Review and Swatches: Too Faced Bon Bons Palette

Omg~ Lauren is actually posting reviews again?
WHUT IS THIS!?

Haha~! Yes, I'm back from my hiatus. With a lot to catch up on might I add. The past few weeks have been rough. I've slowly been getting better about Cody's death, as well as going out of my mind at work. I volunteered for some extra shifts in the security department which bumped me up to 52 1/2 hours last week alone. 12 1/2 hours of overtime leaves me with no room to complain xP

Also getting ready for a holiday-based anime convention this weekend, so my brain is totally FRIED. Between prepping for that, working on photos for reviews (which there's A LOT, lemme tell ya), and re-recording tutorials for youtube, I question how I managed. xD

I figured I'd start off with the more holiday based reviews. A tad late, yes, but perhaps they may help for some last minute gift ideas.

This is for the amazing Too Faced Bon Bons palette!

This palette was one of the more appealing sets that Too Faced had released this year. Now, don't get me wrong, the rest of their holiday collection is amazing as well. However, this palette had more brand new shades than the rest of them. For example, the majority of eyeshadow shades in their Sweet Indulgence palette (available at Sephora) had a lot of shades that are either available in other palettes OR on their own. So, this one naturally seemed like the better buy if you're like me and have pretty much every palette Too Faced had to offer. LOL

This palette contains 12 eyeshadows, a deluxe sample sized Shadow Insurance in the Candlelight shade, and a full sized LashGasm mascara in black. Now, a few of the shades are repeats, which I'll go into more detail about later, but the majority are brand new shades made just for the holidays :D

The packaging of this palette, while not as visually appealing as the GORGEOUS packaging they had last year for their Sweet Dreams palette/collection, is still cute. It's much more simple looking, with a pale pink velvet-covered box laced with gold. It closes with a magnetic flap, like most of Too Faced's other palettes.

The size of the eyeshadows are about the sized of the Sweet Dreams palette's (0.03 oz.). The shades included are:
-Vanilla (matte bone)
-Cut the Cake (heathered mist) [also available in the Romantic Eye palette]
-Framboise (Dark smokey plum)
-Coffee Bean (matte coffee) [also available in the Matte Eye palette]
-Peach Fuzz (peachy gold) [also available in the Summer Eye palette and Sexpresso/Peach Fuzz duo]
-Hot Cocoa (chocolate)
-Candy Rose (pink sparkle)
- Lovey Dovey (sable brown) [also available in the Lovey Dovey duo]
-Nude Beach (nude peach) [also available in the Natural Eye palette]
-Cinnamon Sugar (golden bronze)
-Marzipan (medium orange-brown)
-Licorice Latte (black with bronze sparkle)

Like with most other Too Faced palettes, it comes with some tutorials. However, instead of the usual cards, these are on a foldable sheet. I dunno how I feel about this. I think the cards would be much more durable.

 Swatches

Top row: Vanilla, Cut the Cake, Framboise, Coffee Bean

Middle row: Peach Fuzz, Hot Cocoa, Candy Rose, Lovey Dovey

Last row: Nude Beach, Cinnamon Sugar, Marzipan, Licorice Latte

As always, Too Faced never really disappoints me. Even with shades like "Peach Fuzz", which may look like  it has no pigmentation; it's actually one of my favorite subtle highlights (which I'm sure I've mentioned in the past). Cut the Cake might be the only one that needs a bit of work to get it more visible. As a whole, this palette is very neutral, the most stand-out-ish sort of shades being in the top row with the purple shades. There's a nice variety of finishes from matte to shimmer to satin, which is nice. It leaves room for many possibilities as far as looks go.

In my opinion, this palette would make a lovely gift for any Too Faced lover. It would also make a suitable gift for someone who prefers neutrals, or is even new to makeup all together. At a price of $42, it's well worth it, especially since you get the primer and mascara with it! :D

Hoping to get back on track with my posts. There's still a few things I feel are worth mentioning for the holidays ^u^

'Til next time,

Stay beautiful, both inside and out~ <3

x~PhantomRose~x

Too Faced: Haul, Swatches, and Reviews!!

