Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette Review

There comes a time in a girls life     when she has decisions to make, and let me tell you…when it comes to makeup palettes, it is no easy choice. When I was at Sephora a couple of weeks ago I was torn between the Urban Decay Naked palette (the original) or the new Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette that had grabbed my attention after swatching it in the store. 

Let me tell you why I purchased this one instead of the Naked palette that I have been lusting after for years upon years…

Isn't the box that this palette comes in just adorable! It presents itself as cutely wrapped bar of chocolate! Love it!

The design of this palette is appealing for sure! I like how it is made of tin, making it more durable and travel friendly. Wherever this goes, it will protect your shadows well.

Now, this retails for $49.00, whereas the Naked palette retails for $52.00. Too Faced has a collection of  sixteen eyeshadows and Urban Decay has twelve. Both have gorgeous colors, yet what I adore about the Chocolate Bar palette is that it has a total of seven matte shades. That's when I knew this palette was the one I could take anywhere with me and it would have every color I would need!

Lets just take a gander at this beautiful shadows, shall we…

The first shadows in the first half of the palette

The shadows in the last half of the palette

As you can see, these are all wearable everyday colors, mixed in with a baby pink and fun purple.

Let's start with the top row and work our way down… 

From left to right we have the colors Gilded Ganache, White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Black Forest Truffle and Triple Fudge

I absolutely love the color, White Chocolate because it is the perfect blending color since it is a yellow based skin toned color. I use this color everytime! The three matte shades in this row are White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate and Triple Fudge. The one shade I have the most issues with is Black Forest Truffle, and only because of the fallout that it has when applying, so keep that in mind. Otherwise, it is a gorgeous shadow, too!

The middle row colors from left to right are:

Salted Caramel, Marzipan, Semi-Sweet, Strawberry Bon Bon, Candied Violet and Amaretto

The three matte shades in this row are Salted Caramel, Semi-Sweet and Strawberry Bon Bon. The color that really threw me off was Strawberry Bon Bon, because it is a matte pink and I am pretty sure I could never wear a pink color. But, when I wore it one day, it is a very light color, it almost comes across as a white. It's an okay color, not one I would reach for often, though. The disappointing color of this lineup was Candied Violet… Just look at how beautiful it is, yet it comes off more sheer than I expected and the pretty pink sparkle becomes non-existent on the lids, it just fall right out when applied. 

The bottom row colors from left to right are:

Hazelnut, Creme Brûlée, Haute Chocolate, Cherry Cordial and Champagne Truffle

The one matte shade in this row is Cherry Cordial. What I love about the color Champagne Truffle is that if you like a shimmery highlight either on the brow bone or inner corners, this is the perfect one! It is not shimmery nor is to frosty. When applied on the bore bone it is more of a beautiful sheen, which in my opinion, is so subtle and beautiful! 

You are getting a great amount of colors that you will wear for sure, so this will not be money wasted! 

The only thing I despise about this palette is that the names are not on the box underneath eyeshadow! Come on, right!? After everyone complains about products with no names labeled permanently on the package you would think makeup companies would get the hint, right?

Well, don't let that stop you, because this is the only palette you will ever need! Oh, and did I tell you that it smells exactly like chocolate!? What girl does't like that...

Too Faced Bulletproof Brows

So, I splurged more than I thought    I would when I went shopping this last weekend and found myself in Sephora checking out some intriguing products when I came across Too Faced Bulletproof Brows.

I got this in the color Universal Brunette for $30.00, which hurt quite a bit, but I convinced myself that this was going to be worth it! 

On their website Too Faced claims that this is a gel, pencil, powder and setting wax all in one clay product. It says that it offers 24 hour waterproof, smudge proof and budge proof wear, which is exactly what I was wanting. Sometimes my oily skin towards the middle of the day will smudge my brow pencil if I happen to touch my face in that vicinity, which is not a pulled together look.

I will admit that initially, I was torn between this product and the brow product Tarte offers (also a clay version in a pot). Well, after swatching the two products side by side when I was at Sephora, and wearing them around the store for about ten minutes, I rubbed my hand across them and Tarte smudged while Too Faced stayed completely put! It would not budge, and my indecisiveness was than decided! 

The brush that comes with this is wonderful! I love the angled brush and spooley because it is not cheap at all. It is quality made and applies the product like a dream!

This comes with 2.0g, which is not a lot of product, in my opinion, especially not for $30.00! If I recall, Tarte had 3.0g of product for $28.00, which tempted me, but the product was a fail and not worth the price. And after using this, I believe this will last awhile, because a little bit goes a long way!

