Balm Springs

theBalm Balm Springs Blush ($21.00 for 0.197 oz.) is a muted, medium coral with soft, warm undertones and a semi-matte finish. It had opaque color coverage with a soft, silky texture that was a little thin and a touch powdery in the pan, but it was easy to apply to the skin and blend out. It’s supposed to be “long-wearing” with a “fade-resistant formula.” The blush lasted for nine hours on me before fading slightly, which made it better than the typical blush.

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• Ingredients

theBalm Balm Springs Blush

theBalm Balm Springs Blush

theBalm Balm Springs Blush

theBalm Balm Springs Blush

theBalm Balm Springs Blush

theBalm Balm Springs Blush

theBalm Balm Springs Blush

theBalm Balm Springs Blush

theBalm Balm Springs Blush

theBalm Balm Springs Blush

theBalm Balm Springs Blush

theBalm Balm Springs Blush

theBalm Balm Springs Blush

theBalm Balm Springs Blush

Hot Mama

theBalm Hot Mama Shadow/Blush ($20.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a medium, pink-coral with warm undertones and a golden shimmer. It had good pigmentation–just shy of opaque–that was buildable to full coverage in two layers. The finish was spectacular as it was luminous and smooth–glowing but never emphasizing.

The formula is supposed to be a “beautiful blush and subtle highlighter” in one. It’s been an old favorite for many readers, and I’m not certain I ever formally reviewed it, so I wanted to get that rectified once I noticed I had one in my to-review bin! The consistency was soft, smooth, and just a smidgen dusty, but it blended almost effortlessly. It was the type of blush that applied and looked blended before you even finished applying it, so the formula was forgiving and esay to use. The color lasted for nearly nine hours on me before fading slightly.

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• Too Faced Peachy Keen (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar).
• Estee Lauder Wild Sunset (P, $34.00) is warmer (95% similar).
• Smith and Cult Universal Peach (P, $24.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
• Natasha Denona Vibrant Coral & Golden (PiP, $38.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
• MAC Springsheen (P, $24.00) is lighter, cooler (95% similar).
• Melt Cosmetics Genesis (P, $39.00) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
• bareMinerals The Natural High (PiP, $22.00) is lighter, cooler (95% similar).
• Kevyn Aucoin Sunset (P, $38.00) is lighter (90% similar).
• Too Faced Who's Your Poppy (LE, ) is lighter (90% similar).
• Milani Dolce Pink (P, $7.99) is cooler (90% similar).

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Looks Using this Product

A Rich Copper & Pink Look with Juvia's Place the Masquerade

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A Molten Sunset Eye & Volcano Lips Look featuring ColourPop Holiday Shadows

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theBalm Hot Mama Shadow/Blush

theBalm Hot Mama Shadow/Blush

theBalm Hot Mama Shadow/Blush

theBalm Hot Mama Shadow/Blush

theBalm Hot Mama Shadow/Blush

theBalm Hot Mama Shadow/Blush

theBalm Hot Mama Shadow/Blush

theBalm Hot Mama Shadow/Blush

theBalm Hot Mama Shadow/Blush

theBalm Hot Mama Shadow/Blush

theBalm Hot Mama Shadow/Blush

theBalm Hot Mama Shadow/Blush

theBalm Hot Mama Shadow/Blush

theBalm Hot Mama Shadow/Blush

Balm Beach

theBalm Balm Beach Blush ($21.00 for 0.20 oz.) is a muted, medium pink with strong, warm undertones and a matte finish. It’s the type of color that pairs well with a lot of looks so long as your skin tone is light-medium or fairer (it shows up as a subtle color on my skin tone, and I’m light-medium to medium). I did find that the color darkened just a tad on the skin, but if you are drier, you might get truer-to-pan color.

The consistency was soft, smooth, and slightly firmer in the pan, though it wasn’t too stiff to use. It had good pigmentation, somewhat buildable though never quite opaque, that went on evenly and blended out without issue. On me, the color started to fade after eight hours of wear.

• Top Dupes
• Ingredients

theBalm Balm Beach Blush

theBalm Balm Beach Blush

theBalm Balm Beach Blush

theBalm Balm Beach Blush

theBalm Balm Beach Blush

theBalm Balm Beach Blush

theBalm Balm Beach Blush

theBalm Balm Beach Blush

theBalm Balm Beach Blush

theBalm Balm Beach Blush

theBalm Balm Beach Blush

theBalm Balm Beach Blush

theBalm Balm Beach Blush

theBalm Balm Beach Blush

theBalm The Manizer Sisters Luminizing Palette ($28.00 for 0.33 oz.) is a slim, travel-friendly palette featuring three of theBalm’s famous highlighters. I’ve loved all three over the years, and to have them in a palette like this is awesome! The quality is exactly the same as the full-sized versions I have: rich, smooth, and buttery textured combined with great color payoff and luminous finishes. The full-sized versions retail for $24.00 and contain 0.30 oz. of product (or $80.00/oz.), so this palette contains $26.40 worth of product. You pay a tiny bit more to try three, but you get three for about the cost of one single shade, and the sizes provided will last quite awhile and are still large enough to get most blush brushes into them.

