Sunday 26 January 2014

A Touch of Too Faced: Beauty Blogger Darlings Set Reviewed

I was lucky enough to be gifted a lovely Too Faced Beauty Blogger Darlings gift set for Christmas from my family. Before then, I had not tried anything from the brand, though I had heard much about it in the beauty community. Value sets are a great way to try multiple products within a brand that double as convenient, travel-friendly products ideal for chucking in a handbag or a compact makeup bag for an excursion away. I was definitely impressed with the samples I was gifted, and I would not hesitate to try out other products from the brand.

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer

The Good: This is a no-nonsense bronze that is truly matte (not a glitter particle to be seen). It can be applied very lightly or built up in layers for a deep bronze. The color is deep to medium toned brown and it looks quite natural on the skin. This bronzer is highly blendable and I can understand why it is so well loved. I did use this very lightly dusted on the areas of my face where the sun would naturally hit and it had a very “bronzed goddess” effect. The formula is definitely spot on.

The Bad: Although I applied this very sheerly, I think it is just too dark for my sickly pale winter complexion. Though I am holding off on this bronzer for the winter, I look forward to cracking this out again in the summer months to give it another go. I did notice on the Sephora website that there is a lighter shade called the Milk Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer, perhaps this would be a better color match for my ghostly paleness. It is also scented with a very sweet, candy-like smell. I have no issue with scented products but they make me weary of causing skin reactions (not that I have ever reacted from a scented product, it's just quirk of mine).

Overall grade: B

Too Faced Primed and Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer

The Good: This primer is so velvety in texture. It glides smoothly onto the face and helps to make the skin look more even and helps to make imperfections less noticable. My foundation, concealer and powder lasts all day and looks almost exactly the same by the time I wash my face at night. This primer reminds me of my Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Primer (which I used daily, until recently). I have used this primer pretty much every day in the month of January and I'm quite happy with the performance. The tiny tube is also SO convenient to pop in a purse or overnight bag.

The Bad: Nothing bad to say about this!

Overall Grade: A+

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Eye Shadow Primer

The Good: The formula reminds me so much of the Urban Decay Primer Potion. I would say the difference between the two is that the Too Faced Eye Primer is less thick and easier to blend onto the lids. I tend to use eye shadow primer every day to not only increase the longevity of my eye shadow, but also to help the colors look more vibrant. What more can I say? This primer does what it says it will, and it does it well! If I had to choose between Too Faced or Urban Decay, I would probably go with Too Faced because I think it is a little cheaper in price and excellent in formulation.

The Bad: No complaints!

Overall Grade: A+

Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara

The Good: While I'm not going to comment on the name of this particular mascara, I would say that it's pretty good (but not that good). I'm extremely picky when it comes to mascaras but I think this one is better than I was expecting. The brush is big with lots of bristles, which makes it easy to apply lashings of mascara without any stubborn clumps getting deposited all over the lids or lashes. With two coats the mascara gives a pretty dramatic volumized look. The bristles on the wand help to separate the lashes for a very doll-eyed effect. I didn't have any issues with smudging or flaking and think it's an all around good mascara, nice for pretty daytime lashes. I've thoroughly enjoyed nearly using it up and I would recommend for those who like a lot of separation of their lashes rather than a clumpy look.

The Bad: This mascara looks lovely on the lashes but it's not quite dramatic enough for me. I like loads of volume and this mascara didn't quite give me the drama I wanted.

Overall Grade: B+

This was my first set of makeup products and it was fun to get to try so many products from a brand. This particular Too Faced set is definitely suited for a wide variety of people and I can definitely see why the Beauty Blogger Darlings is such a crowd pleaser. I see no duds in this set, and that makes me very happy.

Have you tried any Too Faced Products? What are your thoughts on the brand as a whole?

Thanks for reading.

2 comments:

  1. Love Too Faced! I was lucky enough to get the "A Few of My Favorite Things" palette for Christmas. I had the Leopard Love palette ages ago (blush, bronzer and highligher with a Flatbuki and the Primed and Poreless) and used it to the pan. The primer is absolutely amazing and I've always loved the blushes and bronzers. Now I'm using the eyeshadows and mascara as well, which are also amazing. I agree on the Better Than Sex, though. I use it in the daytime, but Benefit They're Real is still my go to for special events/evenings.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow! Sounds like you have had good experiences with all of their products thus far! I think this brand is definitely a gem that doesn't get enough hype. Thanks for commenting love! xo

    ReplyDelete