Since the second The Balm landed on my doorstep, I don’t think I’ve stopped raving about it. Upon arrival there was a bag for myself, and a huge bag for the #SheffieldBBloggers Charity Raffle for Look Good Feel Better, where the contents added up to over £200! The products were lusted over throughout the entire event until I asked everyone if they wanted the bundle as a whole, or separate so they’d be the chance for two people to win, obviously that won the vote and two people went home very happy.
It’s always fascinating when you finally get your hands on a product that is raved about so much like the Mary Lou Manizer Highlighter. Your mind starts to wonder, can a product really be that amazing to have so many people talking? Well, in this case, yes. Having tremendously oily skin means that I can’t step foot near a liquid highlighter, I’d be better off wearing baby oil instead. However, The Balm’s Mary Lou Manizer is a beautiful shade that isn’t too champagne to give a slightly pink effect, or too dark to look like a bronzer. It’s the perfect middle ground for that sheer glow on your skin. It has an incredibly creamy texture that blends into pretty much every base. At £16 it’s a little pricier than highlighters I’ve loved in the past, but nothing has been quite as beautiful as this. In the pictures below I’m wearing both eye palettes, eyeliner, blush and highlighter…..
The eye palettes are something that needs to be on everyone’s wish list. Meet Matte Nude is a £34 palette of 9 beautifully creamy, nude shades to suit just about every look. I even used the colours in a couple Youtube Halloween Tutorials as my first time testing them out and was blown away by how easily they blended and created the perfect looks I wanted. Meet Matte Nude is the only palette you need when creating a nude eye. It has a wide range of colours and shades that can be mixed and blended together until your heart’s content.
It’s difficult to know which one is my favourite as The Balm Nude Tude at £26.50, hasn’t really left my eyes either. In fact, I love to mix the palettes together to create a smokey Cranberry eye. ‘Sexy’ is definitely my favourite colour in the palette, although I definitely love all of the names in this palette. I feel like the palette portrays my emotional range in a way, as well as an attitude as I love Sassy and Stubborn. This palette is a mix between the shimmers and mattes, again they’re all creamy, incredibly pigmented and work together beautifully.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t fall deeply in love with everything from The Balm as I really did not like the lipsticks. As much as I would have loved a dark red and vamp lip, the colours were rather sheer and are actually completely different from the photo. On the left hand side is Foxxy pout, a caramel shimmery with a thick, sticky texture. On the right, Amanda Kissmylips which is a dark, chocolate brown colour and takes several coats to get the true colour. Both of which aren’t really colours that I would wear anyway….However, at £9 each they’re very fairly priced for the consistency and texture. If you like a sheer and shimmery nude/brown toned lipstick, then definitely check them out. Hot Mama at £13.50, is the usual dusky blush shade that I would normally wear, just with a shimmer instead. It has the same easily to blend texture and creates a beautiful warm glow and is perfect for adding colour to your cheeks throughout Winter. I love the packaging on this with a compact mirror, the same as the two eyeshadow palettes and highlighter. Which definitely comes in handy when on the go.
Finally, I also received The Balm Schwing Black eyeliner at £12 which is a very thin and flexible felt tip styled liner. It creates the thinnest to thickest lines for just about every single look and the eyeliner doesn’t move all day. If needed, you can apply a layer on a layer without the dreading drying and cracking and it sets to a matte black.
Overall, I’ve been blown away by The Balm as such a generous company, and the fact that their products are definitely something that needs to be raved about. I already cannot wait to get my hands on more!So, have you tried The Balm?
