Review: Too Faced Most Loved Set

I have a confession to make: I love samples.  And I love sample sets even more.  Why?  Because I HATE shelling over major bucks to purchase a full size product to try out only to discover that they don’t work for me.

I came across this Too Faced Most Loved Set at Sephora a few months ago and at the time, I was going to purchase the full sizes of the Chocolate Soleil Bronzer and one of their Long Wear Lipsticks.  When I saw this set and all that it included, those were quickly forgotten.  Not only did it include smaller sizes of the lipstick and bronzer, but it included 3 other samples including their Better Than Sex mascara which I have been wanting to try for a long time.

Unfortunately it appears as though this set is no longer available online (either via Sephora or the Too Faced website).  I believe this was limited edition set but I have seen some of them available in store at Sephora.   I’m not sure why they’d make this limited edition as it seems like it’d make it a good staple product but I guess that’s not for me to understand!   I paid $32 CAD for this and I found it at Sephora in what I like to refer to as crack corner (the section stuffed with all kinds of great little products near the checkout).

Now, on to my reviews of each item included in the set:

Hangover Face Primer

This primer had to be the dark horse of this entire box.  I took a quick look at it when I opened up the set but when I saw the words “Coconut Water” it made me nervous.  Mainly because a few months ago I was using the coconut milk version of the eos lip balm and it made me break out around my mouth.  So I was pretty cautious about using this but after reading some reviews on Sephora’s website and not really seeing any complaining about it causing breakouts, I figured I’d give it a try.  And I’m so glad I did!

I’ve been using it with my Covergirl Outlast foundation and the combination of the two give my skin a dewy yet natural look.  Which I never thought I’d like because I have combination skin and my t-zone tends to get progressively oily throughout the day.  And I won’t lie, about mid day I do use a blotting sheet on my t-zone, but I don’t feel like I look greaseball-ish.  Just a little excess shine that I can easily get away with at this time of year.

The other thing I really like about this is how much skin just soaks this up.  Perhaps my skin is dehydrated right now (which it very well could be) but it doesn’t leave the tacky, sticky feeling behind that many primers do, nor does it take forever to set.  I can apply this and then immediately apply foundation with zero issues.   The consistency of this is similar to a light lotion and it really feels more like a moisturizer than a primer to me.  Which may explain why I feel like my skin’s condition has improved since I’ve started using this – I’ve had zero breakouts in the last month, which for me is really rare. And did I mention this scent?  Coconuts!  It’s nothing overpowering, just light and slightly sweet.

If I had to pick a drawback I suppose it would be the price.  I feel like $40 for a primer is a bit much but when I find something that works for me I’m willing to pay for it.  I just purchased the full size of this last week as I’m close to using up the sample size.  I have been using the sample size for a month straight and I wouldn’t call it particularly generous size-wise.  Therefore I see the full size lasting me a good long while, so I can justify the cost.  Ultimately this gets  a big thumbs up from me!

Shadow Insurance Eye Shadow Primer

I’ve tried quite a few eyeshadow primers over the years and have had some mixed results.  I have very oily lids and if I don’t use a primer, my eyeshadow is guaranteed to crease. Overall I’d say this worked well – I tried it out using a variety of different eyeshadows and I never had to worry about creasing at all.  It has a rather thin consistency so it definitely doesn’t completely cover up any discoloration or visible veins on your eyelids.  I don’t care too much about that – I do have visible veins but once I apply eyeshadow they disappear or blend in.  But if that’s an area of concern for you, this might not do the job.

If I was going to purchase a high-end eye primer, this would definitely top the list.  The problem being I’m currently loving this e.l.f eye primer that costs $2 (review here).  I don’t see any differences between that one and this one and the price difference is significant.  Plus the e.l.f. version has a doe foot applicator which I prefer over the tube format.  So I don’t see myself purchasing the full size of this right now but I won’t rule it out in the future.

Chocolate Soleli Matte Bronzer

Bronzer is something I use every day, no matter the season because I’m pretty pale.  And I find even a little bit of bronzer makes such a difference with brightening my complexion.  The key for me is finding one that isn’t too intense or orange and can blend well.  When I first saw this one out of the box, I thought there was no way this was going to work for me.  It looked REALLY dark.  And then I swatched it and realized it’s really not as pigmented as it looks.  Which for me, is great.  If you have darker skin, this may be a disappointment for you.  I can apply this and blend it out to the point where it doesn’t even look like I put any of it on.  Is that a good thing?  I”m not sure.

