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

Too Faced Spring 2014 Collection - Haute Chocolate

There are less than two weeks until Christmas and the first spring makeup collection has been released very early this morning.  It is still a bit too early for me to start shopping this collection but I am excited to start getting some ideas of what products that I will want to put on my spring shopping list.  Too Faced is the brand that has released their spring collection online today and it will be released to the Sephora and Ulta websites by the end of the month.  The company's website was barely functioning this afternoon when I tried to log on and look at the new products, it seems to be up and functioning at this point however quite a few of the products are already sold out.  I know that Too Faced will restock all of these products on their website and then there will be many more places to order them by the end of the month so I was not in rush to try and get these products before anyone else...

This collection is quite small and there doesn't seem to be a theme that ties these color products together.  That being said, the name of this collection is "Haute Chocolate" and it seems that the new chocolate-inspired eye shadow palette is the hero product of this collection and I am quite sure that it will sell out very quickly.  I am excited about the new eye shadow palette released by this company but the blush and lipstick shades aren't really doing anything for me.  I have been loving the Tarte Amazonian Clay blushes so I am not really in the market for a brand new blush formula.  The new lipstick shades are in one of my least favorite formulas so I certainly won't be ordering any of these...

The Too Faced Spring 2014 collection...

Chocolate Bar Eye Shadow Palette - The Chocolate Bar experience begins as soon as you open the palette and the smell of sweet chocolate envelops you. The eye shadows are pigmented with pure, antioxidant-rich cocoa powder and includes 16 matte and shimmer shades of natural browns, delicate pinks and luscious plums. Includes our signature how-to Glamour Guide with three looks to get you started.  Too Faced Co-Founder and Creative Director Jerrod Blandino was inspired to combine the power of antioxidant-rich cocoa powder and makeup while having a chocolate facial and learning about the benefits of cocoa at a Hawaiian spa. Based on this inspiration we created our best-selling bronzer Chocolate Soleil and have now added the Chocolate Bar Eye Shadow Palette.
- Gilded Ganache - deep chocolate brown satin
- Milk Chocolate - medium brown matte
- Black Forrest Truffle - deep warm plum shimmer
- Triple Fudge - deep warm chocolate brown shimmer
- Salted Caramel - deep cool brown matte
- Marzipan - warm medium brown matte
- Semi-Sweet - medium champagne shimmer
- Strawberry Bon Bon - pale pink satin
- Candied Violet - bright violet purple satin
- Amaretto - medium warm brown shimmer
- Hazelnut - medium neutral brown shimmer
- Crème Brulee - medum warm gold shimmer
- Haute Chocolate - deep chocolate brown matte
- Cherry Cordial - deep plum satin
- White Chocolate - cool champagne matte
- Champagne Truffle - cool champagne shimmer

Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush - Choose from four no-fail color palette blushes to take the guesswork out of creating a sweet, romantic flush. In each baked, heart shaped blush there are three individual color swatches. The baking process and multiple colors create dimensional color to provide the look of younger, brighter, healthier skin. It’s like having Hollywood lighting wherever you go.  Blend all three swatches together for one universal shade or use each swatch individually for a custom color.
- Peach Beach - shimmering peach/rosy pink/shimmering light golden bronze
- Something About Berry - shimmering mauve pink/golden peach/shimmering magenta pink

La Crème Color Drenched Lipstick - There’s a reason why beauty editors, bloggers, and millions of social media fans are obsessed with La Crème Color Drenched Lipstick: it’s a completely unique, super-luxe combination of creamy color and intense hydration for unprecedented ultra-comfortable wear.  White Lotus Flower Extract is a sought-after antioxidant that contains hydrating, soothing, and lip-conditioning properties.  Power Peptides are known to stimulate collagen and aid in the appearance of smoother lips.  Creamy, one-swipe formula.
- Bon Bon - pink papaya
- Jelly Bean - raspberry red
- Lollipop - violet with orchid shimmer
- Pink Chocolate - berry brown
- Taffy - pink marshmallow nude

I think that the only product that I will order from this collection is the eye shadow palette, I can see that it is already sold out on the Too Faced website and I will need to wait for a few weeks to come back into stock.  This is one of the very few eye shadow palettes that I can see myself using all the time and creating all kinds of different eye looks from it.  I love all the neutrals in it and I would like to mix the purple hues into a few looks this winter. 

I have never tried this blush formula but it does not sound like my cup of tea.  I do not really like blush shades with a shimmer finish and I will be skipping over all of the shades in this formula.  I don't feel that I need to comment on the La Crème Lipsticks, I reviewed this formula a few days ago and this might be one of my least favorite products that I have tried lately.  I could barely keep this formula on my lips in the neutral hues and there is no way that I would try this formula in any type of deep or bold hue.

photo courtesy of Too Faced

Too Faced La Creme Lip Cream

The Too Faced spring collection will be arriving on their website in the beginning of this week and therefore I have decided to write my review of this Too Faced lipstick before this collection arrives on the website.  The website has always crashed with the initial releases of the spring and fall collections so I wanted to get this review done while I have their website up and functioning.  Once their website has come back up after the initial launch, I will start my spring collection coverage with Too Faced.  I ordered two of the Too Faced La Crème lipsticks several weeks ago and have been putting them to test since Thanksgiving and I am now ready to review this formula.

This lipstick formula was an instant hit since it's first release last year and many shades of this product are often sold out at Sephora and Ulta.  Many ladies consider this lipstick to be one of their favorite cream formulas and it is now a cult favorite product from this company.  I will state very early in the review that this is NOT my favorite lipstick formula and I will not be buying any more tubes after I use up what I purchased.

We are going to start with the product description and shades from the Too Faced website.  "Indulge your lips with rich creamy color, drenched with luscious, hydrating moisturizers including white lotus flower and power peptides.  Moisture has never been so pretty!  16 Must-Have Colors: Something for every fashion and mood in sought-after shades for each color family: nudes, spices, pinks, and reds.  Lotus Flower Extract: Hydrating, soothing, and lip-conditioning with environmental protection provided by anti-oxidants.  Power Peptides: Conditioning, smoothing, and firming for delicate lip area.  Indulgent color: Saturated, one-swipe formulas drench lips with sexy, pure color."

