Today, we’re talking chocolate. Need help deciding between the original Too Faced Chocolate Bar and the Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar palette? This post is for you. I’ll be comparing the original Chocolate Bar (shortened to TOCB throughout the post) with the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar (shortened to Semi) based on a few criteria:

• Packaging
• Color Selection
• Pigmentation
• Consistency

I’ll also let you know what my most used shades are from each palette. In the end, you’ll find out which one is the winner! (For fun, try and guess what I’ll pick and see if you’re right when you get to the bottom of the post.) To start, both palettes are $49 and can be purchased at Sephora, Ulta, or the Too Faced website. They both come with a mini how-to guide and 16 matte & shimmer shades, two of which are larger to be used as a highlight. Now that I’ve briefly touched on the similarities, let’s get down to the comparison:

Packaging

I have the original original chocolate bar palette, meaning I have the bulky case. Too Faced recently redesigned TOCB packaging so that it’s as sleek and slim as the semi, but they unfortunately kept one major flaw: the eye shadow names. The eye shadow names are on a clear removable insert inside TOCB, rather than printed below each shadow like they are in TSSCB. For that reason, Semi wins this category.

Aesthetically speaking, I find the warmer light and chocolate brown packaging of the semi to be more appealing than the cooler dark brown and taupe color selection of TOCB.

Color Selection

The original Chocolate Bar (TOCB) has a good mix of neutral browns, but it also includes common plum shades to add a little variety. The semi, on the other hand, is a true nude palette. With the exception of a sugary pink that’s appropriately named Pink Sugar, and a gorgeous-in-the-pan-but-lackluster-on-the-eyes blue shade named Blueberry Swirl, all of the remaining 14 shades in Semi are various cool and warm shades of tan. Because the original Chocolate Bar has a wider color selection, it wins this category.

Pigmentation

This factor is one that tends to be skewed amongst the makeup community depending on how each person applies the shadow. The semi gets mixed reviews regarding pigmentation and I believe the lackluster swatch factor is the reason why. While the original swatches just as easily and pigmented as it applies on the eyes, the semi has a noticeably different texture. The buttery texture of the shadows requires more effort when trying to swatch shades from the newer palette; however, they are very pigmented on the eyes. From my experience, both palettes last a long time on the eyes, but the semi shadows look more vibrant at the end of the day.

One other noticeable thing in regards to pigmentation is the intensity of the undertones for each palette, which I believe contributes to the semi having a greater vibrancy than the original. TOCB is more subtle with its undertones. It’s primarily neutral to a moderate cool, whereas the semi really steps up the intensity. The semi is primarily a warm palette with a few cool browns included, but the warm shades are very warm and the cool shades are very cool. Winner for this category? The semi.

Consistency

As mentioned above, the semi’s consistency is noticeably different. The shadows are buttery smooth and feel like they were finely milled before being tightly compacted into each pan. With TOCB, the shadows are a bit more loose, which allows more product to be picked up when trying to swatch it with your finger. It also causes more product to fly up when working with the palette, but not an unusual amount.

The difference in consistencies impacts the blending ability for each palette. While the loose formula of TOCB makes it easier to blend. the semi’s butter formula takes additional time and effort. TOCB is the winner of this category because the formula is easier to work with.

 

The Winner

The Original Chocolate Bar is the winner! Did you guess I would pick this one? If you did, you’re actually wrong! While this is the objective winner, my personal preference leans toward the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar. I know, the results are a bit odd. Let me explain: TOCB is the winner from an objective standpoint. Why?

• Of the two, it’s the better palette to take with you for traveling.
• You can achieve a variety of looks using the lone palette because of it’s color variety.
• The consistency of the shadows are looser, making blending out a breeze.

Why I Choose the Semi over the original

You’re probably wondering how this post can declare TOCB as the overall winner, yet I still pick the Semi as my preferred palette, right? Well for me, it’s all about what I use the most. TOCB and the semi have the same amount of shades, but I use 14 of the 16 colors in the Semi Sweet palette. With the original, I use 8 of the 16. Some of the shades in the original have never been used, despite having this palette for so many months. Since we’re talking about what I use, why not share my most-loved shades?

Standout Shades of Each Palette

• Too Faced Chocolate Bar
  • Salted Caramel
  • Amaretto
  • Milk Chocolate
  • White Chocolate
• Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar
  • Peanut Butter
  • Truffled
  • Rum Raisin
  • Mousse
  • Caramel

I like both palettes and honestly can’t see myself without one or the other. I love and recommend both for different reasons, but I love the semi slightly more due to the amount of use I get out of it. (It’s worth noting that Salted Caramel is in TOCB only and is my absolute favorite eye shadow color ever.)

And yes, they both smell like chocolate. So really, they’re both winners.

Which palette is your favorite?