Tarte Amazonian Clay Automatic Waterproof Gel Linerr - Review

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I love brown eyeliners. I love dark brown, shimmery liners, because they make my green-ish eyes more green in appearance, and don't look harsh on my fair skin. One of the Tarte kits I had on auto-delivery from QVC included a liner right up my alley - an Amazonian Clay-based formula in a convenient pencil liner.

I actually received a few of these, but the only color I was interested in was Deep Bronze, since it's brown and shimmery looking. It's a touch lighter than I usually like, but it's still a member of the brown family. It wears well, and glides on fairly easily. The pigmentation could be better, however. I usually have to go over my liner at least twice to get the best color depth.

This liner doesn't smudge after it sets on my lids, which is great. It lasts best on my upper lash line, most likely due to my primer system on my lids. I don't wear a primer on my lower lash line, and I've noticed this liner tends to wear off by the end of the day.

I tried to find these, and was not really able to other than in the QVC kits. I'm certain it's available via eBay, however, should you wish to try one. It's a nice formula, pigmentation issues aside. I don't think I'll repurchase, as there are other brown liners I prefer.

Tarte Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation Brush - Review

Brush reviews sort of scare me. I mean, every one uses brushes differently, and expect different things from their brushes. Some brushes are universally loved, while others have their fans and haters. But, I've mentioned this brush enough to do a review, becase I really love the finish it gives to every foundation I've used it with, and think it's worth your time to look in to. Tarte released this brush originally last year, with the 8th Wonder of the World kit on QVC. Now that they've made the Amazonian Clay foundation available through normal retail outlets, the brush is to.

Top brush: Sephora Professional Platinum #55 Airbrush Brush, Bottom brush: Tarte Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation brush

 This brush is short, fat, and super soft. It has dense, bi-colored bristles that trick you into thinking it's a duo-fiber brush, but it's not. The bristles are cut into a dome shape, to help with blending.

The brush head is very, very full. This allows you to really buff your foundation in, and becuase of the large surface area, you are able to cover a lot of territory very quickly, making it a great addition for those mornings when sleeping in seemed a like a good idea.

My only gripe is that because the brush head is so dense, it can be hard to clean. I've found using a brush cleaner, like MAC's, then using a cleansing oil (or an oil-based makeup remover), and then using a makeup removing face wash (philosophy's Purity) seems to work, but that's a long process. It also take a while to dry after cleaning, but, considering the size, shape, and density of this brush, I'm okay with that.

This brush retails for $32, and is available from Sephora, QVC, and Ulta. The price on this brush is fantastic, considering I've never experienced shedding, and it's soft, and works so well. Likely, it's at a low-ish price, because it's made in China. Even if you're not a huge Tarte fan (and I wouldn't consider myself one), this brush should be in your kit.

Haul!

I've been neglecting this blog because I've been working overtime for the last, oh, 2 months or so. It's been tiring, but, now that those overtime paychecks have been rolling in... I've been taking advantage of my free money!

The stuff pictured above is all from QVC. It's what's left from the last Tarte TSV kits I received (including the 8th Wonder set [which had the Amazonian Clay foundation], and the Glow Your Way to Gorgeous set [which had the Maracuja Oil Concealer]). I kept only a few pieces, opting to sell off the pieces I wouldn't use. I kept the bronze Amazonian clay eyeliner, the Shimmering Moss Amazonian Clay Waterproof eyeshadow, the quad (which will make a great neutral eye look!), and the make up bag from the Glow Your Way to Gorgeous set. The rest sold on eBay last week, and I was able to clear enough to pay for two kits. I also picked up the next Bare Escentuals TSV (which will be promoted on 11/18/2011), because it included one of their Ready 2.0 eyeshadow duos, and their Round the Clock eye liner pencils. I'll do a review of these pieces later.

These items came from Macy's and Nordstrom. I needed a new foundation, because I was finding the Tarte foundation to be a little on the dark side (apparently, I had picked up a touch of color over the summer - who knew?). I decided to get two (I can't live with just one!), so from Macy's, I picked Chanel's Perfection Lumiere in the shade 12 Beige Rosee (which is an awesome match,) and because I'm a weak person, I also got the Illusion d'Ombre in Illusoire. From Nordstrom, I picked up Matchmaster in 1.0, and then preordered (and subsequently retrieved) a few items from Glitter & Ice, the holiday collection. I decided on the a Dazzleglass in Dressed to Dazzle, the lighter of the two nudes. I also got the beauty powder in Snowglobe, the Mineralized Eyeshadow in Snow Season, and a paint pot in Morning Frost.