The shades that are found in this formula are...

- Naughty Nude - chestnut
- Naked Dolly- satin pink
- Nude Beach - nude peach
- In The Buff - warm beige
- Spice Spice Baby - pinky brown
- Cinnamon Kiss - spiced brown
- Honey Bear - toasted mauve
- Sweet Maple - plum brown
- Marshmallow Bunny - marshmellow pink
- Razzle Dazzle Rose - pink rose
- Juicy Melons - pink coral
- Fuchsia Shock - fuchsia pink
- I Want Candy - raspberry rose
- Coral Fire - coral red
- Stiletto Red - classic red
- Divine Wine - Bordeaux

I started with buying both Naked Dolly and Marshmallow Bunny, I wanted to start with nude and neutral pink lipstick shades from this product in order to start working with the formula.  I had originally planned to then order more of the saturated shades; I had my eyes on Razzle Dazzle Rose, I Want Candy, and Stiletto Red but I quickly decided against purchasing more shades once I started to work with this formula.

I am going to start with why I didn't like this formula and how my wear testing of these shades went.  I was looking for a creamy lipstick that was easy to wear and hydrating on the lips, I had a picture in my head of these being a more hydrating version of the Urban Decay Revolution Lipsticks that I have been loving the past few months.  The La Crème Lipsticks are not at all like those in formula and they reminded me very much of the MAC Sheen Supreme Lipsticks that I loved so much last spring.  If I would have know this fact, my initial wear tests probably would have gone better...

I will be the first to admit that I didn't plan out the initial wear test and I should not have done my first impression on a Monday morning while getting ready for work.  I decided to grab Naked Dolly instead of my usual Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Naked, the shades look similar in the package and I was expecting them to be very similar on the lips.  I will also admit that I did not properly exfoliate my lips as I have found that I usually can skip this step with the Urban Decay formula.  I should not have skipped the exfoliation step and I should never test new products out on a Monday morning...

The initial application was quite nice, it applied smoothly and felt very creamy and hydrating.  I was very happy with my first impression but this happiness quickly wore off in the morning hours.  Naked Dolly is a nude pink that looks very wearable.  My first huge issue with this formula occurred when I looked in the mirror once I got to work.  I noticed that my lips had a golden shimmer cast in certain lights and I went back to look up the product description again, I wondered how I had missed the detail about a shimmer finish when first looking at the product.  It turns out that this fact is never mentioned in the product description but has been noted by quite a few people that reviewed the product on the Sephora and Too Faced websites.  I felt like I had been mislead a bit because I don't think that I would have purchased this product if I would have known that the majority of the shades contain shimmer.

My biggest issue with the wear on the first day is how the lipstick behaved over the first few hours of wear.  The shimmer particles clung to the dry patches on my lips, creating a clumpy appearance to my lips.  I dabbed a drop of coffee off my mouth and the formula smeared all over the place, ruining my overall lip look.  After several hours, I was so disgusted with the product that I wiped it all off and just applied a clear balm to get through the rest of the work day.  I tried the Marshmallow Bunny shade once I got home and saw that it has a silver shimmer finish to it.  At this point, I was ready to return both tubes and never try this formula again.

I forced myself to give this product a second test before deciding that I couldn't stand it.  The next morning, I exfoliated my lips well in the shower and prepped my lips the way that I would when getting ready to wear a bright shade of the Stila Stay All Day Lipstick.  The application and wear of this product was much improved after exfoliation, the initial application was smooth and it stayed smooth much longer throughout the day.  I did add a touch of lip balm before reapplying this product after lunch and this helped the formula stay smooth throughout the rest of the day.  Once I got home, I did the same test with the other shade and obtained the same results.

Due to my issues with the more neutral shades of this formula, I decided against buying the rose and red shades that I initially liked.  I can only see the issues with this formula being even worse with a more pigmented shade and I wouldn't want to wear a formula that moves around so much in a shade that will be even more evident when it smears.

Overall, this is probably one of my biggest product fails in the past few months.  I was expecting a pigmented creamy lipstick and received a cream formula filled with shimmer.  I can make this formula work with a bit more effort than I was expecting and I will keep both of these tubes and use them up over the next few months.  I prefer more of a matte finish lipstick and I won't be buying any more shades in this formula...

photo courtesy of Too Faced

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

I have been shopping like crazy at Sephora the past few months and I have been earning Beauty Insider points just as quickly.  I typically prefer to save my points up and spend them wisely on the 500 Point sets however I was very excited to see that one of the newest mascara formulas from Too Faced was offered as one of the 100 Point Rewards and I snapped it up on my last order.  It is rare that I open a product the second that my package arrives and start using it the next day but this mascara formula was rumored to be the among the top rated formulas for creating huge, beautiful lashes.  My last few mascara purchases did not give me the big, thick lashes that I usually crave and I wanted to find another formula that would.

I can't remember if I have ever used a mascara from Too Faced before, there is a very good chance that this is my first mascara formula from this company and I don't have much background with this type of product from Too Faced.  The Better Than Sex Mascara is a fabulous formula and I would completely satisfied if this was the only formula that Too Faced ever offered...

The Sephora website states, "An intensely black, volumizing mascara with an hourglass-shaped brush that separates, coats, and curls each lash to voluptuous perfection.  Inspired by the curves of a woman’s body, the hourglass-shaped brush was designed with extra stiff bristles to maximize the performance of this carbon black, collagen-fueled formula. One coat and lashes are full and defined. Two coats and lashes are even more luscious, curled, and dramatic. Three coats help you achieve the most intense, black, multidimensional lashes possible.  Better Than Sex mascara contains a film-forming polymer for smudge-proof, all day wear and unique peptides for the deepest, intense black possible."

The first aspect of this mascara that caught my eye was the unique shape and size of the wand, the past few formulas that I have used have been applied with small to medium-sized wands that were completely straight.  The brush reminded me of many of the more volumizing formulas that I have loved in the past and it made me very excited.  Thicker wands tend to take a bit of getting used to however I have used them enough times that it was very easy to pick it up again.  One of the keys to using a thicker wand is to make sure that your eyes are fully open when applying the mascara so it can be applied easily to the lash.

