♡ YAY OR NO WAY?: TOO FACED CLOVER PALETTE ♡

With the amount of eyeshadow palettes that have been released into the makeup world over the past couple of months alone, it feels like it's been pretty hard to stay up to date. That being said, there are a few products that I've made sure to keep a close eye on, and the long-awaited Too Faced Clover Palette is definitely one of them. The first time I heard about this palette was back in the spring around the middle of April, and at that time, its projected release date was for August of this year. So, when August rolled around and there were no further news or updates about the launch, I got a little confused, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one.

I can't say for certain when it was that we next heard of anything remotely related to the Clover Palette, but following extensive research (re: about half an hour of combing through Instagram and Google search results), I don't believe that it was any earlier than the week of October 17, during which it became available for purchase as an early release on October 25. It goes without saying that it sold out instantly due to the high anticipation surrounding its official release, and, despite the frustration that I had begun to harbor for the lack of notifications concerning this project, I found myself among the throng of eager early buyers that had flocked to the Too Faced website immediately following the email announcing its availability.

As I mentioned, the Clover Palette did sell out on the same day it was released, but, in response to the dismay vocalized by Too Faced fans who were unable to partake in the early launch, CEO Jerrod Blandino uploaded an Instagram post in which he stated that the company would be receiving more product during the first week of November. Being that it will be November 3 by the time this post goes live, I would expect an official release to be announced at any moment, so if you're trying to add this palette to your collection, I definitely suggest turning on post notifications on Instagram for the accounts of both Jerrod and Too Faced as well as renowned beauty insider Trend Mood.

Unknown as the exact launch date of this palette may be, I wanted to get this post up before it happened in case any of you guys wanted to take a first look at how it performs before spending your money, or maybe you already have it and just want to see how it's working with other people; I know that I've found myself in both situations for plenty of palette releases. In this post, I'll have, of course, swatches of each shade for you as well as some basic background information on the palette itself. There will also be a picture of an eye look I threw together using only shades from this palette so that you can get an idea of how they act on the lid. If that sounds like a lot, it's because it kind of is, so without further ado, let's get into the Clover Palette!

For the sake of the length of this post, I won't be reviewing each individual shade, but I will be picking out my Top 5 as well as my Bottom 3.

♡ WHAT YOU SEE ♡

If you've placed an order on the Too Faced website before, you'll know that every package you receive is delivered in a pastel pink cardboard box that opens up to reveal a generous bed of bubblegum pink Easter grass; this, of course, has nothing to do with the actual palette, but I did want to include it in this post to show what you'll actually receive in the mail should you end up ordering it, especially if you haven't yet ordered from Too Faced.

The palette itself--which, like any other eyeshadow palette, is encased in its own box upon arrival--is made out of the same sturdy, metallic material as the Chocolate Bar and Sweet Peach Palettes, and it is also of the same size. Like the Sweet Peach Palette, Clover features eighteen "brand new matte and shimmer shades", as opposed to the three Chocolate Bars, which each have sixteen. 

As you can see in the second of the two attached photos, the cover of the Clover Palette is completely filled with bright, colorful, and absolutely adorable designs of animals and sweets, all of which are embossed so that each individual shape is slightly raised. If there's anything that Too Faced is known for (other than their makeup, of course!), it's their unique, eye-catching packaging, and that definitely holds true for this palette. 

Also, I don't think I have to mention this, but because Too Faced has released some palettes that don't have mirrors, I want to say that this one does!.

The Clover Palette retails for $49 USD and is the very first Too Faced exclusive, meaning that, as of right now, you will only be able to purchase it from the Too Faced website, rather than the rest of their makeup products, which are available at either Ulta or Sephora as well, if not at both. This palette is also being released as limited edition, so its longevity on the website is uncertain. 

♡ WHAT YOU GET ♡

LEFT TO RIGHT: Puppy Eyes, Lucky Clover, Chihuahua, Fur Baby, #SaveThemAll, Spoiled

LEFT TO RIGHT: I Ruff You, Paw Print, Ruh Roh, Love is Love, Wet Kisses, Woof

LEFT TO RIGHT: Cuteness Overload, Best Friends, Cuddle Buddy, Daddies ♡ Me, TF Mascot, Good Boy

♡ TOP 5: 

