Real vs. Dupe: Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons palette

If you looked at the above photo without reading the post title you’re probably thinking, “why did she buy two of the exact same palette?”

Well, it’s sort of a long story. I have bought a lot of products off of eBay before and I always had a good experience with them. If the product that arrived isn’t what you expected or it is damaged at all, you can always send it back!

My most recent palette purchase wasn’t as simple. eBay had some great deals on the Chocolate Bon Bons palette but I was very suspicious as fake editions of popular palettes have been made before. Therefore I was very careful in picking a seller. They were from the USA, there were photographs of the palette, and it included a little booklet of eyeshadow looks that Too Faced shows you how to make with the palette. I have the original Chocolate Bar palette so I knew Too Faced includes a booklet with their palettes.

                                           Real Too Faced palette (top), copy (bottom) 

 I got what I thought was an incredible deal on the Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons palette, but the moment it arrived I could tell something was a little…off. The packaging looked just like it did in photos but when you open the palette there is no chocolate scent, only a slight chalky fragrance. From there I tested out the shadows themselves. I’ll admit, a lot of them weren’t bad at all, but a few had no pigment payoff whatsoever. Some of the shimmery shades had noticeable chunks of glitter, which seemed strange to me. Two of the shadows, Molasses Chip and Malted, looked the exact same. Molasses Chip is supposed to be a shimmery gold but instead it was a glittery chocolate brown.

Unfortunately I deleted the eBay emails and I couldn’t find the seller again, so I decided I would give the palette to a friend and purchase the real one. The fake palette, like I said, isn’t necessarily bad quality (better than any of the drugstore palettes I own!) but I knew I would have no use for it if I can’t blog about it.

Before I give it away, however, I thought it would be cool to compare the two palettes for people who aren’t opposed to purchasing a copy or for those who want to see what Too Faced shadows are like compared to less expensive ones!

                                            Real Too Faced palette (top), copy (bottom)

Starting with the packaging: it’s nearly identical. If I’m in the right lighting I can tell that the Too Faced one is a slightly duskier pink while the copy is more of a baby pink. The magnet inside of the palette is also stronger in the original. As for the box and booklet that the palettes come in, they’re twins as well. The fake booklet has a slightly pinkish tinge to it, but other than that they are the same. This could be a problem for people with sensitive eyes because I’m guessing the copy doesn’t use the same ingredients as the Too Faced one, yet it lists the same ingredients.

Inside the palette, the first difference is the smell. A few of the shadows also have different tones than the original. For example, the hot pink shade “Totally Fetch” is darker and more blue-toned in the original than in the copy. Most of the shadows in the Too Faced palette outperform the copy in my opinion. They’re more pigmented, softer, and have less fallout. However, a few shades in the copy palette impressed me a lot! Some of the bright shades are really pigmented. Satin Sheets, a shimmery gold, is very soft and pretty. That being said, a few shades had no pigment at all (I’m looking at you, Cotton Candy!)

I put swatches side by side (Too Faced versions are on the left, the copy versions are right next to it) to make them easier to compare. The shades aren’t identical once they are on the skin and it’s easier to see the tonal differences I mentioned earlier.

   From left to right: Almond Truffle real, Almond Truffle copy, Satin Sheets real, Satin Sheets copy,      Sprinkles real, Sprinkles copy, Molasses Chip real, Molasses Chip copy, Malted real, and  Malted                                                                                        copy

 Cashew Chew real, Cashew Chew copy, Cotton Candy real, Cotton Candy copy, Cafe Au Lait real,         Cafe Au lait copy, Bordeaux real, Bordeaux copy, Mocha real, Mocha copy, Black Currant real,                                                                           Black Currant copy. 

       Dark Truffle real, Dark Truffle copy, Pecan Praline real, Pecan Praline copy, Totally Fetch real,                 Totally Fetch copy, Earl Gray real, Earl Gray copy, Divinity real, Divinity copy

I haven’t used either of these palettes on the eyes yet, but judging by the swatches I think I will like the original better. The chocolate scent makes it a delight to use and there are so many looks I can get out of this palette! The copy will be going to a good home and I’ve definitely learned my lesson about online shopping: never mass-delete your emails. 

Xx Katie