theBalm Nude ‘tude Eyeshadow Palette Review, Photos, Swatches
Tuesday, November 8th, 2011
theBalm Nude ‘tude Eyeshadow Palette
theBalm Nude ‘tude Eyeshadow Palette
theBalm Nude ‘tude Eyeshadow Palette ($36.00 for 0.382 oz.) contains twelve eyeshadows inside a slim palette with a dual-ended eyeshadow/liner brush. There are two variations, though both have the same eyeshadows inside–one is “Feeling Naughty” (which is the one pictured in this post) which features nude women with eyeshadows covering various parts, while the other is “Feeling Nice” that has no nude women at all. Each eyeshadow is about 0.032 oz.
- Sassy is a frosted white with good color payoff and a buttery, smooth texture. It reminded me of MAC Forgery but with a much, much better texture. theBalm Lab Coat is also similar but has a more metallic finish.
- Stubborn is a light-medium peach with a soft frost finish. It looks lighter swatched than in the pan because of the frosted finish. It’s a frosted version of MAC Nubile. Urban Decay Scratch is pinker.
- Snobby is a gold shimmered medium-dark yellow. This shade was a bit sheer and dry, yet powdery; it didn’t bind as well as I’ve come to expect from theBalm. It’s a lighter version of Chanel Blazing Gold. It is similar to Urban Decay Eldorado.
- Stand-offish is a light-medium bronze-shimmered brown with warm, red undertones and a frost-metallic finish. It was smooth and had good color payoff. Urban Decay Spotlight is similar in lightness but is much cooler-toned–way less golden.
- Selfish is a frosted taupe–it’s brown and gray; very mushroom-like. It was very smooth and easy to work with, plus it had good pigmentation. It’s much warmer and browner compared to Urban Decay Mushroom. It’s more like a frostier version of Bare Escentuals Wanderlust. NARS Grand Palais is a bit warmer. MAC Satin Taupe is redder and darker.
- Sophisticated is a dark brown with subtle warm undertones and a bronze shimmer. It had nice pigmentation and applied smoothly. It is a bit cooler-toned compared to Urban Decay Darkhorse with less of a gold shimmer/sheen, but they are similar.
- Sultry is a warmed-up, medium brown with a satiny finish. It has a very soft texture, which makes it easy to blend, but it is just on the edge of being too soft so it can sheer out if you are heavy-handed. It is a little lighter than Urban Decay Buck. Bare Escentuals Namaste is darker and redder. MAC Moleskin is more red-toned. MAC Wedge is a touch darker.
- Schitzo is a warm, golden bronze-brown with a soft, pearly finish. It’s less than a frost, more than a satin. The texture is very, very smooth with good color payoff. MAC Amber Lights is a shade that gives me a similar vibe in terms of color, but the finish makes them so distinct (plus, Amber Lights has much more copper). MAC Tempting has a darker overall color but similar golden bronze sheen. The brown shade from Wet ‘n’ Wild Comfort Zone is similar, actually.
- Sexy is rich burgundy with hints of red and brown and a matte finish. It has good color payoff (especially for a matte); the texture is a good balance between soft and matte–not too dry that it’s stiff, but not so soft that it’s powdery. MAC Festive Delight is much redder and lighter. Make Up For Ever #131 is less brown.
- Serious is a medium-dark black with a matte finish. It had surprisingly good pigmentation for a matte black, though it could be more intense–it looks much blacker in the pan than it does swatched out. MAC Carbon is less pigmented/intense. Make Up For Ever #4 is much darker.
- Silly is a red-tinted brown with flecks of copper sparkle. This shade was the most disappointing in the palette–the payoff was very soft and sheer; it seemed more like a layering shade than something that could stand on its own. This was the only shade I had concerns with fall out. Bobbi Brown Black Ruby Sparkle Eye Palette has a slightly similar shade, though it’s glittery and more ruby-shimmered.
- Sleek is a dark black-brown with a matte finish. It is more intense than Serious, actually! It had good color payoff and was soft enough to blend but not powdery. I couldn’t think of a dupe for this–I had a lot of darker browns but nothing as dark as this.
It’s packaged in theBalm’s usual cardboard outfit, which makes it lightweight and droppable (I dropped it from four feet over tile and everything was pristine). It has an outer sleeve of thick cardstock that has the exact same design as the actual palette, which can be kept or recycled; it’s kind of like a protector–think the jacket of a hardcover book. Inside, there’s a full-length mirror that spans the inside of the lid, and then below are the twelve eyeshadows and dual-ended brush. The palette has a strong enough magnet that the palette seemed to have no problem staying closed.
