The Sweet Smell of Christmas: TooFaced Christmas Treats Liquid Lipstick Collection

I am not much of an impulse shopper these days. I usually plan all of my purchases to a degree that drives Danny a bit crazy (“do we really need a 15 minute discussion about our Costco trip?” he asks, every two weeks). However, as I mentioned in my Inspiration Sunday post, I kind of decided spur of the moment to treat myself to the Too Faced Gingerbread Palette and then, shockingly, this lipstick set in Ulta.

This is the Sweet Smell of Christmas: Christmas Treats Liquified Lipstick Set, a set of four Melted Matte lipsticks.

I would never, ever buy 4 lipsticks at once. That just feels like too many. But then I did, because I felt like it and it was there and $25 seemed like a good deal. So, let’s walk through the basics of this lipstick set.

Here’s what the set has to say for itself:

“Melt your heart out with this stocking-sized collection of Melted Matte Liquified Long Wear Lipsticks in yummy Christmas scents: Pumpkin Spice, Sugar Cookie, Cinnamon Bear and Hot Buttered Rum. Too Faced’s innovative formula glides over lips like a gloss but dries to an ultra-matte opaque finish.”

They promise these benefits:

• Each shade has a unique Christmas scent

• Infused with Volulip for a no-sting plumping and smoothing effect

• Features avocado oil, vitamin E, and hyaluronic filling spheres to moisturize and smooth lips

• Lightweight, long-wearing formula wears comfortably

That all sounds lovely, doesn’t it? I’ll be honest, I’ve never really used Too Faced Melt Mattes before. I’ve heard good things, but a full size is about $25 per lipstick—a bit too steep for me! However, this set is a $48 value and sells for $25. These lipsticks are deluxe sample size at 0.1 fl oz. The standard size Melted Matte is 0.23 fluid ounces (or 7 ml). That’s still quite a lot of product and for $25 for four, I really couldn’t pass it up!

From left to right: Pumpkin Pie; Sugar Cookie; Cinnamon Bear; Hot Buttered Rum.

This set includes the following 4 shades: Pumpkin Spice, a spiced rose brown; Sugar Cookie, a sugared nude; Cinnamon Bear, a matte cinnamon red; and Hot Buttered Rum, a warm caramel brown. They are all gorgeous and scented like the dessert they’re named after. My favorite scent is Sugar Cookie and while I initially bought the set almost entire because I loved the Pumpkin Pie shade, my favorite shade has quickly become Cinnamon Bear. I’m not a huge fan of the smell of red hot cinnamon, but this color is absolutely gorgeous.

Having worn all four shades by now (including Cinnamon Bear to an event on Saturday where I ate and drank a lot), I can say that these are some of the most comfortable, long-wearing lipsticks I’ve ever worn. And I wear a lot of matte lipsticks!

The only shade I’m not 100% sold on is Sugar Cookie; I suspect it might just be a little light for me, but I’m going to be brave and wear it again and see what happens. It’s just a different shade than what I’m used it! I really like Hot Buttered Rum as well; it looks quite brown in the bottle, but it’s so pretty and caramel-y on. It’s one of those shades that I think looks a bit different on each person.

This little set would be a great gift for the holidays—it’s relatively affordable for $25. You get a lot of product for $25! If you’re looking to fill out your lipstick collection, these are also 4 absolutely lovely shades. I think Cinnamon Bear would be an pretty close dupe of (or replacement for) Kat Von D’s Nahz Fur Atoo.

Beauty Review: Too Faced Just Peachy Velvet Mattes

In the past, I reviewed the Too Faced Sweet Peach palette, which I loved. I know there were mixed reviews on that palette, but it goes without saying: aside from the smell (which does fade after a while), I absolutely love mine. I have hit pan on 3-4 shades! Since I got it in February, I use it every single day. 

So when the Just Peachy Velvet Mattes palette came out, as an almost counterpart to the Sweet Peach palette, I was immediately intrigued. I love peachy shades and my one, minor gripe about the Sweet Peach palette is that it’s a little shimmer heavy (which I don’t exactly mind). Having a whole matte palette is a bit unnerving to me; I was a teenager during the height of shimmer eyeshadow and I only recently learned that matte eyeshadows were a thing. (That’s a bit embarrassing to admit!) 

However, I’m not someone to rushes to buy a palette the minute it gets released. I like to see reviews first. Some of the first reviews I watched on YouTube were not promising; they felt the palette was kind of a let down and not super wearable. However, one of my favorite YouTubers (Jackie Aina) loves the palette. It seemed like an even split and ultimately it came down to people who don’t like the TooFaced eyeshadow formula and those who do (as well as those who like a peachy eye look and those who don’t).

I know some people don’t like the TooFaced formula for eyeshadows; they find it patchy or too dry. But personally, I like my eyeshadows more on the dry, powdery side, as opposed to a buttery or very smooth consistency. (This is actually why I won’t buy Anastasia Beverly Hills palettes or Natasha Denona palettes; their eyeshadows are too soft for me to work with.) 

