REVIEW: theBalm Nude 'tude Eyeshadow Palette + Swatches

Happy holidays!

I wasn't able to blog for the past few days because:

1. I was traveling here and there - including commuting.

2. I was cramming and complaining about long cashier lines during my last minute Christmas shopping.

3. I was busy cooking, yes you read that right, for the Noche Buena.

4. I was just busy fussing over anything and everything, attending parties, reunions, wrapping gifts, drinking and eating, that my sleep pattern has been completely erratic and chaotic.

5. I was down with the flu after Christmas up until today.

But nonetheless, my Christmas was a blast. The best part was meeting family and friends once again. And the bonus was unwrapping my gifts!

And one of the best gifts I got this year was my gift to myself (although I think I have given myself too much already, hahaha!)

So, presenting, in the flesh, theBalm Nude 'tude Eyeshadow Palette!

theBalm Nude 'tude Eyeshadow Palette

theBalm Nude 'tude Eyeshadow Palette

theBalm Nude 'tude Eyeshadow Palette

I didn't expect to lay my hands on this baby not until early next year. I was lemming for it since November and in my best eforts I tried to beat the Black Friday sale back then, but I was unlucky. Anyway, you can imagine my happiness when two days ago, Jen of RedGirlshop texted me and told me that my Nude 'tude has arrived! Woot!

So I met the very pretty Jen and took my new baby home. Thanks dear for making one of my dreams come true, hahaha! ♥

Beauty Bar doesn't have this yet. And I consider myself very lucky to finally have one. Yeah, yeah, I already own a lot of neutral eyeshadow palettes but who cares? Actually, I'm already thinking of getting my hands on the new Naked 2 by Urban Decay, but let's not go off topic. :) All I can say is I'm so loving Nude 'tude.

Moreover, Beauty Bar said that the palette might be here locally by January or anytime early next year, so there's still plenty of time to save and wait, but for impatient people like me, waiting is one of the luxuries I cannot afford, hehehe. If you're like me, you can contact Jen and grab one asap!

Okay. Okay. I'm gonna review it now.

Well, it's not the best neutral eyeshadow palette out there since I'm a true blue UD Naked fan, but the colors of Nude 'tude and Naked are quite similar. Both have 12 lovely eyeshadows as well. The only thing I noticed with Nude 'tude is that it has more matte eyeshadows and most of its colors will best suit warm tones, in my opinion, which is good news for most of us, right?

theBalm Nude 'tude Eyeshadow Palette Shades

theBalm Nude 'tude Eyeshadow Palette Shades

First, packaging. Very usual of theBalm, the palette is housed in a smooth magnetic cardboard which is too cute for the eyes. Since it's cardboard, it's very lightweight but sturdy enough not to crack your precious eyeshadows. And one of the best things you will love in this palette is its mirror! I'm a sucker for mirrors, so I'm very glad it has a big and clear mirror, huge enough to see a good full view of my eyes and a glimpse of my face.

theBalm Nude 'tude Eyeshadow Palette Shades

It also comes with a double-ended eyeshadow brush which is just okay for me. I haven't used it yet though because I prefer long brushes.

theBalm Nude 'tude Eyeshadow Palette brush

Color quality is excellent - pigmented, buildable and very smooth to apply. Staying power and color pay off is great too.

Now, the swatches:

theBalm Nude 'tude Eyeshadow Palette Swatches

From L-R: Sassy, Snobby, Stubborn, Stand-offish, Selfish, Sultry, Sophisticated, Schitzo, Sexy, Silly, Serious and Sleek.

Sassy and Snobby

Sassy and Snobby

Sassy is one of my favorite shades. It's a frosty white which is not so flat and white at all. Texture and color pay off of this shade is amazingly good.

Snobby is a frosty and shimmery yellow/gold which is sheer and powdery, but buildable.

Stubborn and Stand-offish

Stubborn and Stand-offish

Stubborn again has a frosty finish, which is a very light peachy pink shade.

Stand-offish. I like its name. It pretty goes well with the color of this shade. It is a metallic and shimmery light to medium bronze. It is a very warm color which I absolutely love.

Selfish and Sultry

Selfish and Sultry

Selfish is a frosty grayish brown. It's quite very pigmented.

Sultry is a matte shade. It is a warm medium brown which is very buttery in texture and is also very pigmented. This color is so great for blending out.

Sophisticated and Schitzo

Sophisticated and Schitzo

Sophisticated is a deep and dark grayish brown with gold and bronze shimmer/sheen.

Schitzo is a frosty and shimmery golden brown which is bronzy as well. This color is just so lovely. It has a very smooth texture and the color pay-off is good.

Sexy and Silly

Sexy and Silly

Sexy is soft matte shade. It's a reddish and brownish burgundy.

Silly is a dark reddish brown with copper shimmers/glitters. It's quite very sheer.

Serious and Sleek

Serious and Sleek

Serious is a matte black. It's not very black though. It's very buildable and smooth. This is perfect for an intense black smokey look.

Sleek is also matte. It's brownish black. It's quite dark and pigmented and just like Serious, is perfect for that intense smokey eye.

Over-all, it's an excellent eyeshadow palette. I love neutrals, which is pretty obvious by now. I can see myself wearing shades from the Nude' Tude very often from now on. All of the eyeshadows in the palette are very smooth, buildable, pigmented and easy to play and work with. Most of the colors complement each other and go well together.

I got the Feelin' Naughty version by the way since I think it goes well with the palette's name. Nude and Naughty. Naughty and Nude. :D

So there. I'm so in love with the Nude 'Tude. Another guilty pleasure for a spoiled/makeup obsessed individual like me. ♥

Any thoughts about this lovely palette from theBalm?