Overall, the quality is high and consistent with theBalm’s eyeshadow formula (which is one of my favorites). I only had major issues with Silly, which was much sheerer and drier than any of the other eleven shades, and then very minor issues with the softness (which led to slight sheerness) of Sultry. When applied, the concerns I had about Sultry disappeared, though, while Silly just never quite worked out. The other ten eyeshadows, though, were excellent–soft, smooth, buttery, and pigmented.
This palette is similar in size to Urban Decay’s Naked Eyeshadow Palette, and the theme of nudes/neutrals is similar, but there isn’t much overlap in the shades themselves. This palette is $12 less but each shadow is also less (0.032 oz. vs. 0.05 oz. in the Naked palette), and while you do get a brush in this palette like Naked, you don’t get a miniature-sized primer. Let’s just assume that you really care most about the eyeshadow portion and anything else is a bonus; Naked is $80/oz. while Nude ‘tude is $94/oz. They’re both great deals either way, but Naked is still more bang for your buck; note, of course, if you’re more concerned about total cost (for those who are unlikely to finish an eyeshadow pan), then Nude ‘tude is 25% less at $36.
I think a comparison between the two is valid, but the colors are not the same, so they are still two different palettes more than they are the same. Those who wished there was more color variation, less warm-toned shades, or more matte finishes in the Naked palette might find this one more to their liking.
Where to Buy: theBalm, $36
The Glossover
This is a great palette that's neutral, not necessarily nude--it has really wearable colors but enough shade variation to yield many looks and not just ones that are all brown. The darker shades can also double as eyeliner in a hurry.
See more photos & swatches!
theBalm Nude ‘tude Eyeshadow Palette
theBalm Nude ‘tude Eyeshadow Palette
theBalm Nude ‘tude Eyeshadow Palette
theBalm Nude ‘tude Eyeshadow Palette
theBalm Nude ‘tude Eyeshadow Palette
theBalm Nude ‘tude Eyeshadow Palette
theBalm Nude ‘tude Eyeshadow Palette
theBalm Nude ‘tude Eyeshadow Palette
theBalm Sassy Eyeshadow
theBalm Sassy Eyeshadow
theBalm Stubborn Eyeshadow
theBalm Stubborn Eyeshadow
theBalm Snobby Eyeshadow
theBalm Snobby Eyeshadow
theBalm Stand-offish Eyeshadow
theBalm Stand-offish Eyeshadow
theBalm Selfish Eyeshadow
theBalm Selfish Eyeshadow
theBalm Sophisticated Eyeshadow
theBalm Sophisticated Eyeshadow
theBalm Sultry Eyeshadow
theBalm Sultry Eyeshadow
theBalm Schitzo Eyeshadow
theBalm Schitzo Eyeshadow
theBalm Sexy Eyeshadow
theBalm Sexy Eyeshadow
theBalm Serious Eyeshadow
theBalm Serious Eyeshadow
theBalm Silly Eyeshadow
theBalm Silly Eyeshadow
theBalm Sleek Eyeshadow
theBalm Sleek Eyeshadow
Disclosure
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Product & Review FAQ
Where can I purchase it? How much is it?
theBalm, $36.
Is it limited edition?
No.
Any dupes?
See individual shade reviews! :)
I bought this on Hautelook this morning (kind of an impulse buy) at a great price and I've checked your review afterwards. Boy am I happy with your review :). Now I'm so looking forward to getting this... Only wish Hautelook wasn't so terribly slow at shipping orders...
i just purchased this on hautelook! I can't wait
Took advantage of their black Friday sale and bought this!!! For $24.66, you can't beat that!
Does anyone think getting this palette is good even if you have the naked palette already? I really want to try this because it has a few different shades than the naked palette but if they are so similar maybe i'll forget this one. Is it still worth getting?
is this not at sephora?
Sephora doesn't stock theBalm products that are new - I think they're just selling through old stock or maybe just a few SKUs!
I'm a makeup artist at Sephora and sadly we don't carry the balm anymore in store :( It's still on the website, but not sure how long it's gonna be carried. I purchase most of the products at TJ MAXX. They release limited edition sets at TJ and it seems like Sephora online has most of the old skus. We'll see what happens with the brand. I'm assuming it's gonna be online only for now.
Yeah, I think they are just carrying residual stock or very limited SKUs online but heard they were pulled out from stores!
Stand-offish looks like an exact dupe to all that glitters. Are they similar?
omg. when i saw stand-offish, i just- aah. i die.
Is it better then the UD Naked Palette? I own 3 Naked palette's and in my opinion it is ok..
Just depends on what you're looking for - they're both good palettes!
