Whole Palette Challenge - Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons

Hi Lovelies - hope you are well!

Welcome to another Whole Palette Challenge with my friend Melissa from the YouTube channel MakeupMinnie83.  Make sure you stop by her YouTube channel to see the looks Melissa comes up with! The rules are simple: You have 7 days to create looks using all of the eye shadows in the chosen palette. Depending on the size of the palette, you must create between 5 and 7 looks, and you must use every shade in the palette at least once. You can use the same shade in multiple looks (some palettes only have one transition or matte highlight shade), and you can even bring in outside colors if need be (some palettes have no matte black or dark brown).

The goal of this challenge is to push you out of your comfort zone, and to allow your creativity to flow. Sometimes I find myself in a shadow funk - reaching for the same colors over and over again. This challenge will really force us to think outside the box and try looks and combinations that we tend to shy away from on a daily basis. For this challenge, we chose to go with the new addition to Too Faced's chocolate craze: the Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Eye Shadow Collection!

via Too Faced Cosmetics

This palette is just as fabulous as its predecessors; if you own either the original Chocolate Bar, or the Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar, then you already know what I'm talking about. The color payoff is (mostly) fantastic, the formula is buttery and easy to blend, and the delicious chocolate aroma is just beyond.

A few main features of this palette are:

• it comes with 16 shades, including neutrals and pops of color
• the finishes range from matte to metallic, with a nice variety of satin and shimmer finishes as well
• the delicious cocoa scent is heavenly (unless you dislike chocolate), and if you happen to get a little fall-out on your lips, it even tastes sweet!
• it costs $49, and is available at Too Faced, Ulta, Sephora and HSN (look for coupons and discount codes online, which can help make it a little less expensive)

At the end of this post, I will give you a little review on this palette, since it is pretty new to the market...but first, let's check out the looks I came up with:





Look 1:

With all looks, I start off with a base of cream-colored shadow - in this case, Divinity. This sets the primer, and creates a smooth canvas that makes blending out the other shades effortless. For all looks, I used MAC False Lashes Extreme Black mascara (my current fave!).

For look one, I used Cashew Chew as a transition shade between the crease and brow bone. I then used Almond Truffle to deepen the crease, blending it up into Cashew Chew. On my lid I applied Cafe au Lait to the inner half, and then Earl Grey to the outer half, blending them together in the center of the lid to create a gradient effect. I brightened up the inner corner with Sprinkles, and then smudged Cafe au Lait and Earl Grey along the lower lash line. I finished the look with black liner in my upper waterline, and several coats of black mascara.

Look 2:


After applying Divinity all over my eyelid, I buffed Mocha into the crease. I used Dark Truffle all over the mobile lid, and then dabbed Cashew Chew to the center to add a bit of light (I applied it damp). I used Satin Sheets to highlight under the brow bone, as well as to brighten the inner corners.

Look 3:


Today, I wanted to create a simple, more natural look that's good for everyday. I used Pecan Praline as a transition shade, and then added Almond truffle to the crease, blending the two shades together. I used Satin Sheets as an all-over lid color, and then took Dark Truffle on a stiff, angled brush and applied it just to my upper lashline, as a liner.

Look 4:


This was my attempt at a halo, or spotlight, eye look. I packed Bordeaux into the inner and outer thirds of the eye, leaving the center blank. I then used Mocha in the crease to blend out Bordeaux. Finally I used my finger to pat Satin Sheets in the very center of the lid.

Look 5:

I was inspired to create a bright, girls-night-out eye look using Totally Fetch as the main color. I started out by sweeping Divinity all over the lid, per usual, and then I applied Mocha into the crease. Next, I packed Totally Fetch onto the lid, and then deepened the outer v with Bordeaux. I dabbed a bit of Cotton Candy right on the center of the lid to add dimension, and used Sprinkles to highlight the inner corners.

Look 6:

Date night: Sultry purple eyes? Why not? I used Cashew Chew as my transition shade, and then buffed Mocha into the crease. Black Current went onto the inner 1/2 of my eyelid, and Bordeaux deepened up the outer half.

 

Look 7:


Final look, using one of my favorite shades from the palette: Molasses Chip! I used Pecan Praline as the transition shade, followed by Mocha in the crease. I patted Molasses Chip all over the lid, and then deepened the outer corner with Malted, and finished up by highlighting the inner corners with Satin Sheets.

Final Thoughts:

That wraps up this Whole Palette Challenge. This was a fun palette to work with, as it has plenty of neutral shades to create every-day, work appropriate looks, but it also gives you just enough bright, out-of-the-box colors to make things interesting. I don't usually give a review on the palettes I use in  Whole Palette Challenges, but since this is a relatively new addition to the Too Faced Chocolate Collection, I will provide you with a few thoughts, in case you are trying to decide whether or not you need this palette in your life.

Like the other offerings in the Chocolate Collection, the Chocolate Bon Bons Palette smells of cocoa powder, which I find simply scrumptious! It is a collection of cooler-toned shades (compared to the original Chocolate Bar and the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar), and I find the colors to be very user-friendly, with the texture and color payoff being, for the most part, what I have come to expect from Too Faced eye shadows. There are, however, some shades that really don't pack quite the punch that I had hoped, such as Dark Truffle, Bordeaux (which I really wish had more of a Maroon tone, like MUG's Bitten) and Cashew Chew. My favorites from the palette, and those I find to have the best pigmentation, are Malasses Chip, Earl Grey, Cafe au Lait, and Totally Fetch.

Despite some of the shadows not performing to my expectations, I still find this to be a great palette overall. In it, you have a matte cream and deep brown (absolute must-haves in a stand-alone palette, IMO), along with plenty of matte and shimmer shades to create a plethora of looks. Even if you have to take a little extra time to build up some of the shades, they all blend out nicely, and last throughout the day.

Also, it would be remiss of me if I did not mention the adorable packaging! Out of the three chocolate-themed shadow palettes from Too Faced, this is by far the cutest, with the pink tin exterior, and the heart-shaped shadows...for some people, the packaging alone would be reason enough to purchase this palette.

If you have the other Chocolate Bar Palettes, you really don't need the Chocolate Bon Bons, but I think it would be a nice addition to your collection, as it offers a different type of look. If you lean towards cooler shades, like me, then this palette will suit you better than the Semi Sweet palette, and  you might even find this palette to be your favorite of the bunch -I know it has become mine!

I hope you enjoyed this Whole Palette Challenge! If you were on the fence about purchasing the Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Collection, were you swayed one way or the other? If you already own this palette, what is your favorite combination?

Remember to check out MakeupMinnie83's take on the Whole Palette Challenge; she is so super creative, and comes up with some to-die-for looks...seriously, there is one look I know of that is killer, so go on over there and show her some love!

Thank you so very much for reading - live a beautiful life,

~Jessica