Too Faced Le Grand Parais Holiday Collection Review!!

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Welcome back, beauties!!

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've last posted. I have been super busy, and super stressed. However, I was determined to get this post out for you guys and dolls because I had to share this amazing product that I am currently obsessed with.

Not only is Fall my favorite season, but it also means that another favorite season of mine is upon us...
Yes, my friends, it is holiday palette season!!!!! *Screams and dances around the room*

I am SO excited to see what my favorite brands have in store for the holiday season! We're slowly being introduced to the amazing value sets, palettes, and special editions, and I cannot wait to see what else is released in the upcoming weeks!

Due to being a VIB Rouge member at Sephora, I was able to get early access to a special holiday palette about a month ago. I held off on posting about it until I knew it was released to the public (which it now is) so I HAD to share how beautiful this palette is.

Introducing...

The Too Faced Le Grand Palais!

ARE YOU FREAKING OUT? BECAUSE I AM FREAKING OUT.

This set is stunning. The presentation of this set from Too Faced is nothing short of spectacular. 

Look. At. It.

This is one of three holiday collections from Too Faced's Christmas in Paris Collection. Currently, this is the only one I own, therefore, it is the only one I will talk about!

If you are interested in the others, there is a smaller collection exclusive to Ulta Beauty, and a medium collection available through Sephora, Ulta, and Too Faced.

Too Faced Le Grand Parais is exclusive to Sephora, and the most expensive of the three, but this also offers you the most bang for your buck!

Le Grand Parais is a $58.00 holiday set valued at $378.00. That is amazing!

Let's dive right in, shall we?

This is what the outer packaging looks like. The quality is top notch. Very sleek, very classic. Beautiful to give as a gift. You don't even have to wrap this. 

The attention to detail that was put into this packaging is epic. This is no ordinary cardboard box. Here's a close-up shot of the details:

Do we see the raised etching? ARE WE SEEING THE BEAUTY? And the ribbon is real ribbon. Ugh. Slaying me sideways.

When you remove the set from the outer box, you see this:

More perfection. 

Take off the lid of this adorbs gift box, unfold it, and be amazed...

How. Beautiful. Is. This. The detail is incredible. THE SCENERY. FOR A HOLIDAY SET. SLAY.

Here is a closeup shot of the freebies. A deluxe-size Better Than Sex Mascara, a deluxe-size Liquid Lipstick in Melted Peony, and a Shadow Insurance Eye Primer.

How cute is this? Seriously. Look at the shopping bags. I spy a Chocolate Bar palette, some Too Faced blush, and some Liquid Lipsticks. And the wrought iron staircase? The mannequin with her fancy dress and pearls? Where you goin', gurl?!

When you lift up the bottom half, you dive into the palette...

Featuring 18 eyeshadows varying between mattes, shimmers, and sheers, with adorable holiday-themed names, two blushes, a bronzer, and a highlighter... this palette gives you everything you need.

How gorgeous are these shades? 

Now, I will say... the pigmentation... not the best of Too Faced's work. 

The highlighter, Flush, is stunning. The matte shadows are very pigmented. The blushes are on the sheer side, but I think they're buildable if you play around.

The colors such as Eiffel, Midnight in Paris, Wish List, and Party Dress... a bit disappointing in the pigmentation category. They're beautiful shades, and they're buildable, but I wish you didn't have to work that hard to get good pigmentation. 

Like all Too Faced palettes, Le Grand Parais comes with a Glamour Guide to help you create beautiful looks with all of these shades. 

If you'd like, I can do a tutorial using one of the looks in the Glamour Guide! 

All in all, this palette is a fantastic gift for any makeup lover, or anyone looking for a great palette that covers lips, primer,shadow, mascara, contour, and highlight! This palette has got you covered! 

And it's an adorable piece that can be displayed on any vanity, dresser, desk, etc. 

I praise this palette. Definitely very impressive. I'm curious as to how Too Faced will top it next holiday season! Do you plan on picking this up? Gifting it or keeping it for yourself? 

Have you tried the other Too Faced Christmas in Paris sets? How are they? 

I'm going to have a fun Fall tutorial up next! Stay on the lookout for that!

Until then, stay beautiful 

Christina Bracco

xoxoxoxo

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Top 5 Must-Have Mascaras!

Hello again, beauties!!

I hope everyone had a happy and safe Labor Day weekend! Now that summer is coming to a close, and autumn is upon us, I will be back weekly on my blog! Though I am so incredibly sad to see summer go, I am ready for all the great things autumn brings along. I have some great favorites, routines, and tutorials planned for fall, and all fall beauty trends! Yay!

Today, I wanted to share with you all my top 5 must-have mascaras! 

I own quite a number of mascaras. I'm not even entirely sure how I've accumulated them all, but my makeup organizer now has an entire drawer dedicated to all of my mascaras. As I was sitting down doing my makeup yesterday, I looked at that drawer, and thought it would be fun to share my favorites! I love all of the mascaras I own, but I narrowed it down to my top 5. I do have a drugstore honorable mention at the end, for those that are looking for something less expensive!

My top 5 are the mascaras that I nearly ALWAYS rotate in reaching for whenever I'm doing my makeup!

My Top 5 Favs:

1. Lorac Pro Mascara
2. Benefit Cosmetics They're Real Mascara
3. Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara
4. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
5. Mally Beauty Get the Last Lash Maximizing Duo Mascara

_________________________________________________________________________________

Let's start with the Lorac Pro Mascara, shall we?

