Before I start the reviews of my many North American finds, I want to talk about an oldie but goodie kind of product. It ‘s also the only eyeshadow palette that was in my travel makeup kit during my 3 week road-trip! Say hello to my new BF, the Too Faced Chocolate Bar eyeshadow palette! smile
I reviewed the Chocolate Bon Bons eyeshadow palette a few months ago, which I rather liked, despite its very kitsch packaging. I’m still not a big fan of the Chocolate Bar one, but I find it a bit more sober than the Bon Bons version. As I told you in my previous article, I don’t think I’m really the target of the brand Too Faced ( I’m probably 15-20 years too old lol). But really, if I forget about the kitschy or cute packaging (delete as appropriate ), I am more and more convinced by the good quality of this brand’s products.
The Too Faced Chocolate Bar eyeshadow palette was released a few years ago now (2012 or 2013, I’m not sure?) and I still hear a lot of “beauty gurus” (especially the US) raving about it and consider it as a cult favorite.
So, what made me purchase it 3 or 4 years after its first release? I recently reviewed the Tarte Tartelette In Bloom eyeshadow palette, which I thought was the perfect palette to bring on a trip (I was really considering bringing it with me during my North American road-trip when I bought it) and if you read this review, you will remember that I wasn’t really convinced… uneasy
I thought I could do like last summer and take my Z-Palette with my selection of favorites MUG and ABH eyeshadows but the last time I flew to France, half of my eyeshadows ended smashed because of disturbances during the return flight (it was a wonderful experience, by the way… When we landed in Dubai, the stewardess who spent her time yelling at the passengers, asking them to remain calm during disturbances, made a cross sign just in front of me, meaning something like “Thank God, we’re still alive!” With such reassuring staff, I totally understand that many people are afraid to fly. Anyway. #rollingeyesemoji)
Anyway, thanks to one of my many trip(s) to my local Sephora, I finally decided to slip it into my basket a few weeks before leaving to the US and Canada. And now that I’m back home, I can tell you that it was definitely a good idea! bigsmile
Too Faced Chocolate Bar eyeshadow palette, presentation:
What the brand says about it:
“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. “
The Too Faced Chocolate Bar eyeshadow palette is the first eyeshadow palette of the Too Faced “Chocolate” range. Since this one was a huge commercial success, two others were released after the Chocolate Bar, the Semi-Sweet Chocolate and also Bon Bons. This range has since begun to shift a little with the Sweet Peach, a limited edition eyeshadow palette released last summer, all about the peach color. It also has a peach fragrance (clearly not my thing lol :P). Although I haven’t been personally convinced, it was out of stock very soon after its release. Too Faced announced it would return this coming December, and this time permanently. It will even be paired with a Sweet Peach collection: a highlighter palette and a blush (the brand knows how to capitalize on its success, no doubt ;) ).
4 years ago, the make-up world was fascinated by the Urban Decay’s Naked eyeshadow palettes. Many makeup brands wanted to add their own version of the perfect neutral eyeshadow palette that everyone (still) loves. Although it was undoubtedly the initial idea for the Too Faced Chocolate Bar eyeshadow palette, I can definitely say that the brand was able to offer a nice twist to the original concept.
A neutral eyeshadow palette is basically an eyeshadow palette in a brown harmony (It’s a caricature, but it’s not far from the truth). Too Faced has always played with its packaging with a playful and fun vision of makeup. The brand introduced this palette as a box of chocolates with all the yummy variations it may involve: ganache, truffle, milk chocolate, white chocolate, chocolate cherry etc, etc.
All the neutral colors you may need for a natural everyday makeup but with a fun side that helps to make things a bit more exciting (because, let’s face it, a neutral eyeshadow palette can be very boring sometime, can’t it?). Too Faced has even decided to give this palette the appearance of a chocolate bar and also, to infuse the eyeshadows with cocoa powder (for its antioxidant virtues) and to give it a chocolate scent. (In short, if you hate chocolate, this palette is clearly not for you wink ).
