Review: theBalm Nude 'Tude Palette

If there's anything I need more of, it's neutral eyeshadow palettes!


I'm sure we can all relate to buying an eyeshadow palette, getting it home and then noticing that you have almost all of the shades in your collection already. Nope, that's just me.

Anyway enough of my bad spending habits, let's talk about eyeshadow. Hautelook recently had a lot of products from theBalm so I picked up the Nude 'Tude palette and the popular Mary-Lou Manizer at a big discount!

The Nude 'Tude palette is sturdy cardboard with a strong metallic close containing twelve neutral eyeshadows, a mirror, and a dual ended shadow and liner brush which I immediately tossed as I knew I wouldn't use it. The inside packaging is cute and very on-brand for theBalm. It's decorated with pin-up girls whose private areas are covered by the eyeshadows. Not necessarily my favorite packaging, but it's certainly memorable!

Each shadow is named after a personality trait or characteristic starting with an "S". The shadows are all on the warmer side, with one glitter, seven shimmers, and four matte shades. The shimmers vary a little bit in finish; some are on the metallic side and others have visible sparkle. I was impressed by all of the shimmers and most of the mattes. I can see myself using all of the shades, this is truly a neutral palette.

The shadows from left to right starting with the top row are:

Sassy: shimmery white

Stubborn: shimmery, almost satin light pink

Selfish: shimmery, metallic taupe

Sophisticated: shimmery, somewhat glittery medium brown

Sexy: matte burgundy

Serious: matte black

Swatches from left to right: Sassy, Stubborn, Selfish, Sophisticated, Sexy, Serious. Each swatch was made using one swipe with no primer underneath! 

Serious is seriously disappointing. I find it strange how the dark browns have more pigment than the black shade. Serious can be quite patchy and not very pigmented. It's okay if you just want to darken up the crease, but personally if I'm going to use a black shade I want it to be really, really black.

Next row:

Snobby: shimmery yellow gold

Stand-offish: metallic rose gold

Sultry: matte beige

Seductive: shimmery brown

Silly: glittery dark brown

Sleek: matte dark brown

Swatches from left to right: Snobby, Stand-offish, Sultry, Seductive, Silly, Sleek. All swatches were made with one swipe of product with no primer underneath! 

In this row the only disappointing shadow was Silly. Too much glitter, not enough pigment.

Other than Serious and Silly, these shadows are really, really nice. The shimmers are smooth, pigmented, and I haven't experienced any fallout with them. Three out of four of the mattes are soft and easy to blend. Without any primer, these creased on me after about six hours which isn't too bad.

My favorite eye look with this palette is using Sexy in the crease, Stand-offish all over the lid, and Sassy as a highlight. It's quick, easy, and a perfect for autumn. You can get a nice brown or grey smoky eye with this palette, too.

The shadows and the palette overall are lovely, but I do feel like this palette is too neutral for me. It only includes shades that I and other makeup lovers will have duplicates of in their collection. That being said, I will use it on days when I want something quick and effortless. I like that I have all the shades I need in one palette, which a few different options for the crease, lid, and highlight. I'm glad that I have it, but I don't think it's a must-have. Therefore I'd recommend the Nude 'Tude palette to someone who doesn't have a lot of palettes but wants something that's great for everyday!

You can order this palette online here!

Have you tried the Nude 'Tude palette or any other eyeshadows from theBalm?

Xx Katie