Review: TheBalm cosmetics

TheBalm is a brand which I adore, yet it doesn't get a whole lot of coverage in the blogging world. I originally found a stand in Awear on Henry Street about 2 years ago, but it has since left there, and it can be found in MakeUpForever on Clarendon Street now. It is a small cosmetics range from San Francisco, with a nice tight edit of products and shades. The packaging is gorgeous and similar to Benefit with the retro pin up girls. I would liken the quality of the products to Urban Decay or Mac, yet the prices are so much more affordable! I have several products which I use daily, and here are my quick reviews on each of them. 

Hot Mama Blush

This is my all time favourite blush, without a doubt. It is a stunning rose gold toned blush with a gorgeous shimmer running through it, which gives a really healthy, radiant glow. It instantly perks up the face without making you look like a disco ball. This is a staple of my professional kit and love using it on clients as it suits almost everyone. It also lasts all day on the skin without fading. Perfect for a wedding! It is super soft and blendable and as it is slightly shimmery it means you don't need to use a separate face highlighter. This is €14.00 which I think is a brilliant price considering you get over 7g of product, my own one has lasted me 2 years of almost daily use and I haven't even hit the pan yet! This is a 5/5 product for me.

Mary-Lou Manizer AKA The Luminizer

To me, this is the ultimate face highlighter. It is a beautiful champagne coloured shimmering powder, which lights up the face to perfection. I love this on the cheekbones for a night out, but for everyday I love to use this on the inner corners of the eyes. It really wakes up your face and isn't over the top at all. I find it great for the days when time is of the essence and a quick 5 minute face is all I can manage. It also works great on the eyelids as a base shadow or eyebrow highlight. As it is so silky and blendable it never looks too harsh. This is another all round great product and one I will never be without.

Shady Lady Eyeshadows

I have two of the shades in the Shady Lady range, Mischievous Marissa and Shameless Shana (love the product names!) This is a range of eyeshadows to rival Urban Decay in the quality stakes. Super creamy and pigmented, these are a joy to use and every time I pull them out of my kit I wonder why I don't use them more often. 

Mischievous Marissa is a lovely beigey gold metallic shade which looks fab teamed with a matte brown shadow in the crease. Its a really good shade to have in your make up bag as it is a suit all kinda shade. 

Shameless Shana is a warm toned mid-brown shade with gold shimmer running through it. This is another great shade to own as it is so versatile and wearable, from day to night. These shadows apply and wear really well with no fading and are basically just really good shadows. 

So there you have my thoughts on theBalm. I have to say I love this brand and wish it was more widely available in Irish stores. It is however available on various websites including www.feelunique.com

*Apologies for the mucky packaging, Iv had these products for about 2 years!