August 14, 2018

Too Faced Then & Now Eyeshadow Palette Review & Swatches

I purchased this item and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post.
3 stars out of 5

Too Faced Then & Now Eyeshadow Palette review and swatches

Too Faced Then & Now Eyeshadow Palette ($59) is a new, limited edition 20th Anniversary Eyeshadow Palette that Too Faced created to include ten of their original eyeshadows as well as 10 completely new shades (inspired by old shades from back in the day).

The first thought that crossed my mind when I got my hands on this palette was, “Damn this thing is massive!” It really is a HUGE palette and I don’t mean that it has a lot of eyeshadows, I mean it’s just big! It’s going to prove a bit of a pain to store if you like your palettes all to line up nicely. It’s about three times the size of a normal rectangle palette! I popped one of Huda’s Eyeshadow Palettes on top which is quite big so you can see the size.

Let’s check out this palette a little more below!

The second thing that jumped out me was the lovely pink lame glitter cover with the bold retro Too Faced Logo on the front. Inside there’s a huge mirror and the eyeshadows from 1998 are all lined up on top. The bottom level of shadows are all inspired by shades from the past but with a new twist. Oddly enough I don’t recognize any of the older shades aside from Zsa Zsa. I think the oldest shade I have in my stash are some of the old splits like George and Weezie but some of these shades from 1998 don’t even ring a bell in my head so I guess it was prior to me collecting Too Faced. Ice Queen in particular seemed like a surprise shades for me because it reminded me a bit of Urban Decay Kiddie Pool! Who even knew Too Faced has an icy blue glitter shade like this!? Even the micro-glitter reminded me of UD.

The palette is advertised as having 20 shades but you’re getting 22 shades versus the 20 since two of the pans are split. All the shades are 0.04 oz in size for a total of 0.80 oz worth of shadow. It’s made in the US. Their is a very faint vanilla cake fragrance to the shadows but it’s pretty subtle so it shouldn’t be an issue for sensitive users. I read a lot of reviews about the pans being crocked, falling out, or being poorly glued inside but I can’t say I experience any of that. Aside from the huge physical size of the palette, I experienced no issues with the palette’s design. This comes with a get-the-look guide as well which includes instructions for creating a variety of different looks using the palette!

The best part about the palette is the variety and the fun you can have with it but not so much the shadow formula nor the texture. I won’t deny that when I got this it really brought me back to days when makeup was very exciting for me. I had a lot of fun thinking up ways of pairing the shades and looks. It also brought back how much I love sparkle and glitter in my eyeshadow and how much I’ve grown to hate the clean up that comes along with it.

Too Faced Then & Now Eyeshadow Palette Swatches (Twinkle, Pixie Dust, Dirt Bag, Rizzo, Zsa Zsa)

Too Faced Then & Now Eyeshadow Palette Swatches (I Can’t Even, Gigi, Shady Bitch, Chill Out, Ooh La La)

Too Faced Then & Now Eyeshadow Palette Swatches (Glitter Donut, Lost Boys, NSFW, Gretchen, Reality Star)

Too Faced Then & Now Eyeshadow Palette Swatches (Ooh and Ahh, Temper Temper, Trixie Villain, Ice Queen)

I was actually surprised to hear so many positive reviews because I actually didn’t love the texture of the shadows. Some of the glittery shades like Glitter Donut, Lost Boys, NSFW, and Shady Bitch were best patted on the eye because they had a good deal of fall out but also, because they were a little difficult to pick up with an eyeshadow brush. I also had the same issues with shades like Pixie Dust and Ice Queen. The color just didn’t want to transfer to my brush! This is fine because I tend to favor sponge-tipped eyeshadow applicators for packing color on and blending out with brushes. I’d highly recommend them when working with this palette as some shades are just easier to pick up like this versus a bushier eyeshadow brush. There were really very few shades that I’d say performed well some were Rizzo, Dirt Bag, Temper Temper and Reality Star. Most were drier and many of the glitter shades like Ice Queen had a gritty formula with a lot of micro-glitter that made a complete mess during application and blending. I felt like I had glitter everywhere when I was done with my eye look. The shadows seem to blend a bit patchy due to the dryness I experienced. They do build well with good pigment but the dryness was an issue I couldn’t overlook because I felt like I was dragging some of these shades on my lid.