OMGGGGGG~!!!!

Ok, I'm super excited about this post. Why?

CUZ IT'S TOO FACED!!! (((o(> u <)o)))

Some of this haul is from HauteLook, and the rest is from the actual Too Faced website. So LET'S GET STARTED!!!

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First up, Too Faced Sun Bunny Bronzer. In all honesty, I bought this for my mom for Mother's Day, since she kept stealing my 'Fun in the Dark' palette just for the same bronzer. xD

I personally RARELY use bronzers, simply since my skin is so pale, and even the slightest bit of bronzer can get out of hand. However, for the few times that I do use it, Sun Bunny is one of my faves. It has two shades in one; one side a lighter golden bronze, the other a classic bronze with a touch of pink undertone. It looks very natural on the skin; none of that awkward orange tinting. It has a slight amount of shimmer, but not to the point that you'd sparkle like a Cullen (ew... Twilight...). It gives you a gorgeous, healthy glow.

Too Faced Sun Bunny Bronzer retails for $29.

Sun Bunny outter packaging.

Sun Bunny Bronzer Compact

Sun Bunny Bronzer (Natural Lighting)

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Next, the Too Faced Mood Swing lip gloss in 'Pink Petal.' These glosses are pretty cool. They start off with a particular color and then change into a perfect shade of pink. I'm sure most people know this, but anything "mood activated" works by body temperature. Your moods actually can effect the heat (or lack there-of) of your body. These glosses use that to their advantage to change their shades.

This one in particular starts off white, then shifts to (as stated) a petal pink shade. According to the box, it can change to 6 different hues; in order from lightest to darkest, the moods are labeled as Totally Zen (palest pink/almost white), Slightly Smitten (true petal pink), Feeling Frisky (Pink with Lilac-ish undertone), Dirty Thoughts (flirty pink), Hot and Bothered (mauvey pink), and Bask in the Afterglow (deep mauvey pink).

The only issue I have with this particular shade is that it can settle into the imperfections of your lips, which is obviously never flattering. So I suggest using a lip scrub first to smooth out the texture of your lips beforehand.

Of course, it'd be difficult to swatch every shade, but I hope this'll give you an idea.

Mood Swing lip gloss vintage retails for $16.65.

Mood Swing Outer Packaging

"Petal Pink"

Mood Swing "Petal Pink" -White to pink shade

"Petal Pink" swatch (natural lighting)

[according toe the box, this was the Feelin' Frisky hue ;D LOL]

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This product is their newest edition to the Candlelight highlighting powder: Candlelight Glow.

I remember trying the original Candlelight when I purchased Too Faced holiday 2011 palette, and abosolutely adored it. This one is similar, but has a specific twist. The original highlighter is only one shade, but the Glow highlighter has two. One side is a sheer golden powder that warms your skintone, the other a gilded-rose which brightens and illuminates. According to the description, PHOTOLITE technology filters and fractures harsh light to fight the effect of cold lighting which gives skins a washed out or chalky tone.

Each side can be used seperately, or you can swirl the two together. Your choice :)

I'm equally in love with this highlighter as I am with the original... maybe even more. ^u^ It gives a perfect glow to skin that looks natural.

Candlelight Glow retails for $29.

Candlelight Glow - Outer Packaging

Candlelight Glow compact

(Ahhhh~!!! Why is heir packaging always so amazing?? *spazzes*)

Candlelight Glow (natural lighting)

OMG!! I LOVE the chandelier detail on the powder!! ><

Candlelight Glow swatches [natural lighting] 

