The Balm Nude Tude

The Balm just released their third and newest eyeshadow palette: Nude Beach and I am way behind and hadn’t even gotten round to reviewing the first one. In a moment of, well better late than never, I decided to still post about this palette that most people are on the fence about. With so many neutral eyeshadow palettes on the market, does this add anything different?

The Balm Nude Tude

This palette is one with a story behind it. I originally wasn’t going to get it. ‘I already own so many neutral shadows’, I said. ‘It’s nothing special’, I said. And then I was in Denmark and found this for a whooping €2. Well at that price, I couldn’t say no of course. If you buy this full price, it will retail for €34.95.

The Packaging

The Balm’s palettes come in cardboard packaging that is kept shut with an extra sleeve. Most people throw those away instantly. I keep them. If you wish to travel with these it’s the only way to keep your shadows safe. The lid has a good mirror, but I find it a little bit small to really work with. What of course was unique about this palette when it launched was the layout with the eyeshadow pans that cover the intimate bits of some sexy ladies.

The Shades

Shade wise I find this to be a very dark and sultry palette. None of the shades are incredibly light and they all pack a mean punch. There is a stark matte white in Sassy and a matte dusty pink in Stubborn. Stubborn is already quite dark for me: it works in the crease but not as a transition. I like to blend it together with sassy for a brow bone highlight.

Snobby is a bit of a meh shade for me. It’s far too yellow, has the completely wrong undertone and it also swatches quite blah. Worst shade in the palette for me. Stand-offish was renamed after some fuss about the original name which people deemed too risqué. It is a surprisingly pretty pink shade that works well in the inner corner or all over the lid.

The medium shades aren’t all that medium in tone. These greys and bronzes are already quite intense. Selfish is a good dark taupe with a nice shimmer running through. This is a good shade for smoking out a lower lash line. Sophisticated is a dark chocolate brown with a hint of shimmer.

Sultry is one of the few mid toned mattes in this palette and one of my favorite shades. It is a brown but with a more yellow undertone. Sort of like a baby poop color, but it works well in the crease. Seductive is a nice golden toned bronze which is a good shade for a brown smokey eye combined with sophisticated.

The last block in the palette are the darkest shades and unfortunately I can only get away with one of these. That would be Sexy. This matte burgundy shade is what makes this palette for me and what makes it different from other neutral palettes. Silly is a bit of a let down as well as the glitter doesn’t really transfer and it just looks a bit patchy.

Sleek and Serious look identical against my fair skin tone. I might wear Sleek as a liner shade or perhaps a teeny-tiny bit on a very fluffy brush for some extra depth, but no more than that. These shades simply aren’t distinct enough on my skin so you can tell them apart. They are well pigmented though!

The Swatches

The swatches are great apart from a few shades. Snobby and Silly stand out in that regard: they are just not great. The rest all looks great and intense. The texture on these are nice, but they can be a little powdery. Blending is easily done and wear some people claim that The Balm shadows fade on them, I have never had that problem.

The Application

Look:
Selfish (lid)
Sultry (crease)
Sassy & Stubborn (brow bone & blend)
Stand-offish (inner corner)
Sexy (lower lash line)
Sleek (liner)

This definitely makes for an interesting combination, but the main drawback of this palette is that this is pretty much the only look I get out of it. Sure I play around and put the bronze or pink on my lid instead of the taupe and I will sometimes wear Sexy in the crease, but the result is always quite similar and feel and tone I find. I tend to only grab for this palette if I’m looking to do a smokey look.

The Conclusion

Quality wise The Balm’s Nude Tude eyeshadow palette is a great one. These shadow apply easily and blend well. The color selection is interesting and not very everyday for a neutral palette, but 2 shadows are a bit meh and the looks I get out of this are very similar. Great if you’re looking for a more affordable option than Urban Decay’s Naked Smoky palette, or if you aren’t feeling the tones in that. But not the best in terms of versatility.

Which The Balm palette is your favorite?