Thank you for all of your time and effort into this..!~ Have you done a review of the Naked palette..? Also; Is there more than one naked palette..? Thank you!
I did! I think it's linked in the review :) There's just one - Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palette!
GORGEOUS OMG
I absolutely love this little palette. They made it really easy to create a simple and sexy smokey eye. I did a wash of Stand-offish on my entire lid and buffed some Sultry into the crease just to give it some definition. With the eyeliner side of the brush (which I love) I did a smudgy line of Serious and popped a little bit of Snobby under my brow as a highlight. I got so many compliments on my look and this palette is just a doll.
What marketing genius thought "Skitzo" would be a good name for an eyeshadow?
I want it so badly for the adorable pinup packaging, but I already have similar colours to almost every shade already in my stash :(
Wonderful, but too much frosty shades.
Sultry will look G O R G E O U S as a blending "best friend" color !
Do you know where I can contact them to see where they sell their products in Canada? I can't seem to find an email on the website. Thank you :)
info@thebalm.com!
This palette is super cute! Kinda weird to me that they felt like they needed to have a version without nude women. Seems a bit puritanical. But anyway, I love the color combinations. Like you mentioned, I feel like the Naked palette has too many warm shades, at least for my complexion. Glad it's not limited!
I sure hope this pops up at my local TJ Maxx or Marshall's. I just picked up the Balm and the Beautiful palette on Monday at Marshall's and I love it! The Balm has really impressed me!
there's only 1 word to describe this palette - GORGEOUS :)
i'm not one to fuss over a nude shadow let alone a palette but i waaaaant this! love love the packaging too!
I really love theBalm's eyeshadow formula's so I ordered it but if I see this in TJMaxx or Marshalls I will FREAK!! I think it's terrible how theBalm has sold seconds of theBalm and the Beautiful, Meet Matte and the blushes and still expect people to pay full price when they finally decide to release TB&TB.
Gorgeous, Gorgeous! Yes, the colours may be similar to things I already have but the pin-up girl packaging is making this a MUST HAVE for me! If I find this in, or available to, Australia, it's mine, mine, MINE :D
I don't mind the nude women at all (although I definitely think it's a good choice to have an alternative version available for those more conservative than myself), but some of the names...irk me for some reason (particularly Schitzo, which, um, isn't even spelled correctly). Also, the eyeshadows are nice, ha ha.
I know what you mean. The one thing that offended me a little bit was "Schitzo." I didn't even think about naked women being offensive. I suppose it does make sense to have alternate packaging in case someone wants to gift it and doesn't know how the recipient would take it.
They do have alternate packaging on thebalm.com. The naked ladies is the "Naughy" packaging, and the "Nice" unit is a sort of a boudoir motif. Same exact eyeshadows, but more conservative/liberal packaging depending on your personal tastes =D
I really like Sexy, but I wish there were some mattes.
This is so coming home with me, I love it! I'm so glad it's not limited edition.
Schitzo? Seriously? The colors look beautiful, but man is that a tacky choice of name.
Agreed! I'll still probably get it, but that's not cool at all.
Looks very nice, but I have similar colors. I'll just keep on using the Naked Palette, but the shadows are lovely.
This palette is so adorable!! I think I'm going to pick one up yay :]] Thanks for the swatches!
I already have the NAKED palette, and more neutrals than is good for my health, but I still want this :) but because they don't sell at sephora, I don't really have an opportunities to get it.... :(
wow, these look so nice (except Silly)... I wonder if Sultry would be matte enough for a blonde brow shade?
Packaging win! I love a palette full of wearable colors.
Naked wannabe.
Except 10 shades are totally different! :)
is it limited edition? when and where will it be available?
What a cute palette! The colors look great.
Yet another, MUST HAVE, on my wishlist! sighhh, this is soo pretty...I really don't need it, but I want it haha :)
WANT. That's all. I hope I can find this in Canada.
london drugs :)
So cute, love the packaging! The colors look really great too.
i love love love the balm. it's such a consistent brand and the urban decay palette doesn't have that taupe color that i want so much :)
I don't like admitting this often, but I was really unimpressed by Urban Decay's Naked palette. Everyone online (and especially on MUA) loves it, but I was so disappointed. I felt like the colors didn't work on my very fair skin, and what was worse, I felt like a lot of the shades were too similar in color. Also, UD's Primer Potion irritated my eyes. :( This palette sounds (and looks) like everything I wanted Naked to be! I love your swatches, Christine. The colors are all in the neutral family, but there's genuine variety to be found! I've never worn anything by theBalm, but I'm very tempted to order from them. Thanks for this review! <333
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