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 Next up is the Natural at Night palette. I've had my eye on it for a litle while now and finally decided to take the leap and buy it. Gotta say, I'm glad I did. xD
The colors of course are more on the neutral side, but amped up for the night (as expected). A palette like this is perfect for a natural smokey eye.
As with nearly every other Too Faced eyeshadow I've ever tried, the formula is so creamy and easily blendable. As usual, there's 9 eyeshadows and 3 categories:
- Night (inseadd of the usual Day): Full Moon (glittery light bronze), Nightcap (shimmering medium bronze), Cocoa Star (deep matte cocoa)
- Classic: Night Light (glittery rose-blush), After Hours (shimmery medium mauve), Eclipse (deep mauve shimmer)
- Fashion: Spotlight (matte cream), Moon Stone (shimmering olive-brass), Night Fever (deep golden brown with glitter)

Night Light gives a slight bit of glitter fallout, but it's really not to the point that it becomes fairydust all over your face xD

Too Faced Natural at Night Palette retails for $36.

Natural at Night packaging

Natural at Night palette

Natural at Night (natural lighting)

Natural at Night (with flash)

Natural at Night swatches(in order): Full Moon, Nightcap, Cocoa Star, Night Light, After Hours, Eclipse, Spotlight, Moon Stone, Night Fever [natural lighting]

Natural at Night shadow swatches [with flash]

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One thing I can say, I don't own many of the single round eyeshadows, though I wish I owned them all. Haha!
The one I most recently picked up is in the shade "Glamazon."
Glamazon is a silver fawn color; absolutely gorgeous. The consistancy of it is maybe a bit creamier than others, but that's in no way a bad thing. It's easily blendable and has a lovely almost-foiled finish. It makes me definitely want to pick up the other colors. ^u^
Too Faced single round eyeshadows retail for $16.

Too Faced Single Round Eyeshadow in "Glamazon"

"Glamazon" swatch [natural lighting]

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 Next up is the Too Faced Round Eyeshadow Duos. I managed to get my hands on two shades: "Teddy Bear/Heaven (chocolate matte/cream matte)"  and "Bon Bon (golden pink/beige sparkle)."
"Teddy Bear/Heaven" is perhaps one of my favorite duos. The Teddy Bear shade was included in the holiday 2011 Sweet Dreams palette, and Heaven is part of the Natural Eye palette. Both shades are very versitile, and I feel I use them more than most other shades for everyday looks. Teddy Bear is amazing as a crease color, while Heaven is beautiful as both an all-over lid color and brow highlight.
"Bon Bon" is another duo that can be rather versitile. The golden-pink shade is a beautiful color that could be used for romantic looks, and the shimmery beige would work wonders as a highlight. As a matter of fact, I think using Teddy Bear with Bon Bon would make an adorable look inspired by sweets~ ^ w ^
Too Faced eyeshadow duos retail for $17.

"Teddy Bear/Heaven"

"Teddy Bear/Heaven" swatches (natural lighting)

"Bon Bon"

"Bon Bon" swatches (natural lighting)

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Well, that concludes my Too Faced haul and review.
HNGGGGGG!!!! I just friggin' LOVE Too Faced, and I know one of these days, it'll be the death of my life's savings. Hahaha. xD
In a nutshell, I'd definitely buy all of these items again, and continue to buy anything else they put out. I also recommend them to all ^u^
I have all of the other permanent palettes, so I'll be working on reviews/swatches of them too when I get the chance; for those who may be wondering if they should get them or not.
It'll also be something to hold everyone off while I work on tutorials and such. ^_^

So, until next time,
Stay beautiful, both inside and out~ <3

x~PhantomRose~x

Gotta Love HAUTELOOK!!

Sorry this isn't quite a review or anything quite yet, but I figured this was something kinda shareworthy with people! ^_^
I'm sure many of you have heard about hautelook.com at some point. If not, GO CHECK IT OUT!!

It's a website that has sales EVERYDAY on everything from clothes, to cosmetics, even accessories and furniture!! Even cooler, they have a lot of really well known brands!

