Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette - review and swatches

I purchased this palette towards the end of last year, and it retails for $65 from Mecca Maxima. When this palette was first released, it wasn't really on my wish list. I own a Too Faced palette from a couple of years ago and there is only really one shadow I use from that palette, and that is for my brows (I have, however, recently depotted it and have been using it so much more since). This deterred me from purchasing any more Too Faced palettes. On a whim, I decided to pick this up. I do not regret purchasing this palette at all. Too Faced describe this eyeshadows in this palette as "pigmented with pure, antioxidant-rich cocoa powder and includes 16 matte and shimmer shades of natural browns, delicate pinks and luscious plums".

There are 16 shades in this palette, with the highlight shades White Chocolate and Champagne Truffle in larger pan sizes - this is not an uncommon practice from Too Faced. The smaller eyeshadow pans (14 in total) have 0.95g of product, and the 2 highlight pans have 2.8g of product.

Gilded Ganache is a darker chocolate brown. This shadow has gold flecks in it. The pigmentation is good with this shadow, but there is quite a bit of fallout when this is applied. 

White Chocolate is a matte, beige shade. It is the yellower of the two highlight shades in the palette. The pigmentation on this matte is great, and I find good use with this shadow to set my base (usually MAC Painterly Paint Pot) lightly with a blending brush before applying any shadows. 

Milk Chocolate is a medium warm-tone matte brown. So far, this shadow has received the most use in this palette as it is a great crease and transition shade. The colour payoff is great with this shadow.

Black Forest Truffle is a darker burgundy/wine shade with gold flecks and shimmer. The application of this shadow can be a bit inconsistent, but on top of a base this shadow works fine. 

Triple Fudge is a dark matte brown. The pigmentation of this matte shadow is not on par with some of the other mattes in this palette, but it is not a chalky shadow and performs great at darkening the crease and outer V of the eye look. 

Salted Caramel is a light warm-tone matte brown. This shadow does lean towards an orange-brown. This matte has great pigmentation. 

Marzipan is a beautifully pigmented pink champagne colour. This is a great everyday colour and has a shimmer finish. One of my favourite go-tos in this palette. 

Semi-Sweet is a darker warm-tone matte brown. I like to use this when darkening up the crease or outer V. This darker matte works great during the day time, and to up the look for the night time, I would recommend going with Triple Fudge in the outer V. 

Strawberry Bon Bon is a matte, light pink shadow. Unfortunately pink shadows are not my preference so this shadow has not receive much use (and most likely won't). In saying that, however, the pigmentation is good and the shadow is fairly blendable. For those that do like pink shadows, this would be a good one. 

Candied Violet is a purple shimmer. Unfortunately, as you can see in the swatches below, this shadow is not overly pigmented. It does perform okay over a base (preferably a purple base), but on its own it is fairly disappointing. I do tend to use this shadow on top of a purple liner underneath my eyes for a pop of colour. 

Amaretto is a shimmery wine shade. The pigmentation is okay.

Hazelnut is a bronze shimmer. This shade is warm-toned and has good pigmentation.

Creme Brulée is a nicely pigmented gold shimmer. Out of the whole palette, this and Marzipan have the best colour pay-off and are my go-to allover lid shade. 

Haute Chocolate is a bronze shimmer. Compared to Hazelnut, it is more cool-toned. I like the inclusion in this palette of a warm tone and cool tone bronze. 

Cherry Cordial is a purple wine with shimmer. This shadow is great for the Autumn and Winter months. It has good colour pay off. 

Champagne Truffle is a pink-toned shimmer highlight. This is gorgeous shadow and can be used as an all-over highlight (yes, on the cheekbones and allover the face as well!) 

(L to R: Gilded Ganache, White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Black Forest Truffle, Triple Fudge)

(L to R: Salted Caramel, Marzipan, Semi-Sweet, Strawberry Bon-Bon, Candied Violet, Amaretto)

(L to R: Hazelnut, Creme Brulée, Haute Chocolate, Cherry Cordial, Champagne Truffle)

The palette also comes with a mirror, which is a great addition. It is in a tin casing (similar to that of the Urban Decay Naked 2 or Naked 3). One of the only disappointing things I find with this palette is that the names are not printed on the packaging but on a slip. I have taped this slip over the mirror side of the palette as to not lose the names. Too Faced have since updated this in the release of their Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette, which will also be up for review soon. Another thing that is disappointing with the palette is the consistency of the shimmer shades. As you can see in the swatches, Marzipan and Creme Brulée are extremely pigmented and consistent, however when you get to some of the other shades, such as Black Forest Truffle or Candied Violet, they are not nearly as pigmented. However, in saying that, as I use an eyeshadow primer and a base whenever applying eyeshadows, this assists in the application and pigmentation on some of the lesser pigmented shadows and I can make them work. 

