Obsessions | The Balm How 'Bout Them Apples Lip and Cheek Stain Palette

When it comes to makeup, blush and bronzer fall behind on my list of products I lust over because applying colour to that large an area of skin is terrifying. I typically stay away from bronzers and have been using the same blush for six years. I use the Covergirl Cheekers blush and it might be in the shade Pretty Peach? It's peach something. Anyway, I received my first Birchbox subscription a couple months ago and one of the items was a mini sample of The Balm's How 'Bout Them Apples? Lip and Cheek Stain in Apple Pie. Weary of cream blushes after I tried the Revlon Photo Ready Cream Blush in Coral Reef last year and looked like an actual clown, I approached this sample with extreme caution. I was also afraid I would break out with a cream blush, but my cheek area has remained blemish-free. I dabbed my fingers into the product and onto my cheeks and lightly patted it in, working from a light coverage to a really flattering glowy look. At that moment, I knew I no longer had to fear cream blushes and became obsessed, wearing it nearly every day the past three months.

After falling in love with Apple Pie, I researched the full-size palette that includes six different shades that literally cover all your blush bases save for a plum-based shade. I decided to buy the palette and try my luck with the rest of The Balm's cream blushes. The packaging always makes me laugh because of the ridiculous shirtless cowboys by the pots of blush and the cleverness of the names, which play on apple-based treats. I love how sleek it is and the giant mirror has been a huge plus for me. It is about the size of my hand, which might seem a bit large, but I have no probems holding it with one hand. I think this will be such a good palette for traveling as it has this giant mirror and so many different blush options to suit all your needs. Because the pots of product are much larger than the sample I had, I apply these with my Real Techniques Stippling Brush and pat them onto the apples of my cheeks. I have not used any of these blushes as lip stains because I'm not a fan of mixing what I apply to my cheeks on my mouth as well, but the colours are pigmented enough that I believe they would look just as good on the lips.

L to r: Apple Pie, Apple Cobbler and Apple Cider.

L to r: Apple Crisp, Candy Apple and Caramel Apple.

Apple Cider

This shade is one of my faves as it is a beautiful peachy colour. Yes, it is a bit pink, but I think for blush it is as peach as can be. It is quite flattering on my skin tone and such a nice, toned-down shade, probably the most natural and subtle shade in the palette. It does go on light but like all the shades, can be easily built up. I think this would be a good shade to try if you're a bit weary of cream blush as it applies lightly.

Apple Cobbler

If you are looking for that classic rosy cheek appearance, look no further than this shade - oh my goodness it is beautiful! There's something so magical about pairing red cheeks with a red lip, which is why it's such a winning combo. Looking at this in the pan, I was really intimidated to try it out on my cheeks and admittedly, I applied way too much that first time. However, I was able to fix my mistake and was left with the most gorgeous flush of red on my cheeks. I haven't used this as much as I'd like, but every time I know I will be wearing a red lip, this is my go-to blush.

Apple Pie
As mentioned above, this is the shade that started my obsession with this palette. Apple Pie is a pinky red which I think suits most makeup looks and lip product shades because it is between colours. It's so wearable and again, very natural. I haven't used the one in this palette too much as I had the sample (which I gave to Cristina) and I have been trying out all the other shades, but I do still love it. Since I discussed it earlier in this post and wrote a review in my first beauty box post where I compared it to my Benefit Benetint (found here), I won't say anything else about this blush other than I have since learned how to apply it in a way which suits me much better.

SWATCHED! From left to right, top to bottom: Apple Cider, Apple Cobbler, Apple Pie, Apple Crisp, Candy Apple and Caramel Apple. Watch: Michael Kors

Apple Crisp
Omg Crisp is my favourite colour in the entire palette. I thought Apple Pie was good but it is nothing compared to this beauty. I'm being a bit dramatic, but that's how much I love it. Apple Crisp is a peachy-pink shade with gold shimmer running through it. Think Nars Orgasm, but with more gold shimmer and more peach, and also better. I had Orgasm in a duo with Laguna for about a year and I just gave it to Cristina because it wasn't working for me. Apple Crisp on the other hand is so beautiful because it is much more natural and the shimmer isn't crazy at all! I didn't even know it had shimmer until I shone my iPhone light on it. This is the only shade with shimmer in the palette and maybe that's why I reach for it the most? It definitely makes my skin look the most dewy, healthy and glowy. I just love it!

Candy Apple
I didn't think I would like Candy Apple as much as I do because it appeared to be your standard pink shade, but once applied, it's more of a rosy pink and I am having a serious love affair with rose at the moment. It sits so nicely on my cheeks and goes well with most makeup looks, especially anything from my Naked 3 palette. True love here.

Caramel Apple
This was definitely the shade I was most weary of/terrified to try because I've not really seen this shade before nor have I ever applied it to my cheeks. I read on one blog that it was good contour colour and having been interested in a cream bronzer for really subtle contouring (no Kardashian makeup here, guys), I decided I could play around with this shade. When I opened up the palette, I freaked out becuase it isn't really a bronzer colour as I think it is kind of rosy. Now, I am going to emphasize the "kind of" rosy bit because it is very subtle but I think when you see it in person, you might know what I'm talking about. As someone with a light complexion, I wouldn't dare use this as bronzer but a bronzer/blush hybrid is so perfect! It looks so nice on my cheeks and has been working really well with my orange, rose and red lip products. This is probably the most versatile shade in the palette and I only felt that way after using it. The unique colour really helps it look as good as it does on the cheeks and while I'm bummed I still don't have a cream bronzer, I'm excited to own this beaut!

I now realize I was just extremely intimidated by cream blushes because these are literally so easy to apply and they are SO flattering. Even when I've mistakingly applied too much product, I can easily blend it out, remove it with my fingers or go over it with my foundation brush and it just goes back to being a natural flush of colour. I'm a total cream blush convert now and don't even get me started on applying highlighter over these babies! I love how easy it is to increase or decrease the amount of blush on my face and I can control where it goes much better. Since this palette is a bit pricey, I'd suggest trying some drugstore cream blushes and really having a play with how you apply them if you're not a blush girl or you're more into the powders like myself. Don't be afraid of cream blushes, just have fun and embrace them!

Cheers,

- S