Too Faced Chocolate Bar - Review & Swatches

Eyeshadow that smells like chocolate sounds gimmicky. But an eyeshadow infused with anti-oxidant packed cocoa powder can actually have a beneficial effect, helping the skin look young by aiding the repair of skin cells and neutralizing free radicals. Not bad for a gimmick!

Leading the charge in the use of cocoa powder is Too Faced. With their hugely popular Cocoa Powder Foundation and Bronzer, they launched 'Chocolate Bar', a gorgeous (you guessed it) chocolate bar themed palette packed with 16 matte, metallic and shimmer shades.

So first off, I think we can all agree the packaging is BEAUTIFUL! They've clearly taken a bit of inspiration from old Willy Wonka and created a gorgeous, gold-trimmed chocolate bar box which just begs to be unwrapped.

Unfortunately, the internal packaging isn't my cup of tea. I know some will disagree and though I get the chocolate bar theme, there's something about it I'm just not keen on. However, we'll let that one go and move onto the real review, what's inside?

Before I even go into the colours, I have to talk about the smell. Even if you open this palette and hate every single colour, you cannot help but be made happy by the sweet chocolate scent this palette offers. It really is delicious and the first few times you use it, you will find yourself just sticking your face in the palette like a crazy person and inhaling deeply - it really is gorgeous! 

Once you've finished breathing in the delicious scent, it's onto the shades offered. The Chocolate Bar claims to contain 16 matte and shimmer shades, but I'm pleased to say that, in my opinion, there are some metallic ones in there which is right up my street! There are beautiful colours, shades that are beautiful but not for me, some essential shadows (well we still need them..) and a couple of duds -  which to be fair is to expected from a palette of this size. Overall though, a good mix, which is what you want from a palette. So onto the individual swatches..

A deep brown, with almost a hint of khaki through it, this shadow is very sparkly! This would definitely catch the light but my only downside is that it is a little too powdery - i.e. make sure to dust off your cheeks afterwards! 

It is there I promise! A creamy base colour which is not too white in tone. Blends effortlessly into the skin without looking washed out - a perfect all-over-the-eye colour. 

Matte shades will never ever blow me away, but this light goldey-brown shade does work very nicely all over the lid for a natural daytime look. 

My relationship with purple eyeshadows is complicated - they look pretty but, with my pale skin, I always just end up looking like a racoon. This plum shade is very pretty, and very sparkly, but just not for me.  

With a slight khaki edge to it, I think this would look great with Gilded Ganache. 

This has to be the smoothest matte eyeshadow I've ever tried! The terracotta colour would look great day or night, but, use with caution - a little goes a long way with this shade! 

As soon as I opened the palette, this shade called out to me. This metallic dusky pink is my favourite in the palette for 2 reasons. Number 1, the colour is truly beautiful and number 2, the pigment is so intense that this shade just glows - absolutely adore it! 

This shade is similar to Milk Chocolate but much warmer in tone. Not intense enough for night time but makes a great crease colour for during the day. 

The dud of the bunch for me - there had to be one! It looks great in the palette offset against the browns and golds, adding a touch of cuteness, but the colour does nothing for me - very washed out and just not flattering. 

Because of my fair skin, this one is not for me, but the intensely sparkly violet would look beautiful on darker skin tones. 

Amaretto sets off a foursome of beautiful metallic shades. This copper tone is intense and warm, catching the light beautifully. 

Hazelnut is much more cool toned that Amaretto, but still absolutely gorgeous in the light. 

This is GOLD! No other word for it. The pure intensity of this eyeshadow is just beautiful. With not a hint of fade around the edges, this is intense gold - really there is no other way to describe it and it needs to be seen to be believed!

Very similar shade to Hazelnut, but verging more towards brown than gold. Still a beautiful metallic finish which I love.

This one verges on a dud for me. I almost feel if this one had the same metallic finish as the previous four, I would've loved it. In the pan, the colour looks unique - a deep cherry brown. Unfortunately, the lack luster finish does let it down somewhat.

For me, yes you can use this shade as a shimmery pearly pink shadow, but this could be put to much better use as a highlight. The finish is clean and easy to blend, so no need to worry about unsightly highlighter streaks! A nice little addition to this palette.

Looking at the back of my hand, most of the colours are darker in tone (to be expected from a chocolate themed palette) and I would definitely suggest that this is more of a party palette than one designed for every day use. The finish of the metallic shades is beautiful and this really intensifies the rich colours this palette has to offer.

And seriously, even if you don't buy the palette, please go to a Too Faced counter just to smell it. Yes, you may look strange to other customers, but the gorgeous chocolatey scent will make it all worth it! A gorgeous palette, especially for those with a sweet tooth! 

Have you tried Chocolate Bar yet? What are your favourite shades?

Love Nicola x

N.B. I was lucky enough to receive this palette as a gift from my lovely mum and dad  for my birthday - thanks again :-) xx