Valentine's Day FOTD plus Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette Review

Hello JFOG Readers! I hope you enjoyed your Valentines Day! This marks the half-way point for February and this month is flying by! Last month during one of several trips to Sephora I picked up the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette and decided to use it for the very first time to create a look for Valentines Day!

Here is what I used:

Mac spiked brow pencil and Coastal Scents camo palette to define my brows

Too Faced shadow insurance to prime lids

From the chocolate bar palette - Salted caramel as transition, semi-sweet in crease, marzipan in center of lid, gilded ganache on inner lid and outer lid, haute chocolate in between marzipan and gilded ganache on outer half of lid to create gradient effect, & triple fudge to deepen the crease

I used Elizabeth Mott smooth shadow eye pencil in pearl in my tear duct and on my lower lash line 

Lorac front of the line liquid liner for lash line

Urban decay perversion for waterline

Andrea #33 lashes

Lorac Special Effects mascara

Face:

Maybelline baby skin primer

Lancôme teinte idole ultra foundation in 460 suede

Mac Pro longwear concealer in nw40 set with Ben Nye banana powder

Lamik mineral powder in warm caramel to set foundation

Elf Turks and Caicos as contour

Mac stereo rose as highlight

Too Faced the perfect flush blush

Mac cork lip liner and mac viva glam nicki 2 lipstick

Palette Review:
 

What I love: the packaging is adorable! The shadows are packaged in a metal tin that is in the shape of a chocolate bar. The palette features 16 shades - 5 matte shades and the rest are primarily satin finishes with a few shimmery shades. There are neutral shades to wear during the day, warm shades to create smokey looks to wear at night, and a few fun colors to create dramatic looks. This palette has something for everyone! The shadows are made with cocoa powder, thus there is a faint smell of chocolate which adds a little more fancy to the palette. The colors in the palette have fun names centered around the chocolate theme. The shades in the palette also have great color payoff, are easy to blend, and there is minimal fall out. I did not experience any fall out with the 6 shadows that I used to create the look above. 

What I am not featuring: my only gripe about the palette is that the names of the shadows are not embossed into the palette as they normally are. The names are listed on a plastic film inside of the palette and you have to keep up with it in order to know the names of the shades. The name situation is a turn-off but not enough to bypass this product. 

Overall: I love this palette! I love the versatility and I love that I can create entire looks using this palette alone! I do not feel that I own another palette that is comparable. I would definitely recommend the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette to others and I think it is a must-have in any collection.

Monthly Empties - January

I did not use up a lot of products during the month of January. It was a vey slow month for me as it was too cold for me to really enjoy life! This has been the longest, coldest winter ever! I am adjusting better this month so I will have a longer list for February. Nonetheless, here is what I used up:

Vaseline Spray & Go - This product was featured in a recent monthly favorites post. I finished this product in January and I have already repurchased another can. I really like this lotion especially for when I am in a hurry to get somewhere. It goes on quickly and dries quickly. If you dispense the product and too much of it comes out you're not stuck for 5 minutes trying to absorb the extra product as you would with creamy formulas. It is very moisturizing on my skin. To give you an idea, my skin does not dry out quickly and I can "get away with" skipping lotion during the warmer months, though I would never do such a thing. I hope that explanation helps you to understand my skin type in case you were wondering about the moisturizing properties of this lotion. I like that the spray does not leave a heavy texture or coated feeling on my skin. It also doesn't display a slick shiny appearance on my skin. If you prefer shinier skin, then you probably would not enjoy this product. Overall, I think this product is worth a try, especially if you've never experienced lotion application from an aerosol can.

Karen's Body Beautiful Luscious Locks Hair Mask - I absolutely love this mask. It is thin in consistency, it does not have a heavy or distinct fragrance, and it leaves my hair super soft and moisturized after using it to deep condition. This mask retails for $25 per 8 oz and I always get it on sale. In the past I was able to get 4 uses out of one jar but now that my hair is longer I am only able to get 3 uses per jar. Whether on sale or purchased at full price I can not justify buying anything that I can only use 3 times, thus at this time I do not plan to repurchase and unfortunately I do not have any back ups of this product in my stash. I have plenty of deep conditioners and I feel that I need to use all of them before I repurchase the more expensive ones.

