theBalm Shady Lady Vol. 2 = DA BOMB

So I was perusing around TJ Maxx last week, as I was in need of a new pair of Oxfords since the soles on my Target ones finally gave out - and I spotted this bad boy hidden amongst all the Elizabeth Arden mature skincare.

And guess how much it was?

$9.99! At Sephora this palette is $39. That is like...75% off or something. Easy to say - I freaking love TJ Maxx, and now I love the Balm. They had both Shady Lady Vol.1 and Vol. 2, but I didn't need both, and this one I thought was prettier.

Onto the swatches!
All of these are without flash, and I have used the shadows since buying this, so yes, there are some smudgies around the edges.




From left to right: Devilish Danielle, Tempting Tara, Mischievous Marissa, Just This Once Jamie, Makeout Mary, Bossy Bobbi, Insane Jane, Feisty Felicia, Caught In The Act Courtney.

And a couple with flash.



I LOVE these colors. It's almost like a neutral palette but just a little bit better. As you can see, the middle green and blue aren't necessarily neutrals, but they are muted so it's an easy way to wear green or blue. I wore both of them together today, creating a cool teal gradient in the crease.

I'd prefer if there were one or two mattes, that way it could be an all-in-one palette, but I don't like to do all shimmer on the eyes, and the white - Tempting Tara - is VERY shimmery. It works great as an inner corner highlight, but not so much for the brow bone.

All of the colors are well pigmented, but darkest two colors being the least pigmented of them all, but I'm not complaining one bit. Marissa and Jamie are my favourite colors, and Courtney is a really pretty shimmery brown color. Felicia is also much blacker swatched than in the pan.

Overall, I love these shadows. And for $9.99, you can't really go wrong. And as far as a brand goes, theBalm is so adorably nostalgic and girly, kind of like if Too Faced and Soap and Glory had a baby.

For more on theBalm Cosmetics, head over to http://www.thebalm.com/

Cheers!
A
xoxo