September 14, 2016

Too Faced The Chocolate Shop Review & Swatches

I purchased this item and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post.

too-faced-the-chocolate-shop-5

The Too Faced The Chocolate Shop ($59) is one of several gift sets and eyeshadow palettes that are part of the Too Faced Christmas in New York Holiday 2016 Collection. I felt compelled to indulge in this set during the Sephora Holiday 2016 Preview Event because hello? I live in New York and as far as I’m concerned there’s no place like it for the Holidays 🙂

Another selling point for me is the fact it’s scented like chocolate. My downfall is actually Cadbury Chocolate from the UK but aside from that I’m not really a lover of chocolate or the way it smells but the novelty of an eyeshadow palette that smells like chocolate, well, I dunno something about it tickles me. Earlier this year, Too Faced launched their Sweet Peach Eyeshadow Palette and many of us got into a discussion about Too Faced potentially doing more scented products. So, at least I’m not alone here in the fact that I kind love the idea of scented makeup!

too-faced-the-chocolate-shop

Here’s my review and thoughts on the Too Faced the Chocolate Shop Palette and Gift Set!

too-faced-the-chocolate-shop-16

The Too Faced The Chocolate Shop is without a doubt a very cute offering from Too Faced. Call me a kid but I think it is simply darling! If you’re presenting this to a girl who’s around 16 to 18 years old I can see it going over really big and you’ll def score some extra brownie points gifting it to a younger makeup lover. It comes housed in a large pink box with a New York skyline decorating the front. Remove the top, and the palette unfolds to reveal a pop up scene of a pastry shop window with a cute little dog and two New Yorker’s bustling past the store (one of them is carrying a Sephora bag which is a nod to the fact this is exclusively available at Sephora. I mentioned in an earlier post I did about the palette that this art work is very Shag-like! Inside the pastry shop’s window you’ll find mini sizes of Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara, Shadow Insurance Eyeshadow Primer, and Melted Chocolate Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Chocolate Milkshake. Lucky enough if you hate the bulky packaging you can toss it out! There’s a removable palette that holds the blush, bronzer, highlighter, and eyeshadows which has the same cute scenes from the outer and inner packaging. The same pastry shop scene decorates the inside flap of the palette so, you aren’t getting a mirror here.

too-faced-the-chocolate-shop-set

too-faced-the-chocolate-shop-12

too-faced-the-chocolate-shop-13

too-faced-the-chocolate-shop-14

You’ll get a total of 21 eyeshadow shades, 18 of which are 0.03 oz in size and 3 are 0.07 oz in size. There’s also a highlighter, Chocolate Soleil Bronzer, and Blush which are 0.08 oz in size.

Shades:

  • Indulge (silvered taupe)
  • Cookie Dough (matte beige/gold sparkle)
  • Raspberry Rose (matte light pink)
  • Sugared Raisin (shimmering silvered mauve)
  • Guilt-Free (matte soft lavender)
  • Tootsie (matte rich chocolate brown)
  • Gingerdoodle (shimmering champagne)
  • Chocaholic (matte sand)
  • Cake Batter (matte soft peach)
  • Butterscotch (metallic copper)
  • Toffee Crunch (matte reddish brown)
  • Lava Cake (dark cocoa/gold sparkle)
  • Honey Dip (shimmering gold)
  • Pound Cake (shimmering pinked gold)
  • Sugar Bells (metallic silver)
  • Mint Chip (metallic sea blue)
  • Jingle Berry (vibrant orchid)
  • Huckleberry (deep purple black/pink glitter)
  • Dessert�s On Me (shimmering icy white)
  • Glaze (matte white cream)
  • Banana Date (satin soft creamy beige)
  • Luminizer in Inner Light (pale peach pink/gold shimmer)
  • Chocolate Soleil Bronzer (matte chocolate brown)
  • Blush in Chocolate Covered Strawberry (dark pink)

too-faced-the-chocolate-shop-30

too-faced-the-chocolate-shop-19

too-faced-the-chocolate-shop-22

too-faced-the-chocolate-shop-23

too-faced-the-chocolate-shop-24

too-faced-the-chocolate-shop-26

Too Faced The Chocolate Shop Swatches (Dessert;'s On Me, Raspberry Rose, Sugared Raisin, Glaze)

Too Faced The Chocolate Shop Swatches (Dessert;’s On Me, Raspberry Rose, Sugared Raisin, Glaze)

Too Faced The Chocolate Shop Swatches (Mint Chip, Indulge, Guilt Free, Gingerbread)

Too Faced The Chocolate Shop Swatches (Mint Chip, Indulge, Guilt Free, Gingerbread)

Too Faced The Chocolate Shop Swatches (Huckleberry, Tootsie, Chocaholic, Lava Cake, Poundcake)

Too Faced The Chocolate Shop Swatches (Huckleberry, Tootsie, Chocaholic, Lava Cake, Poundcake)

Too Faced The Chocolate Shop Swatches (Toffee Crunch, Honey Dip, Jingle Berry, Cookie Dough)

