Happy Tuesday, everyone!  Today I’ve got another really fun review for you.  I’m going to take you on an in depth tour of the new Balm Voyage palette by the Balm Cosmetics.  The Balm is quickly becoming one of my new favorite brands.  I’ve dabbled in their products before, mostly thanks to Birchbox, but the more I try, the more I fall in love.  This cruelty and paraben free line of cosmetics started in the founder Marissa’s kitchen, and is now making its way into the hearts of beauty lovers everywhere.  The Balm offers makeup, skin care, hair care, and nail polish, all complete with adorably cheeky names, but their makeup is definitely most widely known.  I’ve personally fallen in love with their Mary-Lou Manizer highlighter, and even named it as one of my November Favorites.  And after playing around with this palette, I am now a huge fan of their shadows as well! So let’s just dive right in!

Um, how CUTE is this packaging?!  This sturdy cardboard palette is travel themed, so the front is covered in vintage postcard style photos from around the world, and when you open the large flap, you find a full passport for Anita Vacation (don’t we all?!).  In place of a passport photo, there’s a mirror in case you need to do your makeup on the go.  It’s not huge, but it’s definitely big enough to get the job done.

And it really only gets better as you travel farther down the palette…or shall I say, the plane?   The full sized eye shadows are arranged in aisles and named after the corresponding seat numbers.  The only real issue seems to be a lack of legroom! =P

At the front of the plane you’ll find the Captain and First and Second Officers, who are lip and cheek tints.  Now originally, I was not at all pleased about the combination of eye shadows and lip/cheek products in the same palette.  It’s nearly impossible to keep the shadow fallout from sticking to the lip products, and then you’re left with messy and unusable lip/cheek tints!  No thank you.  HOWEVER, I think this strategically placed bottom flap will keep the bulk of the problem at bay.  It also has four shadow combinations for you based on where you feel like traveling–Shanghai, Montreal, Cote d’Azur, or Sydney.

Now that you’ve toured this adorable palette, let’s dive right in to the products themselves! In order to work from the top of the palette down, I’ll be starting at the back of the plane and working my way forward.

A4 – satin black w/ multicolored microshimmer; smooth with great buildable pigmentation
B4 – satin rich brown w/ multicolored microshimmer; a brown incarnation of A4

C4 – satin copper w/ silver microglitter; slightly powdery, but with beautiful pigmentation
D4 – satin dark olive green w/ a hint of gold microshimmer; obsessed! A great alternative to black for a smoky eye.

A3 – metallic silver satin; amazingly buttery & pigmented.  Just gorgeous!
B3 – matte medium taupe; nicely pigmented & easily blendable.  Great for the crease!

C3 – matte chocolate brown; SUPER soft, so it’s a little powdery.  Another great crease color!
D3 – satin champagne w/ silver microshimmer; definitely one of my favorites.  Such beautiful pigmentation & will be a great lid color.

A2 – satin royal purple w/ blue duochrome; nicely pigmented & creamy, but slightly powdery
B2 – satin sea foam green w/ golden green duochrome; buttery & beautiful

C2 – matte teal w/ blue microshimmer; great pigmentation & a fun way to add a pop of color
D2 – satin dusty pale pink; so buttery and pigmented.  Another great lid color!

A1 – satin metallic mauve; one of my favorites! So pigmented & buttery.
B1 – matte nude; another REALLY soft matte.  Beware of fallout, but will be great along the brow bone.

C1 – satin metallic white gold; amazing formulation! Very buttery & pigmented.
D1 – satin metallic yellow gold; the yellow gold sister of C1.

Second Officer – candied apple red; sheer, but buildable pigmentation
First Officer – coral; very creamy & opaque.  Be sure to use a light hand with this one!
Captain – hot pink; another sheer, yet buildable formula.  This will give such a natural flush to the cheeks!

Overall, I’m beyond pleased with this palette!  The shadows generally have good pigmentation and are very buttery.  My only complaint is that a couple of them are almost too soft, but I think those would really be the only candidates for any kind of significant fallout.  The lip and cheek tints are hydrating enough to work well on the lips, but not too sticky to use on the cheeks.  They’re very blendable and easy to work with too!

Balm Voyage retails for $42.50, which is a huge score for sixteen full sized shadows and three lip/cheek tints.  This would make a great gift for a beauty lover in your life!  And if you’re the beauty lover in your life, this would be a great palette to take with you on your holiday travels.  No, not just because it’s travel themed, but also because the packaging is super sleek and sturdy, and you can create such a wide variety of looks with these shadows.  I can’t wait to play around with this palette, so I’ll be featuring it in Friday’s tutorial.  Be sure you’re subscribed to my YouTube Channel so you don’t miss it!

And for those of you who are familiar with the musical Anything Goes, please tell me I’m not the only one who automatically starts singing “Bon Voyage” in my head every time I hear/think/read/type the name of this palette.

Best & Blessings,
Rachel

**Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.  This palette was sent to me for review & consideration, but as always, the opinions expressed are 100% honest and my own.**