I discarded the following products before finishing:

ELF blushes - I had 3 blushes from ELF for which I paid $3 each and owned for more than 2 years and never used them. I had the colors pink passion, fuchsia fusion, and blushing rose. These products have more shimmer than I prefer (glitter-like shimmer) and the formula tends to appear chalky when applied to the skin. A lot of people compare these blushes to MAC or NARS because side by side when both products are in their respective containers they look similar, however the performance is not comparable. I do not think that these blushes are dupes for any high-end blush and I would not repurchase another ELF blush in this formula, nor would I recommend these blushes to others. There are other drug store brands that are worth a try, but I do not have a recommendation at this time. 

ELF precision liquid liner - the brush/applicator of this liquid liner is too thick for my preference. The width of the applicator reminds me of that of a standard nail polish brush. The product is very "wet" in formula and does not dry matte. It smudges and it transfers to the top portion of my hooded eyes. If you have trouble applying liquid liner or have hooded eyes, or prefer a matte finish for eye liner I would not recommend this product. I do not plan to repurchase this product.

Bear Fruit Hair Mango Macadamia Conditioner - this product started to collect mold. It is advisable to keep some natural hair products refrigerated and I keep most of mine in a small beverage refrigerator, but I took this one out and took my time about using it and it was molded when I got around to trying to use it so I threw it away. Most products from the BearFruitHair line work well but they are expensive, the company rarely offers sales, and the product comes in these "cute" rectangular bottles that are impossible to use. I have to slice open the bottles and transfer the product to recycled jars from other companies just to be able to use these. I have a few other products from this company but I do not plan to repurchase. The packaging is an absolute deal breaker for me!

That is all for the month of January. I have already started compiling my February empties post so stay tuned for more product reviews. If you have opinions that you would like to express regarding any of these products or if you have additional questions or comments please feel free to leave them below. You can also email me at jarfullofglam@yahoo.com if you have additional inquiries.

January Favorites - Products & Client Edition

Hello readers! It has not been very long since I posted my December favorites and I am already overdue for January favorites. I have been getting awesome feedback from a lot of you and I really appreciate the support. If you have additional questions and you do not feel comfortable leaving a comment below please feel free to email me at jarfullofglam@yahoo.com and if you follow me on social media (Twitter: @chanelgloss and Instagram: @chaneldior1913) feel free to send me a message there as well. Here is a list of things that I loved during the month of January:

Mac eye kohl in smolder - this is a multi-purpose product for me. I used it as a lipstick (see pic below) and I found that it was a great substitute if u were unable to get the limited edition Mac hautecore (matte black) lipstick. I also used this eye kohl in my waterline and it applies very smoothly yet intense. This is one of my fave black liners from MAC thus far and I have tried several! I purchased this product at maccosmetics.com.

Urban Decay pore perfecting primer - this primer helped my makeup go on smoothly over my large pores. And best of all it did not irritate my sensitive skin! I have tried the very popular Benefit Porefessional primer and it dried out and irritated my skin so I am always nervous about primers. Most people look for primers to control oil but this formula is not for oil-control. I have noticed that a lot of women use a pore reducing primer coupled with an oil control primer to meet their needs. Another option would be to use a mattifying setting spray which controls oil. Look out for my upcoming post about primers if you are interested in finding other options. I purchased this product at Nordstrom Rack but it is available anywhere that Urban Decay is sold. 

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Sebastian lip tar - this is a beautiful, unique color. It was released in OCC's fall 2013 collection. Like all OCC lip tars, this product can be mixed with other lip tars to create beautiful hues. This was the perfect nude lip for me! This lip tar is versatile enough to wear both during the day or for a night out. I purchased this product at lecosmetique.com but it can be purchased anywhere OCC products are sold (including Sephora). Below I am wearing this lip tar with MAC Cork liner, and you can also see more pics on my Naked 1 FOTD post. 

