Too Faced is a brand responsible for some cult-favourites. For example, their ‘Better Than Sex’ mascara is the number one best-selling prestige mascara in America. Their ‘Chocolate Soleil Bronzer’ is also a firm favourite in the market, a bronzer that is 100% cocoa powder-infused and smells amazing.
Back in 1998, founders Jerrod Blandino and Jeremy Johnson wanted to start a company that ‘brought back unapologetic glamour and femininity, inspired by a love of Paris, unabashed girliness and the transformative power of cosmetics’, according to their website, which embodies these ideals. The brand is also dedicated to being 100% cruelty free and features a variety of vegan products in their lines, as well as being a member of PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies Programme, and has since then made a mark on the beauty industry.
Recently, I picked up the brand’s ‘The Greatest Of All Time: The Makeup Game Changers’ Set, a box worth £80 but being sold for an incredible £35, which is a huge money-saving deal especially when considering that the Better Than Sex Mascara (which was included inside) was worth £22 alone. Alongside the mascara, inside the box there were three more of the brand’s bestselling products: their Better Than Sex Eyeliner, Hangover Pillow Balm and the Lip Injection Extreme. To say I was excited to try them out is an understatement.
The Better Than Sex Mascara
Usually, I don’t buy high-end mascaras. I do think that drugstores do mascaras that are just as good quality as the high-end ones, if not better, and they are so much cheaper. Back in 2015, the L’Oréal Lash Paradise mascara was a must-have in my makeup bag, a mascara which is, funnily enough, the dubbed ‘dupe’ of the Better Than Sex product, and I loved it.
But, I was super excited to try the mascara. The packaging is very pretty (not to mention heavy, this mascara carries weight) and the wand is shaped like an hourglass to try and grab every curl.
When I tried it on, the first thing I thought was that the brush felt really rough and scratchy. I applied a few coats to each eye to see the finished product.
I must say that the wand, however painful it was, did help to grab each lash and coat it and the colour payoff was ok. However, I was a little disappointed. Given the rave reviews by countless journalists, influencers and everyday people like us alike, I was expecting big, dramatic lashes and volume. But it just felt lacking, especially when comparing it to my Max Factor False Lash Affect mascara (which comes in at just £11.99 compared to Too Faced’s hefty price tag) and, I had to add numerous coats to even get it to a good enough volume.
I really dislike as well when a mascara is a pain to take off. That’s one of the reasons I didn’t get on with the ‘They’re Real!’ mascara by Benefit- it smudged so much around my eyes I looked like a panda. Although this one wasn’t as stubborn as Benefit’s, it did take a lot of micellar water and cotton pads to remove.
I don’t mind the mascara and I’ll use it until it runs dry but I wouldn’t buy it again. Honestly, I think I preferred L’Oréal’s dupe.
Better Than Sex Eyeliner
I love liquid eyeliner and it’s something that I have worn for years, so I was hoping for good results on this product.
I’ve tried many good liquid eyeliners over the years (Glossier is a favourite) and some not so good ones (Charlotte Tilbury’s Feline Flick is not for me) but where would this one land?
Well, when I first tested it on my hand I was shocked. The colour payoff was insane; I got a jet-black colour on my hand with just the lightest stroke.
The thing that I immediately liked about this eyeliner was that you had the control over its thickness. A lighter hand resulted in an immaculate, thin stroke whereas a slightly heavier hand gave you that thicker, more dramatic flick. I couldn’t wait to try it out.
I must say that I love, love, LOVE this eyeliner. It went on so nicely onto my lid; it didn’t drag or flake, the colour payoff was crazy and the nib was perfect to create that feline flick. It did not budge either- I wore it all day (for at least ten hours in the end) and it was still immaculate at the end of the day. This way surpassed my expectations.
Hangover Pillow Balm
When the salesman was talking me through this product, I was slightly confused at first as to what its purpose was so I looked it up further once home.
The description on the LookFantastic website says that the balm is to help ‘replenish and revitalise’ your pout that also ‘soothes the discomfort of dry, chapped lips and restores them to a rejuvenated and silky state’. Whilst I was in Boots, the salesman actually recommended applying the product before sleeping as the product would then sink in overnight and sleeping with it on would be beneficial.
So, the night after buying the set, I applied a healthy dose of the balm onto my lips and headed to bed.
The scent of the product was really nice- I think Too Faced are experts when it comes to making their scents- and was a mix of coconut and mint. This too had a tingling sensation when put on my lips and the formula wasn’t too dissimilar to the Lip Injection Extreme. Since my lips are extremely chapped and gross right now, I lathered the product on.
When I woke up in the morning the balm was still on my lips and they felt hydrated and smooth. I must say that my cracked lips were looking much healthier than they had done in weeks (face masks and the cold weather are doing me dirty) and the product didn’t feel heavy at all now.
I continued to use this product for the next couple of days and I really love it. It smells great, serves as a great base before applying lipstick and it really did make my lips look healthier. Too Faced- you knocked this one out of the park.
Lip Injection Extreme
There are quite a few lip plumping products on the market now and it’s not surprising, giving the current trend of fuller, plumper lips. This product even came with its own warning on the box’s packaging, stating: ‘you may experience a slightly intense tingle that can last up to 5-10 minutes.’
Intense?! And 5-10 minutes?! Did it have that power?
*Spoiler alert- it didn’t*.
I wanted to do a bit of research into this product as I haven’t used a lip plumper properly before. This product is a ‘instant and long term lip plumper’, according to the packaging, and is described as a ‘day-and-night-use serum for lips that appear full and pouty from your very first application and plumper overtime’ on the John Lewis website.
When I first opened the product (I will say that Too Faced’s packaging I absolutely love) I was immediately met with a smell that reminded me of my childhood. It’s a lovely but not too strong smell of what can only be described as a pick n’ mix shop and came in the shade ‘Bubblegum Yum’, a colour that looks quite a dark pink in the bottle but appears clearer on the lips. I cannot get over that smell.
The lip plumper went onto my lips really nicely, although it is quite a thick and heavy product so if you’re not into that sort of feeling or heavier products then this may not be the product for you. It definitely left a tingling sensation on my lips but it subsided after a couple of minutes or so.
Upon looking at it, my lips did appear plumper and slightly bigger. However, it sort of left a pinkish ring around my lips which made it look as if I had smeared or smudged it. It kind of reminded me of the time when I first tried lipstick on at like five years old and my uncle told me that it looked like I had jam all over my lips. The redness did die down a little in the end but I felt very self-conscious of it.
The next day I tried the product again and there was no pinkish ring- I think I had just applied a tad too much and they actually had smudged- so a little goes a long way with this product. I liked this much more the second time round and will definitely continue to use it to see if I can start to see any benefits.
So, using all four of the products, I did a full face of makeup. I’ve got to say, the eyeliner was a real stand-out for me and the lip balm I love too. Whilst I did like the lip plumper also, I just wasn’t the biggest fan of the mascara. It wasn’t necessarily awful, just over-hyped.
But, my first impressions of the brand were really good. I think the next thing I would want to try out is their Chocolate Soleil bronzer or one of their eyeshadow palettes as they have gotten some good reviews. Now I just need money!
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