Review & Photos: Too Faced Cocoa Contour Kit

With contour kits popping up everywhere like weeds, it can be hard to know which one to buy. I have been contemplating one which one I should pick up. Like most sugar deprived woman I lust after anything that smells like cocoa. When Too Faced released their Cocoa Contour kit I literally purchased it that day in hopes of getting my fix of chocolatey goodness... But of course in the form of makeup (hello, it's Too Faced!). So it's a win win situation,  right? 

Too Faced Product details

Cocoa Contour gives you the power to enhance your most beautiful features and minimize the ones you want to hide in a few simple steps. This curated kit comes with the two essential sculpting shades, the perfect matte highlighter, and a luminous pop of light for a contoured look that never looks flat. Infused with our antioxidant-rich Exclusive Cocoa Complex, the powders blend seamlessly and indulge you with a decadent chocolate scent. Features our Contour Buki Brush for the most professional sculpting effect.

MORE TO LOVE:

• Universal set contains all the shades needed to take the guesswork out of contouring, sculpting and highlighting.
• Exclusive Cocoa Complex is a proprietary blend of antioxidant-rich cocoa powder and moisturizing cocoa butter that work together to hydrate and smooth skin and boost your mood.
• Achieve lifted cheekbones, look instantly slimmer or sculpt like an A-list celebrity. 
• Includes our signature Glamour Guide with three contour looks to get you started. 
• Too Faced Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer Jerrod Blandino was inspired to infuse antioxidant-rich cocoa in makeup while getting a chocolate facial at a Hawaiian spa. He learned of chocolate’s benefits to the skin and included the ingredient in Too Faced’s best-selling products.

Click here to purchase.

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Packaging 

The packaging is very similar to other Too Faced products. The powders are housed in a square card board box with a magnetic closure. It is a little bulky but manageable. A decent sized mirror is also included for on the go. The four powders that are included inside are: Light Cocoa, Medium Cocoa, Dark Cocoa and Pop of Light. A small teddy bear bristle brush is also included. Unlike other palettes, I really like this brush. It's soft, small and it gets the job done right. 

Consistency 

The consistency is definitely smooth and creamy. I did notice some powder flying around in the pan but it'sjust because the product is really smooth. The only powder I'm not too crazy about is Pop Of Light but we will talk about that later in this post. 

Application

Every powder included in this kit blends out so smoothly. Sometimes I have a hard time getting powders to blend easily over my acne but I didn't encounter that problem with this kit. Another problem with problematic skin like mine is patchiness, fortunately, the powders applied evenly. 

Longevity 

Light, Medium and Dark Cocoa lasted on my combination skin for about 7-8 hours before fading away. Pop of light stayed on my checks for a couple hours before navigating somewhere else on my cheeks.

Is this a good kit for contouring?

I think this kit is good for contouring if you have a light to medium complexion with neutral/ yellow undertones. Medium  Cocoa is the shade that I prefer for contouring. It's not as warm and acts more as a shadow than Dark Cocoa. Dark Cocoa is a little warmer and its best used as an overall bronzer to warm up my complexion. Light Cocoa is my favorite shade. It really helps brighten up my face, while still looking natural. 

Light Cocoa

Best used for a matte highlight under the eyes, on the chin, forehead, and the bridge of the nose. It won't add any sheen but it does leave a flawless bright complexion behind. I also enjoy using it to set my under eye concealer. It keeps it from creasing and fills in my fine lines. 

Medium Cocoa

Medium Cocoa is certainly the contouring powder of the kit. It's great for chiseling out the cheek bones for a nice lift. Of course it can be used anywhere for instant shadows. I enjoy contouring my nose, forehead and jawline with it as well. I'm really loving this shade because I can get a natural contoured look that blends out seamlessly, which is hard for me to do with my acne. 

Dark Cocoa

Some people might beable to use this shade for contouring. Maybe if you have a medium to dark complexion and your typical shade for contouring is warm. But as a person with light skin I find it best as an overall bronzer. 

To be honest, I was a little disappointed about how warm this powder was but I actually really enjoy it as a bronzer. It's great for a flawless bronzey glow. It doesn't look muddy whatsoever and it buffs into my skin so effortlessly. This could perhaps be my new favorite bronzer. 

Pop Of Light

I'm really disappointed with this shade. Instead of having a nice glow like everyone is expecting, it has chunks of glitter. Not only is Specks of glitter migrating all over the face unattractive but the glitter enhances my acne. That's definitely not a look I want! I'm after the kind of highlighter that catches light on he high points of my face. Not specks of gold glitter that have moved down to my contour line. However, if you like chunky highlights, then you'll love Pop Of Light! 

