The Balm Balm Desert Bronzer Blush Review

I recently picked up The Balm's Balm Desert Bronzer/Blush ($21) while perusing the beauty section at Kohls. It looked pretty dark in the pan, but once I swatched it, I realized I had to have it! It's a beautiful rosy brown shade that's really hard to find in a sea of warm orange-based bronzers.

I have pink-toned Irish skin that burns first and tans later, so my natural tan always looks a bit rosy underneath...I call it my "burn-tan". This powder delivers that exact shade.

As always, The Balm's packaging never disappoints. It's adorable, retro, and totally portable with a strong magnetic closure and soft cardboard packaging.

Like all of The Balm's powders, this is soft, silky and oh so blendable...it's just effortless to use. It looks dark in the pan but this doesn't go on strong right away...you can easily go sheer (perfect if you're light skinned like me) or you can build it for a stronger color.

The Balm markets this as a bronzer/blush and until I tried it, I wasn't sure I would like it as a blush...I usually go for lighter pinks and peaches. As it turns out, that's my favorite way to use it! Once you start applying it to your cheeks and it starts to sheer it out, that beautiful rosy tone comes through and it actually looks more blush than bronzer.

I almost forgot to mention, you can use this as an eyeshadow too, and it's great when you want to coordinate your eye and cheek colors. I like to use this as an all over lid shade and then I take some Mary Lou Manizer, dab a little in the center of my lid and in the inner corners...and viola! An easy, effortless summery look.

Balm Desert has a satin finish with just a hint of sheen to it, but I promise it's not shimmery or glittery. It's a very natural luminosity that just brings the tiniest bit of light to your face and just keeps it from looking flat or muddy. My swatch below was applied pretty heavily because I wanted you to really be able to see the color...just know that it goes on much more sheer when you're using a brush!

 It also has a tendency to create a bit of fallout because the powder is so soft and fluffy...just make sure to tap your brush before applying or you might get too much on your skin all at once.

Right now, I've been using this exclusively as a blush, but as we head into summer, I'll also be using it as a bronzer on key areas of my face to re-create my "burn-tan".

I just love the rosy bronze shade on my cheeks...it's a perfect everyday color that goes with just about any look. I've worn it every day for the last few weeks...sometimes I use it alone and other times, I start it a little bit lower just underneath my cheekbone and finish with a lighter peach or pink blush just above it as a topper. In this photo, I'm wearing Balm Desert by itself.

Overall, I'm so happy I picked this one up! It was kind of a spur of the moment thing but it's become a favorite already due to its versatility. The fact that you can use it as a bronzer, blush, and eyeshadow means that I'll be using this a lot this summer. Plus, the formula is perfection. I highly recommend this one and it's totally worth splurging on!

Grab yours now at Kohls.com