:: Review :: Too Faced eye shadows - major rave!
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free skin care · Mon Jun 18, 2007 12:06 pm

I've been a big Too Faced fan for years, when I found my perfect silvery gray color to highlight my gray-blue eyes (anything too dark used to make me look dead, at least before I got my glasses - now I can wear pounds of black liquid liner and it somehow still looks subtle with the glasses frames I got - go figure! Anyway, back to topic...) So I'd heard Too Faced reformulated recently, and besides I won a $50 credit from EDS, so I decided to splurge on a new Candy Bars palette from them. I got Thin Mint, a "makeup artist favorite" selection of greeny bluey hints, and it is truly fabulous (better than my prior Urban Decay turquoise, if that gives you any idea). Now with the glasses, I need my eye shadow to really stand out in order for it not to get swallowed up at all - a lot of my old subtle standards are out - pretty much nothing from Aveda works anymore. I need bold to be beautiful now, and this stuff definitely fits the bill.

Not only are their formulas extremely well-pigmented, so they really go on bold and strong, but they are well-pigmented in a subtle, not too thick way - with some other companies like Tarte, when I put them on I felt like there was just a lot of *powder* on my brush and then my face. Even a lighter application gave the impression of transferring more stuff onto your lid. Not so with the new Too Faced - they're so bright and bold even with the thinnest of coats, with tiny tiny finely milled grains, and all the colors are evenly so, not one shade more than others as is often the case. I found the old Too Faced formulations to be guilty of this above-mentioned powdery effect, but not these new ones.

In addition to my Candy Bars, I got a free full-size duo as my forum gift (!). I can't tell the duo name because the EDS sticker is covering it, and I don't want to take it off and have it be all adhesive-gunky, so I'll just describe it - one color is a sort of frosted grayish-grape, the other is a kind of gilded pale goldy-fleshy (exactly the shade that was next on my shopping list!). Based on the EDS site I'm guessing it's the Suzzy Ho Maker duo, but I can't really be sure. They're both lovely - the purplish one does have a SLIGHT lotsa-powder effect like Tarte, but nowhere near as strong. And the champagney-whatever one doesn't at all, but it goes on nice and bright and shimmery. Both are really lovely hues, though I have to be really careful with purples so I don't look like I have a black eye. Confused

All in all I'm really impressed - I hadn't tried these guys since they reformulated, and they really are even better - more finely milled, richer pigment, and no powdery effect. The packaging seems sleeker too, though I do have one complaint - on the smaller duo that was my freebie, there's no "catch" mechanism to keep the lid down, it just sort of rests closed. So it's no good for taking in your purse, unless you have a way of securing it flat so it'll stay closed. But the Candy Bars packaging is delightful, and deep enough to include a short brush or sponge-tip if you wanted. And the old Too Faced packaging on both of my favorite duos broke over time, so really, this is an improvement overall.

Five stars! I love this stuff! I'm so bummed the EDS special for the most popular duos ended already - it was the hottest four for $25 or something, I think. Oh well, maybe they'll bring it back!

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The above post is a review of the following products available at EDS:

Too Faced Candy Bars

These glimmering bars of candy colors are created using four complimentary shades of sugary shimmers that can be used individually as eye shadows or combined together as an all over illuminating face and body blinger! Candy bars have never been more decadent!

Too Faced Eye Shadow Duo

The eye makeup maestros at TOO FACED COSMETICS have reformulated and repackaged their signature Duo Eye Shadows just in time for Summer 2006. Revamped, renewed, magnificent color duos are repackaged in vintage-inspired, custom-created, jewel-like compacts. Of course, each dynamic duo has been created in the true Hollywood tradition and meets the highest formulation standards to ensure long-wear, glamorous color and effortless eye shadow options. Too Faced Eye Shadow Duos cast a glamorous, sparkling starlet shade – Highlighter for accentuating, adding all-over shimmer and for creating a brightening effect in the corner of the eye, with the perfectly matched, rich and powerful co-star – Crease & Shadow color. Long-wearing, creaseresistant and pigment-drenched, the Too Faced Eye Shadow Duo Collection includes 12 best-selling, reformulated shades in addition to six brand-new, stylishly chic shades

Mon Jun 18, 2007 1:15 pm

Thanks for that great, very detailed review! Very Happy

free skin care · Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:17 pm

Heh, you're welcome - I can also add now that they hardly crease at all compared to most eye shadow. I've been wearing mine all day, it's after 5, and I started with the very greasy Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream, which is so oily that most eye shadows slick right off. Not this stuff, it's a powerhouse!

free skin care · Mon Jun 18, 2007 9:40 pm

I did a review on these eye shadows about 2 months ago, so I will just say again...they are great!!! Very Happy

free skin care · Fri Jun 22, 2007 6:26 am

These colours look great Smile

Ive been looking for a shadow in some bluey shades. The plums look nice too.

