The Balm Hot Mama

So you want to be a Hot Mama? You have to hand it to make up brand The Balm: there product names are about as witty as it gets. Pair that off with some retro looking packaging and you have a combination that sells. I had tried a few of their products before, but not that many. So when I spotted this classic blush when I was in Italy, I decided to snatch it up.

The Balm Hot Mama blush

The Balm is a brand that is quite difficult to get a hold of in The Netherlands. It is only sold online and that means you are never able to check the quality of the products beforehand. Since it isn’t the cheapest brand, this may be something you want to do. The price point depends on where you buy this online, but prices range from €16.25 to €20.35. So it does pay off to shop around. A local make up shop started selling the brand just recently, but if you’re not in the Leiden area it will be difficult to get to. If you’re in the US, The Balm is sold at Kohl’s. In Italy at La Gardenia, and in Spain at Primor.

The Packaging

When it comes to packaging The Balm wins in my book. Not only do the products always look cute, the packaging is also no fuss when it comes to the actual design. Packaged in a sleek cardboard box with a magnetized closing, this compact is slim, has a decent mirror and a large pan containing 7 grams of product. For extra security the box comes wrapped in a sleeve, which I always keep, lest you want to carry this around in a travel make up bag. Without the sleeve, the compact could open up quite easily.

The Product

Hot Mama is described as a peachy pink blush with golden shimmer, but it could also be used as an eyeshadow according to The Balm. Now I am only looking to wear this as a blush and in that it really reminded me of NARS Orgasm. When I compare the two, I find Hot Mama to have more golden shimmer and it is a lot more pink than Orgasm. I think that this would be closer to NARS Deep Throat, though I don’t own that for comparison.

The Swatch

The swatch on this blush is intense. In fact, this looked quite intimidating when I first swatched it. Pigmentation is there, but this also blends out quite easily. A little still goes a long way though, so when I use this, I only tap the very tip of my Real Techniques blush brush into this and then wipe it onto my cheeks in circular motions. This makes for a pretty diffused look that isn’t too intense.

The Application

Before
After

As you know, I like applying bronzer and highlight first and then finish off with the blush. Since the blush goes in between I like applying it last to make the entire cheek look come together. As you can see, this tones down the highlight, yet keeps the glow while adding a touch of color to the cheek.

The blush is not shimmery once applied to the cheek. In fact, it is a very glowy look and I love wearing these type of blush shades in the summer time. It was easy to apply and it stayed on all day. I never have much of an issue with blushes fading on me throughout the day, but this one looked the same all day. So when you do have that issue, then I think this may have a tendency to stick around more easily.

The Look

Full face this blush gives off a pretty flushed look. It probably looks a little bit weird when you’re not wearing all of your make up, but I find that shows you what the colors looks like a lot better. Once all make up is applied, it just makes for a healthy looking cheek with that little bit of ‘I just got in from the cold’ type look that I love.

The Conclusion

The Balm’s Hot Mama blush is an absolute stunner. It is not the most unique shades as many brands do peachy pink blush shades (think: Sleek Rose Gold). However, why this is a good one to have is the quality. While packed with golden shimmer, this actually does not translate as loose particles onto the face and the result is glowy, rosy looking cheek that stays put and blends out easily. What more can you want from a blush?

What peachy pink blush is your favorite?