Sunday 15 November 2015

The Balm Autobalm California - review + swatches!


Hey beauties! Today I'm really excited to talk to you about this lovely face palette by The Balm, Autobalm in California (£16.49, Superdrug). The Balm is one of my all-time favourite makeup brands - their products are innovative, high-quality and always come in eye-catching, retro-style packaging. Autobalm is a four-piece face palette which includes a blush, two eyeshadows and a highlighter. You can find it in two versions - Hawaii (which features slightly cooler shades and a bright pink blush) and California. I decided to go for the latter, as I felt that the warm shades would be more suitable for my skintone. 


The packaging is absolutely gorgeous - designed to resemble a driving license; it has a retro, vintage feel, typical for The Balm products. It's very compact and easily portable, which makes it a perfect palette for travel and makeup 'on the go'. The palette includes a sizable mirror, but no brushes or applicators. This is standard fare for The Balm who often include large mirrors with their products. The lack of applicators may be disappointing for some, especially if you're just getting started with makeup and want an all-in-one palette.



Blush: This blush is a lovely warm coral with pink undertones. Despite being quite heavily pigmented, it looks subtle and natural when applied. It has a tiny bit of shimmer to it, which gives the skin a nice, healthy glow. It's supposed to be used as an eyeshadow as well as a blush, although personally I don't think that this colour would work too well on eyelids.

Highlighter: This is a pale beige, shimmery highlighter which actually works really well as an eyeshadow. As a highlighter, it's quite subtle when applied, but it still gives that desired 'glowing' effect.

Brow/crease: This is a fairly standard matte brown shade, which is perfect for casual, everyday makeup. You can also use it to fill in your eyebrows, although my brows are a little too dark and this didn't give them much definition. 

Lid/liner: This dark brown shade is perfect as an eyeliner, but you can also use it as an eyeshadow to create a casual smokey eye. The gold shimmer may be a little much for some, but honestly, it looks quite subtle when applied. 


Other products I used to complete this look: Max Factor Liquid Illusion foundation in 'Warm Almond'; Soap & Glory 'One Heck of a Blot' translucent powder; Dior Addict lipstick in 578, Chanel 'Le Volume de Chanel' mascara. 

Overall, I'd give this palette 8/10I think that Autobalm California is a gorgeous face palette, perfect for anyone who enjoys more natural, minimal kind of makeup. If you don't wear a lot of makeup, and only want a couple of basic eyeshadows and a natural-looking blush, Autobalm will be a great option for you. The same goes to anyone who is just getting started with makeup - the shades in this palette are natural and easy to work with, allowing you to create a fresh, everyday look.

Have you tried Autobalm California? What is your favourite face palette? 

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