Do the Thin Mints look really bright though? They look 'bright' if you know what I mean. I like my eye shadow a bit subtle looking.

free skin care · Fri Jun 22, 2007 6:50 am

Thanks for this great review! I've been enjoying the heck outta my Too Faced bronzers, so now I'm interested in their eyeshadows as well! I've heard that Urban Decay ES is a make up artist favorite, so if the new Too Faced ES are even better, they must really be something!

free skin care · Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:40 am

Carolb, yeah, I'd call thin mints quite bright, not at all subtle. The only subtle color is the pale blue at the top of the strip, which I use as a brow bone highlighter once I've applied the much brighter blue or green shade on my lid and under my bottom lash line. I'm sure you could tone them down, perhaps by blending with a grey or beige tone, but if you have to do that, I'd just steer you toward getting other eye shadow. Smile

Manslayerliz, I like this stuff a lot better than my one Urban Decay eye shadow, but then I do only have just the one. I find some of the colors very comparable in formulation, but others are further from it. Urban Decay had that thicker-milled feel, which only the plum Too Faced color had (and even then, to a much lesser degree with Too Faced). It's not always a bad thing, it's just noticeably different. Hope this helps!

free skin care · Thu Jul 12, 2007 12:09 pm

Heh, I just got ANOTHER Too Faced duo as my forum freebie in my last order. This one is called Boy Toy, and it has a darker bubblegum pink with a lighter angelic highlighting pink, that I thought was white upon first glance. Both are adorable and sweet - pink tones look really good on me for everything BUT eye makeup normally, but these ones are not horrible, it's just not my most flattering ocular color group. But still, they're cute, and I like to match my makeup to my clothes sometimes so they're nice for this. And once again, finely milled, fabulous formulations!

free skin care · Fri Jul 13, 2007 7:32 pm

Thanks for the great review! I've been looking for a eyeshadow that doesn't crease, perfect timing!

free skin care · Fri Jul 13, 2007 8:15 pm

ginnielizz , great review , thanks for sharing !

free skin care · Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:27 am

I am on a roll with reviewing Too Faced products today.

Too Faced Liquify-Eye Shadow Collection: I got this as a Christmas present. I have to say I am mightily disappointed with it. It comes in a cardboard pallet with 12 shadows, no mirror, and no applicators for the shadow. It has a small liquid eyeliner bottle with clear fluid. You are supposed to dip the eyeliner applicator brush into the shadow to turn the shadow into an eyeliner. Problem is that if you use more than one color and dip the applicator brush back into the bottle without cleaning the applicator completely every single time, the clear fluid in the eyeliner bottle will turn to mud. So my solution was to just go with one color as an eyeliner and use the rest as traditional shadows. I only love one of the shades (the silver in the Ooh La Lift duo). Five of the shades are just okay, and six of them I really don't care for at all. For the price and purpose of this pallet, it should at least have had a mirror and a shadow applicator brush.

Too Faced Candy Box Thin Mints: I got this as a free gift with purchase from EDS. Thanks, EDS!!! It was a tester and just the shadows, so I'm not sure about the original packaging or if there were any applicators. I would never have picked out these particular blue and green colors on my own, so I am really grateful for EDS sending it because I find that I like them a lot. Carol, you asked if the colors are too bright. The answer is that two of them are, but two are nicely subtle. The first color is a pale blue and the second a pale green. The third is a bright blue and the fourth a bright turquoise. I use either pale color as a sheer wash over my entire eye, then I apply one of the bright colors like an eyeliner. It's not overpowering at all. The quality of these shadows seem much better than the quality of the shadows in the Liquify Eye pallet.

Too Faced Lava Matte Super Black Eyeliner: This isn't eyeshadow, but it seems better to post the review here than starting a whole new thread. I also got this a freebie gift with another purchase from EDS. (Can you tell that I LOVE shopping at EDS.) At first, I was bummed with the gift because I already have plenty of black liners, and also the Too Faced eyeliner is a fat pencil and kind of chunky looking. Well, I gave it a try, and I LOVE it. The fat pencil and design of the tip is really easy to control and it enabled me to apply the liner just right. I never would have guessed that the shape of the pencil would make such a difference in the application. The color is a rich black. It stays in place and feels great going on (it's moisturizing and not dry or scratchy). This is my new favorite eyeliner and it layers well with the bright colored eyeliners (I dot the black along the lashline over top of the bright shadow liner.)

free skin care · Sun Jul 29, 2007 11:29 pm

Jeannine wrote:

Carol, you asked if the colors are too bright. The answer is that two of them are, but two are nicely subtle. The first color is a pale blue and the second a pale green. The third is a bright blue and the fourth a bright turquoise. I use either pale color as a sheer wash over my entire eye, then I apply one of the bright colors like an eyeliner. It's not overpowering at all. The quality of these shadows seem much better than the quality of the shadows in the Liquify Eye pallet.

Isn't the green lovely? I like that it can be subtle as a wash, or bright and springy if you layer it thickly. I love this pallet, and I would've only bought half of the colors in it, but I find they're all fun. And they DO seem higher quality than the other Too Faced shadows!

Also, now you've got me wanting to try that liner. Thanks for the heads up!

free skin care · Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:10 am

Now I think I will have to try these Very Happy

free skin care · Sun Jan 13, 2008 9:55 pm

too faced cosmetics are really good. Their eye shadows glide on so easily and are rich in color!

free skin care · Tue Feb 12, 2008 6:17 am

I can't wait to try them. I love the color palettes, thanks for the post.

free skin care · Thu Feb 14, 2008 3:07 pm

I've been using Jane Iredale eyeshadow...has anyone used both? Any comparisons for shades? I really love their "Cloud Nine" which is purples and "Pink Bliss" which is pink and browns. These sound like they're worth trying! Thanks!

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