Tarte

Tarte Precision Longwear Liner Sits Among the All-Time Greats in the Liquid Liner Pantheon

May 12th, 2015 by Karen 11 Comments

I’m picky when it comes to liquid liners… Pickier than a crabby reality TV show judge on a singing competition!

Seriously, if there’s even just one thing wrong with them — ONE THING! — I’m like Liam Neeson in the Taken movies when he threatens the kidnappers. “I WILL FIND YOU!!”

That said, Tarte’s Precision Longwear Liner ($24) passes the Liam Neeson Test with flying colors.

This dark chocolate neutral matte brown, which looks like a rich blackish brown in pics, is an absolutely legit alternative to errrrday black liquid liners. Great for when you want a cat-flicked liquid liner look with less contrast than black.

The long and firm, but flexible, felt tip draws precise flicks and lines with smooth edges, and you don’t have to freaking arm wrestle the damn thing to use it (it seems that way sometimes with liquid liner, doesn’t it?).

And — HUGE pro — the liner applies smoothly and filled with pigment. None of that uneven patchy nonsense that plagues lesser liquid liners.

It also layers well, doesn’t flake off my skin and lasts about seven hours. As far as where it sits in the liquid liner pantheon of all-time greats, I think it’s easily comparable to LORAC Front of the Line Pro, Rouge Bunny Rouge Nocturnal Ink and Tom Ford’s Eye Defining Pen.

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Last Call! The Special Edition $48 Tarte Beauty in the Basics Set Is Available For a Few More Hours Today Only on QVC.com

May 11th, 2015 by Karen 10 Comments

The (final) countdown is on!

The new $47.64 Tarte Beauty in The Basics set is available for just nine more hours today (as of 2:30 p.m. PT) on the QVC website.

Yup, if this thing piques your interest, run — not meander or scoot — run to your nearest computer…which would probably the one you’re using right now, and check it out. For $47.64, today only, you get six of Tarte’s most popular products, including…

(1) 0.31-oz. pan of their Amazonian Clay Smoothing Balm in choice of Fair, Light, Light-Medium, Medium, Tan or Deep (your choice) — This stuff is a medium-to-full-coverage cream foundation with a satiny finish. I’ve used it in Medium and barely have to use any of it at all to even out my skin tone. It’s that pigmented.
(1) 0.24-fl oz. tube of Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara in Black — Old school! I like Lights, Camera, Lashes for volume, separation and curl hold (but it’s not my favorite mascara for lengthening). It’s an oldie but a goodie.
(1) 0.10-oz. tube of LipSurgence Lip Creme in Vintage — Vintage has a minty flavor and scent, a lightweight formula and a moderate amount of honeysuckle pink pigment. Me likey.
(1) 0.24-oz. Special Edition Colored Clay Eyeshadow Palette with 0.06-oz. pans of ivory Classic Cream, taupe Simple Slate, Tantalizing Tan and Breathtaking Brown — I have’t worn these soft, moderately pigmented shadows yet, but they feel very much like other Tarte shadows I have used, so I expect similar performance. I like Tarte’s shadows in general, especially how easily they blend (but sometimes they do leave a lot of fallout).
(1) 0.03-oz. stick of Amazonian Clay Tightlining Eyeliner in Black Brown — This wonderful little stick is surprisingly great! It’s my favorite thing in the entire set, largely because of the thin tip, which makes it really easy to get deep, down there in between the roots of my lashes, and because it lasts all day long, too.
(1) Tarte Smoothing Balm Brush — This fluffy, full brush deftly diffuses the cream foundation that comes with this set and, of course, other cream products.

Tarte Summer 2015 Poppy Picnic Collection LipSurgence Lip Crèmes: Chubby Pencils With Powerful Pen Names

May 8th, 2015 by Karen 9 Comments

With the new Tarte LipSurgence Lip Crèmes on my lips today, I’m feeling Empowered…

And Serene…
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Summer Is Al Fresco Time at Tarte With the Poppy Picnic Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette

April 3rd, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments

tarte summer 2015 poppy picnic — Tarte Summer 2015 Poppy Picnic Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette ($38, available now)

I live for picnics…

The fun in the sun, the food, the friends, the family, the food…

Did I already mention the food? 🙂

I might actually love picnic fare more than I love brunch, and you know how much I love brunch.

