Sparkled Beauty

Too Faced Love Flush blush wardrobe is the best way to check out the whole line of Love Flush blushes at once. 6 mini sizes at a lower cost, it is a steal you should not miss!

I already tried and loved the 3 Love Flush blushes in the Melted Kisses & Sweet Cheeks set - Love Hangover, Justify My Love and Your Love is King - but have gifted them to my family, so I grabbed the palette off Sephora when I saw it.

The heart-shape themed cardboard packaging is super cute. The palette is thin and with a mirror, great to travel with. The flap does not stay open though, so I had about 8 seconds to snap this shot before it closed in :)

From L-R: Love Hangover, Baby Love, I Will Always Love You, How Deep Is Your Love, Justify My Love and Your Love is King (my most favorite shade).

Quality is still consistent with the mini Love Flush blushes I tried before - pigmented, easy to blend, about 8-hour wear on me. Having them all in one place is even better!

Love Hangover (a warm pink), Baby Love (nude pink, with gold sparkles) and How Deep Is Your Love (a watermelon pink, second from right) have the same base in slightly different tones of pinks.

The other 3 are very different - I Will Always Love You (a peach, middle, my second favorite now), Justify My Love (cool-toned pink with gold sparkles, far right) and Your Love is King (plumy rose, bottom).

The sparkles are not very visible on the cheeks, I don't notice them much. I love the Love Flush blushes even more with this palette, needless to say.

This blush wardrobe is Limited Edition, 6x0.07oz/2g (2 times the amount in a full size) for $45 (only $13 extra from $32 for a full size).

You probably know by now that my naturally straight lashes don't like most mascaras and refuse to stay curled any extended amount of time.

When I received Too Faced Better than False Lashes Extreme, an instant lash extension kit with improved formula, I was curious and hopeful.

The box comes with a pull-out paper tray that holds a Prime & Seal mascara (gold packaging, 0.27oz/ 8ml) and Flexistretch nylon fibers (0.02oz/ 0.8g, white tube and gold cap).

Together, they are supposed to offer a brush-on false lashes look. I have worn false lashes probably twice in my makeup life (I know), never tried fiber mascaras and never had lash extension, so this was going to be interesting, I just knew :)

The 3 steps:
(1) Prime with Prime & Seal mascara to create a base for the fibers
(2) Build with 1-2 coats of the Flexistretch nylon fibers from lash root to tip
(3) Seal in the fibers with Prime & Seal mascara.

Definitely not the mascara to do when you are short in time, but it does not take extremely long either. I like the mascara, it coats the lashes well and adds volume. I find it fun when the fibers go on, like white butterflies on the lashes but they disappear after the next coat of mascara.

The wands are straight and small, easy to use, don't hurt the eyes when they come close.

I only do one round as I think repeating the steps might overdo it. I definitely appreciate the volume the fibers help to build and the effect stays on through the day without flaking. Can't say the same with the curl, but that's nothing new nor unexpected.

Removal is easy. The fibers come off in tiny chunks with regular makeup remover on a cotton pad. No rubbing required.

Overall, I would definitely go for the fibers when I have a bit of time getting ready, as I do like the fuller lashes look at times. The product is suitable for contact lens wearers. I wish it were cheaper though ($46).

This is a rare occasion that a palette is not "love at first sight", considering how much I like eyeshadows.

I originally passed up on Too Faced Love palette when it was first available at Sephora, thinking it was a little young for me and had more shimmery than matte shades. Glad I had a chance to review it last month, and I had used it days in a row :)

The 15 eyeshadows are in shimmer, pearl and matte textures, supposed to have the slurry powder technology to enable a liquid to powder finish. 4 triangles and a heart shape in the middle, making 3 quints. housed in a hard plastic case that mimics a love letter, plus a black waterproof eyeliner and a mirror inside.

I am definitely a fan of this packaging, more sturdy and travel friendly than the usual cardboard format.

