theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette ($28.00 for 0.59 oz.) is a limited edition follow up to Vol. 1 (which is still available, but I don’t have it and haven’t seen it myself). It includes one highlighter, four eyeshadows (or liners), lip/cheek color, and a lipgloss.

As other theBalm products are packaged, this one is also in cardboard packaging with a full-sized mirror on the interior of the lid. The palette opens about two-thirds of the way down so that one side covers or reveals the powder products and the other side covers or reveals the cream products–this is a really nice feature, because it helps to limit any loose powder from contaminating the cream products. It contains a good amount of product and is a good value overall.

• Promiscuous Pearl is a pale beige with champagne shimmer. It adds a soft glow on cheeks without being overwhelming. If you like Mary Lou-manizer, you’d like this one, just as a more neutral version. The texture is still really buttery and soft, so it is blendable and finely-milled and doesn’t emphasize pores. It reminded me of Chanel Beiges Ombres Tissees.
• Jinxy Jasmyne is a sooty black that looks morre intense in the pan than it does on the skin. It has a mostly matte finish, but it’s rather dry and ends up being chalky and uneven. When applied, it can easily darken the crease, but you really need to use a fluffy brush (remember to tap off any excess!) to make this one work. Application is better with a damp brush, like one might use if you were to use it as an eyeliner. It’s similar to a lot of matte blacks, like MAC Carbon.
• Manic Maribel is an orange-y copper with a frosted golden sheen. The pigmentation is opaque with soft, blendable color. It’s almost the same as Bare Escentuals Louder. It’s a little lighter than shades like theBalm Meep Meep, Urban Decay Baked, and MAC Amber Lights.
• Open to Offers Olwen is a muted teal-blue shot through with silvery-blue shimmer. This shade is also in the Shady Lady Vol. 3 palette. It has good color payoff and a dense, buttery texture. Inglot #413 is a bit lighter but similar.
• Lavish Latoya is a medium-dark purple with subtle red undertones and a frosted finish. It was on the sheerer side, though. Urban Decay AC/DC is quite similar with a slightly more metallic sheen. Bare Escentuals Encore is also similar. Milani Purr-fect Purple is a little lighter. theBalm All the Way Annie is a bit darker but still close.
• Strawberry is a poppy red that can be applied opaque or blended out for a sheerer look. On lips, it’s much pinker–more like a slightly coral-pink with a creamy finish. The color coverage is mostly opaque. It’s not as dark as MAC Ultra Darling. NARS Niagara is more coral. It’s pretty close to Bobbi Brown Pink.
• Nude is an opaque beige nude with a cream finish. MAC C-Thru is similar in color, but this is much more opaque.

It’s not my favorite palette by theBalm; I think it has promise and potential, but it’s not fully there.  The color combination is off for me–this is not a palette that lends itself to a lot of versatility.  I feel like you really need to pull in products from your stash to make the palette really pop.  The cheek/lip color is pretty but vibrant enough that it doesn’t pair well with the eyeshadows.  I was disappointed in the texture and payoff of Jinxy Jasmyne and Lavish Latoya was just slightly under-performing.   Shades like Manic Maribel and Lavish Latoya are found in a lot of brands, so this wouldn’t be a palette for long-time beauty aficionados.  As a face palette, I’d have liked to see a powder blush, rather than a mega-sized black eyeshadow.

The Glossover

	Balmbini Vol. 2 B+
	The overall quality of the palette is there, but the color combination doesn't resonate as well with me--as a face palette, it needs more in the cheek department; it's too eye-heavy.
	Product 8.5/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 9/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette

theBalm Promiscuous Pearl Highlighter/Shadow

theBalm Promiscuous Pearl Highlighter/Shadow

theBalm Jinxy Jasmyne Eyeshadow

theBalm Jinxy Jasmyne Eyeshadow

theBalm Manic Maribel Eyeshadow

theBalm Manic Maribel Eyeshadow

theBalm Open to Offers Olwen Eyeshadow

theBalm Open to Offers Olwen Eyeshadow

theBalm Lavish Latoya Eyeshadow

theBalm Lavish Latoya Eyeshadow

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette

theBalm Strawberry Lip/Cheek Cream

theBalm Strawberry Lip/Cheek Cream

theBalm Strawberry Lip/Cheek Cream

theBalm Strawberry Lip/Cheek Cream

theBalm Nude Lip Gloss

theBalm Nude Lip Gloss

theBalm Nude Lip Gloss

theBalm Nude Lip Gloss

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.

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• 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

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theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3 Eyeshadow Palette

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3 Eyeshadow Palette

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3 Eyeshadow Palette

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3 Eyeshadow Palette

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3 Eyeshadow Palette

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3 Eyeshadow Palette

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3 Eyeshadow Palette

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3 Eyeshadow Palette

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3 Eyeshadow Palette

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3 Eyeshadow Palette

theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 3 Eyeshadow Palette

Lusty Lee, Envious Erin, Racy Kacy

Safe Bet Annette, Runaround Rebecca, Come-Hither Heather

Open to Offers Olwen, All the Way Annie, Guilty Gwen

theBalm Lusty Lee Eyeshadow

theBalm Envious Erin Eyeshadow

theBalm Racy Kacy Eyeshadow

theBalm Safe Bet Annette Eyeshadow

theBalm Runaround Rebecca Eyeshadow

theBalm Come-Hither Heather Eyeshadow

theBalm Open to Offers Olwen Eyeshadow

theBalm All the Way Annie Eyeshadow

theBalm Guilty Gwen Eyeshadow