Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eye Palette - Full Review

I have spend the last few days playing around with the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette and I am finally ready with my full review on this palette.  I really liked this palette on my first impressions but I have found that many of my eye looks like very similar no matter what shades I end up using from this palette and two of shades have proven to be complete duds when I tried using them in looks.  Overall, I do like this palette and I know that I will get a good amount of use from it but I can't give it the flawless review that I initially thought that I would be writing...

"A sweetly tempting array of 16 matte and shimmer shadows scented with real chocolate.  Too Faced Co-founder and Creative Director Jerrod Blandino learned of the healing properties of cocoa while getting a chocolate facial in Maui.  With Chocolate Bar, he created a first-of-its-kind palette that combines the healthy benefits of chocolate with richly pigmented, velvety smooth shadows.  Chocolate has been used for centuries for its soothing properties and to protect, condition, and heal skin that has been damaged by sun and wind.  Studies have shown that the scent of cocoa powder can increase memory and brain power.", states the Sephora website when describing the palette.

The shades that are included in this palette are...

- Gilded Ganache - deep chocolate brown satin
- Milk Chocolate - medium brown matte
- Black Forest Truffle - deep warm brown shimmer
- Triple Fudge - deep warm chocolate brown shimmer
- Salted Caramel - warm brown matte
- Marzipan - medium champagne shimmer
- Semi-Sweet - medium brown matte
- Strawberry Bon-Bon - pale pink satin
- Candied Violet - bright violet purple satin
- Amaretto - medium warm brown shimmer
- Hazelnut - medium neutral brown shimmer
- Crème Brulee - medium warm golden shimmer
- Haute Chocolate - deep chocolate brown matte
- Cherry Cordial - deep plum satin
- White Chocolate - cool champagne matte
- Champagne Truffle - cool champagne shimmer


We will start with a quick recap of my first impressions and initial thoughts on the palette and then I will explain my thoughts in more depth and if my initial thoughts have changed.  I still love that the White Chocolate and Champagne Truffle shades are much larger than the other pans, I use White Chocolate to set my eye primer and Champagne Truffle on both the lid and inner corner.  I hope this is something that we see in more Too Faced eye palettes and I wouldn't mind seeing other brands follow this brand's lead.  I still love the mix of shimmers and mattes that are contained in this palette, the mattes work well in the crease and on the outer V, the shimmers apply well to the lid.  The range of brown shades is very nice and I can use this palette for both day and night.

All four of the matte brown shades perform well; Milk Chocolate, Salted Caramel, Semi-Sweet, and Haute Chocolate are true to the colors that they appear in the pan and blend out nicely.  Haute Chocolate is too dark for the crease and I only use it to really deepen up the outer V and along my lower lash line.  I get the majority of use in the crease from Milk Chocolate and Salted Caramel, Semi-Sweet is best used in the crease only when creating a nighttime brown smoky eye, I only use in my outer V when creating day looks.  

All of the neutral shimmers perform very nicely on the lid, my favorite shades are Marzipan, Crème Brulee, and Hazelnut.  The two best shimmer shades for daytime looks are Marzipan and Crème Brulee, the rest of the shades are richly pigmented deep brown shades and work best for more dramatic brown smoky eye looks.  I can't say that I can tell much difference between any of the warm brown shimmer shades and the same issue holds for the cooler brown shimmer shades.  When applied on the lid, there isn't much variation in the shades and I took pictures of eye looks that I made with each of the brown shimmers and there was little to no difference in most of the looks.  Cherry Cordial is described as a "deep plum satin" but applies as a plum brown shade on the lid.  It applies as a mildly different shade than the brown shades but still pulls more brown than plum.  Too Faced could have reduced the amount of brown shimmer hues in this palette and I still could have created many of the exact same looks that I already did.  

There are two shades in this palette that are complete duds.  I am aware that every palette has a few duds but I was really disappointed with which shades were the issues in the Chocolate Bar palette.  Candied Violet was simply awful, I tried using it on the lid and there was little to no pigment payoff.  I then used it along the lower lash line and it came out as a muddy brown hue.  I can't use this shade at all and I was so excited at how pretty it looked in the pan.  The other really disappointing shade was Strawberry Bon-Bon, this pink matte shade applied very chalky and had no pigment.  I wasn't happy that the only two shades that aren't neutrals in this palette can't be used and this palette has even less of a shade range than I originally thought that it did.  

I go back and forth on the chocolate fragrance of the palette, I originally loved it but I have found that it made a headache worse one morning when I tried to use it.  I can't use this palette when I have a headache or any other type of sinus issues.  I am sure that many people do love the fragrance of this palette but there are a few people that can't stand the fragrance and it would make the palette unable to be used for them.  

