The Balm Blush Review - Cabana Boy, Frat Boy, & Hot Mama

The Balm Blushes definitely score points for super cute packaging!

Okay, I feel I should warn you that it looks like most of this week's posts are going to be about blushes. 

I can't help it. 

I'm seriously obsessed these days.

In a previous post where I sang the praises of the Balm (I've probably done that in a few posts, actually.  LOVE this brand to death), I mentioned that while I've tried a ton of their eye shadows, I'd never gotten around to sampling their blushes. 

Of course that was a situation that I just had to rectify. 

Over the past few months, I've bought 3 of the Balm's blushes: Cabana Boy, Frat Boy, and Hot Mama.  These blushes are fairly expensive - $21 each.  But Hot Mama's the only one I paid full price for.  I got the Boys (hee!) from Haute Look for $10 each.

And I've got to say, I think these little beauties are actually worth the $21. 

So gorgeous!

Not only is the packaging adorable - I'm a sucker for retro style artwork! - these blushes are richly pigmented, smooth, and super easy to blend. And they can all double as eye shadows, which I think is pretty cool and allows you to get a little more bang for your buck.

While all of the blushes are lovely, my absolute fave is Frat Boy.  It's a lovely deep peach color with a matte finish that looks so pretty and natural on the cheeks. I think it'll be particularly pretty in the spring and fall. I haven't tried it on my eyes yet, but since peachy, orange tones bring out blue eyes, I'll definitely be giving it a go at some point. 

The Balm Frat Boy Blush

Frat Boy swatch

Cabana Boy is a gorgeous deep berry shade with subtle gold shimmer throughout. It's the blush I reach for when I want a more grown up, sophisticated look, if you know what I mean.

The Balm Cabana Boy Blush

Cabana Boy swatch

Hot Mama is a shimmery peachy-pink shade that makes your cheeks just glow. It's a bit lighter than Frat Boy, and because of the shimmer, it's like a blush and highlighter in one.  I think this one will look nice on the eyes too, but I haven't experimented yet.

The Balm Hot Mama Blush

Hot Mama swatch

I definitely recommend these blushes - but if you're like me and the $21 price tag is a little off-putting, keep an eye out for the Balm events on Haute Look so you can score a good deal.   You can't go wrong with any of them, though if you can only get one, I'd go with Frat Boy.

Balm blush swatches side-by-side (l to r): Cabana Boy, Frat Boy, Hot Mama

Now, I love these three blushes so much that at some point, I know I'm going to get the one blush in the Balm's collection that I don't have - Down Boy. It's a light rosy pink that looks like it would be perfect for a natural look.  So pretty!

Have you tried the Balm's blushes?  Which one do you like best?  Which one are you most interested in trying? 

Oh, and does anyone know a good 12-Step program for blush addicts?  :P