I think we already established the fact that Too Faced does very well in eyeshadows. But I need to stress that the Love palette have very pigmented dark shades (i.e. only takes one tap of the brush) that it should probably be called "Smoky Love" :)

Let me show you the swatches to prove that point, also the shimmery shades are really nice too.

First quint: Pure Love (as called in the look cards included in the palette).

Shades, clockwise from the top, are Cherish, Desire, Amorous, Dearest and Adore in the center.

Naturally, Desire (second swatch from left) and Dearest (far right, quite sheer) are bff because of their gold tone.

Cherish (far left) is subtle enough to be a brow bone highlight on me. Amorous looks scarily dark in the pan but swatches as a black with brown undertone, pigmented as expected.

Adore (bottom) is the all over lid colour and/ or cheek colour if you don't mind a bit of subtle shimmers.

Second quint: True Love with Smitten, Romance, Obsessed, Passion and Sweetie Pie, which turns out to be my favorite in the palette.

Smitten (far left) is the brow bone colour of choice because it's matte. Romance, in turns, is my transition colour of choice :)

Obsessed is the dark brown version of Amorous above, a little easier to use as it is not as dark. Passion (far right) is that mysterious colour Too Faced makes quite often - it can look pink or gold depending on the angle.

Sweetie Pie works great as a subtle cool toned blush on me, or inner lid colour. I like it more than I thought I would normally a pink.

Lastly, Forbidden Love with Devotion, Puppy Love, Everlasting, Darling and Xoxo.

A great treat for those who likes greens, as Everlasting (second from right, very pigmented) and  Darling (far right, slightly sheer) are also bff.

Devotion (far left) serves the "no-makeup makeup" look on the eyes the best, paired with Puppy Love in the crease. And Xoxo is a fun highlight for inner corners and cheeks.

The eyeliner in Perfect Black (full sized) is black as black can be. It stays on pretty much through the day, as I only notice a slight smudge late afternoon.

Needless to say, I enjoy the dark colours the most in the palette but the heart-shaped lid colours that also work on the cheeks seal the deal. I can do complete eye looks with the mix of colours and finishes it offers, no other eyeshadows needed.

The palette has 0.46oz/ 13g of eyeshadows and 0.04oz/ 1.2g of eyeliner, retails $59.

It's probably the best time to talk about Too Faced The Little Black Book of Bronzers I received for review, since it is 50% off on the brand's website today :) If you are a fan of bronzers, this (LE) collection of 8 iconic bronzers is fun to check out.

Beautiful packaging, as always with Too Faced. The palette opens like a book, with a bronzer story for every day of the week.

I thought it'd be fun to include it here:
- Monday: Power Player, an all over natural matte tan, with Chocolate and Milk Chocolate Soleil
- Tuesday: Lunch with Mom, a colour-correcting, sun-kissed radiance for a healthy glow, with Snow Bunny
- Wednesday: Date Night, a sculpted contouring, chiseled effect with Dark Chocolate Soleil
- Thursday: Girls Night Out with all over blushing glow, using Pink Leopard
- Friday: Play Hooky, a rich sexy deep bronze with Beach Bunny
- Saturday: Peace, Love and Festivals, a long lasting glow with Endless Summer
- Sunday: Sunday Funday, a natural looking bronzed glow with Sun Bunny.

Swatches might look similar among a few shades here, but I do want to talk you though the finish and skin tone they work for. Let's start with the famous Chocolate Soleils.

I am naturally drawn to these 3, since they are antioxidant-rich, cocoa powder-infused matte bronzers for different skin tones - Milk Chocolate Soleil (at 12 o'clock in the circle, noted as light/ medium matte), Chocolate Soleil (at 1 o'clock, medium/ deep matte) and Dark Chocolate Soleil (at 5 o'clock, deep/ tan matte).

As you can see, Chocolate Soleil works best on me, but I can mix it with either of the other 2 depending on how light/ dark my face becomes with seasons.

Snow Bunny (at 3 o'clock, luminous) is supposed to offer a sun-kissed and natural radiance.