I swatched everything from Glitter & Ice, and honestly, nothing else grabbed me. I had 2 of the Dazzleglasses already (and really didn't like She-Zam! at all - it was way to cool-toned for me). The other two paint pots were super thick-almost-sticky in texture, a lot like Blackground. The other beauty powder didn't wow me at all, and Snow Season was the only MES that I honestly loved. The others were not pigmented, or super cool-toned (which makes sense - who's hear of warm ice?). I can't buy any more lipsticks, since I never wear them, and hate Technikohl liners - they fade almost immediately, or, smudge themselves away. I'm super happy with what I got from Glitter & Ice, though!

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil - Review

With both of the QVC TSV kits that I've ordered this year came a sample of Tarte's hyped maracuja, or passionfruit seed oil. Since I had two, I figured I might as well use one, so I used the first one I had received.

Tarte makes several claims, and backs them with some survey results. You can view these claims here. The bottle I used contained 0.17 fluid ounces, and lasted about a month using 3 - 4 drops from the included dropper once daily, before bed. Since several of the claims are based on 6 weeks' usage, I'll highlight those I can comment on:

• In a consumer use study, 100% of subjects agree the Pure Maracuja Oil application directions are easy to understand and the product is easy to use.
• In a consumer use study, 90.7% of subjects agree Pure Maracuja Oil absorbs quickly and doesn't leave any oily residue on skin after application.
• In a consumer use study, 96.3% of subjects agree skin appeared smoother after 3 weeks of use.
• In a consumer use study, 88.9% of subjects agree skin appeared more radiant/luminous after 3 weeks of use.
• In a consumer use study, 83.3% of subjects agree there's a visible improvement in even skin tone after 3 weeks of use.
• In a consumer use study, 88.9% of subjects agree there's a visible improvement in skin texture after 3 weeks of use.
• In a consumer use study, 90.7% of subjects agree there's a visible improvement in skin’s moisture after 3 weeks of use.
• In a consumer use study, 64.8% of subjects agree pore size looks visibly reduced after 3 weeks of use.
• In a consumer use study, 77.8% of subjects agree fine lines and wrinkles look visibly reduced after 3 weeks of use.
• In a consumer use study, 81.5% of subjects agree skin elasticity has visibly improved after 3 weeks of use.
• In a consumer use study, 90.7% of subjects agree there's an overall visible improvement in skin after 3 weeks of use.
• In a consumer use study, 90.7% of subjects agree skin appears renewed and rejuvenated after 3 weeks of use.

Gah. That's a lot of claims! So, is this snake oil? Or, it is a miracle worker? For the retail price of $46, I have to say, I wasn't overly impress. For your $46, you get 1.7 fl oz, which, using the same amount that I did, should last close to a year. 

I'll tackle the claims in order, for clarity's sake. I really like they included a statistic for how many people found the product, essentially, easy to use. Really? I guess they needed to have something that was at a nice, round, 100%. Yes, this oil is easy to use. I agree with this claim. I'd also agree the oil absorbs quickly, and my skin didn't feel oily. So, Tarte is right on that claim as well.

My skin didn't appear smoother, or more radiant, after 3 weeks. In fact, it looked.... the same as it did the month before. No change occurred with my skin tone - nothing was really evened out. The texture of my skin wasn't changed, and my skin was no more dry or oily than it had been before. My pores are still the size of compact parking spaces, so no change there. I cannot comment on the fine lines and wrinkles claim, yet, nor can I comment on the elasticity claim. 

The last two claims didn't hold true for me, either. My skin looked, essentially, the same after 4 weeks of daily use. I can say my face felt soft in the morning, as I applied this product at night.

So, is a soft face worth $46? No, because passionfruit seed oil is available at much more reasonable prices elsewhere, like here, or here. From The Herbarie (second link), 1 ounce is only $5.15, although they do have a minimum purchase requirement of $30.00 (they carry a lot of great oils, though!).

Would I purchase this product? Nope. Absolutely not at the price of $46. I balked, initially, at buying Bobbi Brown's EXTRA Face Oil, thinking I could make a ton of it for super cheap, but you can't. The price of jojoba oil is skyrocketing, and the EXTRA Face Oil contains very expensive essential oils (like Neroli, and Sandalwood). The Maracuja Oil has... Maracuja oil. Blended with a little more maracuja oil. That is available in a non-fancy bottle for less than $6.00. Tarte had an opportunity to make something great by adding some of these ingredients, but they decided not to. So, I won't be paying for this.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara - Review

I swear I'm not a crazed Tarte fan. I promise! I've just been getting a lot of their stuff recently, and most of it has been pretty good. Originally, I was just going to swap this mascara, however, though my recent acquisitions, I ended up with 3 tubes. I've sold one, used one, and still have one available.

This mascara retails for $19.00, and is only available in the shade black. It's available at Sephora, Ulta, and Tarte's own website, as well as in kits, like those available on QVC. Tarte's website says:

This is what we call a push-up bra for your lashes™ a 4-in-1 (lengthening, curling, volumizing and conditioning) dermatologist tested mascara that gives dramatic, thick, sexy lashes and is clinically proven to increase lash volume by 424%. 