It’s an eyeshadow palette with 16 multi-use shades. It may also well help you create a super natural look (kind of a no-makeup makeup look) or to do a very dramatic smokey eye with the darker colors. There’s a good variety of finishes as well : matte, satin, glittery, metallic…
This is the kind of eyeshadow palette that you can take with you on vacation. I used it during my 3 week road-trip and I wasn’t bored at all: buy it! smile
Too Faced Chocolate Bar eyeshadow palette, my test and thoughts:
– Packaging and practicality:
It’s a metallic case shaped as a chocolate bar. It’s cute, though it’s not really my thing, I admit. However, it’s quite solid and easy to carry, because it’s not too thick. Well, sure, it’s not really light but no one is perfect, I guess… wink
It contains a mirror, but it’s a quite narrow one. I tried to use it when I was on vacation, and I was not really convinced (you cannot see much in it, it’s really an emergency mirror wink ).
– Color Choice and Versatility:
It is very easy to use, with mostly neutral eyeshadows in some shades of brown, bronze, gold and plums but there are also some more colorful ones, providing a pop of colours to spice up the makeup look a little bit. I was quite scared by the baby pink shade (Strawberry Bon Bons) but it’s actually great mixed with one of the brown shades to cool it a little and it’s also beautiful on its own, to brighten the eyelid.
The variety of the finishes can provide a multitude of different makeup looks, from the most natural to the most intense, very neutral or super colorful, 100% matte or very glittery.
I also like the fact that 2 light shades are larger than others: White Chocolate, which is a great matte base kind of shade and Champagne Truffle, a beautiful luminous light golden pink, such a good inner corner highlighter. I use these 2 shades for each makeup look I do with this palette. So, it’s rather nice to have a little more of these! smile
– Overall Eyeshadow Quality:
I found the overall quality of the eyeshadows pretty good: a texture that blends easily, a good pigmentation, almost no fall out…
However, some of them are less pigmented than others. And in general, I don’t really love super glittery eyeshadows so Gilded Ganache is not my favorite, for example. Its color is also deceptive: I expected a nice khaki shade (I love this color for an eyeshadow!) And it’s actually a matte dark brown with gold glitter. I would have rather preferred a beautiful metallic golden kaki instead… This shade is also a little bit stiff, not the easiest to apply. Such a shame… uneasy
Candid Violet is also a little bit too much in terms of glitter for my taste (same thing, I would have preferred a metallic shade but, the color is still really pretty). This one is thankfully well pigmented.
However, I’m pretty disappointed with Cherry Cordial, which has a very bad pigmentation and is also super dry. Too bad, because I love the color…
Apart from these few reservations, I think it’s still a good palette overall.
– Value For Money:
The value for money of this palette is pretty good, there are 16 eyeshadows for $49 (and it’s good quality).
– Availability:
The palette is part of the brand’s permanent collection and it’s available on Too Faced‘s website.
Too Faced Chocolate Bar eyeshadow palette, the colors:
– Gilded Chocolate: I expected a pretty shimmery kaki green, but it’s actually a matte dark brown containing gold glitter. These are very thin, which is a good point, but the eyeshadow is a little dry and you really have to layer it to obtain a good color pay-off on the eyelid. This is quite disappointing, I must say… uneasy
– White Chocolate: a matte light nude shade. I use it mostly as a base all over the lid to unify it. I use it in all the makeup looks I do with this palette or even to correct if I blend a shade a little bit too far. It’s creamy and covering, I really like it.
– Milk Chocolate: a very pretty transition shade, it’s a light beige caramel color, slightly ocher and it’s matte. The undertone is cool, and it goes with a lot of makeup looks.
– Black Forest Truffle: a beautiful dark burgundy with multicolored glitter. It has a good coverage and a good pigmentation. I find it easier to apply than Gilded Ganache, which is also glittery.
– Triple Fudge: a neutral matte dark brown, which I usually use as a liner along the lash line. I apply it wet for a graphic effect or dry for a more smoky result.
– Salted Caramel: a light orange caramel matte shade, perfect to use as a transition in the crease. I use this color a lot, it goes with so many colors and really brightens the eyes.