(A lot.)

It’s because of the sides, man! I’m all about the sides. The potato salad, macaroni salad, fruit salad, that weird Jello salad that one of my aunties usually makes which looks totally gross but tastes hella delicious.

Oh! — and the corn on the freaking cob?

I wants it… I wants it all.

Speaking of picnics (how’s that for a lazy transition, ha!), there’s one happening now at Tarte, and it’s new for summer 2015.

Say “Please pass the potato chips!” to the Tarte Poppy Picnic Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette ($38)

The Tarte Poppy Picnic Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette: A Quick FAQ/Rundown

What is it?
A $38 limited edition eye & cheek palette (available now) containing six new powder eyeshadows and one re-promoted powder blush (it’s called Glisten) containing Tarte’s jam, otherwise known as Amazonian clay, which is supposed to soak up any oily bits while simultaneously balancing moisture levels in your skin.

Are there any limited edition shades?
Yes, ma’am, there are. The eyeshadows in Summer Breeze (a matte cream), Sweet Tea (a matte tan), Ice Cream Cone (a matte chocolate), Barefoot in the Grass (a matte light tan), Peach Poppy (a matte peach) and Picnic Basket (a matte deep brown) are all limited edition.

What size are the pans?
Shimmery golden pink Glisten Blush is a 0.20-ounce full-size pan, and the eyeshadows are smaller at 0.06 ounces each.

What can you tell me about the texture of the eyeshadows?
Well, I can tell ya that they kick up a lot of powder, so it helps to tap off your brush before applying them; otherwise, you get a little fallout.

Beyond that, though, they feel smooth to me, and they’re easy to blend.

Are the eyeshadows pigmented or sheer?
I’d say that the lighter tan and peach shades are sheer to medium, while the two darkest shades are medium (I built them up for the swatches to make ’em nice and dark), and none of them look heavy on the skin.

How about the texture of the blush?
Slightly grainy…which is probably because of the pretty big flecks of golden glitter in it.

How pigmented is the blush?
Moderately pigmented, but not crazy town/crazy clown pigmented. I only need a single layer.
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Broadcasting Live From the Amazon, It’s a Miracle! The Tarte Miracles From the Amazon 6-Piece Collection, a QVC.com One-Day Exclusive Coming Feb. 13, 2015

February 12th, 2015 by Karen 16 Comments

Tarte Miracles fron the Amazon 6-Piece Collection (1)

Welcome to the jungle, baby! Every piece of makeup in this $60 limited edition six-piece set (seven pieces including the makeup bag) has Tarte’s signature skin-lovin’ ingredient.

Amazonian Clay, anyone?

The set includes a bottle of Maracuja Miracle Foundation (available in Fair, Light, Light-Medium, Medium, Tan or Deep), a tube of LipSurgence Liquid Lipshine in a berry shade, a tube of Gifted Amazonian Clay Mascara, two brushes, a makeup bag and, the apparent star of the show, the Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette with a coral powder blush and six cool-toned powder eyeshadows.

The blush, gloss and mascara are the standouts for me. All three have that fresh, natural-looking, “Oh, I’m just chillaxing on my day off!” makeup look.

As for the eyeshadows…for me, I prefer a little more pigment, but if you like fairly sheer pigments and cool color temps, you’ll find those here.

The $60 limited edition set is a QVC.com exclusive, available one day only, February 13, 2015, so make a note in your Hello Kitty day planner if you’re interested. 🙂

What a Difference a Nude Lip Makes…

January 19th, 2015 by Karen 35 Comments

From the left: Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Sugar ($21), Tarte LipSurgence Lip Tint in Glitzy ($24), MAC Toledo Lipglass in Oxblood ($16.50), Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick in Ethereal Pink ($16) and Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Frosting ($21)

Wearable purple eyeshadow.

Wait, what…?

