theBalm Just This Once Jamie Eyeshadow
theBalm Shady Lady Eyeshadow: Just This Once Jamie
theBalm Just This Once Jamie Eyeshadow
($16.00 for 0.12 oz.) is an unusual shade–it is a pinked plum-brown with a little grayish taupe tinge. Do you see how many different shades I fit into the description? Pink, plum, brown, gray, taupe! It is certainly a color that will look subtly different on varying complexions–for instance, those with pinker undertones will see the pink become more pronounced, while warmer complexions will see more of the brown peeking through.
The packaging is simple cardboard, which makes these easy to stack and store, plus a little more eco-friendly than plastic, though it may not stand up to wear and tear as prettily as plastic. I think the cardboard is plenty durable, but you may get a couple dents and scratches over the months/years.
my thoughts on the formula: theBalm’s eyeshadows are soft, silky smooth, and packed with pigment, but I did find that Just This Once Jamie seemed to sheer out a touch when blended. It was not quite as pigmented as other theBalm shades I’ve tried, and it is a shade that is better wet than dry, because the dampness gives it something to cling to. It applies evenly and blends out beautifully–but when dry, it nearly disappears when blended. Worth noting, too, is individual eyeshadows come with 0.12 oz., which is just over double the average eyeshadow–and at a rather affordable price tag.
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- Product: 25/30
- Value: 10/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
final thoughts: Definitely worth the price, and you’ll find it will take you quite awhile to hit pan on one of theBalm’s eyeshadows–but even better is that you don’t really end up paying for that privilege. I wish the texture was more adhesive, such that the color wouldn’t sheer out so easily when applied–I felt like I had to be really careful blending it before it seemed faded. When used wet, it does work better–but I found using it dry to be of little use and it had to be used wet.
where to buy: Sephora
theBalm Jealous Jordana Eyeshadow
theBalm Shady Lady Eyeshadow: Jealous Jordana
theBalm Jealous Jordana Eyeshadow ($16.00 for 0.12 oz.) is described as a “rich shimmering green.” I would say it is deep, dark blackened forest green with teal and emerald green micro-shimmer in a soft frost finish. It’s not quite as deep as Urban Decay Loaded, but the colors are similar–Loaded just has a blacker base, while NARS Rajasthan is bluer.
The packaging is simple cardboard, which makes these easy to stack and store, plus a little more eco-friendly than plastic, though it may not stand up to wear and tear as prettily as plastic. I think the cardboard is plenty durable, but you may get a couple dents and scratches over the months/years.
my thoughts on the formula: theBalm’s eyeshadows are soft, silky smooth, and packed with pigment. They apply evenly, blend out beautifully, and aren’t powdery at all (sometimes a side effect of really soft eyeshadows). I find they are so easy to use, because they apply without fall out and blend with other shadows effortlessly. Worth noting, too, is individual eyeshadows come with 0.12 oz., which is just over double the average eyeshdaow–and at a rather affordable price tag.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 30/30
- Value: 10/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
final thoughts: Definitely worth the price, and you’ll find it will take you quite awhile to hit pan on one of theBalm’s eyeshadows–but even better is that you don’t really end up paying for that privilege. The beautiful, deep dark green-teal will work well on all skin tones.
where to buy: Sephora
theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3 Eyeshadow Palette
theBalm Spring 2011: Shady Lady Vol. 3
TheBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3
($39.50 for 0.51 oz.) is an eyeshadow palette that includes nine shades: Lusty Lee (silver shimmer), Envious Erin (shimmery pearl), Racy Kacy (copper shimmer), Safe Bet Annette (pale-pink shimmer), Runaround Rebecca (sage), Come-Hither Heather (soft taupe), Open To Offers Olwen (teal), All The Way Annie (shimmering amethyst), and Guilty Gwen (sparkly black shimmer).
- Lusty Lee is a bright silver-gray with a frosted finish.
- Envious Erin is a pale, creamy white with soft golden warmth.
- Racy Kacy is a coppered brown with a frost-metallic sheen.
- Safe Bet Annette is a pastel pink with a white frosted finish.
- Runaround Rebecca is an olive green with a khaki brown base and frost-metallic sheen.
- Come-Hither Heather is a mauve-y taupe witha frost finish.
- Open to Offers Olwen is a rich, vibrant blue with a touch of teal and frost finish.
- All the Way Annie is a red-based purple with soft silver flecks of micro-glitter
- Guilty Gwen is a softened charcoal black with silver flecks of glitter. This was the only shade I had issues with–I had to scrape out the product to get it to show. It was so poor, I thought it was actually defective. (It is really packed on in the swatch to get it to show.)
my thoughts on the formula: With the exception of Guilty Gwen, these eyeshadows are soft, silky smooth, and packed with pigment. They apply evenly, blend out beautifully, and aren’t powdery at all (sometimes a side effect of really soft eyeshadows). The formula is the same as the individual eyeshadows–no skimping or cutting corners.