Mac Constructivist paint pot - this was my everyday lid color during the month of January. I love that you can wear this color alone or you can wear it as a base under your shadows. It's pigmented, long-wearing and lasts all day. There is no need to apply a primer when using paint pots as they do not crease and they are long-wearing. I usually apply the constructivist paint pot to my lid and use a basic transition color (I usually use my ELF bronzing powder in Turks and Caicos as a transition shade in order to save time in my everyday beauty routine). I can also use this as a base for a chocolate smokey eye or even a neutral day look. I purchased this product a couple of years ago at the Mac counter. It is a permanent item and is still available. Here is a pic of me wearing constructivist and Turks and Caicos (my camera has been creating a halo effect around my head and makes my hair look dead so my hair is cropped out of this pic).

Lorac Pro palette - this is the palette that I reached for nearly everyday during the month of January. It's the perfect neutral palette. I can't believe I overlooked this palette for so long. I haven't been able to really do a thorough comparison of my naked palettes because I've been wearing this everyday. If you are a minimalist and looking for just one palette that is worth the money and that you can use everyday this is the one that I would recommend. I like this palette over the naked palettes because it has everything that you need regardless of your skin tone. It features a row of 8 shimmery shadows and a row of 8 matte shadows, making it possible to create day or night looks. There is also a transition color for every complexion, which is rare in a palette. The shadows are pigmented and creamy, thus they apply easily with minimal blending. I also recommend this palette for ladies with mature skin since the creamy formula is less likely to settle into wrinkles when a primer is applied. I purchased my palette at Ulta but you can also find it on Lorac's website. 

Kate Spade iPhone 5 case - I bought quite a few phone cases in December but this pink and cream case is the one that I absolutely loved during the month of January. It is a rubber-like case that is very easy to clean (stains just smudge right off of it) and it works to protect my phone from damage.  I found this case at Nordstrom Rack and it was less than $20. It was priced between $16.97 and $19.97 as I can not recall the specific sticker price. It is easy to find inexpensive Kate Spade tech accessories at stores like Nordstrom Rack, Marshall's, and TJ Maxx. 

Snyder's chocolate covered pretzels - I know it is totally random for me to post a food product on here but everyone eats and everyone loves a good snack! If you like chocolate and pretzels and enjoy the taste of sweet combined with slightly salty you will probably enjoy these. They are especially good for a grocery store novelty item (you know the type of quality that you usually find at chain retailers) and I would totally serve them to guests. I found these pretzels at Target around Christmas and saw them in stores in January but when I went to look for them for a Valentine's Day event they were nowhere to be found! I am not sure if they were limited edition but if you see them in stores they are worth a try. 

 

 

H&M leggings - I bought a few pairs of these leggings at H&M before the season began. I paid $12.95 per pair. I have lived in these this month! I slept in them, wore them to the grocery store or to run errands, and I even worked out in a pair of these. They are opaque so your undies don't show through and they conceal cellulite so no need to be self-conscious about imperfections when wearing these. They are generously sized so most people are able to size down in these. They are long enough so there isn't an awkward space between the leggings and the tops of the shoes, even if you are fairly tall (I am about 5ft6''). They are large enough - once again you can absolutely size down in these - I don't have to worry about losing my pants as I walk because these fit very well. I have washed and dried these 100 times just in the month of January alone and they have never shrunk or faded. H&M has everyone's size so I think these are worth a try for everyone as I have not seen this type of quality in leggings at this price point. I am not a "leggings type of girl" as in you won't catch me wearing them to an event (though I plan to experiment with ways to make them look more tasteful) but these are essential to every wardrobe!

 

 

I decided to include my client favorite with this post because I didn't do many freelance jobs in January but here is one of my favorites:

We used NARS Sheer Matte foundation in Macao to even out her complexion and MAC Nightmoth and Rebel are on the lips. 

Have you guys tried any of these products? I would love to hear your thoughts. Let me know in the comments section below. 