Hear me out. I think it’s entirely possible to make purple eyeshadow wearable, even bold purple eyeshadow, if you keep everything else in your look toned down.

Here I’m wearing the same purple eye look I wore earlier, but this time paired with different nude lips.

I’m also not wearing a lot of color on my cheeks, which I think makes the whole effect less fashion-y.

There are countless varieties of nude lippies out there, and many of them are not boring.

To make a bold eye look like this one more wearable, you could pair it with a sheer pinkish peach nude lipstick or gloss…

Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick in Ethereal Pink

Or, you could do a deeper sort of brownish nude with a little sparkle…

Or, if you’re feeling wildly adventurous (or, in my case, out of your mind, because it’s the end of the day and you’re tired), you could do a pale opaque nude…

Too Faced Melted Liquidfied Liquid Lipstick in Melted Sugar

Too Faced Melted Liquidfied Liquid Lipstick in Melted Frosting

Nude lips can really make a bold eye look more wearable, and with so many gorgeous nudes out there, the possibilities are endless. 🙂

Incidentally, all of these shades are new for spring and listed here…

Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Sugar ($21)
Tarte LipSurgence Lip Tint in Glitzy ($24)
MAC Toledo Lipglass in Oxblood ($16.50; coming soon)
Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick in Ethereal Pink ($16)
Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Frosting ($21)

The Tarte Park Ave Princess Contour Palette: Tiara, Prince Charming, Ball Gown, Glass Carriage and Ponies Not Included

January 2nd, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

I feel that if the Park Ave Princess Contour Palette by Tarte ($34) came with a tiara, it would be that much more legit, because what’s a princess without a tiara?! A frickin’ travesty, that’s what it is.

Even though I like this palette, which comes with three powder products — a bronzer, blush and highlighter — I think it would be even more awesome if it came in a few different versions, like one for light skin tones, another for medium skin tones, and a third one for darker skin tones.

This would be the one for lighter lasses. The bronzer has a matte finish, which is what I usually use for doing deep cheek contouring, but this one doesn’t do squat for me as a contour color. It’s just not quite dark enough for an effective chisel. As a true contour color, it would prolly work better for pale princesses.

For medium mavens and darker divas, I do think it’s OK for a subtle overall bronzing effect, though.

Tarte Park Ave Princess Contour Palette Swatches — From the left: Bronzer, Blush and Highlighter

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Performing Tonight, Karen and the Tartelettes, With the New 12-Pan Tarte Tartelette Eyeshadow Palette for Spring

January 2nd, 2015 by Karen 24 Comments

When you hear the word “tartelette” do you think of tiny, tasty tarts?

Because I do.

And I don’t just think of one of them. I think of dozens of them in different flavors, but I don’t think that’s terribly unusual. I mean, who’s going to eat just one tart, right? CRAZY PEOPLE, that’s who. I would eat five or six of them and just rapid fire toss them into my mouth without even taking a breath, because that’s how I roll…

The term, “Tartelette,” as I’m unsuccessfully trying to use it here, is actually the name of a new all-matte 12-pan neutral eyeshadow palette from Tarte.

It’s also what Tarte calls their fans. So no, a Tartelette is not a tiny tart (or is it?); nor is it a backup singer for a band, even though that totally sounds like a legit thing (“And now, give a warm welcome to Karen and the Tartelettes, YAAAY!!”).

I wore the Tartelette palette a lot over the holidays because the colors, being neutral and matte, are perfect for family time, and I could wear them around my parents without having to answer questions like, “Why are you dressed like you’re going to the disco?”

Also highly recommended for watching Shark Tank with your in-laws (OMG! You haven’t lived until you’ve sat through four hours of Shark Tank with your in-laws.), going back for thirds at dinner, and going to brunch with your nieces and nephews — you know, just the regular, everyday family stuff that doesn’t require false lashes and red lips. 🙂

Tarte Tartelette Swatches from the left: Free Spirit, Force of Nature, Dreamer and Multi-Tasker — Tartelette Swatches from the left: Free Spirit, Force of Nature, Dreamer and Multi-Tasker

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