Mary-Lou Manizer is described as a “honey-hued.” It’s a light-medium, golden champagne with warm undertones and a soft, pearly sheen that gives the skin a luminous glow. The texture is soft, smooth, and blendable on the skin, and the shimmer toes the right side of the line where it doesn’t emphasize pores, but it is a noticeable highlighter. The color wore well for eight and a half hours on me. Huda Beauty Seychelles (LE, ) is lighter, cooler (95% similar). Viseart Ablaze (Highlight) (PiP, ) is less shimmery (95% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Solar Exposure (Highlighter) (LE, $60.00) is less shimmery (95% similar). Urban Decay Angel (DC, $26.00) is darker (95% similar). Huda Beauty Capri (LE, ) is darker (95% similar). ColourPop A Smile and a Song (LE, $10.00) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar). Dior Glowing Nude (002) (LE, $58.00) is darker (90% similar). LORAC Twilight (P, $23.00) is cooler (95% similar). Fenty Beauty Mean Money (PiP, $36.00) is less shimmery (95% similar). Melt Cosmetics Stargazer (P, $39.00) is lighter (95% similar). Hourglass Champagne Flash (P, $42.00) is cooler (95% similar). IT Cosmetics Hello Light (P, $24.00) is lower quality (95% similar). Chanel Plisse Lumiere de Chanel (LE, $80.00) is less shimmery (95% similar). Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Glow (Original) (PiP, ) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar). NARS Frenzy (Left) (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar). ColourPop Fine Line (PiP, $12.00) is less shimmery (95% similar). Cover FX Celestial (LE, ) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar). Tom Ford Beauty Highlighter (Stroked) (LE, $60.00) is cooler (95% similar). Tarte Champagne (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar). MAC Born to Dazzle (LE, $26.00) is more shimmery (90% similar). Top 20 dupes listed, see the rest. See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Cindy-Lou Manizer is described as a “peachy pink.” It’s a subdued, light-medium peach with a hint of pink in its undertone and pink shimmer. Of the three, this has the least shimmery finish, though it still produces a soft glow on the skin. It’s one of those products where the sheen becomes more pronounced as the product is blended and worked into the skin. It had good color payoff with a soft, blendable consistency. The texture is less dense (a little thinner) compared to the other two shades. This shade lasted for eight hours on me. bareMinerals The Magic Moment (LE, $26.00) is darker (95% similar). MAC Adored (LE, $34.00) is warmer (95% similar). MAC Rose Gold FX (LE, $31.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar). MAC Nuanced (LE, $34.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar). MAC Lust (LE, $34.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar). Laura Mercier Rosé (LE, $42.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar). MAC Sunny Surprise (LE, $22.00) is lighter (85% similar). MAC Coupe d'Chic (LE, $26.00) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar). Guerlain Perles d'Etoiles (LE, $60.00) is warmer (85% similar). MAC Talk of the Town (LE, $29.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (95% similar). Benefit Rockateur (P, $29.00) is less shimmery, darker (80% similar). ColourPop Swipe Right (LE, $12.00) is less shimmery, lighter (80% similar). bareMinerals The Many Splendors #2 (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter (80% similar). The Estee Edit Gleam (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (80% similar). MAC Luna Luster (LE, $34.00) is lighter, cooler (80% similar). Chanel Metal Peach (LE, $80.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (80% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

Betty-Lou Manizer is described as a “sun-kissed glow.” It’s a medium-dark brown with warm undertones and a golden, frosted sheen. It is intensely pigmented with a lush, buttery, dense texture that applies beautifully and blends out with ease. It has a strong sheen, but it doesn’t emphasize pores. The color wore well for almost nine hours on me. Anastasia Bronzed (LE, ) is more shimmery (95% similar). Guerlain Terra India (LE, $53.00) is less shimmery (90% similar). MAC Cloudy Copper (LE, $31.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar). By Terry Light & Tan Vibes #1 (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar). Cover FX Candlelight (P, $42.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar). Too Faced Jolie (LE, ) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Tarte Carat (PiP, ) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar). Urban Decay Sesso (Bronzer) (PiP, ) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar). Becca Topaz (DC, $38.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar). Too Faced Sun Bunny #1 (PiP, ) is lighter (85% similar). MAC Gold Deposit (P, $34.00) is lighter, warmer (85% similar). Laura Geller Sunswept (P, $28.00) is less shimmery, darker, more muted (85% similar). MAC Desert Roadtrip (LE, $21.00) is lighter (85% similar). ColourPop Candyman (P, $10.00) is darker (85% similar). Too Faced Sun Bunny (Right) (PiP, ) is less shimmery (90% similar). ColourPop Santos (LE, $8.00) is lighter, cooler (85% similar). Too Faced Tropic Like It's Hot (PiP, ) is less shimmery, cooler (85% similar). Makeup Revolution Rock on World (P, $6.00) is less shimmery, cooler (85% similar). See comparison swatches / view dupes side-by-side.

