Swatches & First Impressions: Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Eye Shadow Palette

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I received the Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Eye Shadow Palette about 1-1/2 weeks ago for review, but I wanted to get this post up as quickly as I could since I'm guessing it will be back in stock at HSN any minute now (where you can grab it at a discount; click here for the details about that). So even though this isn't a formal review (I test everything I review here for a minimum of two weeks), I do have some opinions about it after using it for about a week. So hopefully this will help you if you're on the fence about getting it!

PLEASE NOTE: This palette retails for $49 (total net weight: 0.56 oz.). Although it is currently out of stock at HSN (keep checking HERE for restock info), it's available now on the Too Faced website HERE (free shipping through the holidays). As of the time of this post, this palette is also available exclusively for VIB and VIB Rouge status holders at Sephora HERE (you can use your VIB Holiday Loyalty Rewards if you're reading this before 12/15!). I'm guessing that this palette will also be available at Ulta soon (as of the time of this post, it is not yet listed on the Ulta site; you can check this link in case it becomes available after I publish this blog post). Hopefully we see it at Ulta before the 20% off coupon expires.

Bulk Made in USA, Assembled in Dominican Republic

(click to enlarge for ingredients)

Click to enlarge

All shadows swatched on bare skin (no primer):

Almond Truffle, Cashew Chew, Cotton Candy, Café au Lait

Dark Truffle, Pecan Praline, Totally Fetch

Sprinkles, Molasses Chip, Malted, Bordeaux

Mocha, Black Currant, Earl Grey

Highlight shades (rectangular pans):

Satin Sheets, Divinity

Again, all of my swatches above were done on bare skin (no primer). I swirled my (clean) finger into each pan once, and then swiped twice for each color. As you can see, most of these colors have good pigmentation without primer--and they come alive WITH primer. My first four swatches (the lightest colors in the palette) appear quite light in my photos, but that has more to do with them blending into my actual skintone, rather than the pigmentation. Almond Truffle (taupey-rose matte) is actually quite pigmented in person, and it's a gorgeous transition shade. My photo does not do it justice.

Mattes:

With the exception of Bordeaux, which is a bit stiff/dry, the mattes in this palette are all smooth, silky, pigmented, and easy to work with. Absolutely no complaints here but again, Bordeaux is a bit dry and stiff for my taste.

Shimmers/Sparkles:

As is the case with most Too Faced shimmers, you won't be disappointed with these if you're a shimmer lover. Most shades here are so shimmery, they're borderline metallic. I did run into a little trouble with Totally Fetch, which was a bit crumbly for me. So proceed with caution there, because you'll probably experience some fallout. Also, I found Black Currant to be a little dry/stiff, but it "loosened up" a bit after a few uses. Sometimes I find that stiffer shadows just need to get going a bit with your brush before they reach their full potential. I also want to mention that Sprinkles totally surprised me. In the pan, it looks like a standard light pink shimmer. But in certain lights, there's a lovely coral flash to it that my camera didn't really pick up. If you get this palette, pay special attention that one--it's so much prettier in person.

Additional Thoughts:

I own the original Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette as well as the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette, and I don't see any glaringly obvious repeats in the Bon Bon Palette. I feel like there are a few similar shades, but it seems that some of the mattes in those palettes have shimmer counterparts in this palette, and vice versa. So if you really like a color in one of the "bar" palettes but wish you could get it in a different finish, you might find that here. If you'd like, after the holidays I'd be happy to do a full comparison with swatches of all three palettes side by side. Just leave a comment below and let me know if you'd like to see that.

Preliminary Verdict:

Well obviously, this palette is adorable. But beyond looks, I find that there's a nice balance between cool, warm, and neutral tones here. This palette does favor shimmer lovers though, since there are ten shimmers here and only six mattes. Overall, even though I own the Chocolate Bar and Semi-Sweet palettes, I would purchase this palette because, with the exception of Totally Fetch (which is way out of my comfort zone), all of these shades totally appeal to me and are well within my own personal comfort zone. Also, on most days, I tend to use the palette that's closest to me on my vanity (hashtag: lazy girl) and I like that I don't find myself searching my stash for other shades when I'm working with this palette. Everything's here and it's easy to create some lovely looks using just these colors. I don't think that there are any shades here that are totally revolutionary or unique, but I like that there are just so many colors that appeal to me in one palette. And with the exception of a few shades that are a little problematic, I think they're all at the level we've come to expect from Too Faced.

Oh! And how could I forget that, as is the case with the "bar" palettes, this one also smells of delicious cocoa powder (it actually contains cocoa powder). I sometimes open these palettes just to sniff them, and this one's no exception. Because I'm weird like that.

Bonus Pics:

Occasionally, brands include little gifts along with review samples. As you know, I don't usually include pics of those little extras in my posts, but when they're super cute, I can't resist. When I received my Bon Bon Palette, Too Faced included this Champagne & Strawberries Dark Chocolate Bar in the package.

Look at this label:

Adorable, right? I haven't actually opened it yet, so I can't comment on the flavor (I'm saving it for my birthday tomorrow).

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.Blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews. For more information, click here.