One coat of this formula is enough for the day and then I like to add a second coat for going out at night.  I have not needed to add a third coat yet as two coats give me the thick, full lashes that I love.  Better Than Sex holds a curl very well in the lash and it keeps the shape for about eight hours.  My lashes remain nicely defined with use of this product, I have had next to no issues with clumping during both application and wear.  My lashes remained soft with one coat of this product however the addition of the second coat had a bit of a tacky feel.  Overall, this formula from Too Faced is wonderful for those love very volumized lashes.

This mascara formula is very similar to Buxom Lash and the formulas from Benefit.  Better Than Sex is definitely going to be one of my Holy Grail mascaras and I will be picking up another tube of this product very soon.  I can't find any drawbacks to this product I love every aspect of it.  This is a formula for those who love high volume lashes and can work well with a more complex mascara wand, I wouldn't consider this a formula for beginners or ladies that like a more natural lash look.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Too Faced Holiday 2013 Gift Collection

The holiday collections are starting to launch and I am eagerly awaiting the launch of the huge MAC colour collection.  Divine Night will be hitting the website in the next few days however we are going to start the holiday collections early.  Too Faced has always been one of the first companies to release any of their limited edition collections and we are starting with their new holiday gift collection.  I have always loved the Too Faced holiday collections since they release cute gifts of all sizes that give the recipient the chance to try all different products from their line up.  Too Faced is fast becoming one of my favorite companies to order gifts from and rivaled Urban Decay and MAC last year in my gift shopping.

This year's collection is another great gift collection and my early favorite from it is an eye makeup palette named "Joy To The Girls", this eye shadow gift set will be on my gift list plus on my shopping list for a few of my close friends.  I think I will be doing some early shopping from this collection to finish up my fall shopping and then starting to pick up some gifts next month.

Here is the first of many holiday collections!

Joy To The Girls - Joy to the Girls makes going holiday glam joyfully easy. These universally flattering shades, packaged in a pretty, carry-anywhere mega palette, can be worn alone or layered beautifully for endless possibilities. Reference the easy-to-follow illustrated tutorials inside the palette cover for inspirational “weekday,” “weekend,” and “party time” looks.  This palette features 15 limited edition eye shadows with a full size LashGasm Mascara.
- Cookie Dough - matte midtone neutral
- Cheers - matte pale neutral champagne
- Prancer - shimmering cool bronze
- Sugar Plum - shimmer cool blue violet
- Mulberry - matte neutral plum
- Snow Angel - matte white
- Powdered - matte champagne
- Too Too - shimmering pale pink
- Yule Log - shimmering deep brown
- Chestnut - shimmering medium brown
- Twinkle - matte neutral gold
- Joy - matte bright blue
- Spike the Punch - matte deep champagne
- Chimney - matte slate gray
- Coal - matte black

Jingle All The Way - Your phone should be as pretty and festive as your makeup, which is why Too Faced created this two-in-one Christmas gift. Start with the glamorous collection of touch up ready products, including 11 day-to-night shadows, a sexy bronzer, and a pretty pink blush. Pop out the palette and use the iPhone 5 case designed by celebrity decorator and TV personality Mary McDonald for a flash of style.  Shades of eye shadow include the following hues: shimmering deep navy, matte pale champagne, matte medium nude, matte taupe, matte pale pink, shimmering violet, satin gold, matte deep brown, matte slate blue, matte pink white, matte pale brown.  The blush shade is a matte bright pink hue.

All I Want For Christmas - Everything you need to create your signature Christmas look all wrapped up in this full face collection that features the best of Too Faced’s eyes, face and lips. Plus the set is housed in a party-ready chevron cosmetic zip bag designed by celebrity decorator and TV personality Mary McDonald.
- La Crème Lip Cream in Believe - deep rose red
- Shadow Insurance Eye Shadow Primer
- Perfect Eyes Eyeliner in Black
- Lash Injection Mascara in Perfect Black
- Exclusive Blush/Eye Shadow Trio - coral blush/matte pale champagne and shimmering deep brown eye shadows

These three gift sets are available now on the Too Faced website and there will also be a Sephora-exclusive gift set.  The Sephora exclusive gift set has been shown on their website but cannot be ordered yet.

A Few Of My Favorite Things - This Sephora exclusive features Jerrod’s iconic favorites for the eyes, face, cheeks, and lips and will make your holidays gorgeous. This collection is infused with classic colors that have a playful edge—shades that fit right in for a super swanky blowout or an intimate Christmas day brunch with the family. After hours, zip up your essentials in Too Faced’s signature chevron-print clutch, designed by celebrity decorator and TV personality Mary McDonald. 
- Snowflakes - matte champagne
- Whiskers on Kittens - satin medium champagne
- Chocolate Milk - matte pale brown
- Moon On Their Wings - shimmering medium brown
- Dark Chocolate - matte deep brown
- Cream Colored Ponies - matte white
- Honey Honey - satin medium brown
- Buche de Noel - matte medium brown
- Evergreen - matte deep green
- Blue Satin Sashes - shimmering deep blue green
- Coquet - satin medium pink brown
- Taffy - satin medium peach
- Crisp Apple Strudel - satin medium brown
- Woolen Mittens - satin chocolate brown
- Soiree - satin red plum
- Tinsel - shimmering platinum
- Bluff - matte slate blue
- Ohh La Orchid - satin bright purple
- Party Time - shimmering deep blue green
- Pure Glam - shimmer deep black
- Raindrops On Roses Blush - matte medium pink
- Melt Into Spring Blush - matte coral

I love and want all four of these gift sets and I am so excited to see what else will come out in the following weeks.  I will start with Joy To The Girls, I love this huge eye shadow palette and I can wear these shades now and then all the way into the holidays.  I love the lipstick that is exclusive to All I Want For Christmas and this set is next up on my shopping list.  I can skip over the palette that comes in the phone case since most of the shades that are contained in it will have dupes in Joy To The Girls and A Few Of My Favorite Things. 

A Few Of My Favorite Things is another contender for early favorite gift of the holiday season.  I have loved the movie The Sound of Music for years and I started singing the song that this palette was named after as soon as I saw it on the Sephora website.  I am glad that this palette has some amazing shades because I would have loved it just for the name alone and I know that I will get lots of use from this shade range too.