On my birthday, I decided to take the plunge: I had a 20% off coupon for Sephora (shout out to the Sephora employee who sent me her friends & family discount!) and I was ready. My husband found the palette for me and we bought it. I felt so giddy and so excited to get it home and play. Let’s walk through my thoughts. 

The Pros

The colors in this palette are absolutely gorgeous. I have found them all to be perfectly pigmented and highly blendable. Occasionally, I do find that some colors (like the more mid-tone orange-browns in the second column) can blend out to roughly the same color—however, I don’t exactly mind that because the rest of the palette is so versatile. 

Eyes: Just Peachy Velvet Mattes palette in the shades Peaches and Cream, Fresh Picked, and Just Peachy. Lips: Maybelline Matte Lip Paints in Tongue Tied. Cheeks: Tarte Paaarty Blush

I especially love the color Peach Sangria (the dark, raspberry color), as well as Peach Punch (a bright peach shade) and Peaches and Cream (a darker, creamy pink). Peach Tea is a gorgeous transition shade—one that I use nearly every single day. The last column consists of darker colors that are great for a smoky eye; Peach Tart, especially, is a very dark chocolate brown that I’ve been searching for! 

My favorite look is to use Peaches and Cream across the lid, then Peach Tea in the crease, followed by a little Peach Cobbler or Peach Sangria on the outer corner for a little depth. 

I personally find all of these colors so perfect for warm Autumn and Winter looks; with gold or bronze accents, they are so versatile. 

The Cons

I have noticed that these shadows do have issues with fading throughout the day—but I’m talking after a 8-9 hour day! With a bit of a reapply through the day, it’s not bad. The color I notice this most with is Peach Sangria; it is one of my favorites, but when I wore it over my entire lid once, I noticed that it creased and faded throughout the day (something I don’t usually have an issue with). 

As I mentioned, some of the transition shades do blend out to roughly the same color, but if you keep your tones separated, it’s not too bad. (I do have a bad habit of using too many shades to blend!) 

Would I Recommend It?

Absolutely, yes! This is one of my favorite palettes. If you have the Sweet Peach palette already, don’t worry about feeling like you’ve got two of the same; they are incredibly different and yet, very complimentary to each other! 

Beauty Review: Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette

I know there have been literally hundreds of reviews about the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette. But what can I say? I have things to say about it too! 

My husband bought me the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette as a Valentine's Day present. When I say "my husband bought me" it, what I mean is, we went to Ulta together, I picked it out, I bought it. He just happened to be there with me and we pretended it was from him. This works out for everyone involved. 

I've had the palette for two weeks now. What do I think of it? Here are my thoughts. 

When it comes to eyeshadow, I typically use the same colors over and over again. I heavily favor my Naked (original) and Naked Smokey palettes, as well as the Too Faced x Nikkitutorials palette. I usually wear brown tones, with a little glitter or metallic thrown in. 

This palette is definitely a deviation for me. The addition of pink shades was... a little scary. I tend to look a little like I have the flu when I try to wear pink shadows. I find that if I'm not careful, even with these pretty peachy shades, I can look a little like I'm on the tail-end of a multiple day bender. However, I've found some ways around that: using eyeliner or keeping the pinks in the crease, as opposed to over the lid. 

So if that's a concern for you regarding this palette, there are ways around it. The prettiness of the colors definitely took away from that fear for me; these aren't the garish shades of pink I tried to wear in high school, that's for sure. 

Let's talk about the peach scent. I'll be totally honest: the peach scent is lovely, but sometimes in the morning as I'm getting ready, it's just a little.... much. It's so strong. It doesn't fade the longer you have the palette. And it's just so cloying. It reminds me of those scented markers I used when I was a kid. The peach scent is easy to ignore about 90% of the time; the other 10%, I have to set it aside and do something else until it clears. Whew! 

The shades I've used the most so far are: 

• White peach (a sheer, white color that's perfect as a base color) 
• Nectar (a shimmery, yellow color) 
• Puree (a matte, orange-brown) 
• Summer Yum (a matte, darker orange) 
• Just Peachy (a shimmery, light, peach pink) 
• Crushed Peach (a semi-matte, darker peach pink) 
• Luscious (a shimmery, light brown) 
• Cobbler (a shimmery, dark brown)

I typically use Nectar on my entire lid, then use a combination of shades in the crease, typically starting with a light shade like Georgia (a pale pink), then Puree, then either Crushed Peach or Summer Yum, depending on what look I'm going for. Then, I usually use Cobbler and Luscious on my bottom lid lash line. 

I haven't gotten a chance to experiment with the shade Bless Her Heart; it's a really pretty, shimmery, military green... definitely out of my comfort zone. I like the plum shades in the palette (Peach Pit and Delectable), but both are very dark and I find them hard to build on. That's a me-problem, though. I do like the shade Talk Derby to Me: it's a shimmery, super dark black. Would be great for an evening, smoky eye look. 

So what's my final verdict? 

I really love this palette, but it's definitely a more difficult palette to get used to. Pinks are difficult. But the combination of plums, oranges, and browns in this palette make it easy to find looks that work and are still peachy and summery. 

If you are sensitive to smells, this also may not be the palette for you. I'm usually not, but the peach scent does get to me sometimes.