theBalm: Sexy Mama & Hot Mama Review

When I think of cute, creative, and detailed cosmetic lines, my mind immediately thinks of the oh so famous brand, Benefit (and the back of my mind thinks of Too Faced). One brand that I just started to dip my toes into was theBalm Cosmetics. Well all I can say is "why the heck did it take me so long?" This brand is A to the AWE to the S-O-M-E! (Sorry for the random burst of cheerleading, I'm a little hyper right now). Just like benefit, every single product has its own unique name and packaging. However I find theBalm to have a more vintage feel while Benefit is definitely more cutesy modern. But this isn't a brand comparison post. This is a review of the two adorable products I picked up the other day, Sexy Mama & Hot Mama from theBalm.

The packaging is made out of cardboard, which surprisingly is very firm and sturdy. Both the compacts are equipped with a decent sized mirror and a magnetic close (so you don't have to worry about them opening up in your makeup-bag). I do find these a little hard to open since the magnet is so strong. Each one comes with 7.08 grams of product, not too shabby! 

 First up is the Sexy Mama Anti-Shine Translucent Powder. I usually stick to drugstore powders because they quality is usually good and the price is even better! But I decided to venture out into the world of high end  face powders, to really compare. I find this powder to be very silky smooth with just the right amount of pigmentation for a translucent powder. A lot of translucent powders give a white cast on the face (okay well not usually my face because it's white to begin with, but other peoples'). However this powder does no such thing! I would see this working for the fairest to the tannest of people. Also I love that this powder does not look cakey on the skin, it looks like you have nothing on at all. And as for its mattifying properties, it does mattify for a maximum of 1 hour (very shabby). If you have really oily skin, skip this. If you have normal to dry skin I would recommend this!

theBalm Sexy Mama Powder - $19

Now onto the lady of the hour, Hot Mama blush! When I first opened this, I immediately thought 'Nars Orgasm dupe fo sho', (sorry for going all ganster on you, I do not know what is with me today). It a peachy pink blush with a ton of frosty gold shimmer, how could it not be? I don't actually own Nars Orgasm blush but I have tested it out at sephora. They aren't dupes but they are very similar. Orgasm has bigger flecks of glitter, while the shimmer in the Hot Mama one is very finely milled. Hot Mama already wins just for that difference. One thing I can't stand, are chuncks of glitter in my makeup (that's why I wont even smell Nars Super Orgasm - chunky glitter fiasco). I usually go for matte or satin finish blushes, but I decided to try something new for a change. I do really like this blush. It has a soft texture, it's very pigmented (and I mean it!), and it just looks so pretty on the skin. You do have to be very careful when applying this, it is very easy to look like a clown since the pigmentation is crazy especially on my fair skin. I would recommend this blush to anyone who wants a good quality frosty coral blush. It doesn't even matter what skin tone you have because it will look good on everyone!

theBalm Hot Mama Blush - $19

Battle of the Cheek Stains...

Benetint and Posietint are two of the most coveted Benefit beauty buys. Targeted towards being the ultimate cheek & lip stain, these bad boys create a flushed look from within. I picked these miniature sized bottles up at Sephora, they came in a little pack that also included a sample sized version of Highbeam. The mini trio was only $18 CAD ($15 US). The full sized bottles are $36 CAD ($28 US). Both these cheek stains are quite nice, but which one is better?

Both cheek stains come in a nail polish bottle and are both equipped with a brush tip applicator. I find the packaging quite adorable. Compared to other Benefit products the packaging on these cheek stains are much simpler, actually quite a nice change.

Benetine appears red in the bottle but when blended out it's a soft dark fuchsia. Posietint is a bright almost neon like poppy pink, but when blended out it becomes a softer version of itself. Both colours are really flattering shades however on my skin tone Posietint looks much healthier and brightens the face. Benetint on the other hand enhances the red patches on my skin (not so flattering). However Benetint is gorgeous as a lip stain. Since this is a stain it is quite drying, so you will need to apply a lip balm or gloss afterwards. Since Posietint is significantly lighter than Benetint, it doesn't show up on my ever so pigmented lips. It gives a very subtle hint of colour, unlike benetint which gives a bold dose of colour.

The consistency of both products is the one thing that makes one of these cheek stains stand out more than the other. Benetint is very watery and if you are not quick to blend this in, you will have streaks on your face (again, not so flattering). Posietint has a much better consistency, it's much thicker than and it had the feeling of a gel product. I prefer this consistency far more than the watery consistency of Benetint.

Both cheeks stains swatched and blended out 

Overall Posietint wins!!! It has a much nicer colour, much better consistency, and in my opinion way cuter packaging! When I finish both of these mini bottles (which won't be for a very long time, a little goes a long way) I will definitely be repurchasing Posietint. As for Benetint, I'll leave that one on the shelf.