The first of the holiday gift collections has been released and I am sure that we will start seeing more in the upcoming days.  I fully expect Urban Decay to release next and then the holiday colour collections will start releasing too.  We still have a few more weeks of fall to love but it is never too early to start plotting out next season's makeup purchases!

photo courtesy of Too Faced

Too Faced Primed and Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer

In the summer months, I rely on a good formula face primer more than ever.  This is the time of the year that I give up on foundation and use a combination of BB Cream and bronzer and need to make sure that I have a solid base for the semi-sheer BB Cream, a low quality primer will not set me up for flawless skin and will make my face look as though I have not tried to improve the texture of it.  I have finished up an Urban Decay formula that I liked but didn't really love, that formula was a spray that worked nicely with a foundation but I wanted a creamier formula to use with my BB Cream this summer.  The Sales Associate at Sephora recommended a good formula from Too Faced and I decided to give it a try, I was considering a formula from NARS but really wanted to try something a bit different.  So my latest foundation primer purchase is Too Faced Primed and Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer and I have been playing around with it for about a week now.

The Too Faced formula is slightly thicker than what I am used to and I was a bit afraid that it might be too heavy for the summer months but it hasn't affected my skin during the most humid days of the summer and therefore I think that I should be good for the rest of the summer and then into fall when I go back into using foundation and loose powder as I normally do.  I am liking this formula and having quite a good run with all of the new makeup products that I have bought in the past few weeks.

I bought this product from Sephora but I know that it is available at Ulta if that is where you prefer to do your beauty product shopping.  My goal is to get to the next Sephora 500 point Beauty Insider reward before the end of the summer and so I have been ordering from them more than usual. 

"A makeup primer scientifically formulated to achieve the look of flawless skin without makeup.  This one-of-a-kind makeup primer was scientifically formulated to wear alone or under bronzers and foundation powders for a look of flawless skin without makeup. Vitamins A & C, mulberry extract, and a powerful dose of Retinol virtually banish pores while tired skin is left hydrated, firmer, and detoxified. Primed & Poreless creates the perfect canvas to allow powders, bronzers, and foundations to slide seamlessly on the skin—delivering a flawless and perfectly blended look that stay in place all day. Skin appears brighter, fresher, and younger.  It looks great on any skintone! The nude tone becomes invisible once applied."

I was expecting a white or clear formula so I was a bit surprised when the product squeezed out of the tube and was a deep nude color.  I then warmed the product up in between my palms and then the product turned clear and was very easy to apply.  The formula comes out a bit thick when first squeezed but the formula melts nicely when rubbed in between my palms.  I would not want to use this product without first melting it a bit, I can't see that it would apply well when used straight out of the tube. 

The product applies smoothly to the skin and then blends in easily, this is as easy to apply as many of the thinner formulas on the market.  The sets up my skin for the application of my BB Cream and then using a bit of concealer directly under my eyes.  A base application of this product smoothes any texture issues that my skin is having that day and helps the BB Cream and concealer apply much more smoothly and I have to use less product to cover up the flaws on my skin surface.  The vitamins in the formula help to brighten my skin and I look better after the initial application of the product itself.

I had no idea that the product contained Retinol, I have never heard of a primer containing this ingredient and have only seen it used in night treatments and creams.  I also have not seen this ingredient used in products that are made to be used in the daytime, retinols have the reputation of making skin more sensitive to UV rays and now I am surprised that I haven't had any issues with sun sensitivity or redness.  I honestly cannot believe that the dose in this product can be very large because it would not have been approved for day usage, so I am doubting the claims of Too Faced when they claim "a powerful dose" and feel that there is a very small dose of the ingredient in this primer.

With the claims of the Retinol in this product put aside, I do really like this primer and will be using it for the rest of the summer and then into the winter.  The formula applies well and keeps all of my makeup in place throughout sweating and the hot weather.  It sets the stage for great makeup application and I am loving this product so far.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Too Faced Fall 2013 Collection - Pretty Rebel

A couple of days ago we looked at the Fall 2013 Preview from Allure Magazine and today we are starting with the first of the fall collections.  Too Faced always releases their collections well ahead of the curve and almost always sets some of the big beauty trends for the rest of the season and therefore we will begin with their new collection, Pretty Rebel, this morning.

Before I begin looking and collections and products, I decided that I needed to make a list of the items that I need the most this season and what trends I think that I will find the most flattering and buy the most items from.  I am thinking that I will need another neutral palette, I use them so much all throughout the year and then some more bronze and neutral eye shadow shades.  I also want a few new neutral eye liners to add to my eye makeup collection.  I want to jump on the berry lip trend so I think that I will try and skip over buying more than one new red and try some medium and deep berry tones. 

The Pretty Rebel collection is a smaller than normal Too Faced color collection that contains one standout eye shadow palette and a brand new lipstick formula.  I think that each year this company releases one great eye shadow palette that instantly becomes a best seller and will create fever at the Sephora and Ulta counters.  I have two palettes from this company, both of which I use on a pretty regular basis (though nothing beats my Urban Decay Naked Palettes) and I wouldn't mind starting the fall shopping season by adding another to my collection.

Here is the Pretty Rebel Collection from Too Faced!

