The Read
We have created a simple to read rating system for reviews on Color For Chocolate. All standard reviews will use The Read rating scale. However, there are times that a product specific rating scale is used ie. Lashes, Makeup Brushes, Tools.
Our rating system looks at six specific areas. Each area is given an individual score, and all six scores are added up, and then the total is divided by the total possible points to find the percentage. The resulting percentage is converted to a 5 star system.
What do the 5 star system mean?
5 stars is an AMAZING/Outstanding product; 4 stars is a great product, but it could be a little better; 3 stars is an average product that isn’t necessarily great but not completely awful; 2 stars is a below average product; and a 1 or 1/2 star is a product that fails to meet stated manufacturer claims completely.
• 99-100% = 
• 98-96 = 
• 95-90 = 
• 89-86 = 
• 85-80 = 
• 79-76 = 
• 75-70 = 
• 69-66 = 
• 65-60 = 
• 59 or below = 
Six Degrees Of The Read
Naturally, because of the nature of cosmetic products, one characteristic may impact multiple areas. For instance, a very buttery lipstick may also be prone to bleeding or be blotchy or the creamy texture may enable it to glide on more easily, while a matte lipstick may be harder to apply and drag on lips, however, it may wear longer. These normal characteristics are considered in the evaluation. We try to apply the standard consumer expectation of a product when we are evaluating each product.
Product: This area is made up of two sub-sections that look at 1) the claims the manufacturer makes and how well the product measures up and 2) the overall quality of the final product. This area is to outline the expectations set by the manufacturer and are not given a score.
Pigmentation: This area looks at whether the color payoff is as described (by the manufacturer) and the trueness of the color. We also consider playtime under this area. Paytime is the amount of time and effort it takes to get the described amount of color (if it can be accomplished.)
Application: This area focuses on how easy it is to apply a product, whether it requires instructions, how difficult is it to remove it, does it bleed/feather, does it stain (when it’s not supposed to) how evenly does it apply and/or are there related but not include products needs to assist the product’s normal function (ie. primer, base, concealer, etc.) This area may also consider build in applicators or included products, ie. nail polish brushes.
Texture: This area covers the evaluation of how a product feels and includes, but is not limited to, characteristics such as flakiness, feathering, fading, dryness, oiliness, softness, creaminess, evenness, stickiness, weight, smoothness, streakiness, etc.
Longevity: This area assigns a rating based on how long and well a product wears relative to how long it is supposed to wear. When a manufacturer does not indicate a specific wear time (often the case), we interpret based on industry standards (e.g. “all day wear” doesn’t mean one hour if you look across the industry expectations) or see how it falls against the average wear time of similar products available around the same time. Longevity is not purely based on time but how it wears and addresses such problems as feathering, creasing, fading, bleeding, drying and smudging.
Quality Of Ingredients: This area looks at the ingredients on the back of the box. We take a in-depth look at the ingredients and interpret quality based on industry standards.
Value Vs. Cost: This area evaluates if the quality of the product, the amount included in the package and the manufacturers expectation justifies the cost per weight. It also breaks down price break down per unit of measurement, ie. $1 per 1 gram of product.
We do note and may include the following information in reviews but these things are not considered in the over all score: packaging, shipping cost, value vs cost and availability.