I like the packaging a lot! It is small and travel sized, which makes it convenient to take with you wherever you may be going. When you first open it up, you will see a mirror, which is helpful. But, than they made a lid that covers the product itself, which is pure genius! The lid clicks into place, so you never have to worry about it being flimsy. I love the thought that went into creating this packaging!

Swatch

Swatch rubbed

 This product applies smooth and creamy on the brows and quickly sets in about a minute and will not budge. The spooley helps to blend out any harshness, but work quickly!

In the second swatch above, I rubbed my hand furiously across the swatch and it DID NOT budge! Honestly, it looks the same as the above swatch! 

This is a phenomenal product and I have been loving wearing this and I highly recommend this to you!

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil In Honey Gold

So, do ya want a little bit of shimma shimma   in your day? Well, I am here to let you know what my thoughts are on The Body Shop's Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil. I picked this up last month when they were having one of their 40% off sales. This retails for $22.00 for 3.3 fl oz and I picked mine up for around $13.00 in the color Honey Gold. 

This is a very beautiful golden color, hence the name, Honey Gold. This comes in one other color, Honey Kissed, which is a darker bronzed color. 

What really grabbed me is the scent of this oil! Now, when I think of honey I think of something sweet, but this scent, is not a candy-sweet scent. It is hard to describe, but it smells like a touch of honey, but mostly a floral scent overwhelms me, like a field of flowers on a very warm summer day. Yet, while it is floral, in no way does this smell like grandma's floral perfumes, I promise!

When applied, the scent is very strong, but as the day proceeds, the smell gets more subtle and faint. It lingers slightly on the skin and is still noticeable, so the staying power of the scent is phenomenal! 

As you can see from the picture above the oil rises to the top when it sits untouched.

And this is what the product looks like when it is shaken up and the oil mixes with the shimmer! Pretty, huh?

 I appreciate that this comes in a glass bottle, and the tube that the product comes out of is also glass, not plastic. I find that the top lets out just the right amount of product. I imagine if this came with an opened top the liquid would run out of the opening uncontrollably. This way, you get the right amount and nothing is wasted.

The Body Shop claims that this oil looks natural and sheer, leaving a honey bronze glow. It claims that the shimmer will enhance your tan, leaving a non-greasy feel. 

"Get your skin an even bronzed look with a hint of shimmer with a lightweight body oil."

In the bottom swatch I did not sheer it out completely, because I wanted you to see how shiny it is and how much it glows. This shows the shimmer in the liquid much better than if I had rubbed the oil into the skin completely. When I rub it completely into my skin I find that the gold disappears on my skin tone and it leaves behind the shimmers on the skin in a subtle way, leaving it to be more noticeable in the light than indoors.

Now, while I agree that this leaves a natural and sheer glow to the skin, I will say that this does not bronze your skin. I think that if you already have a tan, what will really make your tan glow is the shimmer in the product. 

And remember that a little goes a very long way!

This leaves your skin feeling extremely soft, much more soft and moisturized than your typical moisturizing lotion, and I love it! Not to mention that it leaves you smelling amazing!

Now, there is a warning on their website that you need to avoid contact with fabric when wearing this. I did not notice any transfer, but to be on the safe side, I would keep this to exposed skin only so you do not damage your clothing.

Would I repurchase this product? Probably not, because while I find that this is something that I would use on a special occasion when I wanted to dress up and enhance certain areas, this is not a must-have product. I can easily live without this and be perfectly happy. 

And just remember, not everybody loves the same smells, so be sure to check it out in person before you purchase! 

Happy day to you!

Bath And Body Works Semi-Annual Sale Haul

Okay, confession time…   I went to the mall this weekend with my hubby on a mission to find him a new pair of shoes and I came across Bath And Body Works and they were having their semi-annual sale, which when I walked by the first time I passed by and talked myself out of going in. But, than we walked by a second time and I caved… 

And this is what I came out with!

Altogether I spent $48.05 and I walked away a happy woman!

I have never tried their Intense Moisture Body Butters before and since I was running out of lotions, I grabbed three different ones to try. Normally they are $15.00 a piece (yikes!) but I snagged them for $4.00 a piece! I tried some today, and they are super thick and very moisturizing. This is my new favorite line of lotions from Bath and Body Works now!

I picked up these Wallflowers, a pack of two for $5.00 a piece! This is my all time favorite scent, and I needed to fill my wall warmers again, anyway. Normally, these are $12.50 a pack, so I believe I definitely scored! My only regret is that I did not pick up the last two packs of this scent that was there… 

Okay, this was my biggest most exciting find of them all!!! This is my favorite of the Aromatherapy lotion scents that they have! I was super bummed because I heard a few months ago that they were discontinuing Warm Milk And Honey from the line; I couldn't even find it on line. So, I cherished the one I have now and am half way through the bottle. So, after I got over the shock of stumbling across the few they had left at the store, I grabbed all but two of them (because I was trying to budget and be a good girl!). These are normally $13.00 a piece and I got them for $6.00 each! 

