The Rock N Roll Palette by Too Faced Cosmetics: These Tough and Tender Jewel Tones Rock

I’m about as rock ‘n’ roll as a porcelain cat figurine sitting on a lace doily, but I’m not gonna let that stop me from releasing my inner headbanger!

Rock, rock, rock, ROCK!

No, really. ’80s Billy Idol would totally hate me. He’d, like, sneer at me because I’d want to go home early because “I have to be in bed by 10.”

Actually 9:30. OK, 9.

But maybe he’d hate me less if I were wearing the new Too Faced Rock N Roll Palette ($36)…

Rock N Roll: what’s it all about?

One of three palettes in the Too Faced Smitten Kitten collection for fall 2014 (the others are Country and Cat Eyes), Rock N Roll has a couple things in common with its siblings. Like the others, it houses nine eyeshadows in three rows, with each of the rows corresponding to a different makeup look — day, classic and fashion.

With a focus on jewel tones, Rock N Roll’s shadows are richer and more intense than the others, so if you like the way you look in jewels, and particularly if you have a medium or darker skin tone and don’t want to spend eternity packing on shadows to get them to show up on you, this one is definitely swatch worthy.

Someone’s been channeling Urban Decay

I’m thinking it. You’re thinking it. We’re all thinking it. So let’s just come out and say it. 🙂

These are some very UD-like colors — a deep green, a dark blue, an intense purple, and glitter for days.

That said, there are far worse things in life than channeling Urban Decay.

So, does it rock?

Rock N Roll’s colors have a harder edge to ’em, but at the same time, I think they’re still very girly. It’s glam meets pretty — something I think Too Faced does exceptionally well. Perfect for a Too Faced Cosmetics girl going to a Metallica concert with her metalhead boyfriend, ya feel me?

[INSERT SIGN OF THE BEAST HERE, AND TRY NOT TO CONFUSE IT WITH “I LOVE YOU” WHEN YOU’RE IN HEAD-BANGING MODE.]

Think tough with a little tenderness to it. Even with the more intense shades, the darkest you get is navy blue Heavy Metal, deep green Punk and dark brown Ska, which, by the way, is like a shimmery version of MAC Brun (LOVE!). I’m wearing it in the crease in these pics.

Even then, the colors aren’t too harsh or dark.

What about wear time?

Let me put it this way: these shadows easily last through the encore. Same goes for the other fall palettes. With Rock N Roll, I get 8-10 hours with just a bit of fading starting around hour 8.

The right tools for the job

Here’s the deal: there’s a lot of shimmer in this palette and only one matte, Rockabilly, the sheer beige in the day look row, so when I wear these shadows, I reach for a tapered blending brush and a domed blending brush to buff the shimmers on my lids, as opposed to patting them on with a flat eyeshadow brush, and I glide the brush head across the skin using little circles and broad sweeps back and forth, back and forth.

I do it because with shimmery or glittery shadows like these, I think I’m able to work the shadows into the skin better, and get that shiny finish and intense color, when I use a looser brush head. The results are a little more forgiving, I think, especially if you have fine lines.

But if you crave drama…

By all means, go for it. 🙂 If you feel like going disco crazy (hey, there’s time and place for it), pack that ish on with a flat eyeshadow brush. You may even want to wet it first to intensify the shadows and the metallic effect.

Several of these shadows do that really well. Like Rap.

Oh, my gosh! — it’s the warm golden bronze in the Day look row. It has a bit of chunkiness to it, but that’s not a bad thing. If you use a wet flat eyeshadow brush to apply it, you can make it look really foiled and rad to where the shine just POPS off the lids.

So dramatic and super cool.

Here’s a tip: do your eyes first

With this palette, I think it helps to do your eyes first. Do your eyes first. Do your eyes first.

Let me say it again: do your eyes first.

Because there’s glitter in them thar hills, and the shadows will drop down on your cheeks. But if you do your eyes first, you can clean up any fallout, and then go back in with your foundation, concealer — that kind of thing.

Perfect for…

Medium-toned makeup mavens and darker divas. Or anyone who wants a more dramatic look (but one that isn’t stark).

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL! — is what have to say about these tough jewel tones with their tender touch. 🙂

You can find it now exclusively at Ulta stores and online at toofaced.com.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen