Review: NEW Tarte Blush in Sensual & Exposed Highlighter!

NEW from Tarte!

I'm finally getting a chance to review these two products today! (Wohoo!) I've had them since June guys... June. Let's get into the basics and then I'll tell you my thoughts right after.

The Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Sensual is part of their Naughty Nudes collection which is a total of four matte nude shades (sooooo pretty btw!). It retails for $28 and it's described as a golden nude which I totally agree with. Just like their other Amazonian Clay blushes this one lasts all day long! It's very blendable and buildable which I completely appreciate and why I love the Tarte blushes so much!

The Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Highlighter in Exposed retails for $28 as well and it's their first highlighter in single form. It's a beautiful golden champagne glow with a creamy texture but... it didn't last on my skin! :-( After about hour 3 I didn't see it at all on my skin plus the highlighter itself doesn't go on as intense as a Becca highlight, it's more on the natural side.

Here are the swatches! The blush has quickly become a go to for days when I don't know which one to wear. It never competes with the rest of my makeup look and it's the perfect color for everyday. The highlighter swatch is lovely! I really love the color, just wished it was formulated a bit better.

Bottom line: I'd say yes to the blush and pass on the highlight if you're looking for something super blinding. If you're highlight preference is on the more natural side than this one would be perfect for you. If you own any of these items leave me your thoughts on them below! :-)

Review: Tarte Rainforest of the Sea- Skin Twinkle Lighting Palette!

Get Your Highlight On!

Now that I'm officially a highlight lover I've been testing out a bunch of new ones, including the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea- Skin Twinkle Lighting Palette! It's $42 and sold at Sephora. It's a great value since it comes with 3 universal shades, which are beautiful btw! I've had it for about a month or so and I'm a huge fan. I love the shades and find that you can build up the intensity to your liking.

The packaging is so freaking cool right?! I love the blue and gold, it just looks so sleek and adds on to the value. 

It does come with a really nice size mirror, perfect for highlighting on the go. 

There's three shades:

Sunlight- a champagne gold

Filtered light- a matte sand

Moonlight- a rosy pearl

I find the middle shade to have the weirdest texture. It feels so dry, reminds me of sandpaper. It's meant to set your under eyes which I tried before but wasn't a fan because it made that area look so dry. It sucks that the powder didn't work for me but I'm happy that it's the smallest one in the palette haha.

Now the highlighters are so creamy and smooth! They feel like a cream to powder formula and they go on incredibly. The pan size is pretty large which I appreciate for the price. I love to apply them while my skin is still wet ( before my foundation dries or after setting spray) to get that foiled wet look!

Here are the swatches! *sigh* so pretty!

In this look I'm wearing moonlight which is my fave! I decided to wear it a little more subtle for work but still looks amazing nonetheless.

Bottom line: I adore this palette! I wish I could swap out the middle shade for something else...maybe another highlight. But overall I still think it's a great value and the highlighter shades are simply beautiful. I would recommend it if you're looking for a variety! :-)

Must Haves: Tarte Bling It On Amazonian Clay Blush Palette! (Holiday 2015!)

Amazing Deal!

#Blushhoarder <--- Me! I couldn't pass up this years Tarte blush palette! It's such a great value plus I actually sold last years because it was too bulky (even though the colors were beautiful!)  This years palette is sleeker, compact and the blushes are gorgeous! You get five FULL SIZE blushes for only $44...crazy right?! The range of colors is spot on an these are just as good as their solo blushes! Sephora knows where it's at! :-)

The packaging is so cute! It's a glitter textured exterior but I'm happy to say that the glitter doesn't fall off.

It's a great travel palette and the colors are perfect for anytime of year. I noticed that the previous palette was a little stiff compared to this one which made it harder to pick up product. These are just as smooth as the single blushes and they last all day long! They are really easy to work with and to build up.

Here are the swatches! These colors are everything! I've been reaching for this so much lately because it's just convenient to have all these colors in one spot. Can't say enough good things about this palette!

Bottom line: Go get it! Better yet wait for the Sephora VIB Sale to get 20% off to make it an even better deal. But... what if it sells out before then? Get it now! haha. :-) 

Dupe Alert: Drugstore Dupe of Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed!

Another Day, Another Dupe!

Dupe Alerts is my favorite post to write! :-) I've been on a role recently so make sure to check out my previous Dupe Alerts! Today I wanted to share a pretty spot on dupe of my all time favorite blush: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed. I've had this blush for years, old packaging and all haha. It pairs with pretty much any look and it's the one I go to most days! It retails for $28 but the dupe is only $8!

