The Balm and the Beautiful Palette Review + FOTD

One of my blogger friends, Mai, found this at her local TJMaxx and offered a CP, so kind of her!

Now, there's something interesting with this palette. You may or may not have seen a Muppets palette come out from this brand recently. It's limited edition, limited run, and obviously has special Muppet themed packaging. That retails for $44.50 and obviously is hard to find. Mai found this at her local TJMaxx for a mere $19.99. So, moral of the story, check your TJMaxx, because the palettes are IDENTICAL, minus the different styling of the package. The eyeshadows and lip/cheek colors are all the same.

This palette, instead of having Muppet theming, is a movie themed one. It's got vintage like images of movie scenes and all of the shadow and lip color names are 'characters' in classic movies (i.e. 'the supermodel'). I think the packaging is really cute and fun, I do like the branding of the company.

They even have a little section with color combo suggestions, and have a TV guide like time ticker running across the top, as if each shade were a spot on a television channel. The little details are really fun.

But what about what's inside?

You get 16 eyeshadows, a dual ended brush, 2 lip and cheek stains, and 1 lip gloss. The eyeshadows are 1oz. each, the lip and cheek stains are 0.14oz each and the lip gloss is 0.07oz. You're getting a lot of product for an amazing price ($20, seriously.) Now, this will be $44.50 when the palette launches in October. The Muppet version was special and this will release after that run has completed. Why TJMaxx put it out early is beyond me, but I'm not complaining.

I've never tried the Balm's shadows before, so I was excited to swatch them. These are on bare skin, natural light.

Left to right: The Oil Tycoon, The Estranged Mom, The Supermodel and The Bad Boy.

All four of these are nicely pigmented. The Estranged Mom is a softer olive shade; I would have liked to see better pigmentation. Same with The Bad Boy. The Supermodel is similar to Mac Amber Lights, though I haven't compared them side by side.

Left to right: The Southern Belle, The Mother-in-Law, The Guy Who Died but Didn't Really Die and The Mistress.

This row is more softer shades -- The Mistress is my favorite in this row... really nicely pigmented pewter with a hint of gold. The Guy... is an odd browney taupe shade.

Left to right: The Stepbrother, The Coma Patient, The Police Man and The Brain Surgeon.

The Stepbrother is more of an army green than The Estranged Mom. The Coma Patient is a pretty lilac in the pan but it turns pink on the skin which is a wee bit disappointing. I love The Police Man and The Brain Surgeon. TBS is a lovely plum with subtle shimmer.

Left to right: The Neighbor, The Stock Broker, The Basketcase and The Older Woman.

These are all quite shimmery, especially The Stock Brocker. The Neighbor has a lovely gold sheen to it. I call this the highlighter and no-eyeshadow-but-kinda row. My favorite is The Basketcase (lol) as it brightens up the lid without looking unnatural, and blends with a touch of pink duochrome. The Older Woman reminds me of Urban Decay Sin.

Pictures of the colors together, with and without flash:

These eyeshadows have a really interesting texture. They're smooth and silky, literally like butter so they apply evenly without looking patchy or chalky. My only issue is that some of them are SO finely milled that they blend away with barely any pressure of a fluffy brush. Some colors had the issue and others didn't -- The Brain Surgeon was a frustration for me when I used it as it kept blending away to nearly nothing. The good thing is that if the shades appeal to you but you feel they might be too dark -- don't worry, they do sheer out so it won't create super dark looks or anything.

I've done 4-5 looks with this palette and I do like the array of eyeshadows. They last over primer for 8-10 hours without fading. I do get some minor fading around that 8-10 hour mark, but no creasing to report.

This palette also includes 2 lip and cheek colors and 1 lip gloss:

Left to right: The Drama Queen, The Perfect Man and The Evil Twin.

The Drama Queen is a poppy red-orange with a smooth finish. This isn't as crazy bright as it looks in the pan, which is probably preferable for the eyeshadows in the palette. The Perfect Man is a soft purple-pink with slight pink shimmer. It's less pigmented than The Drama Queen. The Evil Twin is a neutral nude gloss -- it's got hints of both brown and pink so it's not too warm and not too cool.

I've used both the orange and the pink on my cheeks and lips and love the colors. The Perfect Man is really pretty for a slight flushed glow, and The Drama Queen is more of an in-from-the-cold look. They don't feel sticky or tacky, but do adhere to the skin nicely. They wear for 4-5 hours before I get any fading.

I haven't tested the gloss much as nude lips aren't my thing. When I did use it, I got 2-3 hours out of it and it wasn't drying at all. It gave a nice shine to my lips.

Overall, I think this is a great palette for $19.99. If I'm honest, I would have been upset if I paid $44.50, the usual price. The eyeshadows are just a bit too subtle for my tastes, though I do like creating looks with them. I just keep hoping for a little more 'oomph'. I'm probably a little biased though because I've just gotten done playing with Sleek and MUA Pro palettes!

Here is the look I came up with -- I was feeling pin-up because of my clothing but also because of the styling of the dress, and I really wanted to use The Supermodel.

FACE:

- CoverGirl Tinted Moisturizer in Fair to Light

- Maybelline Superstay Concealer in Cream

- Milani blush in Dolce Pink

EYES:

- Too Faced Shadow Insurance

- theBalm eyeshadows in The Basketcase, The Supermodel and The Oil Tycoon

- Ulta eyeliner in Golden Eyes (lower waterline)

- Wet n Wild Shimmer Pencil in Blue

- Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara (Brownish Black)

LIPS:

- e.l.f. Studio Lip Stain in Red Carpet