Pretty Rebel Beauty Eye Shadow Palette - Be the face of rebellion. Ten shadows so powerful they are sure to overturn any boring beauty routine, from deep jewel tones to badass metallics to scene-stealing pinks.  Our revolutionary silky formula is easy to blend and offers gorgeous color payoff .  Our signature, how-to Glamour Guide offers step-by-step application instructions for creating Pretty Rebel looks in minutes.
- Dainty - matte off white
- Charming - matte deep brown
- Girly - shimmering deep taupe
- Totally Fetch - satin deep magenta
- Miss Sparkles - satin black with large silver glitter pieces
- Ringleader - satin light peach
- Gangsta - satin medium brown
- Instigator - satin medium warm gold
- Badass - navy blue with silver shimmer
- Jailbird - shimmering medium silver

Lip Injection Color Bomb - Go big and go bold. We added an explosion of satin color to our lip plumper, so lips come alive with more color, volume (up to 20%!) and softness. Natural botanicals smooth and moisturize for extra kissability. It’s no wonder our lip plumper—one of the industry’s first—is still such a best-seller.  Vitamins A, C & E and mango butter drench lips in moisture.  Six new shades including Eastwood Red, inspired by actress Francesca Eastwood.
- Bigger Berry - medium berry cream
- Candy Burst - sheer cool nude cream
- Coral Pop - medium peachy coral cream
- Eastwood Red - medium yellow read cream
- Never Enough Nude - sheer neutral nude cream
- Plump It Up Pink - medium blue pink cream

Glitter Glaze Sparkling Eye Shadow Top Coat - All glamour girls love glitter. Our Glitter Glaze works double time to pour on the sparkle. Wear it over bare skin to create a shimmer they just can’t resist, or layer over shadow for an attention-grabbing flash of metallic color.  Adheres on contact; dries instantly.  Available in two versatile, amped-up, shimmering shades: Silver Spark and Goldie Rocks.  Transforms all the old shadows in your collection into new, wearable shades.
- Goldie Rocks - metallic gold
- Silver Sparkle - metallic silver

My favorite piece of this new collection is the Pretty Rebel Eye Shadow Palette, this will be going on my Most Wanted list for next month and will be mine very soon.  I want to mix it up with that deep magenta shade and use it in the crease of some of my neutral eye looks this fall.  The Glitter Glaze is a great idea but not one that I would see myself getting a lot of use from this fall so I will be skipping over both shades at this time.  I am a bit on the fence about the Lip Injection Color Bomb, I used original Lip Injection when plumpers were popular in 2005 and this was one of the best but always made me feel like I had been punched right in the mouth.  I will have to apply one of these in Sephora and then wait and see what the reaction feels like.  If I like the formula, I would want the Candy Burst and Never Enough Nude shades, I don't need a ton of color and extra volume.  More to come on this formula!

Fall collections are here!

photo courtesy of Too Faced

Too Faced Summer 2013 Collection - Hello Sunshine

The summer collections are really coming quickly now and the weather is beginning to actually show signs of spring and I now am really getting excited for some big beauty product shopping.  I am also starting to think about the upcoming Sephora Friends and Family and will be checking out more brands and products that I will be able to order during their event.  Too Faced is one of the companies that Sephora has a large selection of items from and I will be looking at their summer collection otday and deciding if there are any items that I must have from this company.  This is another company that offers a large range of bronzing products and I am hoping that this collection will make up from how disappointed that I was yesterday when looking at the few bronzers in the new Laura Mercier collection.

The Too Faced summer collection is named Hello Sunshine and this looks like one of the largest collections recently from Too Faced.  I see a combination of brand new products and best selling products that will be perfect for the summer months.  I am very happy to see that there appears to be several formulas of bronzers in this collection and this might be the place where I find a couple formulas that I am interested in and begin to narrow my purchases down.  I can't begin to decide what items I am most excited for; I see a new summer eye shadow palette, a new lip gloss formula, and all kinds of bronzers for the face.  I can see this collection selling out almost instantly from Sephora!

Here is the newest collection from Too Faced!

Summer Sexy Eye Shadow Collection - A hand-picked collection of nine exclusive resort-inspired eye shadows will be your temptation to take a vacation. Like all Too Faced palettes we’ve included a show-and-tell centerfold we call a Glamour Guide to give you instructions and a start on creating three Summer Eyes looks.  Our shadows are created with high concentrations of color so what you see is what you get—pigment-rich shades with a brilliant finish.
- Seashell - pale pink shimmer
- Peach Fuzz - pale matte peach
- Sunbeam - pale gold shimmer
- Plumeria - medium matte pink
- Coral Crush - medium matte coral peach
- Mermaid - medium matte aqua
- Cocoa Beach - deep chocolate brown shimmer
- Chocolate Sun - deep matte chocolate brown
- Toasted Coconut - deep bronzer satin

Sweetheart Beads Face Powder - Catch the light with buildable color and a hint of shimmer. Inspired by nature’s most flattering pink and golden-light at dusk, these multi-colored heart pearls blend to impart a lit-from-within radiance.  The heart bead colors work together to create the perfect combination of color, coverage and glow for a healthy radiance.  Colors illuminate and brighten for a romantic finish.  100% cruelty-free product.

Sweet Sun Shines Lip Gloss - A moisturizing, lightweight gloss with gorgeous shimmer in high impact pops of color. Sweet Sun Shines Lip Gloss comes in three delicious, juicy shades: Watermelon Ice, Papaya Slushie and Mocha Freeze.  Exclusive formula prevents water loss for intense hydration.  Lightweight, non-sticky gel formula.
- Watermelon Ice - pink
- Papaya Slushie - coral
- Mocha Freeze - bronze

Endless Summer 16+ Hour Long-Wear Bronzer - All good things don’t have to end. Get a lit-from-within bronzed glow that lasts 16-hours or more courtesy of our exclusive “Double Bond” formula that combines staying power technology with long wear pigments. It’s a bronzer that works harder than you play.  Our Double Bond Formula combines the staying power of film formers and polymers with prolonged wear pigments.  Buildable bronze pigments can be dusted all-over for an even bronze glow.  16-hour wear.  100% cruelty-free product.
- medium gold tan shade

Bronzed and Poreless Pore Perfecting Bronzer - Create radiant-looking skin with all-over natural warmth. Bronzed & Poreless is infused with the same pore-banishing and skin smoothing properties that made our original Primed & Poreless famous—with an added warm matte bronze finish. It’s the must-have little black dress of bronzers.  Minimizes the appearance of pores, fine lines and imperfections.  Infused with Mulberry Extract for a brightening effect.  Matte bronze finish.  Fragrance and oil free.
- medium bronze tan shade

Sun Bunny Natural Bronzer - Our mostpopular, dual-toned bronzer is a silky combination of a rich, goldenbronze and a classic bronze with a touch of pink undertone to achieve year round bronzed perfection that mimics a natural tan without any of the orangey ick!  Universal Shade: Perfect for all skin tones to provide a medium tan tone.  Multi-use: Easy to apply shades can be used to shape and contour, or to produce an all-over rich glow.  Protect Yourself: Stay away the sun’s harmful rays by faking your bake!
- medium bronze tan shade