I like super volumizing mascaras that also give some definition. I guess I love drama, and I don't have enough in my own life, so I need to add some to my lashes. I'm happy with the length of my lashes, however.


Lights, Camera, Lashes! claims to do so much, but it sort of fails at at least one of the claims everyday. It's rather inconsistent, though. One day it seems to clump like mad, the next it defines my lashes perfectly, but they don't appear volumized in the least. Some times my lashes appear longer, and other days they don't appear longer at all. I don't believe I'm changing how I apply the mascara in any way, so I'm a little confused.

The brush is okay. It reminds me of the Lashblast brush, only it had fiber-type bristles rather than rubber ones. I really don't like the spikey rubber bristles - they never seen to work well for my lashes (with one notable exception, Phenomen'Eyes). It's a wide brush that slightly tapers to a rather blunt end. It's nothing magical. Like most mascara wands, it tends to suffer from a massive build up of mascara at the tip.


The tube it's self leaves me confused, because you can find this packaged in two ways, one has a faux-croc-ish looking sheath over what I can only assume is plastic tube. The other way is in a plan, rather expected purple tube with some information on it about the product, a much more normal way to package mascara. I don't believe there's any difference between the two, other than the packaging. I've received the mascara both ways in kits, so I don't know. I think it's to match the way the mascara performs - sometimes great, sometimes not-so-much.


I can't really recommend this mascara, since it doesn't provide consistent results. For less money, you can get a mascara, like many of MAC's, or The Falsies Flared, that provide consistently good results.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Cream Shadow - Review

I need a cream shadow like I need a hole in my head. I've been perfectly happy with my UD 24/7 shadow pencil in Sin, and I've been neglecting my Smashbox Waterproof Shadow/Liners (so nice!), and my MAC Paint Pots (hit or miss). But, with the Glow your way to Gorgeous kit, I found myself with a new cream shadow, the Amazonian Clay Waterproof shadow in "Shimmering Taupe." What else could I do but use it?

The pot is SMALL. Super small. Be prepared, you may pay $25 for a small jar of cream shadow, that's holding 0.1 oz of product. The price is a little high. Like, woah. Moving on....


According to QVC:

 Micronized Amazonian clay intensifies color pigments while working to nourish skin, reduce surface oil, and improve overall texture for smooth application. Thanks to a botanical blend of natural plant waxes, the shadow glides on smooth and forms an impermeable layer that protects against sweat, tears, and creasing for hours of wear time. Not only is it super long-wearing, it works to infuse delicate eyelids with Amazonian clay, aloe leaf extract, beeswax, and vitamins A and E. The richly pigmented shadow is formulated without parabens, sodium laurel sulfate, mineral oil, petrolatum, synthetic fragrance, or phthalates.

 "Shimmering Taupe" is a light/mid-toned brown taupe. It's not a "my lid but better/shimmery" shade, like UD's Sin is, it's darker, but still a nice neutral. It's not especially warm toned, but it's on the warmer side of neutral.


Wear-wise, this is fantastic! I still have to use UDPP under it, and set it with a powder shadow (such is my life), but it wears as well as the UD 24/7 Shadow Pencils. I use my finger to apply it, because the brush that was included in the Glow your way to Gorgeous kit is almost useless (no, really). Because the pot is so small, though, it can be hard to get at. The shadow blends nicely with my finger, and is decently pigmented. It's very smooth and slightly creamy feeling. It's not moussey, or sticky.


I really like this product. I like the color, I like the texture a lot, and my shadows last all day over it. I think the price is ridiculous, though.

Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer - Review

I wish this kit had arrived about a week before it actually did, so I could've had this review up for you guys, because I think most people were curious about this product from the Glow your way to Gorgeous kit, but, c'est la vie, non?


Anyway, I have a weakness for concealers. I don't know why, since I tend to only use concealer on my under eye area, but oh well. When I heard rumblings of a new tarte TSV on QVC (ugh), I immediately began to wonder "Do I need this?" Upon finding out what the kit actually had in it, then answer was affirmative.


You may wonder what, exactly, is maracuja? It's otherwise known as passionfruit, here in the U.S., and you don't need to pay Tarte's high price for pure maracuja or passionfruit oil. Just poke around websites that sell soap making oils, and you can find the same thing that Tarte sells for $40+ for a much nicer price tag. Anyway, to find out what benefits you may see from using maracuja oil, please click here (way to many for me to cut and paste, sorry!).

After deciding I "had to have" this kit, the only remaining question was, what shade of concealer do I need? Usually, I need the lightest shade available (I'm on the pale side of NC15), and without swatches, I was flying blindly. I decided upon the shade "Light," remembering the Amazonian Clay foundation in that shade had worked well for me.