This palette does lean towards more of a warm-toned palette, but does include some nice cool-toned shadows as well. I think this is a great thing by Too Faced, as the palette can be more versatile for the everyday makeup enthusiast. 

Overall, I love this palette. Since I have purchased it, I have probably used it more than my Naked and Naked 2 combined this year (both are two of my favourite palettes of all time). If you are tossing up whether or not you need this palette, go in store, swatch it, and decide from there. This palette is definitely in my Top 5 Favourite eyeshadow palettes. For $65 (in Australia), you get 16 shadows which is a great deal! And the palette also smells like chocolate, so you really can not go wrong.

Thanks for reading,
X

Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour Liquid Lipstick in Blue Velvet - review and swatches

I purchased this from Lipstick Republic about a month or two ago as I really wanted to try a blue liquid lipstick. This product retails from Lipstick Republic for $29. This is described as a "vibrant royal blue".

This product "goes on opaque, dries completely matte, and stays on for hours". I'm a fan of liquid lipsticks, so how drying they are on the lip doesn't really bother me. This liquid lipstick is on par with Lime Crime and the ColourPop Ultra Mattes that I have tried - see review of ColourPop here. My only issue with this shade (and it may only be the shade, not the overall formulation across the brand) is that it applies, like you can see in the swatch, a little patchy and not fully opaque. The colour is not as consistent as some other formulations and brands I have tried. However, in saying that, I have no issue adding another layer once dry to even out the colour. I quite enjoy this shade and wearing this lip colour. Like most liquid matte colours, there will be some feathering after a few hours, but that is to be expected. 

I believe the price of $29 will be across the board in Australia. Of course, when comparing this price to that of ColourPop, it is quite expensive. At the time of purchase, ColourPop had not released a dark blue liquid lipstick. I don't regret purchasing this shade and I would consider purchasing a few more shades (Blow Pony, Posh Spice, Redrum). This product is also 100% vegan and cruelty free.

Thanks for reading, and what are your thoughts on blue lips?
X

NARS Ultimate NARS Lip Pencil Kit - review and swatches

For my birthday, I got a gift voucher to Mecca (one of my favourite stores by far). I went in and decided to pick up the NARS Ultimate NARS Lip Pencil Kit. There were two variations - the one I purchased, which is more neutral, and the NARS True NARS Lip Pencil Kit, which is a red variation. I decided to pick up this one as opposed to the red as it is more wearable for work and will get more use. This retails for $72 at Mecca stores and is limited edition. The set comes with two Satin Lip Pencils and one Velvet Matte. Each product is full-size, which made the purchase of this impressive as each pencil retails for $39 from Mecca.

(The packaging for the lip pencils also has a mirror, which is a great feature)

(L to R: Stourhead, Biscayne Park, Sex Machine)

The set also comes with a sharpener for the lip pencils, which is a great addition. I do find after wearing one of the lip pencils all day and reapplying all day, you will need to sharpen the pencil at the end of the day. 

(L to R: Stourhead, Biscayne Park, Sex Machine)

Stourhead is limited edition to this set, has a Satin finish and is described as a "pale lavender-pink". Biscayne Park also has a Satin finish and is described as a "pink guava". This is a peachy nude and a great everyday colour for my skin tone. Sex Machine is described by NARS as a "must-have mauve" and has a Velvet Matte finish.

The Satin Lip Pencils last great on the lips but after eating I do find they need to be touched up. The Velvet Matte Lip Pencils last even longer. I find both formulations are soft and do not dry out the lips. After this purchase, I know Biscayne Park will always be one of my go-to nudes. 

If this is still available to you, I would recommend picking it up. It is great value for the product, and lets you try out 3 shades and 2 different finishes from NARS.

