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theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette Review, Photos, Swatches

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette

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.

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette Review, Photos, Swatches

B+
8.5
Product
9
Pigmentation
9
Texture
9
Longevity
4
Application
88%
Total

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
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 Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Promiscuous Pearl Highlighter/Shadow

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Jinxy Jasmyne Eyeshadow

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Jinxy Jasmyne Eyeshadow

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Manic Maribel Eyeshadow

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Manic Maribel Eyeshadow

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Open to Offers Olwen Eyeshadow

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Open to Offers Olwen Eyeshadow

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Lavish Latoya Eyeshadow

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Lavish Latoya Eyeshadow

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Strawberry Lip/Cheek Cream

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Strawberry Lip/Cheek Cream

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Strawberry Lip/Cheek Cream

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Strawberry Lip/Cheek Cream

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Nude Lip Gloss

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Nude Lip Gloss

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Nude Lip Gloss

theBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 Palette
theBalm Nude Lip Gloss

41 Comments

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Ashley Avatar

😮 that strawberry shade looks neon in the pan, omg

Sorry for OT but I was wondering if you’re planning to review the Revlon lip butters? I always love your swatches!

Alisa Avatar

I really like the Balms products, but the highlighter is the only thing in this that I really like, the rest I could live without..plus I would be afraid that at some point the black might crack and ruin my entire palette, but thats just me I guess its a huge section of black shaddow you have to worry about..thoughts?

Mariella Avatar

I have the first Balmbini palette (actually, I bought three, one of which I gave to my sister-in-law) and it is fabulous. When I heard about this new one, I was ticked that it probably wouldn’t be available where I buy TheBalm products. But, having seen it here and the other week when you first showed it, I realize it’s not something I’d bother with, to be honest. Not nearly so good as the first one.

Nadia Avatar

The lip/cheek cream is SO pretty! I have C-Thru and I don’t find it similar at all in colour (regardless of opacity) to the swatches I see of the Nude lipgloss! The eyeshadows are blah.

Dizzy Avatar

This is one of the few times I actually like a balm packaged with eyeshadows. I think I need a fainting couch.

I’m not terribly impressed with the shadow/liner black, but maybe it’s one of those things that needs to be applied wet like a cake liner? Really, aside from the black and the pearl, I’m tempted.

This is also pretty smart packaging. When I would buy balm/lipgloss palettes, the fallout from the eyeshadows would fall into the lip palette–needless to say, it was pretty disgusting.

Alyssa Avatar

They have these pallets at Marshalls for like… $13. Too bad people who shop there love to open things, stick their fingers in them and then dump them all over the store… /end bitter consumer rant.

Allie Avatar

Is it horrible that I’m never going to buy anything from TheBalm for full price now that I’ve found a bunch of their stuff at TJMaxx (and just recently, Marshalls) for $10 to $20? |:

I love that Strawberry lipgloss though, it looks fab.

Out of Cast Your Face/The Balm and the Beautiful and Shady Lady Vol. 1-3, which are the two you’d most recommend? I’m trying to talk myself out of getting all of them LOL.

Lisa T Avatar

So I just got this palette & I swatched it too, except my black was super buttery & pigmented that dipping a brush in it LIGHTLY dug a HOLE into it & there was so much fallout, I was going to go crazy! & then I decided to remove it with my Bobbi Brown makeup remover (I love it!) & the black shadow left a stain on my arm & my eyes when I tried it out that wouldn’t go away! 🙁 Boo. Since I ordered this from theBalm, I’m totally going to return it. The colors were also very similar to their other palettes too. Total bummer times 2! I was bummed they didn’t include powder blushes to make it more of a “Face” palette & now, I’m just super bummed about everything from this palette! Although your highlighter/promiscuous pearl is buttery, mine was super rough & hard to pick up with brushes & applicators!

Seems like our Jinxy Jasmyne & Promiscuous Pearl got switched up!

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