See more photos & swatches!

theBalm The Manizer Sisters Luminizing Palette

theBalm The Manizer Sisters Luminizing Palette

theBalm The Manizer Sisters Luminizing Palette

theBalm The Manizer Sisters Luminizing Palette

theBalm The Manizer Sisters Luminizing Palette

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer Luminizer

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer Luminizer

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer Luminizer

theBalm Cindy-Lou Manizer Luminizer

theBalm Cindy-Lou Manizer Luminizer

theBalm Cindy-Lou Manizer Luminizer

theBalm Betty-Lou Manizer Bronzer/Shadow

theBalm Betty-Lou Manizer Bronzer/Shadow

theBalm Betty-Lou Manizer Bronzer/Shadow

Autumn doesn’t have to mean only warm-toned eyeshadows–there are cooler hues found during the season. Try this these types of colors for a smokier vibe instead:

1. Makeup Geek Rockstar — an iridescent beige
2. Makeup Geek High Wire — a bright, silvery-purple
3. Make Up For Ever S556 — a medium taupe
4. MAC Fathoms Deep — a shimmery, dark purple
5. theBalm #27 — a neutral, dark purple

>> See side-by-side swatches! <<

Plum is one of my favorite cheek colors to wear (right after coral!), because they can run cool or warm in tone, so they work with a lot of looks. It’s also a great shade to pair with the deeper lip colors that we often see in fall and winter. What are your favorites?

1. Urban Decay Rapture — a purply-plum with subtle pearl
2. theBalm Cabana Boy — a cooler-toned plum with sheen
3. IT Cosmetics Radiant in Rose — a rosy plum with a luminous finish
4. Sleek Pomegranate — a brightened, berry-plum with a frosted sheen
5. NARS Oasis — a warm plum with gold pearl

>> See side-by-side swatches! <<

theBalm Balm Desert Bronzer/Blush ($21.00 for 0.23 oz.) is a medium-dark, rosy brown with warm undertones and a luminous finish. Guerlain #02 (P, $53.00) is warmer. Chanel Jersey (80) (P, $45.00) is lighter. Makeup Geek Infatuation (P, $9.99) is lighter, warmer. Chanel Cheeky (79) (LE, $38.00) is a cream product. Charlotte Tilbury The Climax (P, $40.00) is brighter, warmer. Chanel Accent (84) (LE, $45.00) is more shimery. NARS Douceur (P, $30.00) is lighter. MAC Stylish Me (LE, $21.00) is darker. MAC Peachtwist (P, $21.00) is more shimmery. bareMinerals The Close Call (P, $22.00) is similar. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

The texture was lightweight, silky, and smooth to the touch, though it felt thinner than many of theBalm’s other cheek products. It had good color payoff that could be easily worn sheer or at richer, true-to-pan color. The finish is extraordinary, as it looks beautiful on the skin with a natural-level luminosity that gives the skin a real glow but doesn’t look frosted, so it doesn’t emphasize pores or the skin’s natural texture. The silky texture made blending a cinch, and I felt like I barely had to do any work to apply it evenly. On me, the product stayed on well for nine hours before fading slightly.

See more photos & swatches!

theBalm Balm Desert Bronzer/Blush

theBalm Balm Desert Bronzer/Blush

theBalm Balm Desert Bronzer/Blush

theBalm Balm Desert Bronzer/Blush

theBalm Balm Desert Bronzer/Blush

theBalm Balm Desert Bronzer/Blush

theBalm Balm Desert Bronzer/Blush

theBalm Balm Desert Bronzer/Blush

What are your favorite budget-friendly brown eyeshadows?  I’d love to hear about your personal favorites and recommendations.  Here are five of mine:

1. Makeup Geek Barcelona Beach — a medium brown with a semi-matte finish
2. Maybelline Downtown Brown — a shimmery bronze
3. Inglot #422 — a shimmery, deep brown
4. theBalm #1 — a lightly shimmered dark brown
5. Inglot #363 — a cool-toned brown with a matte finish

>> See side-by-side swatches! <<