Chocolate Soleil Medium/Deep Matte Bronzer - Bronzing has never been so delicious. Our chocolate-scented, shimmer-free, matte bronzer is perfect for contouring and creating an all-over deep tan using real antioxidant-rich cocoa powder. It’s all the tan without the twinkle.  Infused with antioxidant-rich cocoa powder and signature bronzing pigments to create a unique matte bronzer that neutralizes red and evens skin tone.  100% cruelty-free product.
- medium/deep bronze tan shade

Milk Chocolate Soleil Light/Medium Matte Bronzer - Bronzing has never been so delicious. Milk Chocolate Soleil is the lighter version of our best-selling Chocolate Soleil. It creates a matte, shimmer-free tan using the power of antioxidant-rich cocoa powder to bronze and contour the skin. It’s all the tan without the twinkle.  Infused with antioxidant-rich cocoa powder and signature bronzing pigments to create a unique matte bronzer that neutralizes red and evens skin tone.  100% cruelty-free product.
- light/medium bronze tan shade

Snow Bunny Luminous Bronzer - Four complementary shades are combined in this skin-perfecting bronzer tobanish redness and rudiness, correct imperfections and add an all-overfaux glow.  Universal Shade: Perfect for all skin tones.  Protect Yourself: Stay away the sun’s harmful rays by faking your bake!
- medium champagne/medium bronze tan/pale pink shimmer/medium tan

Pink Leopard Blushing Bronzer - Our lovely little leopard bronzer combines gorgeous shades of golden bronzes, gilded pinks and neutral fawns to brighten skin and create a glorious all-over glow that will have you looking sun-kissed any time of the year.  All Skin Tones: Fair to medium skin tones are enriched with warmth while deeper skins are infused with a healthy radiance.  Natural Finish: Beautifying combination looks natural when applied and creates a look that lasts for hours.
- mixture of medium pink and medium tan matte shades

Beach Bunny Custom-Blend Bronzer - Our deep, illuminating bronzing powder is a silky combination of four rich,sun-kissed bronzers and shimmers that create a perfect, deep summertime tan anywhere, any time of the year.  Universal Shades: Perfect for all skin tones to provide a rich, deep tan tone.  Multi-use: Easy to apply shades can be used to shape and contour, or to produce an all over rich glow.  Protect Yourself: Stay away the sun’s harmful rays by faking your bake!
- four shades of bronze from deep to pale

Now I have some choices for bronzers!  I think that the one that sounds the most attractive to me so far is the Bronzed and Poreless Bronzer and then the Sun Bunny Natural Bronzer, I would like to buy and try both of these formulas so that I can have a variety of formulas to fit my skin as my tan changes throughout the summer.  I never self tan enough to get very dark but there are certainly days where my tan is more vivid than other days and then days where I have minimal color and it would be great to have shades of bronzes that will allow me to vary how I appear.  I am very excited for this collection to get to Sephora!

The other item that I really want to try is the new lip gloss formula, I love that pink shade and I always wear pink lip gloss in the summer months.  I haven't used many lip products from Too Faced and this might start another lip gloss obsession for me.  I thought that I would be more excited about the eye shadow palette but the shades aren't very unique and I own most of them already.  Unless it looks very different in real life, I bet that I will skip over it in favor of the lip glosses and the bronzers.

photo courtesy of Too Faced

Too Faced Spring 2013 Collection - Boudoir Beauty

It is the last day of 2012 and I am looking forward so much to 2013, my New Year's resolutions are already written down and I am excited for my new classes this semester and of course I am excited for all the new beauty products and collections that will be coming at us this spring season.  For the last day of 2012, we are just going to start looking forward to 2013 instead of looking back.  Too Faced is one of the few companies that has their new spring collection up on the website and Boudoir Beauty is a collection of products that is calling my name right now!

Boudoir Beauty contains a mixture of palettes and single products.  I love when companies don't release entire collections full of just palettes and sets, I almost always dislike a product or shade so much in a palette that I have doubts about the purchase.  Too Faced are usually better than many other companies so I am doubly excited for these, I have never gotten a bad palette for Too Faced and I have several at this point in time.  When looking at this collection, I also see that Too Faced revamped their original Lip Injection formula.  This was one of the few plumpers that really worked, it produces the biggest, most swollen lips out of any lip plumper that I have ever tried.  Now for me, this product actually hurt and irritated my lips, they turned bright red and stung for the next few hours.  This actually was one of the lip plumpers that I could not use at all because the side effects of it were so bad for me, I wonder if they have managed to revamp the formula to make it as effective at plumping which not being quite so harsh.  Or they have made it even stronger...  We shall see!

Here is the Boudoir Beauty Collection from Too Faced!

Boudoir Eyes Eye Shadow Palette - Our new collection of eye shadows creates looks for the bedroom and beyond. Along with four Boudoir-worthy colors, we added five new shades just for this palette for a total of nine soft and sexy colors.  Includes our signature how-to Glamour Guide with three looks to get you started.
- In the Buff - shimmering pale taupe
- Fuzzy Handcuffs - shimmering medium bronze
- Voulez Vous - medium cool shimmering charcoal
- Satin Sheets - medium shimmering gold
- Sugar Walls - shimmering medium cool bronze
- Garter Belt - deep warm charcoal satin
- Birthday Suit - medium shimmering gold with a green cast
- Lap Dance - deep shimmering taupe
- French Tickler - deep black with gold shimmer

No Makeup Makeup Fresh and Flawless Face Palette - Our new multitasking face palette is your answer to creating the illusion of flawlessness. The collection is dedicated to complexion perfection, for a flawless, “I was born perfect” look any time of the day. The kit has everything you need to create a complete look so it’s great for traveling (or sleepovers.).  A complete palette of six products to create the perfect No Makeup Makeup look: Shimmer Veil/Crème Blush/Powder Blush/Concealer/Luminizer/Brightener.  Includes our signature how-to Glamour Guide with three looks to get you started.

Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush - Blush is like dessert, you didn't know you loved it until you had a taste of it. Our blush was developed with easy application and a no-fail color palette in mind—to take the guesswork out of creating a sweet, romantic flush. It's the little black dress of blushes.  With three perfect swatches, you can just swirl the colors together and apply, or use more of one shade for a custom flush or highlight.  Three swatches of rose, coral and peach packed into one pretty heart.  Baked color formula allows the blush to be applied as a beautiful buildable finish.  Blush works on all skin tones.

 

Tinted Beauty Balm Multi-Benefit Skin Care Makeup - Our innovative beauty balm offers multiple skincare and makeup benefits in one simple step. Our powerful, multi-mineral complex instantly achieves a healthy glow and improves skin's overall appearance. 

1. Light-diffusing pigments tint and add radiance (available in 6 shades).

2. Anti-aging, multi-mineral complex primes & prevents damage.

3. Moisturizes with oil-free hydration.

4. Hypo-allergenic and soothing for all skin types.

5. Broad-spectrum, chemical-free SPF 20.

Anti-aging, Multi-mineral Complex: Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc as well as Ginseng and Ginko Biloba.  Soothes & Nourishes: Vitamins A & E, as well as Chamomile soothe and nourishes while our oil-free hydrating formula moisturizes.  Blends easily: Four gorgeous shades, with luminosity and effortless blendability to suit individual skin tones and shades needs.   Sun Protection: Broad-spectrum, chemical-free SPF 20 offers optimum protection from the sun's harmful UVA/UVB rays. Multi-use: Can be used as a primer to prep skin for either foundation for more coverage, or powder for a lighter finish.

 

La Creme Color Drenched Lip Cream - Indulge your lips with rich creamy color, drenched with luscious, hydrating moisturizers including white lotus flower and power peptides. Moisture has never been so pretty!   20 Must-Have Colors: Something for every fashion and mood - curated in the most sought-after color families: nudes, spices, pinks, reds and NEW berries.  Lotus Flower Extract: Hydrating, soothing and lip-conditioning with environmental protection provided by antioxidants.  Power Peptides: Conditioning, smoothing and firming for the delicate lip area.  Indulgent color: Pigment-saturated, one-swipe formulas drench lips with sexy, pure color.

- Teddy Berry - deep cool plum cream

- So Berry Sexy - medium cool berry cream

- Bumbleberry - medium cool purple berry cream

- Loganberry - deep cool berry with a hint of brown cream

 

Lip Injection Power Plumping Lip Gloss - Get lusher looking lips in seconds. A revolutionary lip plumping formula that also hydrates and nourishes, with a rich blend of ingredients to invigorate the lips and create a rush of volume to the pout that lasts up to four hours.  Volume lasts up to four hours.  Marine Sponge: Adds the appearance of up to 20 percent more volume while moisturizing lips.  Botanical Cocktail: Avocado and Jojoba Oil smooth and soften the lips.

 

Lip Injection Extreme - A lip plumper for immediate satisfaction and long-term results; this is a day and night use serum that will become part of your daily routine. The tingling sensation tells you it’s working and lips appear full and pouty from your very first application and plumper overall, overtime. It glides on as a clear gloss with light reflecting shine and supreme moisture.  A revolutionary lip plumping formula that also hydrates and nourishes, the long-lasting effects of Lip Injection Extreme are created via our unique “20-40-60 Boost” breakthrough technology: Marine Sponge: Adds the appearance of up to 20% more volume while moisturizing lips; Collagen Booster: Increases collagen to plump lips up to 40% fuller, while increasing lip moisture up to 60% long-term.

 

I love the Boudoir Eyes Shadow Palette, I love all of these neutral shades and I will be able to use all of these with each other and then with both of the Urban Decay Naked Palettes.  This might be my early favorite from the collection and I will need to see this the next time that I head to Sephora, Too Faced usually releases very early to Sephora and therefore this palette should be out very soon.  I can see so many possiblities with this set, these aren't the most unique shades but I know that I will get lots of use from them and this palette will take me all the way through the spring and summer months.  The No Makeup palette interests me, I like the concept and the shades contained in it but I must see the shades of the concealer in it so that I can make sure that they will be flattering to my skintone.  I have included the picture with this post so you guys can see how pretty the blush shades are and why I hoping that the face shades are flattering for me.

 

I have never used a Beauty Balm before, I have heard all kinds of raves about them but I still get great results from my Stila and Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizers and I have never felt any reason to try something new.  Maybe I will need to this spring since BB don't seem to be a passing fad....

 

I still am afraid to try the new versions of the Lip Injections, it sounds like some of the more irritating ingredients have been traded out for hydrators but I too vividly remember how badly the first formulas made my lips feel.  I don't really love any of the new shades in La Creme so I will skip over them and stick to the reds and pinks in this formula.

 

Tomorrow begins 2013...Here we go!

 

photo courtesy of Too Faced

Too Faced Holiday 2012 Collection

We are in the thick of the holiday collections arriving to stores and websites and I am eagerly awaiting of all the holiday products that MAC will be releasing at the end of the month.  So far, I have only seen makeup holiday collections in the gift format, I haven't yet looked at any single product collections though I know that Chanel and Laura Mercier will release their holiday color collections very soon (I bet that they are heading to the counters as I type this post).  Today we will look at company that has only ever produced holiday gift collections and whose holiday gift collections are among the best and most covetable every single holiday season.

Of course I am talking about Too Faced and their fantastic selection of holiday gifts!  I have been playing around with my Return of Sexy eye palette that I bought from their fall collections and I have found so many ways to make this palette work (in addition to the looks that are suggested by the company) and I will be adding to my Too Faced coverage when I put up some reviews of the looks that I made with that palette.  The Return of Sexy palette will be a great choice for creating dressed-up night looks for the holidays and I recommend buying it if you have not already...

This holiday collection from Too Faced consists of four new palettes and giftsets, all of which contain a wide variety of color products.  When first looking at the collection, I am at a loss to decide which is my favorite because they all look great and I will need to dig further into the collection in order to decide what I would like to find under my Christmas tree and what products I will be giving to my close circle of friends.

Here is the Too Faced Holiday collection!

