La Bamba, Bella!

I scored a generously sized free sample of Benefit Bella Bamba as a 100-point perk from Sephora.

I’m sure I’ve said this before, but if you’re not a Beauty Insider, you should totally sign up. It’s free, you get points for purchases, which are redeemable for freebies, and you don’t even have to be on their email list if you don’t want to be. But that’s where the codes are to get MORE freebies! It might seem like I get a lot of free stuff, and I really do, but it’s not because I write a blog (thought that would be nice), it’s because I’m WORKIN’ IT.

Anyway, back to “business”!

I am pretty sure this is the same color my friend and I chose for her “wedding blush” one night after a few cocktails. I was a little worried about shopping in the state we were in, but the next day she texted me about how awesome her new blush was and thanked me for helping her. So that worked out for the best, and she looked gorgeous on her wedding day, but in general, I do not recommend going into Sephora with even the slightest buzz. It’s too dangerous!

Still, ever since then I had been thinking about trying that blush for myself. I generally don’t buy Benefit’s blushes because I feel like the packaging is really large and inefficient, even though it’s very cute. (Each blush is packaged in a square-ish cardboard box with a flat brush.) However, I do like to have a peachy-pink option for blush, and lately I had been feeling that Nars Orgasm was too sparkly.

That might sound like heresy, since the only thing anyone has ever said (in print) about Nars Orgasm is how awesome it is, and how it’s the perfect blush for every single person that has ever lived or died. To be honest, I even suggested it to my friend for her wedding blush, it’s just the go-to. Interestingly, she shared my opinion about it being too sparkly. Perhaps there is an underground anti-orgasm movement starting? (Which is not at all what it sounds like, because: Duh.)

While Bella Bamba still does have a bit of shimmer, it seems slightly less sparkly than Orgasm. I don’t know if it actually has less sparkles in it, or if Orgasms warmer color boosts the gold. Bella Bamba is slightly pinker than Orgasm. Since I have both in my possession, I took some comparison shots. Orgasm on the left, Bella Bamba on the right.

Can I definitively say Benefit Bella Bamba is better than Nars Orgasm? No, of course not.  It's just a matter of personal preference, as is pretty much everything. But it's always fun to explore the options!