I wouldn’t call it a complete write off because as I said I had a lot of fun with the palette and there are shades here I’d go so far as to call keepers such Rizzo, Dirt Bag, NSFW, Gigi, and several others are all really great shades. I just wish they had spent a little more time and attention on the formula because as is these come across either too dry, gritty, or patchy.

Overall, the Too Faced Then & Now Eyeshadow Palette might be appealing if you’re a diehard fan of the brand and want a keepsake or collector’s palette that might bring back good memories. But on a whole, I was a little disappointed they didn’t spend a little more time perfecting the formula!

Where to buy

Sephora Too Faced

Too Faced Then & Now Eyeshadow Palette is a new, limited edition 22-pan (two shades are split pans) birthday cake scented eyeshadow palette that launched in to celebrate the brand’s 20 Anniversary. Overall, I thought the palette had a great range of shades but sadly, the formula and texture of the shades proved a little dry and gritty in some cases which resulted in patchy blending. there’s also a good deal of glitter fall out which does make a mess. It’s a fun palette but sadly, the formula just wasn’t cutting it for me!

Pros

  • Fun shade selection, might remind you of your love of makeup!
  • Great for collector’s or fans of Too Faced.
  • Quite decently priced for nearly an oz of eyeshadow.

Cons

  • Lots of glittery fall out.
  • Many shades are dry with patchy application and blending.
  • Very large in size which might be a problem for storage or travel.

Who

Too Faced Then & Now Eyeshadow Palette is likely a perfect pick up as a collector or keepsake piece if you’re a lover of the brand and remember it’s original launch! I think it’ll be appealing for those that collect makeup

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‘.

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Comments

  • Carol G

    Saw some other reviews that stated the same things about the glittery shades not being able to be picked up by a brush or being patchy. I have to admit, when I saw this I was just sort of thinking: meh. I really have no desire to get this because it’s just too big, and the shades are just not that original. I get that it’s a throwback to their original shades but it’s just not doing anything for me. I guess at the end of the day, I just have too much makeup and at this point nothing seems original to me anymore.

  • Laurie

    Thanks for your review! When they first announced this, it looked like my fantasy palette, but seeing the swatches and reading your review convinced me otherwise. This is perfect for someone in their 20s, not me … probably not even me when I was in my 20s. Not enough mattes … if several of the shimmery, glittery shades were matte, I’d buy this for the color story. But glittery, hard to work with and expensive? Not for me.

    • Isabella Muse

      My pleasure Laurie! I think it really is an ideal pick for someone a bit younger than I am! Too much glitter, gulp, can’t believe I said that. Plus the texture and formula just isn’t that fab!

  • Jujubes

    That’s too bad, although the blue shadows looked really nice on you! I am a bit tired of the big palettes, but I do give them pops for including a look book. I am back to using the Kiko Milano Free Soul palettes, I find them very nice and it’s not too much guess work how to put a look together. Big palettes like this can be very intimidating and then you never really use all the shades anyway. I am not a big fan of glitter, even Charlotte Tilbury’s luxury palettes have very patchy and dry glitter shadows that have to be finger patted on with fallout too.

    • Isabella Muse

      thanks dear! ;-D Me too! Sometimes simple is better! I really enjoy Kiko to! The free soul palettes were lovely ;-D

  • RGR

    you look SO good in light blue eyeshadow! iconic blue shadow that the beauty world has forsaken… 🙂

  • kel habicht

    thanks for the review. i was tempted but now will skip this. i’m curious what the single glitter eyeshadows will be like.

  • Ayesha

    This is such a cutesy palette! I agree, these colors definitely remind me of my way older palettes with these fun shades and glitter. I also love the gloss you have on in your pics! Is it too faced as well? Merry Xmas!