When I first saw this palette on Too Faced’s Instagram, my wallet immediately began to cry.
The Natural Love palette is what the brand calls the “ultimate neutral eyeshadow collection”- consisting of 30 neutral matte and shimmery shadows.
Being the ultimate lover of bold lip colours, neutral shadows make up the vast majority of my collection. Too Faced’s own Chocolate Bar palette is my all time most loved pick and I recommend it to everyone, so it was a no brainer that I would have to have this when it finally hit the shelves in Australia.
As always, I ordered mine from my trusty friend- Mecca. The palette came in at a hefty $85 and was delivered to my door in roughly four days. Is it worth such a ridonculous price tag? More on that at the end ;).
Too Faced is renowned for having a knack for packaging and this palette is no exception- from the intricate illustrations through to the metallic embossing, it truly exceeded my expectations.
Of course, packaging shouldn’t really matter, but in this case it really does add a great deal of wow factor and just feels that little bit more special.
As for the practicality of the packaging, I would say it’s pretty acceptable.
One of the reasons I love the chocolate bar palette so much is because of how travel friendly it is- it’s compact, has all the shades you would need on an average day, and the metal casing makes it quite sturdy and robust.
In contrast, this one is crafted from cardboard.
On one hand, this makes it extremely thin, lightweight, and easy to slip into the side of a makeup bag or suitcase without adding too much weight. But while the cardboard does seem VERY sturdy, it’s never going to stand up as well as a plastic or metal case- just something to keep in mind if you intend to take this with you on your journeys.
When it comes to the inside, I don’t have any complaints.
It has a great big mirror which is rather handy, and the layout of the shades is fairly logical. I also love the touch of the outside design surrounding the mirror- again, it just feels a little more special.
As for the shade range (the most important part), I think they’ve done a pretty great job.
When I look over the palette, I feel fairly inspired- there are a number of shades which scream my name and I can immediately see several looks that I want to try.
I have blue eyes and quite warm based skin, so warm shades are my best friend when it comes to any eye look. I rarely wear cool tones, and when I do, I still need that warm transition shade to satisfy me. For me, this is the only shade that’s missing- it needs something similar to salted caramel from the chocolate bar. But overall, I can’t complain.
Quality-wise, Too Faced’s shadows tower over the rest for me, so I had super high hopes for this- and I’m proud to say my expectations were exceeded.
Heaven- Light, matte, off-white.
Fairy Tale- Bright, metallic gold.
Nudie- Neutral, matte brown.
Don’t Settle- Khaki-toned brown shimmer.
Fingers Crossed- Deep neutral brown shimmer.
Lace Teddy- Muted matte peach.
Satin Sheets- Cool pink with iridescent golden reflects.
Push-Up- Warm bronze shimmer.
Honey Pot- Metallic warm gold.
Chocolate Martini- Neutral brown with silver shimmer
Undercover- Deep raisin with bright purple reflects.
Pink Cheeks- Pale pink shimmer.
Kittens- Cool lilac with iridescent gold shimmer.
Bunny Nose- Shimmery, muted barbie pink.
Moonbeam- Metallic light taupe.
Love Bug- Deep purple with silver reflects.
Smokin’- Metallic gunmetal.
Poodle- Cool iridescent pale baby pink (almost white).
Cutie Patootie- Metallic rose gold.
Dear Diary- Metallic burnt bronze.
Coffee Date- Metallic burnt copper.
Spoiled- Deep, warm brown shimmer.
Night Fever- Cool, blackened brown shimmer.
Spotlight- Matte, yellow-toned beige.
Honey Butter- Light, warm matte brown.
Honeymoon- Warm metallic rose.
Hot & Bothered- Rich, warm copper shimmer.
Makeup & Chill- Deep, warm matte brown.
Stiletto- Matte black.
For the most part, every shade took me by surprise upon first swatch. I found all of the shades to be extremely pigmented and the metallic shades in particular were very smooth and buttery.
The matte shades were also extremely smooth and glided on like butter, but I found that ‘heaven’ didn’t go as far as the others. Spotlight is also relatively close to my skin tone so it didn’t show up as well either.
I’ve yet to test any of the shades on my eyes, but if Too Faced’s general formula is anything to go by, they will be an absolute dream to work with.
Now, to the important part- is the palette worth putting your wallet through such emotional turmoil?
Well…
Pros:
- Great shade range
- Lightweight, compact design
- High quality shadows with great pigmentation
- Excellent mirror
- Beautifully illustrated packaging
Cons:
- Expensive
- Doesn’t have a scent like other Too Faced palettes
- Cardboard packaging may not last when travelling
- One matte shade is slightly chalky
As someone who wears shades like this constantly, loves warm tones, and experiments with makeup on the regular, I would say that yes, it was worth it for me.
However, if you don’t enjoy using warm tones, travel a lot, or simply like to wear the same eyeshadow every day, you may not get enough use out of the palette to justify the price. All in all it’s up to you, but personally, I can see this becoming another staple in my collection.
My hat goes off to you Too Faced; you really have done it again.
