9.9g. So you do get a lot less than the normal blushes, however the theory is once this is on, you won't need to reapply. I do think that they could have been a wee more generous though. I always expect generous quantities from The Balm.

Here are pictures of each of the 6 blushes, taken on my window sill in daylight.

Shade - Lace

Shade - Toile

Shade - Pinstripe

Shade - Houndstooth

Shade - Argyle

Shade - Swiss Dot

Swatches on my arm again taken by the window in daylight -

I do just want to point out that Lace and Argyle are not as similar as the swatches show below. Lace is quite a lot brighter and more purple than Argyle.

(L to R - Pinstripe, Houndstooth, Toile, Lace, Swiss Dot, Argyle)

(L to R - Pinstripe, Houndstooth, Toile, Lace, Swiss Dot, Argyle)

I have only used Houndstooth so far, and it was amazingly easy to apply and blend. I have tan skin so I could be a little heavy handed with my application but it did not look overdone. The wear was a good 9 hours on me, which is great. In all, I do really recommend these thoroughly.