TheBalm's "Meet Matt(e) Nude" Palette via Hautelook

My dears! 

How cute is this palette from TheBalm? I jumped at the deal on Hautelook after hearing so many great reviews about this matte eyeshadow palette, since I had credit left over - It is originally priced at $42 and was 50% off on Hautelook.  With my existing credit, I paid $2.50 and got this baby in the mail a month later (for those of you who are not familiar with Hautelook, sometimes their shipping can be quite slow.. but I suppose this is the trade-off for discounted prices!)




Swatches from Top, left to right.
For those of you who are not familiar with TheBalm, it is a cute & fun makeup line that utilizes a play on words to create their product names (think: Shady Lady Palette or Time Balm Primer) .  They are now sold in select Kohls & Sephora stores as well.  I was hoping to add this eyeshadow palette to my kit since it is a collection of all matte shades.  Just a warning- these shades are not extremely pigmented if you're expecting MAC-type shadows.  They are good neutrals and mattes to have to use as crease colors for a more natural look - perfect for bridal makeup!

Quality vs. Quantity - The Ultimate Eyeshadow Dilemma

I was SO happy to see that someone finally put their two cents in regarding the mass-produced 88-color eyeshadow palettes (and everything else in between).  This article from Kevin James Bennett calls out the differences between the 88-Eyeshadow Palettes from BH Cosmetics, Coastal Scents, etc. and other eyeshadows from L'Oreal, Make Up For Ever, Ben Nye, and the like. 


*Click the link above to read the full article!

To make a long story short - I, too, was once swayed by the promise of 88-100 pigmented eyeshadows for roughly $15.  They are easy to find, cheap to ship, and also mass produced in China.  They are the exact same palettes marketed under different brands.  Is there anything wrong with them? Not necessarily - but if you're looking for quality vs. quantity, you're much better off doing your own research and figuring out which brand offers eyeshadows at a lower price/gram.  If you read Kevin James Bennett's full article, he breaks down the cost/gram of several popular eyeshadow brands and you might be shocked to see the results!




Coastal Scents 88-Color Palette

True, it might seem excessive to be paying $10+ for one or two eyeshadows when you can buy 100 colors, but I've always believed that it's better to pay more for a product that's good quality & long-lasting, versus pay less for more variety/more colors at a cheaper price at the expense of lower performance.