Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette – Review and Swatches

SELF PURCHASED / AFFILIATE LINKS

 

Ah, Too Faced has done it once again with a new addition to their Chocolate line.  I have been sitting on this palette now since before the holidays, playing with it and using it in looks and now I am comfortable sharing my thoughts on the Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette with all of you.

Released just before the Christmas Holiday, Too Faced rolled out their Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette retailing for $49.00 on the website as well as via Sephora.com which is where I purchased mine.  This palette 16 antioxidant rich shadows, that are cocoa powder infused and include a mix of matte and shimmer shades.  Caramels, deep mocha shades, bronze tones and chocolate hues all offer a gorgeous array of eye shadows as well as a pop of blue and a sugar topper shade.

Each shadow has a net weight of 0.95g/0.03 oz for a total weight of 13.3g/0.42oz for the entire palette.  Just like with the original Chocolate Bar palette from Too Faced, when you open the palette, you immediately get hit with the scent of chocolate though it is not powerful enough to last on your face after application.  Be sure to check out my video review here for my live thoughts on this palette.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette vs Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette.

I reviewed the original Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette around this time last year (you can see that review here) and it truly is a palette I love and have enjoyed using.  While the Semi Sweet Palette is very similar in packaging, it is thinner than the original and one change Too Faced did was to include the names of the shadows on the palette itself which I really like.  While I enjoy it’s slimmer packaging, I do think the magnetic closure on the Semi Sweet Palette is not as strong as the original and because of this, when I dropped the palette, one of the shadows shattered.  I have dropped the original palette many many times and none of the shadows have broken over the last year that I have owned it.

Besides the packaging… I’m loving the Semi Sweet palette just as much as I adore and love the original.  While some of the shades in both palettes are similar in tone, I still consider them different and I’m glad that those are in each because that will allow me to create one look with just one palette instead of going back and forth.  I think the similarities in each palette are some of my staples… so therefore, if similar, it doesn’t bother me.

The shades in this palette offer a range that is a little warmer than that of the original, however – if you are one for cool-toned shades, I still think there are ways to make this work.  Overall the palette itself is a great neutral toned palette offering a variety of neutral based shades.  Blueberry Swirl and Pink Sugar are the two shades in the palette that I think I will not get as much use out of but I think they are still pretty.

The shades in the top row (pictured above) are gorgeous and Coconut Creme has been my go-to browbone highlight because it blends out nicely offering just a light and natural looking highlight.  Hot Fudge (which is the shade I shattered) is one of my favorites and I think works well as a lid shade, worked into the crease or as a wash of color.

The middle row of shadows (pictured directly above) offers two shades that while I think are cool, I think they definitely could have been replaced with something else.  Pink Sugar is like a topper type shade.  It reminds me a flakie glitter I would use on my nails and applies as such.  There is no even application and it can barely be seen on its own.  I use this particular shadow as a topper over other shadows for an extra sparkle.  While a cool concept (if that is what it was meant to be), I think it definitely was a miss for me in this palette.

The blue shade in this row – Blueberry Swirl, is a gorgeous blue shade but it does take some time to build the shade up.  If using in your outer v or to deepen the crease, I think this would be a great shade to build up without overdoing it, but on it’s own, it may take some finesse and a little effort to get it to the pigmentation level if used as a lid shade.  It’s gorgeous… but does require a little work in my opinion.  I don’t think it’s a shade that makes the palette, but it is a nice addition.

I have been using Peanut Butter as my transition shade for most of the looks I have created using this palette.  It’s such a gorgeous color and blends so nicely.  Considering this is a matte shade, it offers great pigmentation, silky feel and has been my go-to transition shade for my looks lately.

The third row of shadows sports a gorgeous gold shade which I have been enjoying as a highlight shade on the inner corner of my eye.   I think all of the shades in this row could be used in an every day look or all over the lid shades as well.  Mousse is a great transition shade too.

Used with and over a primer and /or base, you can expect these shadows to last all day.  I used them one day over regular primer and it didn’t budge till I removed it 10 hours later.  All of my swatches are done on my bare arm in natural lighting.  While you can use these shadows without a base or primer, it is certainly suggested.

Overall I’m very impressed with this palette.  I’ll be honest in saying that I think I really needed both of them – original and this one, but seeing as this palette was purchased at a discount and deal, I did get a great buy.  If I had to really choose one of them, I would say go with the original Too Faced Palette.  I will say however, I haven’t really put down the Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar palette since I bought it and have been loving it.  While a few shades in this palette are not for me, I think I do love it regardless.  The palette does come with a Glamour Guide so you can use those as inspiration or step by step to create looks utilizing the shades in your Semi Sweet palette.  Remember… this palette seems to not have the durability as the original when it comes to closure, so I would be careful with travel though this palette does offer a nice size mirror and is compact if needed on the go.

Quick little tidbit… Too Faced Co-Founder & CCO Jerrod Blandino was inspired to infuse antioxidant-rich cocoa in makeup while getting a chocolate facial at a Hawaiian Spa.  Being a Hawaii girl, I thought that was such an interesting and fun fact and I wanted to share that with you.  Research has shown that the smell of cocoa can improve your mood and make you more relaxed… yum – I think I’ll grab me a piece of chocolate now. 😉

Have you tried any of the Too Faced Chocolate Infused products?  If you have, what are your favorites?  What about the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palettes, which do you prefer?  Do you own them both?  Do you have any on your wishlist?  I’d love to hear from you so leave a comment below and let me know.  Thanks so much for stopping by and I’ll see you next time!

Disclaimer:  This product was purchased with my own money.  While this post includes affiliate links, I was not compensated to provide this review and all thoughts and opinions on this product are my own, unbiased and 100% honest.