Thanks for reading,

X

Products I Regret Buying 2015

One of my favourite videos to watch on YouTube are products I regret buying videos, so I thought I'd put up a post on products I regret buying. In no shape or form is my word gospel, but these following products are products that really didn't work for me. It may be the colour, or the formulation, but here are my thoughts on the products I regret buying.

L'Oreal True Match Foundation
I really wish this foundation worked for me, but unfortunately I think my skin is too dry for this to work. The colour is fine but it just clings to my dry patches.

Australis Face and Body Tint
When this foundation was released, many believed it would be a dupe for the MAC Face & Body foundation. Unfortunately, it is not. Should you try to layer this product at all, it balls up. Do not recommend, and have only used it the one time.

Bourjois Happy Light Luminous Serum Primer
I have used a significant amount of this primer, and it is super moisturising. Unfortunately, it made me break out every single time I used it. I like the primer but not enough to have pimples. It did take me a while to realise I was breaking out because of this primer.

Rimmel BB Cream in Light
This BB cream had a strange tone to it. It reminds me of the original Garnier BB Cream, which I wasn't a fan of (love the one for combo to oily skin, though!). This BB cream comes out grey toned but once blended goes quite orange. Doesn't match my skin at all.

MAC Studio Fix Liquid Foundation
I used to adore this foundation, but I regret purchasing a second bottle once I had used up the first. Since I first tried this foundation, my skin has definitely become dryer. This foundation does not work well with my skin at all anymore.

Revlon Photoready Powder in Translucent 
This powder has shimmer in it. No matter how little you use, you can see glitter on your face. Not a fan of this powder at all unfortunately.

MAC Soft and Gentle Mineralize Skinfinish 
This is an annoying one. Everyone seems to love this product, but I find it too gritty. I do occasionally pull it out and try to use it, but for the most part I find myself asking 'why did you ever purchase this?' It might work better on more medium skin tones, but for us fair girls, I would recommend picking up MAC Lightscapade instead. On a brighter side, this Mineralise Skinfinish does work good as an eyeshadow.

MAC Studio Fix Powder 
I have used a lot of this powder, and that was before I noticed my skin going very very dry. This powder is heavy duty - when I went to MAC (about two years ago now) and the lady suggested this powder, I should have really done my research and told her I wasn't down with the super full coverage face. The flashback on this powder is not flattering at all.

Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait 
I love the Revlon Lip Butter's for the most part, but this one is basically glitter in a tube - and this is not a look I like on my lips at all. The colour is gorgeous swatched, but once it is on the lips you can feel how chunky the glitter is.

And those are the products I regret buying!

Thanks for reading,

X

ColourPop Lippie Stix - Tootsie & Lumiere - review and swatches

I've really been on a ColourPop kick lately. For the second order I placed with ColourPop, I decided to try out their Lippie Stix. These have been all the range on YouTube lately, so I decided on two shades to try out - Tootsie and Lumiere. 

(L to R: Lumiere and Tootsie)

Lumiere is a dark rose toned nude. ColourPop describes this as a "dusty mauve pink". This was developed with YouTuber kathleenlights (see review of her ColourPop foursome here). Tootsie is described as a "cool-toned grey beige ('greige')". Both these Lippie Stix have a matte finish (my favourite kind of finish). These last well on the lips and are not drying. If the Liquid Matte Lip trend is not your thing (see my review of the ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip here), then I would recommend looking in to these. The Lippie Stix retail for $5 US, as compared with the Ultra Matte Lip at $6 US. For the price, these lip products are great. Each shade from ColourPop does have a complimentary Lippie Pencil, which is a great feature from the brand. The Lippie Pencil's also retail for $5 US.

Thanks for reading,
X

MAC Purple Times Nine Eyeshadow Palette - review and swatches

My wonderful boyfriend gifted me with this palette for my birthday. I had been eyeing it out since I had seen these pop up in MAC stores the last couple of months, but convinced myself I didn't need it.  These come in four variations, and my boyfriend picked out the Purple palette (I've taught him well!).

