theBalm Meet Matt(e) Hughes Liquid Lipsticks 'Chivalrous', 'Devoted', and 'Committed' | Swatches and Review

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

It's not often that I get requests for reviews on the blog but recently I was asked by a lovely lady called Sharon if I could review some more of the Meet Matt(e) Hughes Liquid Lipsticks from theBalm. A couple of months ago I reviewed one of the shades that I bought, 'Adoring' and if you want to check out that post you can do so by clicking here. Since then theBalm has sent me out three other shades from the collection to try out so that's what I'm bringing to you today!

In the last review I talked about the packaging, the lasting power, the scent of the product, etc all in depth. When I tested out the three other shades that I was sent out I noticed that the formula was pretty consistent throughout the range. For that reason I won't be going into as much detail in this post because I feel it would be a repeat of my other review. I will be outlining the slight differences I've spotted and other additional information that I may have left out in my original post. 

Chivalrous - Bubble Gum Pink

Devoted - Classic Vibrant Red

Committed - Medium Peachy Brown Toned Nude

One thing I forgot to mention in my review of the shade 'Adoring' was that when you take the applicator out of the tube it doesn't look squeaky clean like in the picture below.

Three out of the four liquid lipsticks applicators looked like this and I didn't think it was a big deal. There was a minor amount of product on the applicator after it was removed from the tube.

However, the shade 'Devoted' had a serious amount of product on the applicator. The stick was filled with product and I had to remove some of the lipstick so that I could apply the product evenly to my lips using the doe foot applicator. With this particular shade it was just extremely messy and I found myself wasting a lot of product each time I wanted to wear this colour. I don't know if it is down to the tube being over filled with product or what the issue is but it slightly put me off picking up this shade, which is a pity because it's a gorgeous colour.

Swatches L-R

(Chivalrous, Devoted, and Committed)

Chivalrous

Devoted

Committed

As I mentioned above the formula is quite consistent throughout the various different shades. As a whole I didn't find these liquid lipsticks to be drying, they were quite comfortable to wear on the lips. The only shade that was slightly drying was the pink shade 'Chivalrous'. Wear time wise each of the shades wore well up until the 4-5 hour mark and it was around then that I felt the need to reapply. The shade 'Devoted' bled a little out of the corners of my lips after a couple of hours, a problem which I didn't have with any other shade so that is worth noting.

I'm very happy once again with the quality of these products and I will repurchase once these run out. The only colour I probably wouldn't buy is 'Devoted' just because of the issue with the build up of product on the applicator, and then the wastage, the bleeding etc. Other than that though I'm pleased with the colours that I have tried from the range:)

theBalm can be purchased from Debenhams online or in store and their products can also be found on Cloud10Beauty.com.

Until next time,

Eimear x

theBalm Meet Matt(e) Hughes Liquid Lipstick 'Adoring' Swatches and Review

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

I'm very new to the world of liquid lipsticks. I tried out one from MUA a couple of years ago for one of my beauty on a budget videos and I haven't tried out anymore since! I wasn't overly fussed with the one I had picked, it didn't suit my very dry lips so I just decided liquid lipsticks weren't for me. I really didn't give them a chance did I haha! Over the last year or so I have seen lots of bloggers posting about liquid lipsticks from theBalm on Instagram. I've liked everything that I have tried out from theBalm thus dar so I decided I would give the whole liquid lipstick thing another go. Being that this one was from theBalm I was hoping I'd be onto another winner!

Just like the rest of theBalms product range the packaging is cute and quirky with that 1950's feel to it, big fan of that. Another thing I like about the outer packaging is that the colour and name of the liquid lipstick is stamped on the lid, making it easy to pick out from a pile.

There are eight shades in the range and the one that I decided to purchase was the colour 'Adoring'. I wear deep shades on my lips constantly so when I spotted this beautiful burgundy number I had to add it to my collection.

This product is quite heavily scented something which took me completely by surprise. I opened the tube, lifted the applicator to my lips and thats when it hit me. Peppermint. Now, I like peppermint but I did find the scent of this a tad overpowering so if you are not a fan of scented products you might want to keep that in mind. Once applied though the smell goes away, thankfully. You don't have to worry about a sickly smell of peppermint loafing around all day. 

When you unscrew the lid you will be greeted by a doe foot style applicator. I apply the lipstick from the applicator to my bottom lip only, for my top lip I need something a little more precise. To accurately apply the product to my top lip I use a lip brush!

This liquid lipstick is creamy in texture which makes the product very easy to apply, it just glides onto the lips. It is quick drying but it doesn't set too quickly, you will still have time to work with the product. I find the best way to apply this liquid lipstick is to apply one coat, wait for it to dry, and then apply another. You definitely need two coats with this particular shade to get a nice even opaque finish.