Overall

I really love this kit despite of the disappointing shimmery highlight. I get a beautiful matte highlight, contour and bronzer shade that smells like delicious cocoa. It's a little pricey but I feel like I can get my money's worth. I really enjoy having a highlight, contour and bronzer in one box. That makes it great for traveling and fast forwards my makeup routine by a few minutes.... It works really well if your complexion is fair but if your medium to dark+, then skip on it unless you think Dark Cocoa will work for you (some darker people have mentioned it working on their skin tone). Too Faced should really provide more options for people with darker skin tones(maybe a future release?). This kit truly is beautiful and I hate how a lot of people won't be able to use it. It's tradgic. But as a whole, this kit is certainly a hot product worth checking out! 

Photos and Swatches

Light Cocoa

Medium Cocoa

Dark Cocoa 

Pop Of Light

Swatches in artificial lighting.

Left to right: Light Cocoa, Medium Cocoa, Dark Cocoa Light Cocoa.

Swatches in natural lighting.

Left to right: Light Cocoa, Medium Cocoa, Dark Cocoa Light Cocoa.

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Are you going to purchase this kit?

Do you enjoy the cocoa scent from Too Faced?

What's your favorite product for contouring?

Let me know in the comments below!

Review & Swatches: Rimmel London Show Off Matte Lip Velvets

The intense rich color of a lipstick, enhanced by a satin smooth shine--Rimmel London Show Off Matte Lip Velvet is neither a lipstick nor a gloss. It's bigger than both. Show off your color.

Click here to purchase.

 

Affordable matte velvet for your lips is every girls dream. I was psyched when I  found out about the new Show Off Velvets from Rimmel. I absolutely love the Show Off Lip Lacquers by them and I just knew I would fall in love with these as well.  So of course I ordered every single matte shade on Ultas website. How could I not resist? 

Product Description

There are 5 shades available ranging from extremely nude to lava red. They sell at an affordable price of $5.99 at your local drugstores. They are, in fact, matte liquid lipsticks even though Rimmel claims they are something "bigger". 

Shades Available:

• Apollo- Flesh toned nude
• Atomic Rose- Pink rose
• Meteoric- Berry
• Orange-ology- Bright orange 
• Burning Lava- Lava red

Pigmentation

Each and every single one of these shades are highly pigmented. If I were a boy I would think they switched out lipstick with paint. But I guess that's not a huge surprise when it comes to liquid lipstick. So dont think Rimmel got a home run and scored because of intense pigmentation. When it comes to liquid lipstick its the wear time and consistency that I'm after. So lets see how they do in every other aspect before we say score! 

Application/ Consistency  

Pull, swipe, rub. That's all it takes to apply the velvety matte lipsticks. I didn't notice any of the shades clinging to my dry patchy lips. In fact, they actually made my lips appear smoother than they really are right now. The same goes for reapplying them. I didn't have any problems with them looking clingy or splotchy later when it was time to refresh my makeup. The consistency is definitely velvety and I sometimes feel like I have silk on my lips. It's quite nice actually. They're also lightweight and non sticky. Rimmel does claim that this velvety formula moisturizes lips up to 31%. I don't exactly find that true, but they don't dry out my lips either. That's actually a fact that surprised me. Sometimes matte formulas are just too dry for me but fortunately, these lipsticks don't fall into that dreaded group. 

I also need to mention that time is needed when the lipsticks are drying. At first they look shiny but after while (15 minutes or so), they will dry down to a complete matte finish. 

Lasting Power

Apollo and Atomic Rose dont exactly fall into the definition of long wearing. At the most they last for two hours, which isnt anything special whats so ever. On the bright side, Meteoric, Orange-ology and Burning Lave are long wearing. Five to six hours is the max wear time for each shade and they do wear off evenly (atleast on me). After the pigment is gone I'm left with a stain on the majority of my lips. If full pigmentation is desired, don't stress, they reapply beautifully.

Packaging

The mattes resemble the regular Show Off lacquers from last year. They have the black diamond end on the handle of the tube. How fancy for drugstore! The applicator is a duo foot with an idention that picks up the product. The safety seal is also included in the matte line (thank goodness). By safety seal I mean a small compartment between the product and the opening of the tube that shows wether or not the lipstick has been used. If it has then the compartment will have lipstick in it, if not it will be clear. You can see what I mean in the photos below. 