Too Faced The Chocolate Shop Swatches (Toffee Crunch, Honey Dip, Jingle Berry, Cookie Dough)

Too Faced The Chocolate Shop Swatches (Cake Batter, Butterscotch, Banana Date, Sugar Bells)

Too Faced The Chocolate Shop Swatches (Cake Batter, Butterscotch, Banana Date, Sugar Bells)

Too Faced The Chocolate Shop Swatches (Inner Light, Chocolate Soleil)

Too Faced The Chocolate Shop Swatches (Inner Light, Chocolate Soleil)

Too Faced Melted Chocolate Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Chocolate Milkshake)

Too Faced Melted Chocolate Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Chocolate Milkshake)

For me this palette is like having a combination of the Sweet Peach Eyeshadow Palette, the Peanut Butter and Jelly Palette, and the Nikkitutorials Palette all combined together into one spot. There are many, many variations of shades you likely already own if you have those three palettes already. For example, Pound Cake looks like Bellini from the Sweet Peach Palette, Jingle Berry looks like Jelly from the Peanut Butter and Jelly Palette, needless to say there are plenty of dupeable shades here.

The first thing you’ll notice about this palette is the packaging but the second thing would be the mismatch of shades. It’s one of the most head turning things about the palette in my opinion. It’s such a mismatch of shades. Personally, I think the set up makes it challenging to create looks. On that note, I will say the palette is dominated by mostly warmer shades but they end up throwing in some weird cool shades randomly. The larger shadows like Dessert’s On Me and Glaze are a bit too bright and white to work as a highbrow highlighters and seem odd to me. Pops of purple, barely there pink, and silvery, sparkly grays look a bit odd grouped into a mostly neutral, natural palette.

The shades aren’t the only mismatch here, the formula also suffers with plenty of inconsistencies. Many of the shimmer shades like Indulge, Sugar Bells, and Sugared Raisin have a chunky, flakier texture with a good deal of fall out. These shades don’t adhere well to my lids and have a sheerer color pay off. Many of the mattes in the palette are denser and very difficult to pick up with a brush or even a sponge applicator. For example, I tried packing Chocaholic on my lids with an sponged tipped eyeshadow applicator and could barely pick up color. There are some good shades here with excellent pigmentation and a velvety texture but they are so shimmery and metallic they appear very frosty on my lids such as Honey Dip, Butterscotch, and Pound Cake.

It’s weird because so many of these shades are shades I would love to use in looks like Cookie Dough and Cake Better. There are great shades here with poor formulas. The highlight of the palette would be the face powders all of which had a good formula. Chocolate Covered Strawberry is dense but applied nicely on my cheeks likewise foe CHocolate Soleil! Inner Light had a smooth, velvety consistency that applied easily but it does cling to drier areas so prep well prior to application.

Butterscotch, Honey Dip, Toffee Crunch, and Banana Date on Eyes, Chocolate Covered Strawberry on Cheeks, Milkshake on Lips

Butterscotch, Honey Dip, Toffee Crunch, and Banana Date on Eyes, Chocolate Covered Strawberry on Cheeks, Milkshake on Lips

too-faced-the-chocolate-shop-fotd

I didn’t go into details about the primer, lip shade, or mascara as I’ve reviewed all three in past posts. You can look through my archives or click on the links I’ve included in this post to see my reviews on those!

The Too Faced The Chocolate Shop has some very cute packaging and it’ll likely make a really nice gift for a younger girl but I see it being a disappointing pick for fans of the brand that already own a lot of Too Faced palettes already. The rerun of shades, inconsistent eyeshadow formula with their hit or miss formula, and the mismatch of shades are all reasons I personally didn’t like the palette.

Cute yes, but this one has a long way to go before I’d recommend a purchase.

The Too Faced The Chocolate Shop is available exclusively at Sephora and Sephora.com.

Did you indulge?

How did it work out for you?

Do share!

Save

I purchased this item and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  • Sandy

    Muse, out of all eyeshadow palettes, what do you recommend? I also have dry skin and eyes. Thanks.

  • tea

    Argh, I can’t find Cadbury chocolate from the U.K. anymore since Hershey stopped it from being imported, because Hershey own the rights to make and sell Cadbury in the US. The Cadbury we can buy in stir in the US is not the real deal and in my opinion tastes nowhere as good as the UK stuff. Sorry for the rant on your beauty blog. The makeup packaging is cute.

    • Isabella Muse

      I know, very sad! I typically have a friend who lives in London ship me over gift sets during the Holidays to get my fix or when I go away and get it duty free! The cadbury here is disgusting! rant away because I totally understand! 😀

  • Christina D.

    Let me preface this by saying that Muse, you are my favorite beauty blogger ever. Besides, in all the world of cosmetics, you are my Sista from another Mista.

    That said, one of the other wonderful bloggers I’ve come across (budgetbeautyblog) did a great job of grouping this palette into “logical” groups, so much so that I was oh so close to caving and buying this…but then I remembered I hate wasteful packaging and scented products.

    But of course, it was the Muse’s review that sealed The Chocolate Shop’s fate — pass for moi!