I think that I scored and bought a lot of products that I will use, love and, of course, needed!

Hope you have fun shopping your sales!

Mally Volumizing Mascara

Hey there lovelies!   I wanted to share with you my review on the Mally Volumizing Mascara that came with the wonderfully awesome Mally's Bulletproof Essentials set that I purchased from Ulta this past summer. I had a few mascaras that I needed to get through before I opened up this one. For the past two months now I have been using this on and off, so let me share my thoughts with you!

Let's start off by talking about the packaging, shall we? I think that the pearly white of the tube with the bubble gum pink lettering shouts girlie, in a grown up way and definitely stands to from the rest.

Mally's website claims that this mascara will, just to paraphrase a bit of the claims on her website,  "create gorgeous, full, luxurious lashes…will help thicken lashes without clumping…giving volume that lasts and lasts." 

This formula is made from a combination of waxes and powders that in conjunction with the plush brush creates the amazing results you have. 

Did I think it worked? Well, let me show you my results…

I adore this mascara to the point where I think that this is my new holy grail high end mascara! It trumps Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes, which I fell in love with before… I will tell you, that the volume and fullness in the pictures above lasts all day, not just for the first few minutes after application! 

I highly recommend that you at least try this out. It retails for $20.00 on mallybeauty.com, which if you want to splurge a bit on a beautifully stunning mascara, let this be the one!

Have a beautiful day!

Benefit's World Famous Neutrals Eyeshadow Kit

Hope you are having a wonderful day   so far, everybody! I thought it would be a great opportunity to share with you my thoughts on Benefit's World Famous Neutrals eyeshadow kit. I received this from my cousin as a gift a few weeks ago and have been playing around with it since then. 

I think that the packaging is just adorable! It looks just like a mini-sized book and fits in my hand. This isn't slim by any means, rather it is bulky. Yet, I think because of how small it really truly is, it is portable and lightweight enough to slip into your purse or travel with.

The back of the box this kit comes in shows you all of the colors that are inside. So pretty!

The mirror is a practical sized mirror easy to use along with the eyeshadows in this kit. On the other hand, the instructions that come tacked to either side of the mirror are floppy and more of a hinderance than anything. Thankfully, they are made to rip off, so that is what I have done to make it all easier.

At first, it was near impossible to keep the lid on this kit open, and I found that highly irritating when using these shadows. I had to bend the lid far back in order to get it to stay up so I wouldn't continuously have to keep reopening it during application. 

I do appreciate that the lid has a magnetic closure, so if you do take this with you traveling there is no way that this will flop open to ruin your powdered shadows. 

Left to right: Call My Bluff, Kiss Me I'm Tipsy
It's Complicated, Gilt-y Pleasure

The eyeshadows are beautiful and extremely neutral, hence the name of this kit! They are soft and buttery, making them very pigmented. These are eyeshadows that you would use on an everyday basis for a pretty natural look.

Call My Bluff is a totally matte off white color, great for the brow bone and blending.

Kiss Me I'm Tipsy is a beautiful dark brown with golden shimmer.

It's Complicated is a pretty peach satin that is wonderful for a bright eye.

Gilt-y Pleasure is my favorite of the bunch, because it is a satin golden brown, perfect for a wash of color on the lids.

Also included are two cream eyeshadows. They claim that these are creaseless, but I will tell you that I have very oily eyelids, and I have tested these out two different ways. The first time I wore these alone and they creased horribly on me. The second time I wore them over Urban Decay's Primer Potion and they held up through out the day crease-free. 

The texture on these is amazing and surprising. I thought that they would feel like a MAC paint pot, but no, these have a very soft, almost mouse-like texture. These blend out like a dream!

Birthday Suit

My Two Cents

Left to Right: My Two Cents and Birthday Suit

Unfortunately, I do not love these cream eyeshadows, and not just because they crease on my eyelids. I expected more pigmentation and vibrancy from these, and when applied on my lids, they are more sheer than I expected. I was very disappointed… They are pretty colors and great to use as a base for eyeshadows, but on their own, they are not stand-outs. 

My Two Cents is a light copper color, and as far as I can tell, no glitter nor shimmer. 

Birthday Suit is a champagne with subtle sparkles. 

For the person trying out eyeshadow, for the young girls out there who want a wash of color, and even for us adults who love a natural look, this is an excellent kit. This is something that will get a lot of wear through out time, because it is so basic and beautiful for everyday life!

Until Next Time!