This palette has a good mix of colors, and I can see some combinations coming from the palette, though I see these more easily mixed with other products you already own. They are all rather shimmery/frosty finishes, which makes them easy to blend. The quality is really phenomenal, excluding Guilty Gwen, and well worth the price tag.
value: theBalm’s single eyeshadows retail for $16.00 and contain 0.12 oz. worth of product, while this palette retails for $39.50 and comes with 0.51 oz. worth of product. Single eyeshadows work out to be $133/oz. and the palette works out to be $77/oz. The palette is also an excellent deal, because each shade is approximately 0.057 oz. each (the average full-sized eyeshadow is 0.05 oz.), so you get more variety.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 28/30
- Value: 10/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
final thoughts: I had to take off two points because of Guilty Gwen, but I would have loved to give this palette full marks–it really is a beautiful palette with so many well-pigmented, easy-to-use shades.
where to buy: Sephora
theBalm To the Rescue Lip Balm
Lip Balm for the Love of Pugs
TheBalm theBalm to the Rescue ($16.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a large, mirrored compact full of lip balm. It’s a vegan lip gloss, which can sometimes be difficult to find–it uses carnauba wax and candelilla wax rather than beeswax to get its waxy base. To the Rescue also contains both shea butter and various other oils (like jojoba and castord). It does have a very slight minty scent and tingle (but very, very subtle) from the inclusion of peppermint oil. There are also some exfoliating crystals, but I honestly couldn’t tell you I felt any of those nor that my lips were any more or less exfoliating post-use.
It’s also a product with a cause: all net proceeds from To the Rescue go to Pug Rescue (note the pug on the cover of the packaging!). I’m someone who advocates donating year-round, for whatever causes that are close to your heart, and not solely through purchasing products (especially since so many only donate a percentage)–unless you need or want the product, then it’s a nice bonus to have at least some of it go towards a cause.
Ingredients: Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) Esters, Butyrospermum parkii (Shea Butter), Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Ricinus communis (Castor) Seed Oil. Copernicia cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Euphorbia cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Cannabis sativa Seed Oil, Theobroma cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Olea europaea (Olive) Oil, Mentha piperita (Peppermint) Oil.
Overall, it’s a nice lip balm that does a good job of keeping my lips moisturized for a few hours. It’s very thin, and if you’re not a fan of goopier, slicker or jelly-like kind of balms, this might be more up your alley. The product size is great, though the price tag is a bit steep–I’ve found better balms at lower price points (Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm), but the compact is convenient (nice, full-size mirror), and of course, the donation of net proceeds is also nice. I look at this as a product that lets me get my beauty fix while knowing that whatever I’m paying above your average lip balm is probably going to the cause.
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 27/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 3/5
RECOMMENDATION: For mild to decently chapped and cracked lips, this balm could prove to be quite the champ to give you a smooth, extra kissable pucker.
AVAILABILITY: Sephora
theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer
A Highlighter for Generations
theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer
($24.00 for 0.30 oz.) is a mega highlighter–no, seriously! This compact contains a ton of product–it’s double the amount of your average blush. I can’t fathom ever finishing this, because you need so little to get that shimmering glow.
It’s a soft, shimmering champagne with subtle gold tones. It’s not the subtlest highlighter, but it’s not glittery, heavy, or overly shimmery either. It seems to have a combination of noticeable shimmer and subtle, glowy sheen. I think it’s a very pretty shade–ultra flattering on most skin tones–but it is absolutely gorgeous on warmer skin tones. (Again, this should work beautifully on cooler skin tones, too!)
On my cheeks, I just tap the tiniest amount on the tops of my cheeks using a tapered face brush, and then I blend it out. I will say that this is a product where blending is necessary–if you just tap it on, it will look obvious and accentate pores, but a few quick swishes of a brush will turn you into a glowy goddess. You can also use this as a highlighter anywhere–cheeks, eyes, lips, you name it!
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 28/30
- Value: 10/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: If you love highlighters and don’t own this one, I really think you may want to put it on your list.
AVAILABILITY: Sephora
Kick Off Your Summer with a Cabana Boy of Your Own
theBalm Cabana Boy Blush ($21.00 for 0.3 oz.) is one whopper of a blush! It’s a muted raspberry pink with a subtle golden sheen that looks more luminous than shimmery. It’s plenty pigmented, but it can be sheered out for a subtler cheek, too (thankfully!)–definitely recommend using a light hand with this shade. The texture is soft, smooth, and silky. It applies beautifully and without a fuss.
It’s housed in a cardboard compact with vintage imagery. theBalm also gives you plenty o’ product–a veritable blush brick at 0.3 oz.–and you won’t have to shell out $40 to take advantage of the value, either. It’s reasonably priced as a high-end brand at $21 a pop.
