theBalm is a brand that I haven't particularly heard much about nor have I purchased anything from the range until now. However Alix, beauty blogger & YouTube star from I Covet Thee is a huge fan and after featuring the gorgeous Mary-Lou Manizer in her 2013 favourites, I started to sit up and pay some attention! Now Alix is super gorgeous anyway but she always looks so glowing and it's all thanks to this pretty amazing highlighter. The Feel Unique website stocks quite a fair but from theBalm's range so I was really intrigued to try some of the products. Obviously I put the Mary-Lou Manizer straight into my shopping basket and was then on the hunt for a new blusher. I have loooooads of baby pink blushers so I decided to opt for the Boy's Blush in Cabana BOY, a gorgeous dusty rose colour with a hint of shimmer. Alix has also featured a blush from theBalm in her favourites video so I knew this was going to be good. I also really wanted to buy the Bahama Mama Bronzer (mainly because I loved the name) but it's been out of stock for a few weeks now, boo!
So my order arrived the other day and I feel like thanking Alix personally for introducing everyone to theBalm. Wow am I impressed! The highlighter is without a doubt the best highlighter I own. Now I am serious hoarder when it comes to highlighters, I have everything from the Bobbi Brown shimmer brick, Dior's Amber Diamond, Illamasqua's Gleam highlighter in Aurora & MAC's Soft & Gentle. But this just beats them all! It's a real eye catcher and with the smallest amount on the tops of your cheeks really brightens you up. It adds serious dimension to your face and the champagne colour would suit just about everyone. It's so finely milled that you could sweep it over the whole face to create a sexy and youthful glow. I would even sweep it across my lids for a night out. I like to use a fan brush to apply highlighter, I just think it applies it so much better and gives a more natural look. The brush I am using at the minute is the Smashbox fan brush in 22. Swirl the fan into the product and sweep across the desired area. You could also use this brush for bronzer and blusher, it's a great all-rounder.
The Cabana BOY blush is also a really nice product, I adore the colour. It's a lovely shade for the winter especially as I am so pale, this adds just the right amount of warmth. Just like the highlighter a little goes a very long way. The colour pay off is great and it's a blusher that lasts all day, something which is very hard to find in a blusher. The packaging for both is just so cute as well, it does remind me of Benefit's packaging but the blushers are so much better, you don't have to fight with the Benefit's boxes trying to squash them into your makeup bag! Both also came with decent sized mirrors as well. So overall I am so happy with what I purchased, next on my list is to try some of the brushes and I will definitely be buying the Bahama Mama Bronzer once it's back in stock!
The Mary-Lou Manizer is £15 and the Cabana BOY blusher is £13, both can be bought here.
Also check out Alix's YouTube channel to see just how gorgeous these look.