I found the liquid lipstick very comfortable to wear on the lips, it wasn't really drying at all. In terms of longevity the lipstick lasted about 4-5 hours before I felt I needed to touch up. I didn't need to fully reapply the lip colour but after eating and drinking the colour had flaked and faded in the centre of my bottom lip, once I touched that up I was good to go!

Even though I'm not a huge fan of the scent it doesn't put me off using the product. I'm very impressed with this particular liquid lipstick and can't wait to pick up more colours from the range!

theBalm Meet Matt(e) Hughes Liquid Lipsticks retail for €15.50 and are available from Debenhams in store and online. 

Are you a fan of liquid lipsticks?

Let me know your favourites!

Until next time,

Eimear x

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer Swatches and Review

Hi Everyone!
Hope you all are well :)

My first product from theBalm was the Mary-Lou Manizer and I have built up quite the collection since that purchase. I can't remember if it was in 2013 or 2014 that Mary-Lou took the YouTube and Blogging worlds by storm, all I do know is that I couldn't read a blog post or click into a beauty video without someone mentioning the product in some shape or form. From previous posts on products that have been hyped into oblivion you will know that I don't purchase these particular products straight away. I finally did decide to purchase Mary-Lou though, probably around a year after the product first came to light (heh heh heh). I was hoping that despite all of the buzz around the product that I wouldn't be disappointed, I had very very high expectations!

Aside from hype, what initially lured me into theBalm's products was their funky packaging. The retro theme reminded me of Benefits style of packaging or even Soap and Glory's now that I think of it. It's cute, fun, and very well designed.

You get a huge amount of product in the pan, 8.5grams to be exact and you only need the smallest amount of product on your brush to get the job done. For both of those reasons I thought I would never have to repurchase this highlighter, I just couldn't imagine finishing it! The packaging itself feels like good quality. It's nice and sturdy and the lid makes a click noise when closing so you will know when the lid is closed down properly. There is also a big mirror in the compact making it convenient for travelling purposes.

The highlighter is finally milled and the texture is buttery smooth, I love how easily the product blends out. It doesn't matter if I use my fingers or a brush to apply the product I always get a flawless sheen to my skin. If you want a hardcore highlight well then this is the product for you. It is a soft champagne shade that when applied gives a gorgeous golden sheen to the skin. I'd definitely say this particular highlighter is suitable for all skin tones. However, if you aren't keen on the hue this highlighter gives, there are two other shades in the range to choose from.

Does it live up to the hype? I'll admit yes it does, 1000%. This to me is definitely a holy grail product. If you haven't tried Mary-Lou and you are looking for a highly pigmented highlighter that give a gorgeous sheen without being chunky and overly glittery well then Mary-Lou is the gal for you!

I like to dust the highlighter mainly along the tops of my cheekbones, on the tip of my nose, underneath the arch of my brow and sometimes to cupids bow. Mary-Lou is the kind of highlighter that is so strong in pigment yet you will only see it gleam on the skin when the light hits it. You can see from the photos below just how glorious it is, I'm obsessed!

The only problem I had with this product was that it shattered in the pan. I didn't drop the highlighter or let it bang off a surface. After about a month of using Mary-Lou it just cracked in the pan. I haven't heard anyone else talking about this problem so I'm not sure if I was just a bit unlucky but it was annoying. I probably would have had my Mary-Lou for life if that hadn't of happened because there is just so much product in the pan haha! When mine shattered I ended up losing a lot of the product every time I opened and closed the lid, it was all just a bit too messy so I repurchased.

Aside from that blip though I'm still thrilled with my purchase and can't sing the products praises enough. It will set you back €20.50 and is available online from Cloud10Beauty.com here, or the Make Up For Ever store on Clarendon St in Dublin are now stocking theBalm so worth checking out if you are in town!

Until next time :)

Eimear x

theBalm Nude 'Tude Palette Review, Swatches and Tutorial

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all are well :)

Last Summer my Auntie went to Portugal and she told me that she had picked up an eyeshadow palette on the way home from the inflight catalogue on the plane. She had mentioned that she had never heard of the brand before and had just picked it up because she liked the shade range. I asked her to bring it down to show me, I wasn't really sure what to expect but to be honest, I hadn't really high hopes for what she had bought. She came back into the room and as she produced the eyeshadow palette she began "I'm not sure if it's any use but..". I cut her off mid sentence. I squealed with excitement at the sight of theBalm Nude'Tude, not knowing what all the fuss was about she continued "So it's alright then?". Oh if only she really knew! 

