Product Review: theBalm INSTAIN Long-Wearing Powder Staining Blush in Pinstripe and Swiss Dot (and Swatches).

Hi lovelies!

Happy Monday (not)! On the plus side, we survived it and it's only four short sleeps to the next weekend!

I have two pretty blushers from theBalm to show you today, in Pinstripe and Swiss Dot*. The INSTAIN blushers are innovative, long-wearing powders with staining properties. Swiss Dot* was sent to me for consideration, and I liked it so much that I went out and purchased Pinstripe!

theBalm INSTAIN blushes in Pinstripe (left) and Swiss Dot (right).

Keep reading after the jump!

The INSTAIN blushers are housed in cardboard cases with magnetic closures, which are then housed in a cardboard sleeve. The packaging is really adorable, reminiscent of the old fashion magazines from the sixties. Swiss Dot* is a peach coloured blush while Pinstripe is more plum in colour. My only gripe with the packaging is the fact that you have to be very careful with it, as the blush can slip out of the sleeve very easily. The cardboard case might also not be as durable as a plastic case, which is something to keep in mind if you like to keep blushers loose in your handbag.

The blushers are extremely pigmented and blend beautifully. Application is very easy, I like to just gently touch my blusher brush to the surface and then swirl it on the apples of my cheeks. Both these shades are perfect for my darker skintone, but there are also four other shades in the range to cater to all skin tones, including Lace (bright pink), Houndstooth (mauve), Toile (strawberry) and Argyle (pale pink).

theBalm INSTAIN blushers in Pinstripe (left) and Swiss Dot (right).

theBalm INSTAIN blush in Pinstripe.

theBalm INSTAIN blush in Pinstripe.

theBalm INSTAIN blush in Swiss Dot.

theBalm INSTAIN blush in Swiss Dot.

The photos below show two light swatches of Pinstripe and Swiss Dot in different lighting. I'm sure you'll agree that they are extremely pigmented!

theBalm INSTAIN blushers in Pinstripe (left) and Swiss Dot (right) in daylight.

theBalm INSTAIN blushers in Pinstripe (left) and Swiss Dot (right) in direct sunlight.

I'm not someone who struggles with blush disappearing on me, but I'd say I get about 6-8 hours of wear out of these. It's actually not the longest-wearing powder blush I own, but I do love the way the INSTAIN blushers look on my skin.

If you're wondering about the 'staining' properties, it's a little hard to call. The swatches above did leave a bit of a stain on my skin when I was finished photographing them, but I find removal very easy when they are on my cheeks. I usually remove my makeup with my beloved Shu Uemura cleansing oil, and it comes off without leaving any residue behind!

The INSTAIN blushers retail for $26.95 and are available from David Jones or from Adore Beauty. You can also choose to purchase these from the official theBalm website in the US, where they retail at $22 USD.

Do you fancy the look of these blushers, lovelies?

Much love,
MM.
x


Note: Swiss Dot was sent to me for consideration, while I purchased Pinstripe. This has not affected my opinion in any way. For more information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.