    • Isabella Muse

      haha I love you Christina you know I feel the same one! I don’t read budgetbeautyblog, gotta check it out, but honestly, there are no logical groups here. Don’t do it! I really feel like 85% of the palette (maybe more) isn’t any good. the mattes are dense, the shimmers are chunky with mega fall out and they adhere badly to lids, there are about four shades here I’d rave and the others are dudes. I’d pass if I were you! It’s early, lots more stuff is upcoming, I’d wait on this 😀 <3!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Christina D.

    No worries, it’s a definite pass for me. The Muse has spoken.

    If you look at the first two rows together, they are cool neutrals; the next two rows are warm neutrals; the bottom two rows are jewel tones. But I cannot take credit so check out budgetbeautyblog and the lovely swatches that almost swayed me. She’s a fellow NYer too!

    • Isabella Muse

      girl, that’s some confusing stuff lol! wait I have the look at it a second to see this! Her swatches look fab! I wish mine came out as good. I typically swatch on bare skin, no primer, with an eyeshadow sponge applicator. Honestly, for me, that’s the best testimony of the formula in the fact you don’t need primer for something to look good. I’m shocked she got the mattes to show up so well! Maybe my palette was a fluke :-/ The mattes were really quite dry and I couldn’t get good color pay off from them! sigh! You should check it out in store, I’d be very curious to hear your thoughts. Oh awesome! 😀 Us New Yorkers have to stick together right!? 😀 By the way, I have hopes the Grand Palette will be nicer!

  • Susan

    Thanks for the review. The look you did for yourself is very pretty but I’m passing on this set and probably going to get the TF Grand Cafe trio of palettes. The color groupings there seem a little more put together, although I fear there’s a lot of duplication between that set and the Belle Carousel from TF two years ago.

    • Isabella Muse

      My pleasure! I got the Grand but it hasn’t arrived yet, I’m holding on to hope that it is good 😀 Yeah, I think a lot of repetitive shades appear in TF holiday palettes!

  • Susan

    Almost totally off-topic, but for anyone who loves chocolate and loves reading, there’s a book called “Chocolate Wars: From Cadbury to Kraft – 200 Years of Sweet Success and Bitter Rivalry” that I thought was fascinating. It’s written by Deborah Cadbury, so guess which family comes out smelling the sweetest!

  • Dee

    Wow, this is disappointing! I was this close to getting the Chocolate Shop and didn’t, and I’m glad now. I did get the Grand Hotel Cafe and am hoping it is better than this one. I do like the look from this palette on you though!

    • Isabella Muse

      I think the Grand looks a lot nicer and I’m hoping it prove better! Thanks 🙂 you’re sweet to say so!!!!!!!

  • Pandora

    Muse, can you please review the Too Faced Grand Hotel palettes? I would love a review from you!

    • Isabella Muse

      Yup, I’m waiting for it to arrive. My order hasn’t arrived yet. I purchased it the day of launch, 13th, but didn’t get shipping notice yet.

  • Elaine

    Hi i think the lady meant what I wanted to know, as well. In your opinion out of all if the two faced palettes what one do you think is the best for pigment pay off? I am cool toned but happy to get whatever. Thanks for always doing amazing reviews

    • Isabella Muse

      there are many, many, many too faced eyeshadow palettes with great pigmentation 🙂 The recent PBJ Palette is a good pick, the chocolate bar palettes were great as well, the natural eyes palette is very nice too, Too Faced has some good picks for eye palettes 😀 Aw pleasure xoxo!

  • Lorraine. E.R

    So you think this has more in common with recent palettes than with the chocolate bar and bonbon ones?
    Also I love the idea of holiday palettes but it often seems like the quality is lower than the usual palettes, since they are offering more for less $ I guess that’s to be expected though.
    It’s definitely cute, that’s for sure!

  • devon

    i read you blog. i value your opinion on EVERYTHING. you usually talk me off the edge of buying certain things. but i see too faced and tarte holiday sets and ALL logic goes out the window and i must have it all. even if i own every shade. it’s new. i think i might wait until the 20% at sephora in november. these should be around then, right? or am i just crazy that i feel like they didn’t come out in September last year???

    • Isabella Muse

      aw thanks I’m very flattered to hear it 😀 haha likewise! I was very tempted by the Tarte Ulta Palette but trying hard to hold off! I think they will be!!! They did indeed come out in September just a little later, last year it was around the 21st this year it was a week or two before that!

  • Alison

    I love this from too faced, we don’t sell grande hotel in Malaysia, only in ulta us sadly.I really wanted a xmas collection by too faced. I really wanted the grande cafe.Too bad. I need to migrate to usa, it has everything western

  • Koko

    Was this one of those Too Faced “made in China” palettes I hear about a lot on forums and stuff? I really really wanted to love it! Thank you for such an honest review, though. I know the white chocolate chip palette has a lot of doubles of these colors… still bought it though and crossing my fingers!

    • Isabella Muse

      This is actually made in the USA 🙂 My pleasure! xoxo! 🙂 Sadly White Chocolate Chip was a fail for me