The Confection Collection - Our exclusive Christmas eye and lip collection is a complete confection of eye shadows, luxe lip shades and cruelty-free brushes. Celebrate the season’s sweetest moments with sugary shimmers, soft mattes and delightful pinks.  More To Love: Shadow Bon Bons: Includes 12 shadows, 1 full-sized Lashgasm Mascara and 1 Candlelight Shadow Insurance 0.17 Oz; Shadow Brush Set: A trio of our cruelty-free “Teddy Bear Hair” brushes includes a Liner/Smudger, Lid/Smoker and Crease/Blender; La Crème in Fuchsia Shock; Perfect Lips lip liner in Perfect Pink; Reusable pink tote.
- Eye Shadow in Vanilla - matte bone
- Eye Shadow in Cut the Cake - heathered mist
- Eye Shadow in Framboise - deep gray plum
- Eye Shadow in Coffee Bean - matte coffee
- Eye Shadow in Peach Fuzz - peachy gold
- Eye Shadow in Hot Cocoa - chocolate
- Eye Shadow in Candy Rose - pink sparkle
- Eye Shadow in Lovey Dovey - sable brown
- Eye Shadow in Nude Beach - medium gold sparkle
- Eye Shadow in Cinnamon Sugar - bronze sparkle
- Eye Shadow in Marzipan - taupe
- Eye Shadow in Licorice Latte - black with bronze sparkle
- La Creme Lipstick in Fuchsia Shock - medium bright pink cream
- Perfect Lips Lip Liner in Perfect Pink - medium pink

Shadow Bon Bons - This scrumptious collection is an indulgent treat for the eyes with 12 delicious shadows, our must-have ultra-black fluffing mascara, mirror and golden candlelight-inspired shadow primer. Designed to create a range of sweet to sassy, subtle to dramatic looks – any time of the year.  More To Love: 12 High-Pigmented Eye Shadows; 1 Full-sized LashGasm Mascara; 1 Candlelight Shadow Insurance ( 0.17 oz.).
- Eye Shadow in Vanilla - matte bone
- Eye Shadow in Cut the Cake - heathered mist
- Eye Shadow in Framboise - deep gray plum
- Eye Shadow in Coffee Bean - matte coffee
- Eye Shadow in Peach Fuzz - peachy gold
- Eye Shadow in Hot Cocoa - chocolate
- Eye Shadow in Candy Rose - pink sparkle
- Eye Shadow in Lovely Dovey - sable brown
- Eye Shadow in Nude Beach - medium gold sparkle
- Eye Shadow in Cinnamon Sugar - bronze sparkle
- Eye Shadow in Marzipan - taupe
- Eye Shadow in Licorice Latte - black with bronze sparkle

Love Sweet Love - Life is sweetest when you’re in love! Celebrate the spirit of love, sweet love, with two romantic looks, complete with flirty eyes, flushing cheeks and seductively pouty lips - one look for day, and another for night.  More To Love: Book of Love: 6 eye shadows, 2 blushes, 2 lip glosses; Full-sized LashGasm Mascara; Shadow Insurance Eye Primer (0.17 oz.); Perfect Eyes eyeliner in Perfect Black (0.03 oz.); Primed & Poreless Face Primer (.5 oz.); Exclusive "Teddy Bear Hair" face brush; Exclusive gold embroidered velveteen makeup bag.
- Eye Shadow in Vanilla Sugar - matte vanilla
- Eye Shadow in Mocha Ice - matte mocha brown
- Eye Shadow in Ganache - deep matte chocolate brown
- Eye Shadow in Strawberry Cream - medium matte pink
- Eye Shadow in Burnt Sugar - deep matte gray taupe
- Eye Shadow in Licorice Glitz - black with a hint of silver shimmer
- Blush in Pink Caramel - matte neutral pink
- Blush in Lollipop - matte bright pink
- Lip Gloss in Raspberry Truffle - medium cool berry
- Lip Gloss in Bubble Gum - bright pink

Glamour to Go Spun Sugar Edition - Our limited-edition, purse-sized palette offers everything you need for eyes, face and lips in shimmering, sugar-inspired shades and formulas. Glimmering golds and sexy silver hues that make it easy take your look from looking haute for holiday shopping to looking naughty on New Year’s Eve.  More To Love: 8 Pigment Rich Eye Shadows; 1 Universal Bronzer; 1 Brightening Blush; 1 Glimmering Gold Gloss.
- Eye Shadow in Light Gold - antiqued gold shimmer
- Eye Shadow in Gold - warm golden amber
- Eye Shadow in Yellow - pale gold shimmer
- Eye Shadow in Brown - golden brown shimmer
- Eye Shadow in Silver - light silvery glitter
- Eye Shadow in Light Gray - metallic gray shimmer
- Eye Shadow in Dark Gray - cool gray
- Eye Shadow in Black - pewter shimmer
- Highlighting Blush - pink golden shimmer
- Lip Gloss in Clear Gold - sheer gold shimmer
- Medium Bronzing Veil

I love all of these sets, it will be very hard for me to choose just one or two of them to buy for myself.  I think the only one that I can really rule out is the Spun Sugar Edition of the Glamour to Go palette, I pretty much own all of these eye shadow shades already from the Urban Decay Naked Palettes and wouldn't use the gold lip gloss.  I guess this is the only palette that I know that I could skip over.

My favorite of the sets is the one that I have pictured, the Confection Collection.  This is the largest and most complete of all the gifts and I love all the shades and products that are contained in this huge collection.  It contains the whole Shadow Bon Bon set so I won't need to purchase this one by itself and can just get it will all the other products in the Confection Collection.  If I can only get one item from this holiday collection, the Confection Collection would be my first choice.  If I can purchase another piece from this collection, I am very fond of the Love Sweet Love set (even if the name makes me want to gag a bit...).  The eye shadows featured in this set are mostly mattes so I will create more of a subtle smoky eye with this set instead of the looks that I create with the Return of Sexy Eye Palette.  I also love both the blushes and the lip glosses that are included with this set and I will use these pinks well into the spring.

So far this has been a great selection of the holiday products and sets and I am excited for what else is coming over the next six weeks...

photo courtesy of Too Faced