Here's Tarte Exposed and Milani Rose Powder Blush in Romantic Rose! They're are both a matte pink nude, perfect everyday shade! :-) Something to point out too is that with Milani you get 17g of product... #blushfordays! Tarte has 5.6g of product so Milani is cheaper and you tons more for your money. They're both smooth, silky and blend effortlessly. I will say Tarte Exposed lives up to the 12 hour claim and the Milani blush will start fading within 5 hours or so.

Here are the swatches! :-) Really similar right? You can tell in the pic above that Tarte Exposed is very loved to say the least haha so I'm excited to know that once I run out I don't need to spend another $28.

I hope this Dupe Alert was helpful and I highly recommend the Milani Rose Powder Blushes! :-)

Review: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Captivating! (+Swatches!)

Perfect Peachy Blush!

During the Sephora V.I.B Sale I picked up the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Captivating and right off the bat I'll say I love it! It retails for $26 so getting it on sale was needed haha. I love the Tarte Blushes because like the name states they last 12 hours..., sometimes even more! The formula is everything you want in a blush: blendable, pigmented and longwearing. 

The blush is a beautiful matte warm peach! I lightly tap my brush into the blush and I get just the right amount to coat my cheeks. A little goes a long way but even if you put too much on you can easily blend it which is another thing I love about the Tarte Blushes! This color is the definition of Spring and Summer. It warms up and brightens your face at the same time... weird, I know haha.

I'm a huge fan of the packaging because it's simple yet sleek! It's super easy to store away and since it has a mirror it's ideal for travel. Look at that swatch....isn't the color gorgeous!?  :-D

Bottom line: This blush is so good! I love how true of a peach shade it is, no hints of pink just peach which is exactly what I was looking for. It's pretty pricey originally but with the discount it's totally worth it! This blush will most likely last a lifetime and that's alright with me. :-)

Review: Tarte Pin Up Girl Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Palette! (Holiday 2014!)

#Blush-hoarder ;-)

Last Holiday season I completely missed out on the Tarte blush palette so when it launched this year I didn't hesitate to order it haha. I was pretty excited once it released on sephora.com plus... I didn't spend a dime on it! I used my card rewards for the purchase and decided to give myself an early Christmas gift ;-) The Tarte Pin Up Girl Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Palette retails for $42 which is a bit pricey but it's a great value! Tarte blushes retail for $26 each while this palette comes with five brand new shades for $42 (less than two Tarte blushes purchased separately!) I highly recommend you get this palette if you love Tarte blushes (like I do!) because you're getting more bang for your buck! Lets start off with packaging:

The packaging is gorgeous! It's a clutch style palette which makes it perfect for travel. It also comes with two hair pins which are super pretty, definitely stands out on my brown hair. It feels nice and looks more expensive than what it is!

Look how stunning that clasp is?! Love it!

My only con is that the blush names are not engraved in the actual palette. Tarte included a clear slip with the names which we all know I will probably lose it by next week haha. Other than that this palette is amazing! 

All the blush colors would be suitable for a variety of skin tones which is awesome. The formula is just as great as their single blushes and... when they say 12-hour wear it's no joke! They last all day and blend like a dream. Here are the swatches:

*Breathless- a pink beige, great neutral color and perfect for everyday wear.

*Embraced- a plumy rose... gorgeous! This is my favorite color. It leaves a beautiful sheen to your cheeks, just perfect for that flushed look that we all look for this time of year.

*Whimsy- a light pink, nice color for that "doll-face" look!

*Bashful- a rosy peach, great spring-summer color.

*Irreplaceable- a mauve rose, another great fall color.

Bottom line: This palette is worth every penny! It's a great way to try out more colors if you're a fan of their blushes. Tarte Exposed is my most worn blush so I knew the formula was great to begin with. The palette is consistent across the board and these colors are perfect to wear year round. Let's not forget about how convenient it is to have all these colors in one cute palette. I love it and would recommend it in a heartbeat! :-)

Review: Tarte Rainforest After Dark Colored Clay Eye & Cheek Palette! (Limited Edition!)

All-in-One Palette!

The words "Limited Edition"got me again! haha. I wasn't planning on purchasing this Rainforest After Dark Palette but I just had to after seeing so many positive reviews in the YouTube world. I'm very glad I did because It's a really nice palette! It retails for $38 and can be purchased at Sephora, Ulta or on the Tarte website. I tried to hunt it down locally but it was sold out everywhere so I decided to order mine from Sephora. It's definitely worth the price, you get everything you need in one palette and the colors mesh so well together!

I really love the packaging on this palette! It's a very durable plastic and so unique since its round and not rectangular like most palettes! The mirror is a great size and the amount of each product you get is perfect. I find that it will last you a long time!