Overall

I think Rimmel did a fine job. I mostly think the lighter shades are good for a quick trip to the grocery store and the darker shades are better for long nights out. If you're not the kind of person who likes to touch up, these might not be for you. They don't last as long as some matte lipsticks but they are good for the price. Another thing that persuaded me to like them is the consistency. I really enjoy the velvety feeling they have and I think that's why they don't dry out my lips. Plus, I really do like the shades that are available.

 Since the price isn't expensive I would recommend alteast trying out one of them. Maybe Meteoric Matte would be a good one to try if you're curious about the line. I also discovered Meteoric Matte is a great dupe for Too Faced Melted Berry! If you're interested you can check out the comparison swatches on my Instagram page (@taylorpiebeauty).  

Photos

Left to right: Burning Lava, Meteoric, Orange-ology, Atomic Rose and Apollo

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Have you tried the Show Off Matte Lip Velvets?

What color are you interested in?

Do you like matte lipsticks?

Let me know in the comments below!

Weekly Tip, Beauty & Blog News, and Nail Design of the Week

Hello! I just want to update everyone on my monthly All Star (favorites) post. I'm currently switching things up and I'm going to do that post differently. I wasn't really satisfied with that series and I decided that I should go ahead and change it. I've been skipping it every month for a while now but I will have a March All Star winner post up at the end of the month! But for now, enjoy my weekly posts! Thanks. 

Weekly Tip

 Small squinty eyes can be a bummer. But with the power of makeup we can take care of that on going problem. All you have to do is add a little extra of your favorite mascara to the lashes on the outer part of your eye. Doing so will add the illusion of wider eyes. If that's still not enough adding winged liner will certainly get the job done. When you look in the mirror your eyes will look wider and more awake than ever before. 

Blog News 

Too Faced Melted Liquid Lipsticks have always been a favorite of mine but sometimes they just don't fit within my budget. Especially when the shade is dupeable and I can save money in the first place. The other day I was testing out a new Matte lipstick from Rimmel and I couldn't help but think I already had this shade. It turns out that I do but it cost me $15 less than the high end version. So I'm proud to say I found a dupe for Too Faced Melted lipstick in "Berry". The dupe is called "Meteoric Matte" from Rimmel Londons Show Off Lip Velvet line. Take a look at the picture above and see the similarities for yourself. 

Beauty News 

Speaking of Too Faced, they just released their new spring line that includes 8 new gorgeous melted metal lipstick shades.  They are $21 on Toofaced.com. Are you going to purchase any? I might but I'm not sure yet. 

Nail Design of the Week 

How cute is this nail wrap design from Jamberry?! If you're interested, the name is Edgy. It's part of their new spring line that just released last month. 

Click here to buy!

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are you going to use this weeks tip?

Do you plan on purchasing any shades from the new Too Faced Melted line?

Let me know in the comments below!

50 Facts About Me & My Blog

I dont know if anyone will read this. Some people say it's nice to know about the person behind a blog and some just don't care. I have been wanting to write a post like this for a while but I don't really think I'm an interesting person and I figured no one would really enjoy this post...But it's different from everything else on my blog, so why not? I think posts like connect the writer to their readers. If anything it will make me seem more human. To be honest, I'm just like every other girl out there. 

Feel free to share anything about yourself in the comments below. I would love to know facts about you! 

The facts are about my personality/ life, beauty habits and my blog. Enjoy! 

My personality/ life (1-26)

Beauty related (27-42)

Blog related (43-50)

