TheBalm • Bahama Mama • Bronzers

Where To Buy?

CakebJunkie on 6/29/2012 8:23:00 PM more reviews by CakebJunkie

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Grey    

I love this bronzer. You have to know how to use it in order to get the best results. I have light skin, and this complimented my cheeks very well. I even used a cheap ELF bronzing brush. The color blended very nice and evenly.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

mararum on 6/19/2012 6:24:00 PM more reviews by mararum

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Black, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

It's nice but doesn't really stand out as either a bronzer or an eyeshadow. As a bronzer, it's kind of strange. I'm NC 25, and the color appears as a muddy brown before melting into my skin. As an eyeshadow, the color is a matte brown.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

lovenoemie on 5/31/2012 9:32:00 AM more reviews by lovenoemie

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brown, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Not impressed. Was on the search for a bronzer that suited my NC40-42 skintone that did not have any sparkle or shimmer. I decided on this after seeing so many positive beauty blog and YouTube reviews and do not see what the hype is. I have to use A LOT for it to even show up and by that point its given me a very dirty/muddy look not to mention it isn't very blendable to begin with. EXTREMELY powdery - I mean this stuff gets everywhere. Not worth the price and would not repurchase. I would give it zero lippies, however I do like the packaging.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Ambly123 on 5/24/2012 10:57:00 PM more reviews by Ambly123

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I thought this might be similar to Benefits Hoola, but no. It is very "dirty" dark and does not blend. The packaging also gets very dirty.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

ksasi04 on 5/23/2012 10:10:00 PM more reviews by ksasi04

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I love this matte bronzer. It's pretty dark, but it blends well and goes on smoothly. I wish it had a snap case, though. I would definitely buy it again.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

stephyrm12 on 5/22/2012 1:07:00 AM more reviews by stephyrm12

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

love this! super pigmented and perfect for contouring! i use this everyday just for that! its nice and matte. beware though because i am fairly light, i use this with a SUPER light hand. this will sploch all over you if youre too heavy, so use a nice fluffy brush if youre light! [:

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

dawnzartandlife on 5/7/2012 12:56:00 PM more reviews by dawnzartandlife

Age: 44-55   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I found TheBalm line after hearing rave reviews on MUA. Wow I love this bronzer. I am fair and it is hard finding something that looks natural on me. This bronzer is highly pigmented, I have used it as eyeshadow, as bronzer, bronze my legs, it rocks! Love this!! I think the packaging is vintagey adorable but polarizing (you either love it or hate it) Thin so hardly takes any room in my makeup area, but in a handbag it opens easily and you need to carry the cardboard sleeve to keep it shut. That being said, I would not hesitate to purchase again and again because of the quality of this bronzer.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

billiem on 4/27/2012 5:50:00 PM more reviews by billiem

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

By far the best product I have found to contour and bronze. I am a very fair skinned person NC 10 – 15 and I use this everyday with no problem. I use a MAC 109 and all is well, so I truly suggest a good old test run. Only down side is I now dislike NARS.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

cerecita on 4/26/2012 6:32:00 PM more reviews by cerecita

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Other   Eyes: Brown    

ill probably repeat what everyones been saying here, cuz its basically true....

- a true brown , no redddish/goldish ish....great for 'contouring'
-100% Matte .....great for contouring
-matches a variety of skintones...blends down great
-packaging is so cute

negative:

EXpensive ... like 26 bucks!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

ariatobb on 4/25/2012 4:32:00 AM more reviews by ariatobb

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This is the best bronzer I've used. I come from tropical country, so I wanted something that was lightweight and didn't melt off my face during the day. It does that, plus I feel fresh the entire day!

I read some comments that said that it's quite pigmented. I have a medium-tan skin tone (It's Type IV in the Fitzpatrick scale, if you wanted something specific), so it doesn't show up too much on my skin but still gives me a nice bronze glow. Even then, I find that the specific brown tone of this bronzer would suit a lot of skin tones. A friend of mine (who is much lighter than me) used this once and found that it suited her really well (just make sure to use a good brush when applying it).

I love this product and get lots of compliments when I wear it! It looks and feels natural on my skin and I never broke out while using it. I have been looking for a while for a bronzer that didn't make me orange and didn't feel heavy on my skin. I will continue to buy this product and you get so much more than you're paying for with it.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

MitchieCatalano on 4/24/2012 6:22:00 PM more reviews by MitchieCatalano

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

It's a really amazing brown based bronzer! amazing for contouring and all over bronzing that looks super natural ^_^

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

purtyladyy on 4/14/2012 12:39:00 AM more reviews by purtyladyy

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Hazel    

I love this product I just bought it last month online and it's the best bronzer I have owned yet. It is the perfect shade of actual brown. All other bronzers I have used were reddish brown , or goldish brown. This one is the PERFECT brown shade that resembles a real tan. It's also 100% matte. There is absolutely no shimmer in it so it's perfect for contouring.
It's so pigmented so you have to use a light hand with it.
At first I was iffy about the packaging because it is cardboard and paper, but I realized how durable it is and I LOVE the magnet part because it never comes apart in my purse or anything. The only thing I don't like is that it costs $19 . But I guess it's alright because it's so pigmented that I don't even need to use that much anyways. It will last me a long time.
Oh well it's my favorite bronzer and I highly recommend it. I don't think it gets much recognition.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* KBaylie on 3/26/2012 1:47:00 AM more reviews by KBaylie

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Tan, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Very flattering on my NC40 skin. I've never liked the look of bronzers on me until I tried this product. I will repurchase.