Naked 1 FOTD

When I got the Naked 3 palette for Christmas, I decided to pull out the Naked 1 palette to do a comparison. I ended up creating this look. I have had this palette for years and I never use it. I found it hard to use the palette exclusively because the color buck is the best transition color for my skin amongst the colors included in the palette, yet it is not warm enough. Nonetheless here is what I used:

Eyes:

To define my brows I used concealer from the Coastal Scents camo palette

NYX eyeshadow base

Buck

Half baked

Smog

Dark horse

Creep

Mac Smolder on my water line

Lorac front of the line liquid liner on my lash line

Mac Zoomlash mascara on bottom lashes

747 L eyelashes

For this look I used the following products in my face:

Urban Decay pore perfecting primer

Smashbox under eye primer

Lancôme teinte visionnaire foundation in 500 suede set with MAC MSF in dark

Mac bright forecast highlighter

Mac Pro longwear concealer in NW40 set with Ben NYE banana powder

ELF Turks and Caicos contour

Nars Devotee highlighter

MAC Magnetic Appeal MSF as highlighter

Nars Orgasm blush

Lips:

MAC Cork lip liner paired with OCC lip tar in Sebastian 

I hope that you found this post helpful. Please feel free to leave questions or comments below. For inquiries please email me jarfullofglam@yahoo.com

Too Faced A Few of My Favorite Things Review and FOTD

The Too Faced A Few of My Favorite Things palette was a limited edition Sephora holiday exclusive. The palette sold out pretty quickly in most places but you may be able to find it in a few Sephora stores. It comes with 20 eyeshadows, 2 bronzers, 2 blushes, a lip stain, a mascara, and a makeup bag.

What I loved: I find that a lot of palettes are usually missing transition eyeshadow shades for brown skin women but this palette has enough shades for a complete look, though out of habit I used my Mac shadows for the look below. I loved the makeup bag that accompanied the set. I think the packaging is simple, yet functional, and gorgeous. This set was a great value considering there were 20 shadows and the average palette has 12, and not to mention tons of extras. 

What I am not featuring: I appreciate palettes that include extras because it's a great way for customers to discover additional products from the company, so it's a win-win situation for both parties. However, I don't think bronzers should be included in sets because they aren't inclusive of everyone. The chocolate soleil bronzer included in this set works best on medium skin tones, excluding the girls with fair or deep complexions. I can probably use the bronzer for all over shimmer but I prefer to use bronzers as contouring powder, so my brown skin needs a deeper shade. I like the sun bunny as a highlighter so I feel that is an extra that could work for everyone. I can probably work with both shades of the blush but they aren't colors that I usually reach for. I have not tried the mascara. I don't know anyone that enjoys that lip stain. It's a lip plumping formula and the name of the color is Bee Sting. I think Too Faced meant that literally. When I applied the color my lips burned and quivered and felt as if I had been bitten by an insect. It was very uncomfortable and the sensation lasts for several minutes. A fellow blogger advised me to throw it in the trash and I could not agree with her more. 

Overall: though I wish the extras were better, I  can not complain as I simply love the product based on the shadows and the packaging. I paid $41 for this set with a coupon (retails for $56) so it was well worth the price for me. 

Here is how I used the palette:

To define my brows I used concealer from the Coastal Scents camo palette

To contour my eyes, I mixed Mac Texture and Swiss Chocolate 

From the Too Faced palette I used Buche de Noel, Honey Honey, and Dark chocolate

I used Mac Indigo on my water line

Lorac front of the line liquid liner on my lash line

Mac Zoomlash mascara on bottom lashes

747 L eyelashes

 

For this look I used the following products on my face:

Elf mineral primer

Smashbox under eye primer

Urban Decay Naked foundation in 11.0

Lamik Mineral powder in warm caramel to set foundation

Mac Pro longwear concealer in NW40 set with Ben NYE banana powder

MAC Perfectly Poised MSF as highlighter

 

Lips:

Dark lips - Mac liner in smolder applied all over lips

Fuschia tone - Mac Strong Woman lipstick with Mac currant liner

Deep Red - Mac Sin lipstick with Mac Currant liner

I hope that you found this review helpful. If you have additional questions or comments please feel free to leave them in the comment section below. 

