Shady Lady Vol. 2 by theBalm

I've had the Shady Lady vol. 2 palette for over a year and a half now, so I guess it's time for a review:-)  Actually, now that I'm doing The Monday Club, where I pick out in advance what makeup I'm going to wear for the week, my neglected makeup items are getting more love.  This is a good thing, as I was reminded of how nice theBalm's eyeshadows are when I dusted off this palette!

First off, I love the packaging:  they are compact, sturdy, and contain a lot of product for the size.  Plus, the names are printed on the front and back of the palette (thank you).

Secondly, the quality of shadows from theBalm (with 2 exceptions in Vol. 2) are really nice:  good pigmentation, smooth, and easy to work with.  The exceptions for me are the first two shades, Caught in the Act Courtney and Feisty Felicia.  While they look promising in the pan with their glittery darkness, they get lost in translation on the skin. 

You can kind of tell in my swatches, but they just look like brownish black or black shadow.  Maybe some kind of sticky primer for use with glitter would make a difference, but for me, these were a definite pass.  I used Courtney as an upper lash liner in one look and it promptly transferred to my crease, which was not the look I was going for.  The rest of the shadows are lovely, with my favorites being Devilish Danielle, Insane Jane, Bossy Bobbi, and Makeout Mary. 

Bossy Bobbi

Just This Once Jamie

Maggie and I soaking up Vitamin D between photos

The Shady Lady palettes are regularly $39.50 each, but theBalm has 50% off sales periodically if these interest you. 

theBalm Instain Blush in Lace

Lace is the third and last of theBalm Instain blushes I've acquired.  A cool toned hot pink, Lace almost falls outside of my comfort range.  I tend more towards peaches and corals - or at least warm tones - so I thought Lace would help round out my collection.

Fortunately for me, it's also a color that's more wearable than the color in the pan implies.  However, that is totally dependent on application, as this is a super pigmented blush that could easily go wrong.  Housed in cardboard, the compact nonetheless feels sturdy and comes with an outer cover that guarantees it stays closed, although there is also a magnet in the compact cover.  Coupled with the retro design, I'm a fan of the packaging.

To apply, I tap my brush on the pan once for each cheek.  That picks up plenty of color, and the rest is just blending it out.  Lace is matte, but that does not translate to flat or chalky.  Wear time for me is 7-8 hours, but take into account I've got very oily skin and live in a sub-tropical climate that, short of a hurricane, is currently in it's full blown sub-tropicalness.  I can still see color when I get home from work, but my makeup in general has started to degrade by then. 

The Instain blushes are $22 and I purchased Lace from Birchbox.

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

Houndstooth Instain Blush by theBalm

I took advantage of a Birchbox discount code to pick up two more of theBalm Instain blushes recently - Houndstooth and Lace.  Today I have Houndstooth to show you.  As always, theBalm's packaging tickles my aesthetic funny bone with the retro print and efficient design.  Each blush has an outside cover that the cardboard compact slides into.  The compact itself has magnets to keep it closed and a small mirror for on the go application.

Houndstooth is described as a mauve, which is fairly accurate for how it looks in the pan.  Mauve is a rather unassuming color that I've never really been attracted to, yet it translates to a very natural rosy flush on.  I could see Houndstooth being the kind of color that I would turn to when I want a more neutral blush that is not going to compete with a bolder eye or lip look.

All six of the Instain blushes are mattes, but Houndstooth comes closest of the three that I've tried to having a bit of shimmer.  The pigmentation is quite good and I just need to lightly swipe my blush brush once to pick up enough color to apply.  The blush applied smoothly and wear time was 8 hours for me before I started to notice fading.  I've got oily skin and during the summer 8 hours is about as long as I can go before my makeup is noticeably dissolving.  Right now, you can almost swim on dry land here in Mobile due to the humidity!

While I've yet to see any true staining capabilities from the Instain blushes, I do find them to be nicely pigmented powder blushes that wear well.  I've seen some reviews that indicated they were difficult to apply, but I've not experienced that problem.  At $22, they fall in the mid-range price category, until you look at the size (.09 oz) and realize they are actually fairly expensive.  In comparison, an Estee Lauder Pure Color powder blush (my favorite powder blush formula) is $30, but you are getting almost 3x's the amount size wise (.25 oz vs. .09).   It's probably a moot point, however, as I've yet to make it through a pan of blush and probably won't in my lifetime:-)

Overall, I like theBalm Instain blushes and Houndstooth is a workhorse of a color that will see lots of use, especially once fall pushes summer aside.

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

Blend a Hand Tapered Foundation Brush by theBalm

When theBalm had their 50% off sale a few months back, I picked up the Blend a Hand tapered foundation brush.  It's become my go to brush for applying concealer under my eyes, and around my nose and lips.

The tapered brush head does a good job of applying concealer or foundation to smaller areas of the face.  Made of cruelty free goat hair, the brush head is dense and firm, and I do have to be careful to apply at an angle, as a straight line approach can be a bit too abrasive due to the firmness of the bristles.  Don't get me wrong - it's not that the brush is scratchy, just that it's firm.

I love the whimsical design of the brush handle, something that theBalm excels at.  Their designs and packaging are some of the best in the business, IMO.

Retailing for $26.50, the Blend a Hand brush is sturdy, well made, and I've had no issues with shedding.  I'm glad I was able to get one for half off, as I'm pretty sure I would have balked at paying full price for this.  However, it's now a brush I use everyday that I really like, so I'm glad I didn't miss out!

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.