I just made a rather large order (which I'm kicking myself for right now since I really don't have the money to spare, but I'll get over that rather quickly when my stuff arrives. xDD). I just HAVE to show you what a difference it makes!! Especially when you're like me and can't -always- afford the good stuff~
I ordered from a total of 3 different brands: Too Face (*insert the halleluja chorus here*), Urban Decay, and Bella ll Fiore.
As I mentioned in my previous post, brands like Too Faced, while not as expensive as some brands like Lancome or something, is still a little bit pricey for everyday buys. However, on HauteLook, everything is much more affordable. I even noticed it's even a bit cheaper than the company websites SALE PRICES!!

In order to put this into better light, lemme show you the list of items I got, along with their original prices.

Bella ll Fiore
 - Lip Lovely Strawberries and Cream (includes Balm and lip scrub)
        HauteLook: $8.00 ----- Originally $17.00
 - Perfect Pout Lip Gloss in 'Paris'
        HauteLook: $5.00 ----- Originally $14.00

Urban Decay
 - 24/7 Travel-sized eyeliners in 'Electric' 5 pack
        HauteLook: $19.00 ----- Originally $32.00
 - 24/7 Travel-sized eyeliners in 'Naked' 5 pack
        HauteLook: $19.00 ----- Originally $32.00
 - Book of Shadows IV Palette
        HauteLook: $24.00 ----- Originally $64.00 (SUCH A DEAL!!)
 - Sparkling Lickable Body Powder in 'Marshmallow'
        HauteLook: $7.00 ----- Originally $29.00
 - Urban Glow Cream Highlighter in 'Moonshine'
        HauteLook: $6.00 ----- Originally $24.00

Too Faced
 - Duo Eye Round shadows in 'Bon Bon' and 'Teddy Bear and Heaven'
        HauteLook: $8.00 each ----- Originally: $17.00 each
 - Single Round Eyeshadow in 'Glamazon'
        HauteLook: $8.00 ----- Originally: $16.00
 - Petal Pink Mood Swing Lip Gloss
        HauteLook: $7.00 -----Originally: $18.00


*spazz attack* OMG I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS HAUL!!!! Hahaha!!
*ahem*

Now, lets put this into perspective...

Total amount (if not bought on HauteLook): $280.50 (ouch... That's more than my average weekly paycheck...)
Total amount spent on HauteLook: $119.00

TOTAL AMOUNT SAVED: $161.50!!!!!

You can't possibly tell me this isn't a good deal for all that stuff!!
I've been to HauteLook a couple of times, but I've never made a big enough order to realize how much it saves you. Now that I have, all I can say is HOLY CRAP!!!
You all should check it out if you haven't already~!! :D

Everyday, a new sale starts, and lasts about 2-3 days each. So take advantage while you can~!!! > u <

I'll be sure to do a post when I receive the haul, as well as do reviews on the items :3

'Til then,
Stay beautiful, both inside and out~! <3

x~PhantomRose~x

Ulta Haul: Too Faced and Stila

So, I just went to Ulta yesterday, since I'd received a 20% off coupon (HECK YEAH!!) in the mail. It's one of those that actually works for items that are usually excluded, like BareMinerals for example.
Now, while I'm not in need of my usual foundation or anything, and the coupon is only good for one week, I decided to spluge a bit on some items I've had my eyes on for a while as well as the new Too Faced Summer eye palette.
(As I'm sure that you'll all soon figure out, I'm -obsessed- with Too Faced cosmetics)

So, let's get started, ne?

First, I'll start off with the Stila Custom Color Blush in "Self-Adjusting Pink." This particular blush supposedly turns into the perfect shade of pink based on your skin's pH, allowing it to compliment your skintone. They also sell this blush in a 'Self-Adjusting Coral' shade, but my local Ulta only had the pink (which I'm totally cool with). I gave this blush a test today at work and I was rather impressed. Although it looks absolutely neon pink in the compact, it applies nicely on the skin. I'm sure how MUCH you put on makes all the difference. I'll be sure to give a full review on this (as well as all of the other products I purchased), as well as swatches, once I've used it a little bit more.
Stila Custom Color Blush retails for $20.

