I’ve been aware of the The Balm cosmetics for a while now, often spotting them when I travel, and have wondered if the super cute brand was ever going to hit South African shores and that day has finally come. You’ll now find it in selected Stuttafords stores as well as in a stand alone store in Sandton City, right next to the new Urban Decay store. Don’t live in a big city? Fret not, my child. You can also buy selected items online from retailbox.co.za.

The Balm got quite an interesting start. It’s creator, Marissa Shipman, decided there was a gap for cruelty and paraben-free products that integrated anti-ageing ingredients, triple-milled ingredients and yummy-smelling scents and got cracking after buying a bunch of books off Amazon on how to make cosmetics. Her first products were created in her kitchen at home and then she hired a chemist to help her out and that’s when things really took off.

Anyway, I was given a few of the brands bestsellers and newbies to play with and was thrilled that the quality of the products is just as awesome as the packaging.

The item instantly fell in love with was the Nude Dude eye shadow palette (R565).

The palette contains 12 flattering triple-milled shadows that can be converted to eyeliner if you apply them when wet. (The brush included in the palette is great if you’re using it to apply the shadow as liner, but I suggest you invest in a true blending brush like a MAC 217 to get the most out of the shadows if you’re applying them in the regular way.) Four of the shadows are matte and the rest are a lovely satin or shimmer finish but all of them glide on beautifully and, if you use them with a primer, they all sit vas.

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The phrase ‘too pretty to use’ definitely applies to Nude Dudes but I eventually worked up the guts to pop an actual brush in each dude and created two shadow looks I love. 

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Other loveliness from The Balm includes their lip products.

The Balm Girls lipsticks (R249,95) are named after fictional secret agent woman and Mia Moore is a bold satin-finish red. Each of The Balm Girls lippies is enriched with hydrating oils like jojoba seed and olive as well as antioxidant vitamin E. I liked that this colour really popped and stayed put. Also, while it looks like a true red it’s actually got a blue tone to it which is great as it as it makes your teeth look whiter when you wear it.

As for the long-lasting lip colour (R269,95), it’s got a feather like texture but packs a pigment punch. Also, even though its got a matte finish, it doesn’t feel drying in the least. In a way, it reminds me a bit of Shiseido’s Lacquer Rouge but at a snip of the price. Also, both lip products have a lovely fresh minty scent!

The items I’ve featured aren’t the only ones I received (thank you Lori!) so I’ll be creating another post soon to show off the other bits and pieces as well as a rock and roll-inspired palette I know you’re going to want, want, want!

Love, love

Leigh