Edit: I had to reduce my rating by one point. Still love the look of this on me, but it broke me out very badly. I couldn't figure out what the culprit was until I realized that the breakout was only happening where I had applied the bronzer. Too bad. :(

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

poohbearwhitty on 3/5/2012 12:31:00 PM more reviews by poohbearwhitty

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This is a perfect contour color for lots of different skin shades. I'm very fair (NC 10-15), and as long as I use a very light hand, this gives me the perfect amount of warmth. There's no glitter, and it's more brown than peachy so it truly looks like a contour. Love this product!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* CrosseyedToad on 2/19/2012 12:05:00 AM more reviews by CrosseyedToad

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I recently started using TheBALM products and cannot understand why this brand isn't more hyped up. I've loved everything I've tried. I had quit contouring and using bronzers but this I thought may work better for me and look more natural
As I've found this brand blends amazingly on everything I've tried. I was right. At last I can contour again because even if I use too much it blends down amazingly. I'm pale, nw20 and I have a ton of trouble with bronzers and contours pulling orange but not this one. My new HG.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

randers on 2/10/2012 7:50:00 PM more reviews by randers

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

This is a fantastic bronzer for contouring. It is very pigmented so you must adjust to that, but it blends very well so I consider it a good thing.

I like that it has no hint of shimmer to it; I can use it for a "no makeup" makeup look if I want. I personally would rather leave the shimmer to the highlighters and blushes. It does have yellow undertones, but looks great on my cool toned, NC20 skin, so I imagine the shade would look great on most skin tones.

I received this product as part of the Big Mama trio (Bahama Mama, Sexy Mama and Hot Mama) for only $13 at TJ Maxx. I don't know if I would purchase it full price, but there are a million individuals on eBay for around $10, and I would re purchase for that price.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Sippinonkrystyle on 11/12/2011 4:44:00 PM more reviews by Sippinonkrystyle

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This is the perfect bronzer for my medium skin tone. It really does make me look like I have a tan unlike other bronzers which look orange. It's also great for contouring cause it doesn't have any red/orange undertones. It's quite pigmented and can be muddy if u don't apply it correctly. I like to build the color a little at a time since its easier then trying to tone it down. Those with fair skin might want to skip this but Overall, it's a great bronzer for those with medium skin and darker.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

LolaMay on 10/3/2011 3:35:00 PM more reviews by LolaMay

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Blond, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I really like this bronzer. I bought it at TJMaxx for half price :)
PROS
**Very pigmented
**Nice brown bronzer instead of orangey
**Adorable packaging!

CONS
**A bit pricey

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

manderz86 on 8/25/2011 9:25:00 AM more reviews by manderz86

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Tan, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I hadn't tried out any products by The Balm so in my curiosity I picked up the "Big Mama" palette which includes Bahama Mama, Hot mama blush & Sexy Mama translucent powder. I honestly did not expect to love it as much as I do! I've been searching for a contour powder that doesn't come up too red/orange/ashy/just downright dirty looking on my NC40-42 skin & Bahama Mama is absolutely perfect. I think someone else mentioned, it's like Nars laguna without the shimmer. I don't care much for the packaging, I do wish it came in something more sleek, but I guess that's personal preference.... the cardboard IS quite sturdy & a magnet keeps it all securely together. It's very pigmented but I will say, it's a little powdery, but after such a long frustrating search for the perfect contour product, I can deal. I use a tiny bit at a time, tapping the excess off my brush & building slowly. Will repurchase again & again.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

aychan on 7/10/2011 10:01:00 AM more reviews by aychan

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Oily, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I wish there was a maybe on the "Would you repurchase" question.


Pros: Extremely pigmented, a little goes too long of a way, doesn't have a red, muddy undertone


Cons: Too pigmented, too much of a dark brown (pretty much just a dark brown eyeshadow), stained my MAC countouring brush


I've always used cheap drugstore bronzers since I thought they would all look the same anyway. However, I've always felt that they weren't pigmented enough, and I end up spending 5 minutes just putting the bronzer on. I did my research on MUA, and was debating between Hoola and Laguna. Laguna seemed like a god choice until I found out that it actually contains a little bit of shimmer. My skin is "shimmery" enough without shimmery makeup, so no thank you. Hoola didn't seem to have extremely good ratings either, plus from what I remember it looks kinda like the NYC bronzer. Then I came across ratings for BahamaMama and thought, hey why not, let's give this a shot. I believe it might even be cheaper than Hoola.


Anyway, it's extremely pigmented which I love, so at one swipe it's already done its job on contouring my face. If I decide to go for a little more, and add one more swipe, BAM I end up looking dirty. So yeah, a bit mixed feelings, maybe I just need to control my hand and stop going for that second swipe.


Also, I'm pretty choked that my brush got stained. Anyone else run into the same problem?

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No