Too Faced Smokey Eyeshadow Collection Full Review (Plus a Short Bonus Review)

I am a total sucker when it comes to a smokey eye.  I have mentioned in past blog posts that I never follow the trends of the season and always opt for a smokey eye, day or night! The Too Faced Smokey Eyeshadow Collection has to be my new goto palette for smokey looks!  I was walking through Ulta helping my sister find some makeup to use for her engagement party and spotted this palette.  I kept debating buying it since I had spent soooo much money on makeup that week as it is, so my wonderful husband, knowing that I would be thinking about this palette all day, bought it for me.  He loves me and is slowly but surely starting to understand my makeup addiction.  I thank him for buying me this palette because I am simply in love with everything about it!

First of all, let me start off with the packaging design...IT'S GORGEOUS!!! Most of Too Faced's palettes have that signature design of a lovely eye on the front that signifies the purpose of the palette.  I just love the look and what's inside is even better! 

When you open the palette you will notice a similar design on the top flap of the palette.  I didn't notice right away, but in the little pocket on the top are three lesson cards with three different guides to looks you can achieve using this palette!  Very cool!  I love when companies include little "how-tos" with their products.  

 

Inside the palette are nine lovely shades that are extremely versatile for day or night looks. These shadows are highly pigmented with both velvety matte and silky shimmer finishes. The first colors that caught my attention were the shimmery shades to the left.  There was just something about them and they were the reason I needed to have this palette.  I have a lot of great shimmery shades in my makeup collection, but these were too lovely to pass up!  

Each row of the palette contains the large shimmery shade and two smaller smokier colors. These three rows represent each look that is presented on the lesson cards that Too Faced has provided.  Of course, you can go off the beaten path and mix and match all of these shades, but it is so nice to have them already set for you in an order where you can combine them perfectly.

First Row: The Day Look

From the left: Firefly, Cloves, Up in Smoke

This look, day, is obviously good for...DAYTIME!!!  The first shade, Firefly, is probably my favorite of this collection because it is a color that I didn't have.  It is a gorgeous silvery taupe shade that is great to wear as a highlight!  Pairing it up with Cloves, a bronzed brown, and Up in Smoke, a very dark brown, makes the perfect sultry daytime look!

Second Row: The Classic Look

From the left: White Lie, Nice Ash, Smokin Hot

Although Firefly is my favorite shade, I have to admit I probably use this row the most.  The name of this look Classic, clearly has shades that are very traditional when it comes to smokey looks...which I LOVE!!!  The first color, White Lie, is a very shimmery white shade which is again great for a highlight. The next shades, Nice Ash, is a charchoal grey with a hint of shimmer and Smokin Hot, a matte black (always a must to have in a smokey eye palette). These three colors create a gorgeous smokey look perfect for a night out on the town!

Second Row: The Fashion Look

From the left: In a Flash, Smoking Jacket, Smolder

What I love about the Fashion row, is that all three of these colors are shades that I did not have to begin with!  First let me start off with In a Flash.  This shimmery silver shade is unlike any other silver eyeshadow I have tried.  I have bought so many, and none of them had the silver payoff that I wanted, except for this one.  It is just so vibrant and I am just in love with it. Smoldering Jacket is a very dark plum shade which is the most amazing dark purple I have ever tried.  I have a lot of purple eyeshadows, but never really wear them much, except for this one. I feel this one is just beautiful for every skin tone.  Finally, Smolder, a matte navy blue.  I was looking for a shade like this for so long.  Ever since I saw Tiffany D do a navy smokey eye look, I have been on the prowl for a shade like this, and I have finally found it!  

Needless to say, I love all of these shades and everything about them!  They are all new shades to me, as I don't really have duplicates of them in my collection (except maybe the matte black).  I am not sure how long this palette has been out for, but all I know is that it has a 4-star rating on the Too Faced website.  That means I am not the only one who adores this palette.  For $36, you get 9 beautiful shades for a retail value of $121.  Can't go wrong with this palette.  I highly recommend it!

Have you tried the Smokey Eyeshadow Palette from Too Faced? 

If so, what do you think?  If not, do you want to try?

Have you tried any of the Too Faced Palettes?  If so, which ones?

BONUS REVIEW:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Candlelight Softly Illuminating Eye Shadow Primer

When I bought this palette, it came with a sample of the Too Faced Original Shadow Insurance.  I have never tried it before, so I was pretty psyched to give it a shot.  Of course, I loved it, as many people do and went out to buy it, but picked up the Shadow Insurance in Candlelight instead.  I have to say, I think that this one is fantastic to use with the Smokey Eye Palette.  This primer has a subtle golden shimmer and because most of the shadows in the palette have shimmer, this primer really works well with the shades!   This is a long-wearing primer that does not crease and makes it extremely easy to blend shadows.  This product has been featured in Self Magazine and is $18.  Yes, a bit pricey, but I honestly thing it is worth it, as I am so happy to have this!  Its certainly unique and works beautifully, especially while creating the smokey looks from the Smokey Eyeshadow palette.

Fresh from the tube

Blended...GORGEOUS!!!

Have you tried Too Faced Shadow Insurance?  

If so, which one, and what do you think?