theBalm

How ‘Bout Them Apples? Fresh This Season From theBalm, a New Six-Piece Cream Cheek and Lip Palette

January 30th, 2014 by Karen 29 Comments

theBalm How 'Bout Them Apples — Taking a bite out of the newest palette by theBalm

Frrresh fruit! Get your fresh fruit here! Sweeet apples! Crisp and hunky!

Don’t be alarmed if you feel like taking a bite out of theBalm’s new cheek and lip cream palette.

It’s completely understandable. 🙂

And not merely because it houses a bushel of six juicy shades sweet enough to strike fear into the sweetest Honeycrisp…

It’s also because the men of Magic Mike appear inside! WOO HOO!!

OK, not really… Well, maybe.

Seriously, though, I don’t think these dudes have ever grinded to Pony on stage with Channing Tatum, but it looks like they could, judging by the way that cobbler pops that hip. That man clearly two-steps like a pro.

I have to admit that the inclusion of so many abdominal muscles probably heightened my enthusiasm for this palette. I mean, I think I would have liked it anyway, but I’m just sayin’. It’s true. 🙂

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Meet theBalm’s Cindy-Lou Manizer

January 8th, 2014 by Karen 30 Comments

DUDE! That is so balm…

Get it? theBalm…?

LOL! Sorry. I never get tired of doing that. 🙂

What can I say? I love ’90s slang.

I also love highlighters, like this new one here, Cindy-Lou Manizer ($24), a beautiful opalescent peachy pink with a soft sheen finish.

You can wear it as a highlighter with your favorite corals, peaches or warmish pink blushes, or use it as an eyeshadow.

Today I wore it on the tops of my cheekbones and down the bridge of my nose. I like that it’s shiny, but not so shiny that my skin looks oily when I wear it.

Gonna try it in my inner corners next.

It’s available online now and coming this spring at theBalm counters.

theBalm Cindy-Lou Manizer swatch — A swatch of Cindy-Lou Manizer

What a Trip! The Balm Voyage Holiday Face Palette by theBalm Is a Trip

November 11th, 2013 by Karen 12 Comments

theBalm Balm Voyage Holiday Face Palette — Wearing the new $42.50 limited edition Balm Voyage Holiday Face Palette by theBalm

How flippin’ cute is this holiday palette?! I’m a sucker for retro postcards and posters, so this is totally my style. Plus, I have a soft spot for theBalm because, like moi, they’re from the Bay Area.

Yessir, I grew up in the 510, moved to the 415 after college, and now I’m just over the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin.

So WOOT! Bay Area represent. 🙂

Balm Voyage… Cheeky name, and fun way to tie in the trip theme. They go all out with the travel references, by golly, from the different cities on the cover, to assigning a “seat” to each of the powder eyeshadows (there are 16 of them, along with three lip and cheek creams). Even the mirror on the inside of the palette looks like a passport for “Anita Vacation,” haha! GURL, anita vacation, too. You don’t even know.

I wore this palette pretty much all through last weekend, and it was perfect for chill-axing on Saturday and Sunday. The eyeshadows apply with either sheer or medium levels of pigment, probably making the palette better for casual, natural eye makeup than bold, high-fashion looks.

You could always crank up the intensity by applying them with a wet brush, or by layering them on top of a pencil or cream base, but that could interfere with how they blend.

When I do just a straight-up simple look with one or two colors on a primed lid, the powders meld seamlessly into each other, but the second I add a cream or pencil to the mix, the lines between the colors become more difficult to diffuse.

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Forget Milkshakes, theBalm’s Cabana Boy Blush Brings All the Boys to the Yard

March 15th, 2013 by Karen 19 Comments

That’s theBalm Cabana Boy Blush ($21) on my cheeks

Once I babysat this adorable little girl who somehow knew the lyrics to that Kelis song, Milkshake…and she also took them to heart.

She believed that milkshakes would literally bring all the boys to the yard, and since she also believed that all boys were yucky, she swore to never have a milkshake.

Hahaha! From the mouths of babes… 🙂

That’s what I thought of this morning when I pulled out theBalm’s new $21 Cabana Boy Blush. Like the milkshake of the makeup world, it’s also supposed to bring all the boys to the yard.

In a manner of speaking. theBalm claims that this pigmented, warm rosy pink, with its hint of plum, will have the boys (or girls) attending to your every whim.

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A Tan-Talizingly Talented Triple Threat, theBalm’s Shimmery Betty-Lou Manizer Has the Golden Touch

March 13th, 2013 by Karen 8 Comments

theBalm Betty-Lou Manizer — In this pic I’m wearing the Betty-Lou Manizer from theBalm ($24), available now at Sephora and online

Any time a product saves me room in my makeup bag (for more products), I applaud that product (“Good job, product! Three cheers!”).

I mean, who wouldn’t want more room for spare lip glosses and cat treats? 🙂

Not only does theBalm’s shimmery, warm golden brown Betty-Lou Manizer have a great name, it’s also supposed to do three space-saving jobs, working as a contouring bronzer, an all-over setting powder and an eye shadow.

This afternoon I put Betty-Lou to the test, starting by patting it on my lids and sweeping it into my creases.

LOVE!

Imagine a MAC Soft Brown loaded with golden frost. I feel like the deep orangey brown color and intensely shiny golden shimmer deepen my eyes. I can see myself wearing this as a layering shade with greens and blues, and also using it in the crease for smokey eyes.

After introducing it to my lids, I tried Betty-Lou as a shimmery all-over powder, lightly dusting it on my forehead, cheeks and chin, where it bestowed a warm golden glow.

Next came time to contour…

theBalm Betty-Lou Manizer open — theBalm Betty-Lou Manizer

theBalm Betty-Lou Manizer swatch — Swatch ya doin’?

theBalm Betty-Lou Manizer packaging — theBalm Betty-Lou Manizer box packaging

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En Root to Second Day Hair, I Ran Into theBalm’s New Detour A-Head Dry Shampoo

March 13th, 2013 by Karen 38 Comments

theBalm En Root Dry Shampoo — Using the new $19 theBalm En Root Detour A-Head Dry Shampoo

This is how I feel when I don’t fuss with my hair in the morning:

The joy stems from the extra 20 minutes of sleep it saves me, I kid you not!

And, truth be told, I think my mane just looks better after a day or two between washes (or um…three or four).

But then there’s the whole greasy roots thing, which is why I’m never too far from a bottle of dry shampoo. Rocking my world these days is En Root Detour A-Head Dry Shampoo ($19) by theBalm. Yes, theBalm, as in the makeup line.

They just launched a line of hair care products that includes shampoos, conditioners and styling products.