theBalm Down Boy Blush/Eyeshadow Review and Swatches

Down Boy by theBalm is, I am starting to think, the quintessential pink blush.

Down Boy on the left

It's a slightly cool, matte pink.  It's not pale, per se, but it's also not richly pigmented, which makes it more flexible.  It's very blendable, but doesn't sheer out, so it's easy to add color as needed.  While matte, it's certainly not boring, and gives a very nice, natural flush to my cheeks.  For the very warm, it may be too cool, but the rosiness should make it wearable for most skin tones, though it may look powdery or ashy on anyone over NC/NW 35 or 40.

Down Boy in sunlight, swatched heavily with q-tip (top) and sponge (bottom)

Same swatches, different angle

Down Boy on the left, Hot Mama on the right

Down Boy is a pretty much fool-proof blush; on days when you don't want to deal with the hassle of loose blush or color-coordination, just brush this on and you're good to go for the whole day.  If you want to add some shimmer, top with Mary-Lou Manizer (review to come), or wear alone for a natural look.  While not as "interesting" as Hot Mama, Down Boy is an excellent choice for a smooth, lovely staple pink blush.  0.12 oz comes in the palette, but the full size is 0.35 oz (not the 0.75 oz that the Sephora website claims, but still enormous) for $21.  While pricey, it's also very large, and you wouldn't need to purchase another pink blush for a very long time (unless you wanted to, of course!).

I've decided to rate the elements in the Balmbini based on their full size prices and quantity, and will rate the palette overall in terms of the price and value of the amounts therein.  Let me know if you would prefer I do it some other way!

Overview
Pros: Smooth, pigmented, blendable, huge
Cons: Expensive


Quality: 9.5
Effectiveness: 5
Ease of Use: 5
Senses: 5 (hasn't broken me out!)
Pigmentation: 5
Duration: 5
Consistency: 5
Price: 1.5
Value: 4.75 (it's $2 more than Hot Mama, but you get 0.1 oz more, but you should definitely make sure you like the color enough to actually make use of that much!)
Grade: A-


What do you think of Down Boy?  Do you prefer it or Hot Mama?