Review and Swatches: theBalm Overshadow

Hello!

Today I'm reviewing theBalm's Overshadow in 'Work is Overrated', a shimmering pink champagne colour.

Here it is, with theBalm's signature cute, retro packaging.

It's marketed as the "first finely milled all mineral shimmer designed to go over your eyeshadow." Quite honestly, this product confuses me. I'm not sure why there is suddenly a new category eyeshadow. All eyeshadows can be layered over each other and there are plenty of loose shimmer dusts out there which, again, can be layered over each other and over other eyeshadows, so I'm not sure how an "overshadow" is different. I decided to find out.

theBalm Overshadow in Work is Overrated

I swatched the Overshadow right after I updated my Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion review, so I have swatches of Work is Overrated on its own, and over UDPP in Original, Sin and Greed.

If you want to see the difference that adding this 'overshadow' makes to a look, have a look at the before and after pictures below.

Eye look done with Urban Decay Naked palette
(Hustle on mobile lid and crease, Virgin as highlight under the brow and in the inner corners of the eye).
Note also this is the eye look after 13 hours of wear. Pretty amazing.

Eye look with theBalm Overshadow in 'Work is Overrated' over the mobile lid and the crease.
It's decreased the colour difference between the Hustle and Virgin by lightening the areas with Hustle
and conversely, darkening those with Virgin.

Review:

• Packaging: this comes in theBalm's cute, retro packaging. You shake the little pot and eyeshadow comes out of holes in a plastic cover. Like with all loose dusts, be careful not to spill it everywhere.
• Colour: this is a beautiful champagne pink with silver microglitter. It's not highly pigmented, it's really just about the sparkle- and it sparkles beautifully under direct and bathroom light. They are "buildable" for a more intense look, but without wanting to waste too much product on an arm swatch, I tried layering it up over Greed and I wasn't impressed (see above). It added extra shimmer to Sin, though. Those two used together make a really beautiful shade- I might give it a go in an eye look later on.
• Texture: it's smooth and soft and blends easily.
• Longevity: as good as your eyeshadow and primer combination. I will let you know about fallout in an update.
• Cost: these retail for USD$15 and AUD$22.95 for 0.57g (I think the Australian price is right, that's what I found on the net. I got mine online, so it was cheaper.) They're comparable in price to the Napoleon Perdis loose eye dusts (~AUD$20) except the Napoleon eye dusts are 1.8g- more than double the amount of product than in the Overshadows.

Verdict: B

Beautiful shimmer but very expensive for the amount of product and pigmentation.

xo
Anna