I love to use this mascara whenever I'm looking for natural-looking volume. The wand is so unique, and the thickness of the bottom leaves my lashes looking so beautifully fluffy. The pointed tip makes it easy to separate, avoid clumping, and lengthen my lashes.

It is a lengthening, thickening professional mascara. It's smudge proof, and flake-proof. Only downfall: It's not waterproof. However, I have never experienced any panda eyes, or situations where it ran, and I'm a crier!

The Lorac Pro Mascara costs $23.00 at Ulta Beauty.

Next up, the Benefit Cosmetics They're Real Mascara!

 

It's so crazy to me that I've included this mascara in my top 5 favorites, because I wasn't sure about this one when I first tried it! I was gifted this mascara, and when I first used it, I did not like it at all. Whomp whomp. I'm not even sure why I didn't like it, I just didn't. So, it just sat in my mascara drawer, untouched for a while. 

I have seen countless beauty vloggers and bloggers use and praise this mascara, so I thought, "let me give it another try," and it has become a fav of mine! Maybe it caught me on a cranky makeup day. 

This mascara wand is so incredibly unique. It is a straight wand, but it has a little ball at the tip. Use the mascara as per usual: holding the wand horizontally and wiggling your way up. The staggered bristles grab close to the root, giving more length and volume. Then, go vertically: use the ball at the tip, filled with tiny precision bristles, to lift, define, and curl every single lash.

I use this mascara when I want a bit more drama with my look. I curl my lashes, and then apply two coats of this mascara, and I have beautiful, long, dramatic lashes! Unfortunately, this mascara is also not waterproof, but as I said for Lorac, I have never experienced panda eyes! 

Benefit Cosmetics They're Real Macara costs $24.00 at Sephora. If you want a try-before-you- buy, Sephora sells a travel size for $12.00! I've been thinking of trying the new Benefit They're Real in blue... how do we feel about this? Should I give it a try? Have you? Let me know! 

Tarte Gifted Mascara! I've talked about this mascara on my blog before. I mentioned it in a monthly favorites. As you can see, I am consistent! Haha

I own this mascara in a travel size, but I fully intend on purchasing a full size when I run out! This is another mascara I like to use for a natural, fluffy, volumized look with no clumping! 

This mascara is unique because it's infused with Amazonian Clay, like many other Tarte products! This mascara was created to offer long-term reparative, rebuilding, and strengthening benefits with each use. Amazonian clay also works to keep lashes hydrated and nourished to prevent fallout and brittle lashes. The amazonian clay also works to improve pigmentation and volume, making your lashes look brighter, blacker, longer, and more full! This mascara is not waterproof, but still no panda eyes happening.

A full size tube of Tarte Gifted Mascara costs $21.00 at Sephora.

On to the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara! 

This mascara is in the top 5 just for it's name alone! Just kidding, but how daring. I love it! 

This mascara is a fav among beauty lovers, and it's not hard to see why. I was so excited when I received this mascara in a kit from HSN a while back. 

It has a beautiful, hourglass-shaped wand that clings to every lash, long or short, that curls and lengthens your lashes, and has incredibly black pigment. I like to wear this mascara when I'm doing a smokey, vampy eye look and I'm looking for some plump, dark, intense, voluminous lashes. It just pulls a smoked out look together. Two coats on the top, one coat on the bottom, and this collagen-infused mascara has your lashes long, defined, and intense. I love it!!

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara costs $23.00 at Sephora. 

Finally, we have the Mally Beauty Get the Last Lash Maximizing Duo Mascara!

Mally Beauty is famous for its award winning mascaras, and this one does not disappoint! I cannot begin to express the perfection of this mascara. It's probably my favorite of the five. The volume and definition your lashes get with just one coat, it's insane! 

This mascara is probably the most unique of the five, due to its duel-ended wands with two different formulas for two different purposes. On one end, the maximizing wand is thicker, with a special formula for maximizing, volumizing, lifting, and filling your lashes. The thinner wand, for defining, has a formula created to define the curl of your lashes and keep it in place.

I apply this mascara by first, curling my lashes, and then applying two coats of the maximizing end, and one coat of the defining end to the top lashes; and then one coat of the defining end to the bottom lashes. I naturally have very long lashes, but this mascara takes my lashes to a whole new level.

If you need an idea of how amazing Mally Beauty mascaras are, I remember when I was backstage at the Rachael Ray show when filming my segment with Mally Roncal, after I got my makeup done, everyone backstage was asking me if they were my natural lashes, or if I was wearing falsies. That's the kind of reaction you want to a mascara! 

You can get the Mally Beauty Get the Last Lash Maximizing Duo Mascara for just $25.00 at QVC.com! 

On to my honorable drugstore mention... L'Oreal Paris Volumizing Original Mascara!

Before I got into more high end makeup, this mascara was my go-to. I LOVED it! It works great! Def one of the best drugstore mascaras, and for just around five or six dollars at Target? You cannot beat it! 

And there you have it! There are my Top 5 Favorite Mascaras, and one drugstore honorable mention! 

What are some of your favorite mascaras? I have many others, but I'm always looking for suggestions. Send them my way!

Until next time, have a wonderful week! And for those going back to school this week, best of luck! Wear a smile :)

Stay beautiful, 

Christina Bracco

xoxoxoxo

For PR inquiries, questions, comments, suggestions, please email Christina.f.b@aol.com or please fill out a Contact Form in the sidebar. Thank you. 

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