Review: theBalm “Meet Matt(e) Nude” Palette

Hello, Matt(e)!

yes, that’s lavender on the left.

…nice to meet ya. I’ve been a fan of theBalm since last May, when I first received their “Nude ‘tude” eyeshadow palette. The first thing that draws attention is their product packaging. Seriously, who is designing all of their packaging? I don’t know, but that person definitely deserves a raise. Second – the product quality. The “Nude ‘tude” is an amazing eyeshadow palette that can truly stand by Urban Decay’s Naked palettes. And I blame “Nude ‘tude” for making me fall in love with theBalm, because now I feel the inevitable urge to try all of their products. So when theBalm was having a 50% off flash sale, it was obvious that I would never be able to say no to the Meet Matt(e) Nude palette with the handsome Matt(e) on the cover, who is apparently nude (lol). And now that I have it on my desk, I feel like a very happy little kid, who just got a huge adorable toy to play with.

Isn’t it adorable?

Some information from thebalm’s website:
“You’ve met Matt(e), now it’s time to Meet Matt(e) Nude… nude eyeshadows that is. Because size matt(e)rs, there are nine larger Matt(e)s showing their true colors in nude hues. As a matt(e)r of fact, this palette is versatile enough to wear day and night, as liners and all-over colors… the whole nine yards. With so many Matt(e)s to choose from, you’re sure to find your perfect shade, no matt(e)r what.”
– 9-piece palette
– Size: 0.9 oz. total
– Made in USA

So basically, “Meet Matt(e) Nude” is an eyeshadow palette, consisting of 9 all-matte neutral eyeshadows. It’s the successor of their first “Meet Matte” palette, which I don’t have, so I won’t be able to compare the two. But from what I can see, this one leans towards more of a neutral spectrum of shades, which makes it perfect for everyday wear. Also, compared to the previous theBalm palettes (“Nude ‘tude” as well), the eyeshadow pan sizes ARE HUGE. This is probably gonna last me forever, lol. Let’s take a closer look at the shadows themselves (and some swatches):

The swatches (natural light)

The shades include:

•  Matt Malloy (soft white) – a white shade. It looks very strong in the pan, but comes off a lot softer. Perfect as a browbone, inner corner highlight and also can be used to just soften the harsh edges of other shadows.
•  Matt Lombardi (golden neutral) – a yellow beige shade. Looks really yellow in the pan, but doesn’t come off as strong on my eyelids.
•  Matt Singh (sandy rose) – a peach shade. PERFECT for blending out eyeshadows!
•  Matt Abdul (taupe) – a taupey grey color. It’s lighter than Matt Abdul and doesn’t have a purple undertone.
•  Matt Hung (neutral plum) – a dark grey with a plum undertone. A very beautiful color, one of my favorites. I have green eyes, so this color really makes the green pop, although, not in the “in-your-face” manner.
•  Matt Johnson (charcoal grey) –  a charcoal grey with some blue undertones. It’s a beautiful rich and dark color, perfect for deepening the looks, smudging eyeliners or even using as an eyeliner on its own.
•  Matt Rosen (medium cinnamon brown) – a medium warm brown. Matt Rosen is the lightest brown in this palette and overall, a very nice shade.
•  Matt Garcia (rich chocolate brown) – a dark reddish brown. Very unique looking, I haven’t used this shade a lot, but it’s gorgeous.
•  Matt Wood (rich espresso) – a very dark brown. Matt Wood is the darkest color in this palette, it doesn’t look almost black, but it’s really dark. Just like Matt Johnson, it can easily be used as an eyeliner.

The quality of these shadows is simply AMAZING. I’ve actually seen some bloggers mention that this is one of the best “all matte” eyeshadow palettes. I don’t have a lot of matte eyeshadows, so I can’t really vouch for that, but I adore this palette, probably even more than the “Nude ‘tude” one (although I hold both dearly to my heart). None of the shades were chalky or powdery (yes! Even the white one!), all of them are very smooth and buttery and just take a look at the swatches and you’ll see how pigmented they are. I’m not very skilled at applying eyeshadow and my eye looks tend to be very generic and simple, but with this palette I can totally see myself experimenting more in the future. Matt Singh is a perfect transition color and it makes it very easy for me to blend all my eyeshadows for a more difused look.

Overall, I simply love this palette and I can already proclaim myself a fanatic of this brand. I’d love to try more of their stuff (they’ve just released their new “Balm Voyage” palette, which looks amazing). It’s perfect for almost everything – from a simple day look to a dark and bold evening smokey eye. It’s really up to you – the possibilities are almost infinite. The palette is also very good and suitable for more official occasions and times, when you don’t really want to look all shimmery and glittery like a disco ball. The palette is very sturdy (even if it’s made of cardboard) and has a big mirror, so you can totally throw this palette in your makeup bag while travelling. It retails for $42 which is a total steal for an eyeshadow palette like this. And you can frequently find theBalm on Hautelook with a huge discount (usually 50% OFF). Isn’t that amazing? Of course it is. So for those, looking for a great eyeshadow palette with all matte shades – don’t look any further, theBalm’s “Meet Matt(e) Nude” is just the right one for you!

Grade:
theBalm “Meet Matt(e) Nude” – A+

Where to buy?
thebalm.com, hautelook.com (not all the time), feelunique.com

Have a nice day!
Ruth