{ Review + Swatches } Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette

Ok, I admit I don't need any more neutral eyeshadow palettes but how could I pass up on a chocolate bar shaped palette that actually smells like the sweet delectable goodness itself! The palette comes packaged in the cutest cardboard box which is very reminiscent of a candy wrapper. I definitely have to give it to Too Faced for this one of a kind concept. I don't own any Too Faced eyeshadows so this palette was the perfect excuse!

The palette itself is made of a tin-like material, similar to that of the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette. I don't know if it's just my palette but the hinges which open and close the palette seem quite loose which makes the palette not feel very sturdy. The palette is thicker in depth and hence bulkier compared to the Urban Decay Nakeds as well as the Lorac Pro Palette.

There are 16 eyeshadows included with shades of warm browns, flirty pinks and plums ranging from matte, satin/shimmers and glittery finishes. Too Faced claim that these eyeshadows are "pigmented with pure, antioxidant-rich cocoa powder". Immediately when I opened the palette, I get a waft of sweetness. At first I didn't get that punch of intense chocolate that I was expecting. It just smells like really really sweet chocolate. I actually don't mind the scent now. It really wakes me up when I use it in the morning!

I absolutely love the delicious names of each of the eyeshadows- Gilded Ganache, Black Forest Truffle, Salted Caramel, Champagne Truffle. Ahhhh.....I am seriously salivating!

I think Too Faced was smart in making their 2 cream highlight shades larger in comparison to the rest of the eyeshadows as they are used in basically every eye look. My honest first impression of the palette was that it just lacked pigmentation when I compared it to my other neutral eyeshadow palettes. I was a bit let down but of course I just had to use the least pigmented shade when I first played around with it. After more weeks of getting used to the palette and playing around with it more, I believe the matte shades performed the best. They are soooo smooth, buttery and so easy to apply and blend out. The satin/shimmery shades are pretty average- they are pretty but I wished they were more pigmented and vibrant. Oh, and surprise surprise the eyeshadows which contain chunks of glitter ended up being my least favourite. I really think these types of eyeshadows should be banished! Nothing annoys me more than getting glitter fall out all over my foundation ready face!

Now let's do a breakdown on all of the eyeshadows!

First Row:

• Gilded Ganache: Dark brown with a golden sheen and gold microglitters
• White Chocolate: Matte yellowish cream
• Milk Chocolate: Matte medium brown
• Black Forest Truffle: Brownish burgundy with gold microglitters
• Triple Fudge: Deep brown-black

Middle Row:

• Salted Caramel: Matte light camel brown
• Marzipan: Satin pinkish champagne
• Semi-Sweet: Matte deep brown
• Strawberry Bon Bon: Matte light pink
• Candied Violet: Sheer blue-violet with light pink microglitters (THE WORST PERFORMING SHADE! Took so many swipes to achieve the swatch below! What makes me more sad is that it could've been such a beautiful unique colour!)
• Amaretto: Satin plum-y brown

Last Row:

• Hazelnut: Satin deep bronze
• Creme Brulee: Satin light gold
• Haute Chocolate: Satin light bronze
• Cherry Cordial: Deep burgundy brown with slight microglitters
• Champagne Truffle: Satin pinkish white

Here are the swatches! I did about 2-3 swipes for each with the exception of Gilded Ganache, Black Forest Truffle and Triple Fudge which I probably swiped 4-5 times and Candied Violet which I had to swatch 5+ times!!

L-R: Gilded Ganache, White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Black Forest Truffle, Triple Fudge, Salted Caramel, Marzipan, Semi-Sweet

 L-R: Strawberry Bon Bon, Candied Violet, Amaretto, Hazelnut, Creme Brulee, Haute Chocolate, Cherry Cordial, Champagne Truffle

What do you think of this palette? To me, it's a nice palette overall but nothing that really blew me away. It's nice to have but not a must. Like I said previously, the matte shades are absolutely amazing and pigmented but the rest of the eyeshadows are pretty average. Just their overall finish, application and pigmentation was a little lacklustre. When comparing it to Urban Decay eyeshadows or the Lorac Pro palette, this palette is just not up to par. These Too Faced eyeshadows are just not as smooth, buttery or vibrant as I would've hoped unfortunately. I might try applying an eye primer or using it wet to enhance their pigmentation in the future.

Pros:

• Cute and super unique packaging- lovin' the chocolate bar design!
• Nice range of neutral shades with hints of pink and purple
• Chocolate scented eyeshadows- a bit gimmicky but I admit, kinda works :p
• Gorgeous pigmented and buttery matte eyeshadows
• Cutest eyeshadow names
• Larger highlight shades provided- both are amazing

Cons: 

• Satin/shimmer eyeshadows perform very average. Wished it was more vibrant and pigmented
• Glitter eyeshadows produce glittery fall out. They perform okay on the lids but Candied Violet was a complete dud
• Palette is quite thick in depth and slightly bulky hence may not be good for travelling
• Loose feeling hinges on the palette- makes it feel less sturdy

xo Laura

* Disclaimer: This is a non-sponsored post and I am in no way affiliated with Too Faced Cosmetics. The product mentioned was purchased with my own money and as always my reviews are 100% my honest opinion. *