Stila  Custom Color Pink (Compact)

Stila Custom Color blush Pink (in natural light)

Stila Custom Color Blush Pink (with flash)

Next up is the LASplash glitter pigment in "Renaissance." It's a bit of an old-gold sort of color, so it's not as yellow in tone like most golds are. I remember seeing xSparkage use it in her Hunger Games District 1 tutorial and thought it'd be something I might like to try out. (Btw, if you haven't checked her out, she's awesome :D Her tutorials are very good!)

This pigment of course would have to be applied with a very sticky base, so I figured I could use the Too Faced Glitter Glue Primer I also purchased in this haul.

LASpalsh glitter pigment retails for $6.99. 

LASplash Glitter Shadow Pigment in 'Renaissance" (packaging)

LASplash Glitter Pigment in "Renaissance" (natural light)

LASplash Glitter Pigment in "Renaissance" (with flash)

I noticed the majority of this haul is glitter. LOL

The next item on my list is the Too Faced Glamour Dust Glitter Pigment. Now, I remember using a bit of one of these during the holiday season in "Blue Angel." Actually, it was during a convetion called "Holiday Matsuri," an anime convention with a holiday theme (yes, I'm into that sort of thing. Pretty girls can like that stff too ;D ). I had used the glitter on one of my friends who was doing a "Madam Red Mrs. Clause" cosplay and it looked absolutely stunning! So after that, I wanted to buy the full package itself. I bought 3 of the 4 colors available. The fourth, Glampire (a Peacock Brown glitter), was a bit too dark for my tastes, but who knows. I might get it eventually. The 3 I actually purchased was Blue Angel (a French Blue glitter [though it looks more silver than blue in my opinion]), Pink Fire (a Pale Pink glitter), and Nude Beam (a Shimmering Nude glitter). While I know I won't use these on a daily basis, I have no regrets over this purchase. xD I'll come up with uses for them.

The Glamour Dust Glitter Pigments retail for $17 a piece.

Packaging for the Too Faced Glamour Dust

(One thing I absolutely LOVE about Too Faced is their attractive packaging!!)

The colors are labeled on the top of the box.

Glamour Dust in Pink Fire (natural light)

Glamour Dust in Blue Angel (natual light)

Glamour Dust in Nude Beam (natual light)

Now, what glitter pigment could possible hold on without a good adhesive base?? This is why I couldn't help but also purchase the Too Faced Glitter Glue. I, again, had sampled this during Holiday Matsuri for my friend's cosplay, and let me say it held that glitter in place ALL DAY and well into the night. As a matter of fact, she text me the next morning saying how hard i was to get all the glitter off. Hahaha! In my opinion, I'd say that makes this product very impressive~!

Too Faced Glitter Glue retails for $18.

Packaging

Too Faced Glitter Glue tube

Last but not least, I bought the newest edition to Too Faced's eye shadow palette collection, the Summer Eye collection. This palette has gorgous tropical colors that I believe are PERFECT for the summer season. As usual, this palette contains 9 eye shadows and 3 cards with Day, Classic, and Fashion eye suggestions. I have yet to fully try this, but once I have, I promise to give a full review. :D One of the things I love is that they included one of my favorite eye shadows, "Peach Fuzz." It's a soft peachy shade with tons of fine glitter. (HAHA! There's that glitter again!) Another thing I love (of course) is the packaging. Too Faced has always had amazingly gorgous presentation on their packaging. Maybe because I OBSESS over vintage/victorian style. Even though -this- palette has a much more modern summery feel to it that their other palettes, I still love it.

Too Faced Summer Eye Collection retails for $36.

Packaging (makes me feel excited for summer :3)

Too Faced Summer Eye Collection Palette (natural light)

Too Faced Summer Eye Collection Palette (with flash)

Suggestion cards included

Well, that concludes my haul from Ulta. I can't wait to put these items to good use! >u<

As I stated a few times, I'll give a full review of these products once I have a better feel of them.

Til then, I hope you all enjoyed this haul! ^ u ^

Stay beautiful, both inside and out <3

x~PhantomRose~x