(L to R:Sweet Lustre, Poignant, Lightly Sugared, Mancatcher, Satellite Dreams, Bon Nuit, After Dusk, Beauty Marked, Shadowy Lady)

Sweet Lust is described as a soft champagne pink with pearls, and is a lustre finish. Unfortunately this shade is not overly pigmented, but would work as a soft highlight for the inner corner and brow bone. Poignant is a soft lavender with a satin finish. Lightly Sugared is a soft lilac with pearl, and has a frost finish. Mancatcher is a lavender taupe, also with a frost finish. Satellite Dreams is a plum with violet pearl, and has a veluxe pearl finish. Bon Nuit is described as a deep plum and has a matte finish. After Dusk is a soft red wine and has a veluxe pearl finish. Beauty Marked is a black red with sparkle pearl, and has a velvet finish. Shadowy Lady is a blackened plum with a matte finish. 

I think the best performing shadows in this palette are the veluxe pearl finishes. The only disappointing shadows are the two mattes - Bon Nuit and Shadowy Lady. As you can see from the swatches, they are not overly pigmented and swatch a bit patchy. In saying that, however, the two shadows perform well over a base (my go-to is MAC Painterly Paint Pot), and I would tend to use both shades to darken the outer V, which they work well for. If I was to create a dark eyeshadow look, I wouldn't reach for either unless they were topped on a dark base. 

My favourite shades from this palette are Mancatcher (4th shadow in the palette) and After Dusk (7th shadow in the palette). Mancatcher has a frost finish, but is quite pigmented. After Dusk is a veluxe pearl. I've never tried the veluxe pearl finish shadows, but I do want to after trying this one. 

Overall, the palettes are good value for money. In Australia, each palette retails for $65 and there are four variations available - purple, amber, burgundy and navy. I most likely will purchase either the amber of burgundy palette as well, even though I really don't need any more shadows. The size and variations in the palette make this one extremely appealing to me, and it is a great palette to travel with. Any of the palettes would be good for beginners as well, as they come with a nice variety of shades and you also get to test out the types of formulas MAC has in eyeshadows. It has been said many a time that MAC needs to update their formulas, but from my own experience MAC mattes are not the best and I wasn't expected amazing things from the two mattes in this palette. Overall, however, I like that MAC has produced palettes like this around a colour theme, and it is great having a variety of purple shades in the one place. If you were interested in picking any of these up, I would recommend giving one a go!

Thanks for reading,
X

ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip - review and swatches - Limbo, Trap, Tulle & Zipper

My favourite kind of lip product are matte products. Matte liquid lipsticks are always on my radar. ColourPop released these a few months ago and they immediately sold out. A few weeks ago I got an email saying they were back in stock, so I ordered four shades that appealed to me. Shipping was about $18 AUD ($12.92 US), and each lip colour is US $6. The total sale worked out to be $52.48 AUD, which isn't too bad for four shades. The price is really equivalent to what you would pay for "drugstore" lip products in Australia.

(L to R: Trap, Tulle, Limbo, Zipper)

The formula is comparable to Lime Crime Velvetines. It is definitely a very dry formula. I wore Trap to work one day, and only had to reapply towards the end of the day because I had been eating and the colour started to wear away in the centre of the lip. If you are not a fan of dry, matte lip products, these will not work well for you. The colour consistency in all four shades is amazing, and once dry, the product will not go anywhere until you want it to. Trap reminds me a lot of the Lippe Stix in Tootsie, which I purchased about a month ago along with a few other products. The formula of Tootsie is also a matte, but I would describe Tootsie as having a more satin finish. These products, on the other hand, are definitely matte. I picked up Limbo because I didn't end up purchasing Salem from Lime Crime at IMATS last year, and I thought this was similar enough (and I'm a bit unsure about purchasing anymore Lime Crime products). Zipper reminds me of a super matte version of MAC Heroine (which is also a matte finish), and I didn't have anything similar to Tulle in my collection so I thought it was a good addition.

Overall, I'm really glad with this purchase and definitely will be purchasing a few more in the near future... Maybe when the exchange rate is better. If you are interested in these lip products and love matte liquid lipsticks, I would recommend looking into these. 

Thanks for reading, 

X

Current Favourites

It has been a while since I've done a Favourites post, so I thought I'd combine the last couple of months. I have been experimenting with new products as of lately, and these are the products that have stood out to me from the last couple of months:

Josie Maran Cosmetics Argan Illuminiser 
Where has this product been all my life? I picked this up from Mecca a couple of months ago, and I love to mix it in with face products for an allover luminosity (it works especially well with the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue). The only downside to this product, when used mixed with base products, is once the makeup does wear off throughout the day, glitter does remain on your face. For a night out, however, this is a great product. You can apply it all over your face before foundation as an illuminating base.