This color works amazingly well for me. I posted this picture previously, but I like how well it shows how this concealer compares to other concealers I've talked about, or have used, in the past. This is slightly yellower than the Fit Me concealer, and seems slightly lighter than Moisture Cover Select. The Amazonian Clay foundation looks crazy yellow here!


When taking this picture, I noted how thick this concealer is, and I questioned how a thick cream, like this, could be creaseless. After using this product for several days (everyday since I bought it), I can say I haven't noticed creasing, but I also have to admit that I don't have a lot of fine lines under my eyes (I know my day will come, though!). The concealer lasts all day, doesn't oxidize, and is very, very pigmented.


My only problem is how darn thick this stuff is! I'm seriously afraid the seam at the end of the squeeze-tube container is going to rupture when I'm trying to get the concealer out. I don't have problems blending the concealer using my MAC 224 (the only concealer brush you'll ever need!), though. Maybe it's the small opening at the end of the tube that's the problem?


When this product is released to the general population of Tarte retailers in September, I believe the MSRP will be $24 and change. I think that's a fair price. I like this concealer a lot, and am glad I signed up for the autodelivery (not that I'll need a new concealer in 3 months, but whatever). You can still get the Glow your way to Gorgeous kit here, for $54.96 plus shipping.

Tarte Glow Your Way to Gorgeous 8 piece TSV - July 2nd, 2011

I preordered this, after really enjoying the Tarte 8th Wonder of the World set, and not knowing how to say "no" to a concealer. I received my kit today, the day before the TSV officially posts, but I thought you'd like to see what you get:

Amazonian Clay blush in Peaceful - no flash

Amazonian Clay blush in Peaceful - with flash

Of note in this kit is the introduction of the Maracuja Concealer. I ordered this kit with the shade "Light" in the concealer. The following picture shows this concealer compared to several others. First picture is taken with the flash, the second is without:

I'm a light NC15, and feel this color will work well for my skin tone. My son tried to help me, as evidenced by his hand and feet in the pictures. Hope you don't mind them too much. 

My initial impression is this: this is a thick concealer, but it blends well. Since Tarte claims it won't crease, I'm curious to see if that will hold true. 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Balancing Foundation SPF 15- Review

I'm a sucker for QVC beauty shows. And they're Today's Special Values (TSVs) can be a really good deal. So, when the latest Tarte TSV started getting talked up on MUA and the blogs, I figured "Why not? I need a new foundation anyway," and set myself up for autodelivery.

The foundation was/is exclusive to this kit until later this summer. It boasts about offering full coverage without the apparently nasty stuff that other brands include in their products. After careful consideration, I selected the "Light" shade, after others reported the foundation ran very light, color-wise. Off the cuff (0r, more appropriately, out of the tube), the foundation appears a bit dark, however, after blending it in, it looks great on my light NC15 skin. After a few hours (about 5, on average), it starts to oxidize. It's not terribly noticeable until after about 8+ hours, though. I will say that it appears I can control the oxidation a bit, depending upon the primer I use under it. I've noticed that if I layer MAC's Prep + Prime finishing powder under my Murad Oil Control lotion, and use BE's Hydrating Mineral Veil, the oxidation is not as bad. I need to keep playing around with this, though.

For whatever reason, this picture makes the tarte foundation look really, really dark and yellow. In real life, it is slightly more yellow than the Chanel and MUFE, but not so dark.

The texture of this foundation is mousse-y. I really like it, and it sort of gives that "velvet" feel to the skin after application, like Philosophy's the present, or Benefit's Pore-Fessional.

Although Tarte prints on the tube this is a full coverage foundation, I wouldn't bet money on it. On me, without concealer and my MUFE primer, the slight ruddiness of my cheeks comes through, and the 2 weird red blemishes I've had this week were very obvious. I'd say this foundation wears and feels more like a medium coverage foundation. I can't really build up the coverage with this foundation, either. By the end of the normal work day, it's very cakey where I've attempted to get more complete coverage. Where I haven't added an extra layer, however, it looks fine.

I've used my MAC 187 and the huge brush that came with the kit to apply this product, and both work equally well. I don't believe the brush is a must have, but it is nice (and I typically don't like synthetic brushes!).

Finish-wise, this foundation has the same effect as many of the "natural" finish foundations - sort of that glowy finish that usually translates to oily on me after a few hours. I will say this foundation lasts all day, but even with my imperfect primer system (I still need a good, oil controlling primer - any suggestions?), I'm a grease-ball after 8 - 9 hours, the usual time frame I have makeup on.

All in all, I'm glad I got on auto-delivery for this. I may try and switch the foundation color, however, or try and get my hands on the Fair foundation, to see if it works better for me. I like the foundation, and I'm pleased that it really does last all day.