Review: TheBalm Nude Tude Palette & Swatches

Aloha Everyone!

   

I mentioned in my previous blog post that I have TheBalm's Nude'tude palette. Since everyone and their mother is coming out with a "naked" palette with essential neutrals, I figured it'd be a useful to do a review on this one! Let's start off with the packaging.

     

 The Nude'tude has such adorable packaging. First off, it's super sleek, long, and thin, so it's super easy for travel. On the front their is a picture of an old-school, vintage room where I would imagine one would do their makeup & gussy up for a night out. 

 The actual shadows are strategically placed over a bunch of very glamorous  yet very naked women. (haha!) Such a funny and cute idea. The back of the palette lists the ingredients, and has picture swatches of all the shadows which is a nice addition. The palette also comes with a double ended mini brush, one with a defined slanted edge for liner, and one for a softer, more blended look.

Swatches without flash and no primer.

The palette features 12 neutral shadows ranging from light to dark. Top: 1-6 Bottom:7-12

1. Sassy- A frosty white.                                       7. Snobby- A shimmery yellow gold.

2. Stubborn- A creamy pink with sheen.              8. Stand-offish- A neutral pink with sparkle.

3. Selfish- A shimmery medium grey.                  9. Sultry- A perfect, light matte brown.

4. Sophisticated- A shimmery medium               10. A shimmery version of sultry.

    brown with a grey undertone.

5. Sexy- A matte burgundy/purple.                    11. Silly- A deep matte brown with gold sparkle.

6. A standard matte black.                                  12. Sleek- An intense, super dark matte brown.

Swatches with flash and no primer.

As you can tell from the pictures above, the pigmentation of these shadows incredible. These were swatched with zero primer, imagine how they would look with one! I was very impressed, as they are the first and only shadows from TheBalm that I have tried to date. 

This palette retails for $36 on thebalm.com, but I got it for $18 on HauteLook. I would recommend this to those who love their neutrals, but also aren't afraid to wear darker looks. I say this because while yes you can get plenty of lighter looks with this palette, you wouldn't get use out of the other half. 

I can definitely see myself repurchasing this because it is just a great staple to have in any collection. I would say go for it and pick it up! You won't regret it :)

Thanks so much for reading! 

xoxo, Sam :)

Review: TheBalm TimeBalm Face Primer

Aloha Everyone!

"TimeBalm Face Primer is designed to be worn alone for visibly softer skin, or under makeup so your look stays put. It also helps even out skin tone and minimizes the appearance of fine lines and pores. " - Claims from thebalm.com website.

I wanted to share my thoughts on TheBalm's TimeBalm Face Primer today. TheBalm is such an awesome brand in my opinion. Being first recommended by EmilyNoel83, it has really never let me down. I've tried their liquid and cream concealer, the Nude 'Tude Palette, etc. and have had good results with everything. This is no different!

Price: $30. This is the major downside to  this primer,   because   it's  only  1 0z.   of    product. TheBalm is usually on Hautelook at 50% off, so I   got   mine   for  $15. (Making   it   a bit  more justifiable!)

Color: This comes in one, translucent shade.

Packaging: TheBalm has awesome packaging! It's always so fun, bright, and friendly. This comes in a very sleek, bright pink tube. It's very sanitary which I like.

Scent: This scent is difficult to describe. It smells like silicone & baby powder. It's pleasant, and not overwhelming whatsoever!

SPF: None

Before any primer

After applied

Finish: This leaves a matte finish to my face as you can see from the picture, it took away all oils. Also, it helps fill in and blur out pores majorly!

Texture: Very smooth, slick, & silicone-y.

Staying Power: This is supposed to make your makeup last longer. Since it leaves a smooth canvas, the foundation/powder or any other makeup doesn't have anything to "stick" to. However, it does make everything apply much easier, virtually gliding on, and that's where the staying power comes from. 

Photo Friendliness: The primer's finish itself is matte, so it's great for photos.

Who's it best for? Really, anyone. It really helps to blur lines, fill in pores, and leaves a matte finish. Since it does leave a matte finish, dry skin types may not love it but it depends what each person is looking for.

Would I repurchase? Full price? No. To me, it's a nice primer and all, but not worth $30. However, it does exactly what it claims to, and I would definitely buy it on sale again. In the meantime, I'll probably try something else.

Thanks so much for reading!

xoxo, Sam :)