What I Got For Christmas 2013

My family loves the holidays. We always exchange gifts and prepare yummy new recipes for Christmas. Around the holidays, I became obsessed with palettes so I added them to my Christmas list. I sometimes request fragrances for Christmas but this was the first time that I actually requested cosmetic products. I received other awesome gifts as well but I wanted this post to focus on beauty items as sort of an introduction to upcoming posts.

 

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette - I initially skipped this palette because most people said that a lot of the shades were repeated in other UD palettes. I only owned Naked 1 and Vice 2 prior to receiving Naked 2 for Christmas and I found that only one shade was repetitive for me. 

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette - this palette was all the rave when it was released towards the beginning of December. I had to practice self-control to not go purchase this palette before Christmas because I put it on my Christmas list and felt that I would receive it. I have an upcoming post comparing all three Naked palettes so stay tuned. 

Nars Guy Bourdin One Night Stand Cheek Palette - I actually found this palette after Christmas, as my sister was unable to find it during the holidays. I used my Christmas cash to purchase it! I have an upcoming review planned for this palette so stay tuned. 

Dolce & Gabanna Pour Femme Parfum - I first smelled this fragrance when I was sampling rollerballs at a Ulta one day. In terms of fragrance I am very hard to please! I favor notes of lotus, vanilla, and sandalwood. I appreciate clean, feminine fragrances. I will provide more information about this fragrance in a future post about my perfume collection. If we have similar preferences in fragrances you will enjoy this one, so be sure to look out for that post.

I am still excited about my gifts and I hope that everyone enjoyed their holidays and that your new year is off to a great start! Thank you for reading my blog and comments are welcomed below.

Product Comparison - Bee Mine Bee Hold Curl Cream vs. Donna Marie Dream Curling Creme

I often get tons of questions about products and what I use for curl definition or how I achieve certain looks. I will try to answer those types of questions in as many posts as I can. I will start here by comparing two types of natural curl creams that I have been using this winter. Before I begin, please keep in mind that though my hair probably looks similar to yours, everyone's hair responds to products in different ways, so don't feel like you have to purchase everything that I rave about in order to achieve similar looks. These posts are to just show you what I am using to maintain my hair and to compare products that you may have considered purchasing.

Donna Marie Dream Curling Crème

 

I have purchased this product twice and I have used it for a few years, so I definitely feel comfortable doing a thorough review.

 

Description: creamy in texture, varies in color, as it is a natural product, has a nut butter smell that does not linger (key ingredients include macadamia seed oil, Shea butter, and Cupuacu butter) thick whipped gelly, cream-like consistency

Costs: $20 for 16 oz. jar

Packaging: plastic, large, round jar allows easy access to all of the product

Claims: medium hold styling product that imparts shine, moisture, definition, and elongation to curly styles. Provides effortless, frizz-free, fluffy, soft, curly styles without crunch, stiffness, or flakes. 

Recommended use: curls, twist outs, braid outs, pony puffs, coils

Key ingredients: water, aloe vera juice, glycerin, sweet almond oil, Shea butter

The truth: I agree that this product imparts shine and definition. I use this product with a moisturizer, as I do not expect to receive moisture from a styling product, so I can not vouch for moisturizing properties. I can also agree with the elongation claim because if I let my hair dry without any products, my curls are much tighter and less visible. I can also agree that I have never experienced crunch, stiffness, or flakes, and this product does not build up in my hair. 

How have I used this product: twist-n-curls, flat twist outs, braid outs, two-strand twist outs, three-strand twist outs, wash-n-go; on wet, damp, and dry hair. 

I would not recommend this product for: wash-n-go's as it does not have enough hold for my thick hair

The overview: One 16 oz jar of this product lasts a long time, as you don't need much product to create the desired results. I generally use a pea-sized amount per twist when doing twist-outs etc. the product is definitely worth the cost, at about $1.25 per ounce when calculated, and a greater value in comparison to the average curl cream, which is usually about $16 for 8 oz. At this time Donna Marie Dream Curling Creme is on my list of holy grail hair products. I recently used up this product and I plan to repurchase in the future, as soon as I use up other products.