1. I grew up in a small town located in Tennessee.
2.  I played volleyball in middle school & high school.
3. I had a 4.7 grade point average (gpa) before I decided to study for my GED. 
4. However, I'm still a terrible speller. Thank you, auto correct. 
5.  I have been with my boyfriend since I was in 7th grade and I'm now in college. 
6. I'm going to college for nursing but I'm considering switching my major.
7.  I am a mother to a three year old boy. 
8. My son was born at 25 weeks and weighed 1 lb. and 11 oz. 
9. I'm a procrastinator.   
10.  I'm more of a cat person. 
11.  I have a Netflix addiction. I can recommend a show to almost anyone because I have seen them all. 
12.  I'm the most unphotogenic person on this planet. 
13. I can't stand when people use the words ratchet, bea and fleek. 
14. I sleep with a new pillow case every night.
15. I fell on a rock and broke my elbow as a kid. Now my elbow has an extra pointy bone. 
16. My feelings are not hurt easily. 
17. I love Harley Davidson motorcycles. I would rather ride a motorcycle in the summer than cruise in a car. 
18. I haven't been to Florida. 
19. Worse, I've only been to the ocean twice in my life. 
20. I have had a blood clot before and I had to give myself shots in the stomach for it. They hurt like hell. 
21.  I'm a huge Marvel fan. If Marvel Live comes to a city near you go see it!
22. I was once bitten by a brown recluse and the poison created a hole in my leg. 
23. I don't like Twitter but I love Instagram. 
24. I have an obsession with The Walking Dead. 
25. I haven't played Candy Crush because of the fear of addiction. 
26.  I love watching Family Guy when I need a good laugh.
27.  I sometimes hate doing my makeup. 
28. I have considered starting a YouTube channel.
29. When I was younger I once wore my favorite earrings for so long that my skin grew over them! 
30. I can't wear false eyelashes because of my sensitive eyes.
31. I don't need to fill in my eyebrows but I choose to. 
32. I pop my pimples sometimes.
33. I haven't went to bed without washing my face for years. Not even one night. 
34. I have oily skin with dry acne.
35. I hate doing my hair and I skip it almost everyday. 
36. My vanity is always a disaster. My cat doesn't even bother walking on it anymore. 
37. My eyebrows have only been waxed once and I hated it. Now I pluck them myself. 
38. Most of my makeup is drugstore.
39.  Most liquid foundation doesn't agree with my skin for some reason.
40. I don't believe in tanning. 
41. I haven't touched any type of foundation brush for months. Beauty sponges are my thing. 
42. If it wasn't for my acne I don't think I would have discovered my love for makeup. 
43. I do most of my blogging on my IPad.
44. I created the design of my blog all by myself.
45. I have a journal I write in about every product I review. 
46. I sometimes forget to publish a written post. 
47. I change the way I take photographs for my blog every week. I still haven't found my perfect setup. 
48. I can't sit down and write a post in one sitting. I usually have to take three to five breaks while writing. 
49. If someone follows my blog just for a giveaway then unfollows after it's over I'll write their name down for future reference. 
50. TaylorPieBeauty has nothing to do with pie. It's part of my name but I do like pie if you're wondering. Also, I decided to make it beauty instead of makeup because I think beauty is a better word for my blog. We are all beautiful with and without makeup. Here on Taylorpiebeauty we celebrate all forms of beauty. 

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That was actually harder than I thought it would be. What was your favorite "fact"?

 

Weekly tip, beauty news and manicure of the week

Usually, I'll post my weekly tip on Friday but sometimes there's this thing called life that gets in my way. I had thought about not posting a tip for last week since I was busy but the beauty news included would be outdated and I wanted to share the news with everyone. Plus, I thoroughly enjoy the weekly post. It's fun to write and I get to talk about fun stuff. So why skip it? Keep reading to find out this weeks tip and beauty news. 

Big, bold, thick, long, and dark lashes are always in but sometimes mascara just doesn't cut it...until now. Well this tip can't do everything but it really does help. We use primers for everything. Our face, eyes, lips and even our lashes but I personally don't own a lash primer. However, I do have a whole stash of eye primers. Becuase of the a beauty blogger within me, I decided to mess around with using eye primers on my lashes and the outcome is groundbreaking (dramatic, I know). I noticed a difference in the length, thickness and wear time of my mascara. Not only that but it also helped seperate my lashes during applicication. If you already have eye primer break it out and test it for yourself. Let me know what you think! 

Urbandecay.com

Glamour with an edge. Who doesn't love Urban Decay? No one. Who loves coupons? Everyone. Starting today (March 2) and ending on March 7th, Urban Decay is having a friends and fanatics event. Using the code               "TAKEITOFF20" anyone can get 20% off their entire order on Urban Decays website. Now would be the time to buy one of the Naked palettes you have been dying to get! Don't know what to buy? Ask me in the comments below what you should get. 

It is valid on Urban Decays website only. The code must be typed in at the check out using all capital letters. The code lasts for six days only. Starting on March 2nd and ending on the 7th. The link above is not an affiliate link. 

It has been such a long time since I decided to wear nail polish. I have been on a Jamberry kick lately and gave up the nail polish lifestyle. But... Rimmels 60 seconds nail polish is my ride or die formula from the drugstore and the colors are ahhhmazing. Their opaque, non-streaky, and unique. Surprisingly, the thing that attracts me the most is the drying time. I have a toddler, cat and a dog, when I paint my nails they have to dry fast or they'll be ruined within a few minutes. 

If you're looking for a chip resistant formula, then chances are you won't like this formula much. It starts to chip on my after a couple days but I don't mind redoing my manicure since it dries so fast. Plus, I have the opportunity to changed up my design. The colors in the photo above are "Breakfast In Bed" and "Caramel Cupcake". 

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Are you going to experiment with this weeks tip?

Have any products on your Urban Decay wishlist?

What's your ride or die nail polish from the drugstore?