I am surprisingly loving it for half highlight/ half bronzing effect. Subtle but pretty.

I swatched each stripes individually, and then swirled them together for the bottom swatch, but IRL, I tap the brush in instead, then blend on the cheeks. Hate to mud up the stripes in the pan.

Beach Bunny (at 8 o'clock, custom blend) offers a skin perfecting summer tan.

It is in the similar format to Snow Bunny above, just darker and warmer, so I swatched it in the same fashion - 4 individual swatches, then all together.

The 2 shades in the middle barely show up on me, so the effect is even more subtle. I don't get a lot of use out of this particular shade but again, layering with other shades is part of the fun we can have with this palette.

Endless Summer (at 9 o'clock, 16 hour long wear) is designed to give you a lit-from-within bronzed glow

Sunny Bunny (at 11 o'clock, natural) has a slight pink undertone to mimic the flush of a real tan, swatched each half first, then together. This one sure is natural looking on me.

At the bottom is Pink Leopard (at 6 o'clock, blushing), with skin brightening and bronzing pigments for an all over glow, is another surprise love for me. I was not sure about the non-matte finish, but it shows up beautifully on the cheeks.

This bronzer wardrobe has 0.08oz/ 2.5g each shade (vs. 0.25oz - 0.35oz full sizes, reg. $38 each), retails $60 (on sale for the day, as mentioned above).

If you prefer one single bronzer all year round, this is Chocolate Soleil on its own. Told you Too Faced does packaging just as well as the product itself.

As we are heading deep into winter, a little glow is much appreciated :)

After 2 gift sets shown back to back, let's take it down a notch with a single product I received for review today :)

We probably all know about Too Faced Shadow Insurance eye primer, which I mentioned briefly in the review of the Le Grand Palais set.

Candlelight is an illuminating Shadow Insurance, with a shimmery gold color compared to the colourless (original) Shadow Insurance.

Now Candlelight is supposed to offer a waterproof, 24 hour wear, crease/ fade proof base for cream and powder shadows still, but when worn alone, it brightens the lids and adds luminosity to the look. I find it work just as well as the original, but my eyeshadows would start fading around the time I leave work, not 24 hours for sure.

Swatches of Candlelight (left) and the original Shadow Insurance (right) straight from of the tube, then slightly blended out. Note that I used about 3 times of the suggested rain drop size here to show the finish, hence the illuminating effect is also more dramatic than what you would see on the eyes.

I layered a few eyeshadows from Le Grand Palais palette on top of both versions to test their effect.

Candlelight lightens a darker shade like Dreamlight (top), mutes the duochrome effect of Champs Elysees (middle) and enhances the metallic sheen of Satin Sheets (bottom). IRL, with the suggested amount, Candlelight only shows the lightest effect of illumination underneath eyeshadows.

If you are happy with the original Shadow Insurance, no need to switch it up. The tube is 0.35oz/ 11g, retails $24.

More options for holiday gifts from Too Faced today!

If you are looking for gifts within a set, something smaller than the Le Grand Palais, and featuring lip and cheek products, check out the Melted Kisses & Sweet Cheeks set.

The box is gold with a clear plastic window to show off 3 individually packed pairs of deluxe sized and color coordinated Melted lipsticks (0.16oz/ 5ml each vs. full size 0.4oz) and Love Flush blushes (0.07oz/ 2g each vs. full size 0.21oz). Tiny and cute!

Here are the 3 boxes, side by side.

Melted lipsticks are meant have the lasting power of a stain, shine of a gloss and intense color of a liquid lipstick.

They last reasonably well on me through meals/ drinks but the shine is the first thing to wear off. The colours are saturated, and the sponge tip applicator makes application a breeze.

Love Flush blushes are said to have 16 hour wear, fade/ smudge proof with bold colour payoff. I find minimal fading starts after the 8 hour mark, not a deal breaker by any means. They are pigmented, do not need much layering so I prefer a loose blush brush with them.