Overall, the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette is a solid neutral palette with a great mix of matte and shimmer shades.  This company could have reduced the number of browns in this palette and either made it smaller or added a few more pops of color to this palette.  The two pops of color are the two the weakest shades and I don't plan on trying to use either of them again.  The fragrance could be a huge selling feature to some but a deal breaker to others.  I know that I will use this palette throughout the rest of the winter and into the beginning of spring but I think many of the hues are too deep to use in spring and summer.  Chocolate Bar is a very good choice if you are looking to add another neutral palette to your collection and/or you are a die-hard Too Faced fan and I would recommend purchasing it if these are the types of eye shadow shades that you enjoy wearing.

photo courtesy of Google

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eye Shadow Palette

Too Faced is always one of the first companies to release their seasonal collections, we looked at the spring collection right around Christmas and I started my spring shopping with this collection.  I loved the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eye Shadow Palette from the moment that I first looked at the collection and it lead my Most Wanted list for this month.  It had been out of stock on both the Sephora and Ulta websites since it's release but it finally came back in stock and I was able to order it from Sephora earlier this week and it has finally reached my doorstep.

I liked the way that I did the reviews of the Lorac Pro Eye Shadow Palette late last month and I wanted to follow that format from now on.  Today's post will be an introduction to the palette and some initial impressions upon opening and swatching the palette, a more detailed review will be arriving in the next ten days.  We will re-look at the details of this palette and then go into my first impressions on the overall set up and a few of the shades that I have been swatching.  I have applied this to my eyes once and I have only created one eye look with it therefore I don't feel that I can provide anything more than a first impression at this time.

"A sweetly tempting array of 16 matte and shimmer shadows scented with real chocolate.  Too Faced Co-founder and Creative Director Jerrod Blandino learned of the healing properties of cocoa while getting a chocolate facial in Maui. With Chocolate Bar he created a first-of-its-kind palette that combines the healing benefits of chocolate with richly pigmented, velvety smooth shadows. Chocolate has been used for centuries for its soothing properties and to protect, condition, and heal skin that has been damaged by sun and wind. Studies have shown that the scent of cocoa powder can increase memory and brain power.", states the Sephora website.

I have included a picture of this palette that I found on Google, this photo displays the shades much nicer than the ones on the Sephora and Too Faced websites.  Chocolate Bar is definitely a neutral palette and one that has the potential to be a staple in anyone's collection.  I already feel that I will be getting good amount of use from this palette for the rest of the winter and then into the very early spring.  There is a full range of neutral hues in this palette and I do wonder how different they will all look when applied on the eyes.  

The shades included in this palette are...

- Gilded Ganache - deep chocolate brown satin
- Milk Chocolate - medium brown matte
- Black Forrest Truffle - deep warm brown shimmer
- Triple Fudge - deep warm chocolate brown shimmer
- Salted Caramel - warm brown matte
- Marzipan - medium champagne shimmer
- Semi-Sweet - medium brown matte
- Strawberry Bon Bon - pale pink satin
- Candied Violet - bright violet purple satin
- Amaretto - medium warm brown shimmer
- Hazelnut - medium neutral brown shimmer
- Crème Brulee - medium warm gold shimmer
- Haute Chocolate - deep chocolate brown matte
- Cherry Cordial - deep plum satin
- White Chocolate - cool champagne matte
- Champagne Truffle - cool champagne shimmer

The first aspect of this palette that I really like is how Too Faced decided to make the two palest shades in larger pans than the others.  These are the types of shades that I tend to go through the quickest and then end up dipping into single shadows to use with the palette.  I also love that this palette smells just like milk chocolate and this palette has been pleasure to use in the morning.

I have already stated that I like the mix of the shades and finishes in this palette, I like the mix of mattes and shimmers and I will be able to use every single shade from this palette (with two potential exceptions).  There are three neutral matte hues and all of these will work well as transition shades and then any of the shimmers will work well when applied directly to the lid.  I like that there are three matte transition shades and all three have different undertones in them.  I also really like the range of brown shades, I think that this will be a palette that I can grab on a daily basis.

My only potential concern with this palette is that it contains nearly all neutral shades and I do wonder how different the eye looks will end up looking when I start pairing these shades together.  I did not have great results when I swatched Strawberry Bon Bon or Candied Violet, these are the only two non-neutral shades and I was hoping to use them to add a pop of color to a few of my neutral eye looks.  I don't know that I will be getting much use from either of these shades but I need to work further with them before I can decide how well they do or do not work.  

My first impressions of the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette are quite positive but I will be reporting back in the next few days once I have used every shade in the palette and created several different eye looks with it.  This palette has the potential to be a new staple for me and I can see myself adding it to my eye makeup rotation for the next few months.

photo courtesy of Google

Lorac Pro Eye Palette - Full Review and Mini Tutorials

About a week ago, I posted about my first thoughts on the Lorac Pro Palette and today I am back with a full review and a few examples of looks that I have created with the palette over the past week.  I will start with a quick description of the palette and the shades that are contained in it (in case anyone missed the original post) and then get into my thoughts on each shade and how I used them.  Let's see how this new eye shadow palette review format goes...