What I really like about this is the scent – it smells like cocoa powder.   Which, on one hand, feels a little weird, like I’m brushing hot chocolate mix on my face.  But on the other hand, is ingenious!  Why shouldn’t cosmetics smell good?  Between using this and the primer, I’m craving something sweet by 6:30 every morning!

One drawback on this for me is the fact that there doesn’t seem to be much staying power with this.  I definitely do not have any of this left on my face by the end of the day.  So that’s slightly disappointing but not a deal breaker for me; rarely at the end of a 15 hour day do I have much left on my face.  I’m also not a fan of the cardboard packaging; while it is lightweight and can protect powder products pretty well (compared to plastic or metal), I just find its damages so easily.  You can see in the picture above what this looks like after some use.  The good thing is the full-size comes in what looks like a beautiful compact so this is only an issue with this sample size.

This little pan is going to take me a while to get through, so I don’t see myself needing to purchase the full-size of this any time soon.  I think I’ll definitely consider buying the full-size when the time comes but that’s a long ways away and who knows what new bronzers may be out by then? 🙂

Melted Long Wear Lipstick (Melted Fig)

As I’ve mentioned before, me and long-wearing lipsticks typically don’t get along.  I have naturally dry lips so anything matte or long-lasting tend to enhance and exacerbate dryness.  Despite that, I was intrigued to try these after testing out a few of these in store and liking how creamy and smooth they felt.

I can happily report that my initial opinion of these was correct.  I don’t find this drying at all, yet it does have some pretty good staying power.  It definitely isn’t transfer-proof and won’t stay in place through eating or drinking but under normal conditions but it does stick around for a good amount of time.  It has kind of a creamy, light mousse texture that glides on smoothly; I wasn’t sure if I was going to lip the sponge tip applicator but I found it actually made it quite easy to apply and apply evenly at that (and I’m horrible at this).

This colour is impressively pigmented.  It’s described as a “rosy orchid” but its more of a plum/berry shade on my lips which is perfect for fall.  One last thing – this does have a scent.  I’d describe it as a fruity/candy like scent which I personally enjoy.  It fades once it’s applied though, so you don’t have to worry about it lingering.

I honestly don’t have a bad thing to say about this!  I’m looking forward to trying out the other shades to see if they are equally as impressive!

 

 

Better Than Sex Mascara

There’s nothing I like more than a good mascara.  If I had to pick just one item of makeup to wear each day, mascara would be it.  So I’m always on the hunt for the next greatest version but I rarely purchase ones from outside of the drugstore.  If I’m going to spend money on an expensive product, it’s going to be on things like skin care, foundation, primer, eyeshadow palettes, etc.  Things that will last longer than a month or two and where I really feel like I’m getting my money’s worth.  There are so many great drugstore mascaras out there that I just don’t feel the need to splurge on them.

And then I tried this one.  And it may have swayed me from that opinion.  Mainly because this has done amazing things to my lashes.  Using this makes them look natural yet dramatic.  I wouldn’t say they look super voluminious but it adds crazy length and definition.  I find it gives them that fanned out, fluttery look which for me, is a hard look to achieve by using mascara alone.  I also love that I can build this up – some mascaras dry too quickly which always means I end up with clumpy, stuck-together lashes if I try applying more than one coat.  I can apply multiple coats of this within about 30 seconds of each other without worrying about that.

The downside – this does flake.  I find it flakes the most when I apply too many coats of it – but I like a lot (I mean a lot) of coats so that could be my fault.  And when I first started using this I found it a bit clumpy – but as it dried out a bit that disappeared.  Despite this, I will be purchasing the full-size of this.  The pros outweighed the cons so I’ll definitely report back once I’ve purchased the full-size and used it enough to see if I still feel the same way about it.

 

 

 

 

 

And that wraps up my thoughts on this set.  Overall, I was super impressed with everything and I understand why all of these products are classified as “most loved”.  They are all most deserving of the title!  I also appreciated that the samples included were of a decent size so that I could really give them a good try before committing to the full-sized versions.

Have you tried any of these Too Faced products or this set specifically?  If so, leave me a comment below, I’d love to know your thoughts!

Thanks for reading!