Showing posts with label bronzer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bronzer. Show all posts

Thursday, March 19, 2015

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.


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.

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!

Thursday, April 3, 2014

New e.l.f Studio Blush Palette review, swatches, comparison

Hello, today I will be reviewing e.l.f cosmetics new Blush Palette. This beautiful blush palette holds 4 gorgeous shades to mix and match throughout the year for a custom blended color. Great for contouring, shading, sculpting, and highlighting, these silky smooth blushes create a beautiful pigmented glow. With a mixture of complimentary matte and shimmer finishes, you can achieve a professional look every time for only $6. I also just want to point out that the formula of the blushes is different from the Studio Single blushes. The singles are more chalky and not as pigmented. I feel like the blush palette is superior to the single blushes.


                           
 The packaging of the palette lives up to high quality standards. It's sturdy and snaps shut for safe travel. It's not bulky or too long. It's the perfect size and shape. The mirror inside is huge! I love how I have a full view to apply the blush. It's makes the application process so much easier. The mirror also stands up on its own at any angle or you can lay it down completely(picture below).




 The blushes are buttery soft and intensely pigmented. The quality of these blushes really blows me away. If e.l.f wasn't printed on the front, I might think I bought this from Sephora. Not only are they silky smooth but they blend out beautifully. It doesn't take much to accomplish the perfect flush; so make sure you start with a light hand. I prefer to use my e.l.f studio small stippling brush for applying the blush. This brush prevents me from picking up too much product. The staying power of the blushes is great. They last all day with minimal fading.  Each blush also pops out and you can custom make your palette. This leads me to believe e.l.f will sell individual blush squares. In the mean time, you can customize your palettes using the blushes from each light and dark palette. If you're worried about them popping out, don't be. Each blush firmly snaps into place. These babies are not going anywhere unless you intend for them to. Below are some photos of the blush squares popped out.




Not too long ago I did a review of e.l.f's 56 Piece Makeup Artist Collection. In the collection was a tray of blushes and I thought they might be the same as their new palette. However, they're all different shades. I double checked to make sure before writing this post because in the pictures some of them look alike. I assure you every color is unique. Both palettes feature silky pigmented blushes. The formula seems to be the same but e.l.f expanded their color index. Anyways, continue reading to see individual swatches. 


 
 This blush is a matte light pink with cool undertones. I love using this color on the apples of my cheeks. It blends in smoothly and stays all day.
The contour shade isn't too dark or light; it's the perfect shade for contouring your face. It doesn't appear muddy over acne, which is a huge plus for me. Start out with a light hand and build up the pigmentation when using this bronzer. It's highly pigmented and it's easy to go overboard with it. 
 This shade is a matte rosy pink. I love using this color in addition with the light pink. I apply it towards my hairline for an extra contoured look. I don't use too much ,though. It's easy to look like a clown when you're not carful. This blush, in my opinion, is the most pigmented in the blush palette. It's probably my favorite shade.
 
 This shade is a shimmery coral pink The shimmer in this blush looks overwhelming but when it's blended out, the shimmer mostly disappears. It's a beautiful blush for the summer time. 


 Final thoughts 
Overall, I think this is a great deal. The pigmentation is intense, blending is easy, each blush is silky soft and you can customize the palette. Most brands wouldn't offer a blush palette like this for only $6. This is one of the reasons I love e.l.f cosmetics. I think e.l.f should use this formula for all of their blushes. The single blushes come with more product(.168 oz/4.75g), than the palette(0.14oz/4g each) does but you get more bang for your buck with the palette. I hope they come out with more shades soon. If they do I will review them too. If you haven't already, you should pick up this palette. Thank you for taking the time to read my review, TaylorPie.

Q&A 

How much does the palette cost? $6.00 for each palette.

How many blushes comes in each palette? Four blushes/ bronzers

How many palettes does e.l.f offer?  Two, light and dark.

How much blush comes in each palette? SIZE 0.14oz/4g for each blush/ bronzer

Does the formula cause breakouts? No

Do the blushes provide any skin benefits? No

Do the blushes pop out? Yes, you can customize your palette.

Is the packaging sturdy? Yes, it hard and snaps shut.

What is the rating on this product? 4.9 out of 5 stars, 19 reviews

What are the ingredients? E.l.f did not provide the ingredients for the blushes/ bronzers. 

Does TaylorPieBeauty recommend this palette? Yes
TaylorPieBeautys rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Thank you for reading, TaylorPie.