theBalm is a niche US makeup brand that arrived in Sasa stores in Singapore awhile ago but I only chanced across it today at the Wisma Atria store. My buddy, The Muse adores this brand deeply and I trust her taste, so I knew it'd be good. Do check out her truckload of reviews on theBalm products.
The display is right at the entrance.
The price range is quite affordable with products ranging from S$13+ for a small brush to S$42+ for the timeBalm foundation. The difference in prices between Singapore and the US is also just a few dollars. Once you add in the US sales tax, it makes more sense just to purchase it at Sasa where you can test out the products before buying. Here's a brief comparison:
Overshadow S$26.90 vs US$15 (S$20.72)
Stainiac (cheek and lip stain) S$25.90 vs US$15 (S$20.72)
Hot Mama shadow/blush S$29.90 vs US19 (S$26.24)
Shady Lady S$24.90 vs US$16 (S$22.10)
I was quite impressed by the texture of the ShadyLady eyeshadows although some shades felt silkier and more pigmented than others. My favourite was the shimmery blackened emerald Jealous Jordana, which felt very similar to the best of Stila's shimmery eyeshadows.
The round pots are the OverShadow loose mineral shimmer powder. The Pick Up Liners come in sets of three mini eyeliner pencils but I felt that the pencils were a bit too hard, definitely not as soft as, say, MAC Pearlglide liners. The extremely short length also means that it's a bit tricky to hold and apply, especially after it's been worn down after some use.
The Muse was on the hunt for the Cabana Boy and it turned out to be every bit as gorgeous as she said it was. It's a gorgeous rosy pink shimmery blush, with a texture that is very similar to NARS blushes. But Sexy Mama and Bahama Mama did not impress me. Sexy Mama is a bit chalky when swatched while Bahama Mama looked quite dull.
I didn't buy anything today as I wanted to compare the prices with the US retail prices to make sure they were not a rip-off. Overall, the brand reminded me of Benefit and Too Faced because of the whimsical cardboard packaging. I'll probably go back for the Cabana Boy blush soon!
There was also a big shelf display devoted to Shills but to be honest, I don't know much about the brand. Plus I'm not into the whole BB creams thing. There was also a Palgantong powder display. This is supposed to be very popular but I didn't find it that special when I tried it.
The display is right at the entrance.
The price range is quite affordable with products ranging from S$13+ for a small brush to S$42+ for the timeBalm foundation. The difference in prices between Singapore and the US is also just a few dollars. Once you add in the US sales tax, it makes more sense just to purchase it at Sasa where you can test out the products before buying. Here's a brief comparison:
Overshadow S$26.90 vs US$15 (S$20.72)
Stainiac (cheek and lip stain) S$25.90 vs US$15 (S$20.72)
Hot Mama shadow/blush S$29.90 vs US19 (S$26.24)
Shady Lady S$24.90 vs US$16 (S$22.10)
I was quite impressed by the texture of the ShadyLady eyeshadows although some shades felt silkier and more pigmented than others. My favourite was the shimmery blackened emerald Jealous Jordana, which felt very similar to the best of Stila's shimmery eyeshadows.
The round pots are the OverShadow loose mineral shimmer powder. The Pick Up Liners come in sets of three mini eyeliner pencils but I felt that the pencils were a bit too hard, definitely not as soft as, say, MAC Pearlglide liners. The extremely short length also means that it's a bit tricky to hold and apply, especially after it's been worn down after some use.
The Muse was on the hunt for the Cabana Boy and it turned out to be every bit as gorgeous as she said it was. It's a gorgeous rosy pink shimmery blush, with a texture that is very similar to NARS blushes. But Sexy Mama and Bahama Mama did not impress me. Sexy Mama is a bit chalky when swatched while Bahama Mama looked quite dull.
I didn't buy anything today as I wanted to compare the prices with the US retail prices to make sure they were not a rip-off. Overall, the brand reminded me of Benefit and Too Faced because of the whimsical cardboard packaging. I'll probably go back for the Cabana Boy blush soon!
There was also a big shelf display devoted to Shills but to be honest, I don't know much about the brand. Plus I'm not into the whole BB creams thing. There was also a Palgantong powder display. This is supposed to be very popular but I didn't find it that special when I tried it.
11 comments:
I agree about Palgantong. Nothing to write home about at all!
I tried a few Shills items and didn't like them, the BB Cream gave me rashes even
yeah, i saw the balm at sasa too and wondered its origin. thanks for the info!
wow your SASA has Palgantong? a reader of mine brought this brand to my attention and i went on searching for it but there was nothing here. there's very limited information online either. i am really impressed. maybe i need to double check our SASA to see what we really have. but chances are that we have crappy stuff.
lucky you!
hey is it just the powder? i read it's famous but now i am not so sure...
hi Jojoba,
I haven't tried any other Palgantong products so I don't know how good they are. I think our Sasa stores carry other products from this line but didn't really pay close attention yesterday. They have the loose powder in different sizes.
Hello Haru
excellent post on thebalm..oh yes, i often read how muse love and rave about her cabana boy, think a hot drama or something.
cool to learn about the ShadyLady eyeshadows. looks pretty pigmented on the picture but has to try it personally. may i know does the shadylady eye shadows you mentioned comes in single pot or in palette? if in palette, will be excellent to house all the lovely colors! thanks
Hi Nancy,
The Shady Lady eyeshadows come in a small cardboard compact. They do not sell refillable palettes that can fit these.
https://www.thebalm.com/makeup/shady.htm
Wow, looks sound, so much clearer now, thanks Haru! :)
the 9 palette looks wearable for day to day office, while the "out of stock" palette is pretty vivid for night wear.
I like this brand so much....had makeovers done by their MAs who came to Malaysia last month. It was great! Loving the Shadylady palette.
Just did a post on one of the makeovers.
Hi Vonvon,
Thanks, will definitely check out your review! I'm still pondering about whether to pick up the Cabana Boy blush!
I wanted to buy the Bahama Mama and the Sexy Mama but after what you said, I'm a little hesitant about buying it because its $30 each...
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