• 5. SPOILED: By itself, this metallic turquoise admittedly isn't that great of a shade--as in the first photo, it swatches relatively sheerly and isn't very true to what sits in the pan--but when used with a brush that's been dampened with either water or setting spray, the pigment comes to life, revealing a bright, shimmering blue that's surprisingly summery for a fall-released palette. I've dipped into it once already to use as my lid shade and got so many compliments on it, but I can definitely see it being used as a beautiful pop of color on the lower lash line, especially if it's paired with either a smoky neutral or a bold warm eye.
• 4. LOVE IS LOVE: In truth, you could probably find this muted coral shadow in a number of other palettes that are already on the market, so it doesn't win too many originality points from me. That being said, because of Love is Love's rich color payoff, as well as the color itself, I've got to give it a shoutout. While it may not be the most exciting pop of color of the several offered by this palette, I think that it's the most versatile, and that, when used as a transition shade, it can add that extra oomph to an otherwise neutral eye without hurting the integrity of the look. 
• 3. WET KISSES: Swatching this shade felt like dipping my finger into butter, except less wet and not at all oily. I always recommend going into foiled shadows with a wet brush, as I did with Spoiled, and while I still recommend doing so with this one just to get the best pigment possible, it's not entirely necessary. Ruh Roh is a vibrant, coppery orange that could be perfect as the center shade for a dark halo eye or even as an inner corner highlight if you'd want to try an exciting stray away from your typical pearls and champagnes. 
• 2. DADDIES ♡ ME: I want to say that this shade speaks for itself; very rarely have I swatched a shadow for it to apply to my skin as intensely yet evenly as Daddies ♡ Me did. This deep wine red would look stunning on the outer corner and on the lower lash line, and if you really want it to stand out as the star of your look, try a pale gold on the inner three-fourths of your lid. 
• 1. BEST FRIENDS: I will say that I have not yet used this shade on my actual eyelid, but as soon as I swatched it, I fell in love; I wholeheartedly believe that it is not done justice in the picture of its swatch, and if you can, I implore you to swatch it for yourself in person. Best Friends is a deeply pigmented metallic auburn on its own, but when hit directly by the light, it almost transforms into an entirely new shade and flashes a gorgeous metallic teal. With the holiday season swiftly approaching, I would love to bring this shadow out for a unique and dramatic party look. 

♡ BOTTOM 3:

• 3. WOOF: In the pan, Woof is a charcoal black that features flecks of blue-green glitter, and while the glitter was likely added with the goal of setting it apart from other black shadows, I think that it reduces Woof's usability. Beyond that, black shadows in general are pretty tricky to work with, and you can tell from the patchiness of the swatch that this one isn't really any different. Having said that, I'm sure that there is still some potential for incorporating Woof into looks where you see fit, so long as you're willing to give it some proper TLC.
• 2. CHIHUAHUA: To me, this light tan shadow doesn't serve much purpose; if you're on the fairer side, you could probably use it as a subtle transition shade, but for those who have tanner or deeper skin like I do, it seems like that it would only be useful for setting your eyelid primer. 
• 1. PUPPY EYES: The lightest shade in the palette, this "sparkly" white eyeshadow applies to the skin so sheerly that I had to swatch over it twice to get a good enough color payoff for the picture. As with Woof, the glitter mixed in with the shadow doesn't do much for its overall quality, largely due to the fact that you can't really see it at all. You could try placing this shade over a glitter adhesive to see if that does anything for its pigmentation, but because of how sheer it is by itself, I have my doubts.

♡ WHAT I DID ♡

Though this may not be the best eye look to showcase the color range offered by this palette, I was really feeling inspired by its warmer side and wanted to see how those shadows came together. I first put the golden yellow Good Boy in my crease as my transition color before diffusing it with Love is Love, then deepened up the outer corner with Daddies ♡ Me. To restore some of the brightness that got lost in that deepness, I went to the center of my lid with Wet Kisses on a wet brush and then attempted to add a little bit of lightness on the inner third of my eye with I Ruff You.

Overall, this look did not come out as well as I was hoping it would, and it seemed as if the shadows behaved differently on the eye than they did in their swatches and that their respective pigmentations got blended away very easily. Having said that, I'm not totally mad about it; I've definitely done better eyes before in the past with palettes of different brands, but these shades were a lot of fun to play around with and still gave me the warmth that I was looking for, even if it was not as intense as I had wanted. 

♡ ♡ ♡

So, after all is said and done, what do I think? Do I recommend that you invest in this palette? Personally, after having done so myself, I am a fan of it; I think that it's an interesting but generally usable combination of colors, that it's definitely different from anything else that's been released lately, and that I don't regret spending my money on it. It's also one of the higher quality palettes that Too Faced has launched recently, something with which I know they've been struggling. For these reasons, I'm going to give the Clover Palette a YAY!

That being said, do I think you need this palette? Not really, no. As unique as these shades may be, they're not necessarily anything that I ever thought I was missing from my collection, and even after working with them a little, I still don't feel like they make that large of a difference to it. If you're less of a makeup collector, then, and more so someone who likes to get a good amount of use out of your products, this palette is probably not for you. 

If you were on the fence about the Clover Palette going into this post, I hope that I was able to help you come to a decision! Is this something you think you'll be rushing out to pick up for yourself? Or if you've already gotten your hands on it, how are you feeling about it so far? Let me know your thoughts in the comments or on our Instagram page @LaSalleBelle, and if I left out anything in this post that you would like to know about, please feel free to ask!

I really think that's all I have for you today! Don't forget to follow us on our social medias (all cited in our WHO ARE WE? tab!) to keep up with us in between posts or to let us know what you would like to see next. Thank you so very much for hanging out with me again here at La Salle Belle, and I'll talk to you again soon!

Avec l'amour,

Bella♡