Initially, the highlighter Mary-Lou Manzier took the Blogging and YouTube world by storm. When the hype surrounding that product finally calmed down, then a new frenzy started and it was all about the Nude'Tude palette. Naturally enough as more and more Bloggers and YouTubers starting featuring the palette in blog posts and videos, the more requests I started getting from my viewers to create a look using the palette. There was just one thing though, I didn't own the palette, but I knew someone who did :) 

My trusty Auntie Edna came to the rescue and allowed me to borrow her palette for the video, heck she even told me I could keep it but I couldn't do that, I knew how much she loved it. I enjoyed the palette that much I figured I had to pick it up for myself but then theBalm launched their Nude'Dude palette and I was torn between the two. Recently, I attended the Debenhams winter event and sitting at the top of my very generous goodie bag was the Nude'Tude palette. I couldn't believe it. Now I just need to pick up the Nude'Dude palette and I'm golden. Very long intro aside, let's get on with the review!

This particular Nude'Tude palette is part of a limited edition set. The only difference between buying this set and the palette on its own is that there is a mini 'Put a Lid on It' eyeshadow primer included in this set.

The palette is very well packaged. It comes in a box with one end revealing the mini primer and the other end opening up to reveal the eyeshadow palette. There is then a removable sleeve containing the palette that matches the design on the palette itself. I really like when products come with a sleeve, it just adds a layer of protection and stops your palette getting dirty. In relation to the packaging design, I adore the vintage vibe the palette has.

Within the palette you get 12 eyeshadows that range in textures and finishes. I feel based on the shade range the palette has something for everybody. Also included is a double ended shadow liner brush. I haven't used this brush yet and to be honest based on how the brush feels, I more than likely won't bother with it. The palette opens up to also reveal a large mirror making it handy for when you're on the move.

Let's take a closer look at the eyeshadows.

Sassy: This is a frosted white eyeshadow with good pigmentation. 

Stubborn: A light to medium pinky peach shade that also has a frosted finish.

Selfish: Is a frosted taupe brown shade with grey undertones.

Snobby: Shimmery light gold shade. I'd almost say its more of a yellow.

Stand-Offish: In the pan this looks like a light pink but when applied it is more of a light golden brown shade that has a sort of metallic finish.

Sultry: Matte warm brown. Another highly pigmented shade and very easy to blend.

Sophisticated: Warm dark brown shade with shimmer running throughout.

Sexy: Matte warm cranberry/burgandy shade. One of my favourites in the palette, really pigmented and very easy to work with.

Serious: Matte black, its not the most pigmented matte black I have come across. You do need to layer it to get an intense colour payoff.

Seductive: Warm toned golden brown shade with a satin finish.

Silly: Dark brown with red and golden flecks running throughout the shadow. This is another firm favourite of mine!

Sleek: A very dark matte brown shade that is almost black. Pigmentation is fantastic and its nice and buttery so very easy to work with.

Swatches Top Row (L-R)

Sassy, Stubborn, Selfish, Sophisticated, Sexy, and Serious.

Swatches Bottom Row (L-R)

Snobby, Stand-Offish, Sultry, Seductive, Silly, and Sleek.

As I've said there is something for everyone in this palette. You can create neutral smokey eyes with this palette or really intense dark smokey eyes either. I love deep smokey eyes so I was immediately drawn to the cluster of darker shades along the right hand side of the palette.

To create this grunge inspired makeup look I used the shades:

• Sleek
• Sexy
• Silly
• Serious
• Sassy

I've a full tutorial on my channel showing you how to create this look. If you are interested in finding out how, then just click on the play button below!

I am very pleased with how this palette performs. The quality of the shadows is outstanding, they are highly pigmented and are buttery smooth to the touch so they make the blending process very easy to do. The only shade I found that needed a little extra work was the matte black in the palette 'Serious'. It isn't as pigmented as the other shadows in the palette, you need to layer it to get a nice intense payoff. My least favourite shade in the palette is the yellow/golden eyeshadow 'Snobby' and that is just purely because of its colour. The only thing that I feel the palette is missing is a matte highlight shade. If 'Snobby' was replaced with a matte highlight colour I think the palette would be absolutely perfect.

Overall though I'm delighted with the palette and I'd highly recommend. It will set you €35 which I think is quite affordable for what you are getting in terms of quality. Thankfully theBalm products are becoming a lot easier to find here in Ireland. theBalm can be purchased online and in store from Debenhams. For a direct link to the palette on the site you can click here.

Have you tried any products from theBalm yet? If you have, 

let me know your favourite!

Until next time,

Eimear x