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara
I received a small size of this in the Naked on the Run palette. I have been wearing this daily and it does something magical with my tiny lashes. Will definitely repurchase this one, even though I don't tend to spend too much on mascaras. I find Maybelline do great mascaras, but this one was a pleasant surprise.

Chi Chi Super CC Cream
I have been using this product on the daily. The coverage is light but buildable. I purchased this in the shade Light (I believe there is a Fair shade) and it is a pretty good match. Because it is a CC cream, this type of base product is great for dry skin. I have not had an issue with this one clinging onto dry patches. There is 50g of product in this tube. The standard for foundation is 30g, so the amount of product for the price is amazing.

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue
The coverage of this is much lighter than the Chi Chi CC Cream. I do find with super dry skin, this does cling a bit. With properly moisturised and primed skin, this is a great base product for everyday. There is 35g of product in here, which is an additional 5g than the standard amount of foundation. The colour range in Australia isn't as large as it is overseas, but if there is a shade that matches you, I would recommend checking it out. This product is advertised as a "tinted hydrating gel cream", so the coverage is just enough to even out my skin tone (my main concern is redness).

Too Faced Cocoa Contour Palette
This has quickly become a staple in my everyday makeup routine. The Light Cocoa shade in this palette (as you can see) is my absolute favourite under eye highlight powder I have tried to date. I've done a review of this palette here. The Medium Cocoa shade is a great contour shade for me, and I will definitely be experimenting with Dark Cocoa once the spring and summer time hits.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette
I love mixing the two lighter shades in the palette for a subtle highlight during the day. I know a lot of people love to use these powders to set under the eyes, but I find them too shimmery for that. As a subtle glow, though, these work well. I've done a review of this palette here.

And those are my current favourites! Thanks for reading,
X

Stila Field of Florals Convertible Colour Palette - review and swatches

This year, Stila released a 12 colour convertible colour lip and cheek palette. Mecca did carry this, but by the time I realised I wanted to purchase it, it wasn't on the website (I did, however, find it in store later and purchased it for a friend). I picked this palette up from BeautyBay.com for about $50. It is still available, if you were interested - click here!

(L to R: Lilium, Magnolia, Tulip, Camellia, Peony, Rose) 

(L to R: Gladiola, Peach Blossom, Hibiscus, Gerbera, Petunia, Fuchsia)

I really have been into cream blushes lately. I thought for the price, this product was a great investment because of the variety. In Australia, a single colour retails for $36. I have tested this product on both my cheeks and lips. On the cheeks, I do like to top with a powder blush, but in the spring and summer time this would be a great product to apply for a beach day or the like. On the lips, the colours last great. I love the look of Rose on my lips. I do tend to go for mostly matte lip colours, but the creamy consistency of these are fine. They are comfortable to wear on the lips. The palette does come with a nice variety of nude and colourful shades, both for the lips and cheeks. 

If I did hit pan on one of the shades, I would consider buying a full size of the product. The only downside I have with the palette is the shape of the pans - it's not the easiest to apply directly from pan to cheek with a brush. I like to apply the product with my fingers - 3-4 dots each cheek, and blend out with a stippling brush. If I want to intensify the colour, I can add more later. On the cheeks, the colours have a luminous finish because of the creamy texture. There is no noticeable shimmer in any of the colours. 

If you were slightly intrigued in this product, I would recommend picking it up. This was a great addition to my collection and nothing like anything else I have.

Thanks for reading,

X

Mecca Beauty Loop Level 2 Box - 2015

This is the second Mecca Beauty Loop box I have received this year (please see post here for the one back in April). I have gone up a Level since the first box I received, and I will probably be at Level 3 by the time the next is released... I only have about $50 to spend before this.

This box comes with two decent sized samples of mascara and lip gloss, a one use sample and a small sample of lip balm.

The samples included are the NARS Orgasm Lip Balm, Chantecaille Faux Clis Mascara, By Terry Baume De Rose Lip Balm and Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser.

(I'm pretty excited about the lip gloss, even though I'm not a huge lip gloss fan!) 

And those are the products I got in the recent Beauty Loop box! If you haven't already picked yours up, head into Mecca or you can add it in your cart online.

Thanks for reading,

X