Speed Review: Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette

Overindulged on the chocolate eggs this Easter? Check out the latest "it" palette, the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette.

 

Palettes from Too Faced are quickly becoming amongst my favourites. They're executed well, with expertly edited colour combinations and the quality of the shadows is up there with the likes of Urban Decay, etc... and the Chocolate Bar palette is no exception.

The mix of chocolate and makeup was always going to be a winning combination so it's unsurprising that beauty fans have been raving about this palette since its launch in February. It's not the first time that the brand has released a product inspired by the dark stuff. One of the founders of Too Faced was reportedly inspired to include cocoa in products having enjoyed a chocolate facial treatment. Too Faced are renowned for their Chocolate Bronzer and they've previously released a palette which resembled a box of chocolates (the Shadow Bon Bons Palette). The Chocolate Bar palette is in keeping with the brand's affinity with chocolate and even contains 100% natural cocoa powder, which is rich in antioxidants.

 

Presented in a box which looks like a foil wrapped chocolate bar, the tin palette resembles a chocolate bar in appearance. I like that the name of the palette is reflected in the design and feel that it adds a fun twist, making it stand out from other palettes. It has a functional magnetic closure. As with other Too Faced palettes, a step-by-step guide to creating different looks is included.
Despite the quirky packaging, the quality of the product inside isn't compromised. Upon opening the palette, I was hit with the indulgent scent of sweet chocolate- it really is a treat for the senses!  It's said that even smelling chocolate can improve our moods, helping to relax and relieve stress & anxiety, which is one of the reasons why Too Faced were keen to incorporate the scent.

 

Each of the sixteen eyeshadows within the palette is wearable, and I particularly liked the mix of matte and shimmer finishes, which can be lacking in other palettes. Furthermore, I appreciated that the White Chocolate (a great matte cream that will be the ideal base) and Champagne Truffle (as the name suggests, a gorgeous Champagne shade ideal for highlighting or as a colour wash all over the lid) shades are larger, with 2.8g of product compared with the other shades, which are 0.95g each.
I really love that each of the shades has a mouth-watering, confectionary inspired name.

Gilded Ganache- this shade needed to be applied in a few layers to achieve full intensity
White Chocolate- a very smooth matte cream which is pigmented and didn't applied in a patchy way, as many mattes can
Milk Chocolate- again, I was impressed at how smooth and pigmented this matte shade was. It's a gorgeous grungy shade that would work well as a contour colour.
Black Forest Truffle- this shade, which contains chunky glitter particles, needed to be applied in layers to achieve full intensity. I'd recommend applying this using a densely packed eyeshadow brush and pressing it onto the lids for the best effect.
Triple Fudge- a stunning and intense blackened brown matte which would work well in the outer "v".

From bottom to top: Gilded Ganache, White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Black Forest Truffle, Triple Fudge

 



Salted Caramel- another grungy shade with a matte finish. This would also work well in the crease.
Marzipan- an intensely pigmented rose gold which has a metallic finish. It's a very pretty shade which I'd be most likely to use either as a colour wash all over the lid or applied to the centre of the eyelid to add a pop to a look. Note that although there was also a shade called Marzipan in the Shadow Bon Bons palette, this is a completely different eyeshadow.
Semi-Sweet- a wearable matte brown
Strawberry Bon Bon- I was initially concerned that this pastel pink matte looked a little chalky but it was fine once a few layers had been applied. This is the shade which I'd probably be least likely to reach for in the palette. However, I appreciate that it's a unique shade and is unlike anything else I have in my extensive collection.
Candied Violet- this shade is packed with chunky pink glitter so again, I'd recommend applying it using a densely packed brush. I needed to apply a few layers to achieve full intensity. I like that Too Faced have included this pop of colour within the palette, particularly because it's still a wearable shade that I might reach for if I want something different to intensify my brown eyes.

From bottom to top: Salted Caramel, Marzipan, Semi- Sweet, Strawberry Bon Bon, Candied Violet

Amaretto- this gorgeous red toned metallic is probably my favourite shade in the palette. It's a burgundy copper which I can't wait to incorporate into a smokey eye.
Hazelnut- this is a pretty brown shade with a subtle bronze finish. It took more layering to achieve full intensity than I'd anticipated but is a very wearable shade.
Crème Brulee- this is a pigmented, metallic gold. I'd describe it as being more of an "old gold" than the yellower toned Half Baked by Urban Decay. It's very wearable and I can see myself reaching for this a lot, particularly for summer nights out.

From bottom to top: Amaretto, Hazelnut, Crème Brulee

Haute Chocolate- a pretty bronze with a frosted finish
Cherry Cordial- a matte burgundy which has some small shimmer particles
Champagne Truffle- given the name, this shade translated on the skin as whiter than I'd anticipated. It has a frost finish and would work well as a highlight shade. It reminded me a lot of Mac's Phloof (one of my favourite highlight shades), however, whereas Phloof has a pink undertone, Champagne Truffle has a golden peach undertone.

From bottom to top: Haute Chocolate, Cherry Cordial, Champagne Truffle

Whilst some shades required a little more work than others, I was impressed overall with the shadows in this palette both in terms of colour selection and formulation. In particular, I was impressed at the quality of the matte shades, which are notoriously difficult to do well.

I haven't tried every colour on my eyes as yet but those which I have, I've found to apply smoothly. I was impressed at how little fall out there was during application, although I'm yet to try the glittery shades. The shadows I tried were pigmented yet blended easily and wore well on the lids throughout the day.

At £45, the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette is on the pricier end of the scale for a palette. It's a shame that despite the high price point, there are no extras such as a brush, eyeliner or eyeshadow primer included. Having said this, it works out at approximately £3 per shadow and given that each shade is wearable, it represents good value in that respect. It really is a very well thought out product that would be a welcome addition to any collection. So go on, treat yourself, without the calories!