The first pair starts out with the most easy-to-wear colour scheme for most people: Melted Nude (described as a neutral nude) and Love Hangover (a warm pink).

Moving into girly pink territory are Melted Peony (a dusty rose which shows up cool toned on me, also part of the Le Grand Palais set) and Justify My Love (a bright pink with hardly-visible gold sparkles).

My favorite pair: Melted Fig (a rosy orchid) and Your Love Is King (a plumy rose), very season appropriate. If I need to grab a full size of Love Flush, Your Love is King would be it!

Swatches of the Melted lipsticks at the top, and their corresponding blushes at the bottom, 2 different lighting.

The set is $45 ($75 value). Have fun sharing it with 2 other friends/ family members or keeping them all to yourself if the colours suit you :)

Let's play doll house with Too Faced (LE) Le Grand Palais I was kindly sent for review. This is the one packaging I can't bring myself to throw away for sure.

A fun "toy" it sure is, with:
- 18 eye shadows (3x0.07oz/ 2.2g + 15x0.06oz/ 1.6g)
- 2 blushes, a highlighter and a bronzer (0.08oz/ 2.5g each)
- Better Than Sex mascara (0.17oz/ 4.8g vs. 0.27oz full size)
- Melted Peony liquified long wear lipstick (0.16oz/ 5ml vs. 0.4oz full size)
- Shadow Insurance eye primer (0.17oz/ 5g vs. 0.35oz full size), and
- Step-by-step glamour guides.

The palette sure deserves a closeup.

There is still a thicker plastic sleeve that goes over the pans but shade names are printed right on the palette. A+ for that!

Since I "went to the matte side" for my eyeshadows, I haven't seen so many sparkly shades all in one place like with this palette. And surprisingly enough, it brings back fun memories and gets me in a festive mood.

From past experience with Too Faced A Few of My Favorite Things from 2013, I know some colours would pack a surprise and don't show up the way they look in the pan. And I love the fact that the 3 essential shades are matte (a transition colour, a dark brown and a black).

Definitely appreciate the idea of having the brow bone highlight shades in larger pans: White Christmas (semi matte), Satin Sheets (metallic) and Vintage Lace (semi matte).

Smaller eyeshadows, first row: Delightful, Moon on Their Wings (2 beautiful fine glitters), Cobblestone (matte, beautiful transition colour), City Lights and Dreamlight (very pigmented, one of my favorites).

Second row: String of Lights (one of the most beautiful and almost holographic glitters I have), Yule Log (slightly dark base with scarce glitters), Wish List (metallic), Arc de Triomphe (metalic) and Belle Femme (matte).


Third row: Stiletto (matte), Eiffel (beautiful olive metallic sheen), Midnight in Paris (sheer base with chunkier blue glitters), Champs Elysees (a subtle duochrome!) and Party Dress (a rare hot pink eyeshadow).

The last row: blushes in Stardust and Skyline (matte, layering up quite well), luminizer in Flush (subtle) and bronzer in Sun Bunny (with a sheen, I use it to contour my nose mostly).

Don't think the Better Than Sex mascara needs any further reviews since I am sure you have heard about it enough on blogs and YT.

Just want to show you the wand, in rare case you haven't seen it. I have already been using a deluxe size sample of the mascara for a while and it does last a long time.

Still wish the set offers a full size though, considering how much space there is in the doll house (pictured above) :)

I find the formula does start out a little wet and dry up slowly, which play equally nicely on my lashes. Not a huge fan of the name but it does not change the fact that it is a great mascara.

Shadow Insurance also does not need any introduction. I appreciate its flesh tone colour that disappears once blended. I do not question the eyeshadow lasting power when I have Shadow Insurance on.

Melted Peony shows up as a cool toned pink on me, nice for work looks.

If you are looking for some sparklies for the holiday, Le Grand Palais is a gorgeous candidate. But if you are a fan of mattes or want daily looks, this is not it. The set is $72 ($469 value).