Review: The Balm!!

I was walking around Kohl's the other night because, well, let's face it. I was procrastinating again on packing. Lately, I have been really bad at just putting that off. Either way, I had NO idea that Kohl's started selling The Balm, which has been one of the brands I have always wanted to try and play with. I just don't put aside money to spend on brands that I haven't tried already or can't play with and touch in front of me before purchase. I ended up buying Balm's Away, their eye makeup remover, and TimeBalm, the cream foundation. I was considering buying Schwing, the liquid eyeliner, but I decided against it after playing with the wand. Fun fact: I HATE felt tip brushes. For me to use and be sold on a liquid eyeliner, it absolutely has to have an actual brush tip. The Kat Von D Tattoo Liner has been my all time favorite since it came out years ago. I use her Autograph liner as well since that will last a lot longer than the pen will, but I do love my Trooper! Anyways, on to the review!

Item One: Balm's Away
What it is: Vitamin based eye makeup remover for the most sensitive skin
This eye makeup remover is a super smooth, silky balm texture that you rub over your eye makeup for about 30 seconds, giving it time to break down the makeup. You then wipe away the remains with a soft cloth or tissue. I'll admit, when I first grabbed it, I didn't realize it was only for eyes. And trust me, I tried it on my face. No go. However, on the eyes, it works fantastically!! It is super hydrating with the vitamins, easy to wipe away after. It's awesome for travel and has the most awesome packaging! You press down on the one side of the lid, and it pops the lid up on the other side, making it super easy to open! I appreciate this like crazy considering I always seem to have such a hard time with small tin cases of products. On top of this, it was only $20 for the tin, which I would assume lasts a good while considering you only need a little bit for both eyes, and you are only using it on the eyes.
Unfortunately, I think I will be returning this product. As awesome as it would be, I already have an oil that I use for both my eyes and my face. There really isn't a reason for me to have one for eyes and another for face. I have enough steps in my skincare routine, so adding another is not what I am looking to do. But, if you are someone who travels a lot or only wears eye makeup, this is an absolutely fantastic product!


Item Two: TimeBalm in Lighter Than Light
What it is: Medium to full coverage cream foundation
This foundation is a cream that feels super silky and lightweight on the skin. With one layer, I definitely saw the medium coverage. I would say the one layer was closer to a full coverage, but comparing it to the most full coverage foundation I wear (Kat Von D Lock It Foundation in L42), it is definitely more of a medium. In case you haven't noticed, I am whiter than white. I am one of those proud ghostly looking ladies that stays out of the sun as much as possible. The color of this foundation doesn't look very pale in the container, but when I applied it, it definitely blended out to my pale tones. While it was a smidge darker than I am used to wearing, it did not look unnatural at all. It was super easy to blend with my new mini Sephora Pro Mini Brush #53.5, which I love by the way. I decided to try this with two different primers. On one side of my face, I used Too Faced Primed and Poreless, a smoothing primer with a silicone base. On the other, I used my current favorite primer, which is Too Faced's Hangover Rx, a silicone-free primer with coconut water, electrolytes, and probiotics. I then applied my Laura Mercier Translucent Pressed Setting Powder. I have photos before and after the setting powder. Realistically, there was not an incredible difference between the two primers. However, I feel like the side with the Hangover primer looks smoother and more finished. Now, these photos don't have any concealer or anything else (besides my brow product) on my face. I wanted to show the work of just the foundation. This was right after applying the product. I am going to wear the product through work and see how it wears. Maybe take a photo afterwards?

I am looking forward to trying some of their eyeshadows as I have always heard great things! I saw some of the palettes, and I wanted to buy them so badly! But, I had to step back and take it all in a little bit at a time! I also saw some gorgeous blush colors that I may try out as well. More reviews to come, of course!





UPDATE: I was disappointed with how the foundation wore throughout the day. I ended up returning both items. Bummer. I am hoping to have better luck with their shadows, highlighters, and blushes when I get the chance to try them out. I typically hear great things!