Here's a close up of what you get! BTW, it comes with a clear film with the names of the each of the elements of the palette but it's not attached to the palette which kinda sucks. I wish it were written on the back of the palette or something just for reference. I do really love the combination of the face products and the eye shadows. The highlight alone is gorgeous! I'm not a "highlighter" person but this one just gives the most beautiful glowing from within look that I love! The bronzer is also a nice neutral tone, great for adding warmth to the face. The blush... amazing! Perfect year round shade and would suite so many skin tones!

Here are the swatches of the face products:

*Champagne- a glowy white gold highlight, just stunning!

*Park Avenue Princess- a medium neutral toned bronzer, its matte and a great contour shade!

*Unleashed- a nude rose blush, really smooth and very long lasting!

Here are the eye shadows swatched (over primer, no flash):

*Bare To Explore- a matte pink beige, a nice crease/blending shade.

*Make a Mauve- a satin plum-mauve shade with shimmer, its a nice color but nothing too special.

*Plum Away With Me- a dark metallic plum with shimmers, really gorgeous when worn on the outer third of the lid or even blending up in the crease! Pairs perfectly with the next shade!

*Up To No Gold- a metallic gold color, nicely pigmented and looks amazing all over the lid!

*Tan-gled Up in You- a matte tan color, another great crease or blending color. Blends like a dream!

*Don't Turn A-Brown- a dark matte brown, haven't used this one too much but its an ideal shade for deepening up any look.

Here are the shades taken with flash so you can see more of the color payoff:

Bottom line:  I'm really enjoying this palette! I'm still debating if it's a must have because honestly the shadows are great but not anything mind-blowing. I really love the face products in this palette, specially that highlight which is why I'm keeping it. The shadows are very similar to colors in the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette (which I love!) so I think that's why I'm not super blown away by them. But... the convenience of having both eye and face products in just one palette makes the price seem like a steal! I guess it depends on what your wanting and what you already have. Decide quickly because it is limited edition! :-)

Must Haves: Top 5 Highend Blushes- Spring Edition!

Worth Saving For!

I'm all about a great sale or deal on makeup, fashion...anything really haha. But sometimes you just need to go the extra mile and indulge on things that you wouldn't normally get. Throughout the years I've managed to add some more pricey items to my makeup collection and each time I use them its a reminder of how hard work pays off! :-)

I compiled my favorite five blushes that are on the higher end spectrum that would be perfect for Spring and Summer! These are all amazing in quality and pigmentation and worth every penny! Luxury may cost a lot but you get what you pay for. Each and everyone of these blushes are unique to my collection and I find myself rotating them without getting bored. The colors are beautiful and the texture of these blushes are incredible. They are never patchy and apply so easily! Here are the colors up close:

Packaging is key to a great blush. It's the first thing you see and what really catches your attention before purchasing it. All of these have the best packaging... nothing that will fall apart anytime soon haha. Here are the swatches:

From left to right:

*NARS Blush in Gaiety- a bright candy pink! It's a great matte blush that awakens the face. It's a subtle pink on the cheeks that makes you look youthful. It retails for $30.

*Illamasqua Powder Blush in Hussy- a bright petal pink with such an amazing formula! This is top on the list of my all time favorite blushes. It's so smooth and pigmented without being overpowering. I find myself reaching for this color a lot. I loved it so much that I ordered another color on Sephora.com! This one retails for $26.

*Clinique Cheek Pop in Plum Pop- a bright pink mauve with a beautiful satin finish. This blush is the buildable type, you can wear it as sheer or as bright as you'd like! It feels like a really buttery powder, almost like a cream blush. The imprinted flower is such a nice touch and it made me want it even more haha. This one is perfect for this time of year! It retails for $21.

*Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Fearless- a pinky coral shade that will suite anyone! This formula is also impeccable. When it says 12 hour wear it's not lying, you'll have your blush looking like it did when you first applied it! It doesn't fade one bit! You can purchase this one for $26.

*Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat- a vibrant poppy, the priciest of the bunch but the most unique! I'm so happy I bought this one because I love it! No two blushes from this line look the same because of the marbling. It has bit of shimmer but nothing that transfers onto the skin. It's such a gorgeous color and the packaging makes it look even more expensive! It was hard to justify this one because it retails for $35 but I got it on my birthday so I guess that makes it ok! haha.

 

You can find any of these blushes at Sephora! I would recommend to order them online via Ebates so you can get some cashback! If you want more information on Ebates click here. Make sure to check them out, any of these will complete your spring and summer looks without a problem. If you have any recommendations of your personal favorites please leave a comment below! :-)