– Marzipan: a metallic pink Champagne, quite warm, very luminous. One of the shades I use the most in this palette. I love it all over the eyelid!
– Semi-Sweet: a true milk chocolate shade, matte. Ideal for a transition shade. I love to mix it with salted Caramel. They’re quite similar, Semi-Sweet is just darker.
– Strawberry Bon Bon: a light pink matte color. I was quite scared to use it in the beginning! But finally, I liked it, mixed with a brown shade (like Semi-Sweet or Milk Chocolate for example), to give a cool side to it or even used by itself to brighten the eyelid.
– Candied Violet: a very pretty purple glittery shade, with lots of pink glitter in it. I love the color, even if I would prefer it with a little less glitter, tending to leave more fall outs (as often with glittery makeup). But it’s still a pretty color that I enjoy using for my cooler and dramatic makeup looks.
– Amaretto: a beautiful metallic bronzy plum. It could have been a little more creamy and intense in my opinion, and I have to layer it a bit if I want maximum opacity, but thankfully, it layers quite well on the eyelid.
– Hazelnut: a pretty shimmery chocolate shade. Perfect to intensify a makeup look!
– Crème Brûlée: one of my favorite shades of the palette. It’s an antique gold, almost bronze, very metallic. It has a great pigmentation and I love to apply it all over the lid.
– Haute Chocolate: a another shimmery brown, cooler than Hazelnut. A very pretty neutral shade.
– Cherry Cordial: a real disappointment. It’s a matte burgundy shade, with fine purple glitter. The pigmentation is barely there, it’s almost sheer and its texture is dry and stiff. It’s not easy to apply at all. You really need to layer it on to obtain a minimum color pay off. Such a shame, really. uneasy
– Champagne Truffle: the highlighter shade in the palette. It’s a very light golden pink, with a metallic finish. It’s ideal applied at the inner corner of the eye. I use it with all the makeup looks I’ve done with this palette!
Finally, here are all the swatches:
And on me:
– Look 1:
Probably my ‘most worn’ makeup look with this palette (so simple and easy). I’m wearing White Chocolate as a base, Salted Caramel in the crease, Marzipan on the eyelid, Amaretto in the outer V, Cherry Cordial along the lash line, and Champagne Truffle in the inner corner.
My liner is the ColourPop Gel Creme Liner in the shade Best O and on my lips, it’s the Anastasia Beverly Hills liquid lipstick in the shade Dolce with the ColourPop Ultra Glossy Lip in the shade A Boo on top.
– Look 2:
I’m wearing White Chocolate as a base, Milk Chocolate in the crease, Crème Brûlée on the eyelid, Gilded Ganache in the outer V and along the lash line, Marzipan and Champagne Truffle mixed in the inner corner. My liner is the ColourPop Gel Creme Liner in the shade Workout. On my lips, it’s the ColourPop Ultra Glossy Lip in the shade Fairy Floss.
– Look 3:
A more evening appropriate makeup look:
I’m wearing White Chocolate as a base, Milk Chocolate + Strawberry Bon Bon + Cherry Cordial in the crease, Black Forest Truffle + Amaretto on the eyelid, Cherry Cordial along the lash line, Champagne Truffle in the inner corner.
My liner is the Gel Liner Inglot in Black and on my lips, I’m wearing the Anastasia Beverly Hills liquid lipstick in the shade Crush and on top, the ColourPop Ultra Glossy Lip in the shade Bestie.
In summary:
[wprs-pros][wprs-cons]
I am very pleased with the overall quality of this palette and its selection of colors, which I find very flattering and easy for every day use. The quality of the eyeshadow is good and I must admit that I quite like the good smell of chocolate (it’s not too chemical, it smells like real chocolate!). For the price, it really offers a nice color selection and you can do a lot of different makeup looks with it.
The Too Faced Chocolate Bar eyeshadow palette is available on Too Faced‘s website for $49.
And you, what do you think of the Too Faced Chocolate Bar eyeshadow palette? Do you know and love it since its release, and are you wondering why I waited all this time to buy it? wink
Photo credit: bonnie-garner.com