The proof:

This was a twistout that I did during the spring of 2013. I applied DMDCC to hair that had been blown dry. 

Here I used DMDCC for a wash and go also during the spring of 2013. 

Bee Mine Bee Hold Curly Butter

I have had this product forever but I just started using it regularly in December. I am trying to use it up, as I am trying to discontinue my product hoarding ways in 2014. I have used this product several times and I am able to provide a valuable review.

Description: thick, smooth, and creamy in consistency. Appears to have the texture of a lotion, yet it is thick enough to where it does not move, even when the jar is held upside down with the top removed. The product does not have a butter-like texture or consistency. I have the island mango scent, but the product is available unscented or in a coconut cream fragrance. I love the smell of this product. It has a citrus, sweet, orange and mango smell. The smell does not linger. The fragrance does not haunt me in my sleep like the scent of other products that I use!

Costs: $14 for 8oz. jar

Packaging: plastic, large, round jar allows easy access to all of the product

Claims: Provides long lasting moisture and promotes growth 

Recommended use: twists, finger curls, pony tails, puffs, natural hair, relaxed hair, and texlaxed hair. 

Key Ingredients: Shea butter, aloe Vera gel, glycerine

The truth: This product provides a very light hold, so it is not the best product for twist outs if you have frizzier hair that needs extra hold. I would not use this product for moisture as I think of it as a styler since it has aloe Vera gel, and the product is not water-based as water is the primary ingredient that provides moisture to the hair. I would rather reserve the growth conversation for another post, but please note that the product says promotes growth not causes growth. Hair grows naturally at different rates per individual, yet there are multiple factors that determine whether you retain length from your hair growth. 

How have I used this product: twist-n-curls, flat twist outs, braid outs, three-strand twist outs, and on wet and damp hair. 

I would not recommend this product for: wash n go's, styles that require extra hold or definition

 

The overview: I currently have two jars of this product in my arsenal. I plan to at least use up the one that I have already opened and I may give the other jar to a friend. This is a great product depending on your styling preferences and your hair needs. I prefer more hold and definition in a styler and I do not consider the product a moisturizer. Because this product does not offer much hold, I am unable to get third-day hair from a style set with this product. I am fortunate to get second-day hair at times, though that is not always the case. That is the real deal-breaker for me, as I am too busy to style my hair daily and I do not think it is healthy to manipulate your hair on a daily basis. I appreciate that this product does not cause flaking, build up, stiffness, or crunchiness, and it washes away easily with water and conditioner. At this time I do not plan to repurchase this product. 

The proof:

Braid out over the weekend using Bee Mine Curly Butter applied to dry hair. My hair was super soft and the curls were stretched and my hair moved freely and appeared full. I was unable to get multiple wear out of this style as the product does not provide enough hold for me.

Three-strand twist out using Bee Mine curly butter on wet hair. My hair was soft and the curls were stretched. 

The comparison:

This is a three-strand twist out that I did last month. On the side of my hair shown on the right side of the picture I used Donna Marie for a three strand twist out. On the side of my hair pictured to the left of the center part, I used Bee Mine. I had more hold, shine, and definition on the DMDCC side. 

This pic was taken the day after the pic above was taken. I flat twisted my hair the night before. I did not apply any additional product. On the right side of the picture where the DMDCC was previously applied I have more definition, hold, and shine. On the left side of the pic, where Bee Mine was applied, I have less hold, less shine, and less definition. Side by side comparisons are a great way to compare products without having to rely on memory and other factors like weather, activity level, etc. 

 

I prefer the Donna Marie Dream Curling cream because of its styling properties - shine, hold, and definition. The DMDCC is also more cost effective, as I receive twice the amount of product offered by Bee Mine, at just $6 more, or the same amount of product offered in Bee Mine's $24 16oz. product for $4 less. I am also able to get multiple days of wear out of a single application of the Donna Marie product, where that is not possible for me with the Bee Mine product. Because of the time that it takes me to do my hair, second day hair and beyond is very important to me in selecting products.

I hope that you found this comparison helpful. I would love to hear about some of your favorite products, so feel free to leave comments below.