"Go PRO with the LORAC PRO Palette! Created by celebrity makeup artist Carol Shaw, this PRO artistry palette is packed with 8 Shimmer and 8 Matte Eye Shadows in all the shades you need to create the hottest looks straight from the Red Carpet. LORAC’S velvety-smooth shadows are infused with soothing botanicals and are ultra-pigmented to perform wet or dry so you can shade, shadow, line and define your eyes, just like a PRO.", states the Lorac website.

The shades contained the Lorac Pro Palette are...

- White (Matte),
- Cream (Matte)
- Taupe (Matte)
- Lt. Pink (Matte)
- Mauve (Matte)
- Sable (Matte)
- Espresso (Matte)
- Black (Matte)
- Nude (Shimmer)
- Champagne (Sparkle)
- Gold (Shimmer)
- Lt. Bronze (Shimmer)
- Pewter (Shimmer)
- Garnet (Shimmer)
- Deep Purple (Shimmer)
- Slate (Shimmer)

I used all of these shades with the Lorac Behind the Scene Eye Primer (separate review posted last week) and I am quite happy with this overall palette.  This palette will work for those that are beginners at makeup and will also work equally well for those who are more advanced with their makeup application.  As I stated in the first review, this formula is much softer and more powdery than I am used to working with and it did take some getting used to over the past few days.  I started by dipping into these shades too hard with my brush and I wasn't all that happy with my first look.  I found some reviews on this palette and was advised about the soft formula and how to best use them on my eyes.

We will start with my thoughts on the Matte shades, the Matte shades in this palette are some of the softest mattes that I have ever worked with and I love how well these shades blend on the eyes.  Mattes tend to  be stiffer formulas and are usually harder to work with then satins or shimmers but I had no issues at all with this palette.  White and Cream look exactly alike on my pale skin and are the shades that I use all over my eye area to set down my eye primer.  I use Lt. Pink in exactly the same fashion and see very little difference between any of these three shades on my pale skin.  Taupe and Mauve are the shades that I tend to use with a fluffy brush in my crease, they function as my transition shades and blend well when used with a light hand.  I initially started with Taupe as the transition in my first look and I went in with too much on my brush and created a very patchy look that I couldn't blend out but quickly changed this the next time and really liked how well they blended out.  Sable and Expresso are the two deepest matte browns in this palette and I use them all over the lid to create a deep, smoky look or to deepen the outer corner of my eye looks.  Black is a nicely pigmented black shade and I would use it only to create a smoky eye or smudged into the top lashes as a liner.  I do find that it is a bit too soft to create a more defined liner look with it but I haven't tried wetting my brush before trying this technique.

The Shimmer shades work best when applied with either a finger or a small synthetic brush (I really like ones that came in the second and third Naked palettes).  Nude and Champagne both apply nicely when tapped onto the lid with the finger, they have medium color payoff but tend to look exactly alike when applied to the lid.  Gold is a show stopper, this is one of the truest and most beautiful gold shades that I own and the texture is perfection.  Lt Bronze and Pewter are both medium toned browns infused with shimmer.  Pewter is darker when applied to the lid and works best with a synthetic brush.  Lt Bronze can be used with a finger and is the more wearable shade of the two.  I use these shades when creating a copper eye look.  Garnet applies exactly like all the over shimmers but looks more red on my eyes than copper, I don't love this shade and I would only use it in very specific eye looks.  Deep Purple and Slate are best used right on the lid with a synthetic brush and I only use them on the lid in more smoky eye looks.  I love that all of the Shimmers perform exactly the same and the formula varies very little from shade to shade.

I have created a few easy eye looks with White, Cream, or Lt. Pink all over the eye area and then blending Taupe or Mauve into the crease and then any other shade on the lid.  I have started all of the looks that I have created with this palette with the above shades and then varied what shades/how many shades I apply on the lid.  Sable and Expresso are usually used on the lower lash line and on the outer lid area to create depth.  I can use any of the shimmers all over the lid or on the inner area of the lid.  My favorite looks are Cream, Taupe, and Gold or Pewter all over the lid.

I love that I can easily create a variety of looks from this palette and that all the shadows perform very well on the lids.  I can quickly create a work friendly look with my favorite combinations listed above and then add Expresso or Sable to quickly change the look before going out at night.  I am glad that I bought this palette and I know that I will be using it a lot now that I own it.  I can see why many people consider to this to be their "Go To" palette as it performs well and can easily create a beautiful eye look.  My only issue with this palette is that several of the shades look exactly the same when applied to the eyes and I have created several looks using different shades and then they all blend together and look alike.  I love that the shadows blend so well but I do find that they do tend to sometimes blend so well that I can't see differences between the shades I have used.  The lasting power (when used with primer) is about eight hours and I have seen that the shades tend to quickly fade away after that.  I wouldn't use these shadows without a primer as I think that they wouldn't show up very well and would flake off within a few hours.  Gold is my favorite shade in the palette and I think that I will use through the shades on the left side of the palette well before I use through any of the deeper toned hues.

photo courtesy of Lorac