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Kristen discovers Tarte

This is my introduction to Tarte. I've read about the famed Cheek Stain on Sephora.com and every beauty magazine and I've always wanted to try it. I was super excited when I got the opportunity to try a whole bunch of their products. I tried the Cheek Stain in 3 colors: Sunkissed, Flush, and Tipsy. I had very high expectations for this product since I had heard so much about it, but I was disappointed. Although I am a fan of powder and sometimes cream blushes (Laura Mercier's is wonderful), I've not found a gel-based one I've liked and this is no exception. I found it hard to apply and spread around to look natural, and my cheeks broke out with little zits. I just think it's too solid, and definitely don't use it if you have normal or dry skin, as I found it difficult to apply with my combination/oily skin. To mention the colors, Sunkissed is anything but. It looks almost black and it looked like I had dirt on my cheeks. Flush is a prettier red wine color, while Tipsy is a pretty pink with a slight hint of coral in it.

Next for my face I used the relatively new Tarte Smooth Operator SPF 20 in Cover-Up. I LOVE this foundation! With its feather-light texture, it goes on very smooth and has a beautiful finish - so good that I didn't want to ruin it by applying layers of concealer to spot my red acne scars. I was quite surprised by the color, too. Upon inspection, it looked much too dark for me and actually it is, but since I am tanned on my body but not my face, this color matched my body quite well (provided I blend it well), but that wasn't a problem because it went on like a dream. I never tan my face, so it's usually as white as a baby's bottom, but I am a fan of powder bronzer so I can match my face to my body. This foundation actually eliminates the need for it because it is dark (the darkest available). I set it with a bit of translucent powder and go. I am always tickled pink when I find a foundation that I'd actually use other than my coveted Laura Mercier. As many of you know already, I think the world of that foundation, and I'd actually purchase this one from Tarte again. It's so nice for the summer months when you don't want the feel or look of a more full coverage foundation and since my complexion is looking better these days, I don't require a lot of touching up. The color really makes me glow and it has SPF 20 in it. I think even if my tan were to fade a bit, I could mix this in with another foundation for a bit of color because it just has that nice of a consistency. I better use it for the rest of the summer because once I start losing my tan, I won't be able to use this color. But, you better believe I'll be buying whatever shade I'll need next!

Secret Weapon Concealer is up next. It's got a nice, smooth texture that blended in and didn't settle into my very fine lines. It claims to banish those pesky dark circles, but I don't have those — just the puffies - and it didn't conceal them as well as my other concealer. I really like the twisty-pen application, though!

I am a powder blush kind of gal, so I really loved Tarte Blush in Charm, which is a baby pink shade. Don't be fooled by the color as it looks grade-school recital pink, but it is definitely a sheer, sexy pink that I love to wear with dark smoky eyes and pale pink lips. It goes on feather-light and lasts all day. The package is absolutely adorable - a little frosty lilac leather compact that flips up to reveal a small, but useful mirror. Too cute!

I am fan of cake eye liner, but I like to have a pencil handy for touch ups on the road or at work. I didn't care for Tarte Eyeliner in The Kiss. It simply would not line my eyes, even just to touch them up. I rubbed to irritation. It just didn't want to rub off the pencil that well. Bummed after the eyeliner, I didn't think I'd have much luck with their eye shadows. I really like the shades I tried, and the names: Beauty School Dropout (charcoal), Heart Of Glass (pale pink), Mrs. Robinson (gold), and No, No Nanette (pale lilac). With the exception of Mrs. Robinson, the other three work very well together to create a smoky, sexy eye. Beauty School Dropout is what I use on the lid by placing the color rather than blending (I do it with all black/charcoal shades), and I smudge it along my lower lash line after eyeliner. No, No Nanette is a nice alternative to the browns and pinks I use in my crease to blend out the line, and Heart of Glass is used for highlighting the brow bone and the inner corners of my eyes. They are quite silky, easy to apply and last fairly well considering it's June and I am in Texas. I love to use the aforementioned powder blush and the upcoming lip gloss as all the colors compliment each other. Beautiful! I've never been a real fan of gold colors by themselves, but Mrs. Robinson is a nice wash of color and I like to pair it with a brown eye shade. It's nice with a tan and looks good in the summer months, but when I wear it, I skip the black liner. These are also packaged like the power blush with "Tarte" etched in the middle. Love it!

I tried the Tarte 24/7 Lip Sheer in Happy Hour and Tuesday. As the name implies, they are quite sheer, but with just enough color to look pretty. I am a fan of sheer lip products and these are quite nice. They are very moisturizing and actually stay put through coffee and me rubbing my lips together to marvel in the softness. Happy Hour is a coral shade, while Tuesday is a nude pink shade, but I think it's got more of a hint of brownish pink in it. The product itself is not gloss-like, but rather like Chap-Stick. I also got two lipsticks in Darling and Lusty. Darling is the quintessential baby pink shade with a hint of frost, while Lusty is more of a berry wine shade. Darling is not 1980's frosty, but just a nice hint of it and it looks perfect with a tan and a hint of pink blush. Lusty scared me a bit as I looked at it in the tube as I don't like deep colors on my lips (or much at all for that matter), but this was a nice surprise. Both were very sheer and sexy and definitely one of the most moisturizing lipsticks I've ever used. And I love the names of all these lipsticks! Go check them out at Sephora.com! Lastly, when I thought I couldn't find a better lip product than what I've just used, the lip gloss is super fabulous! Named after a famous (or infamous) couple in history, these double-ended glosses are a huge winner in my book. I am a lip junkie. I have more lipsticks, glosses, tints, you name it, and now I am wondering what took me so long to find these little gems. I tried two in Rhett & Scarlett, and Adam & Eve. Rhett & Scarlett really surprised me because I don't like reds or other deep colors but I really like this! One side is a sheer red, while the other side is a gold-flecked gloss. I like to wear this combo when I have my eyeliner thick and very black on the top lid only because with this duo, you want to let that be the focal point in your face. Adam & Eve has a baby pink shade and a frosty white shade and is very pretty if you like an understated lip. They are exceptional in the shine and moisturizing department. This has to be one of the most moisturizing, silky smooth glosses I've ever tried and they stay on for HOURS! I kept rubbing my lips together because they felt just absolutely fabulous. All of the colors available have one sheer side and one shimmery side, so you can really mix and match with anything you have. I want more of these FAST! You can view the swatches online anywhere that sells Tarte, but I don't think it does them justice at all. Go find a counter, or if not, a mail-order store with a great return policy if you don't like the color.

I also used the Double-Ended Lipliners in Rock Star. Lip liner is one product I don't use because I am the biggest goof in applying it unless it's invisible or incredibly sheer, but still I don't use it because I don't want to look like someone tattooed my lip line. I really can't compare it to other liners because I don't have any, but these went on very well and have a nice creamy texture. One end has a nude shade, while the other end has a plummy sheer shade. The nude shade couldn't be seen, and the plummy shade had just enough color to show definition. I like it, actually, but I am just not a lip liner gal.

To have a little fun and since I am a loyal user and lover of all things shimmery in a powder form, Tarte has a nice little set of shimmer powders. Flash Your Cache Mini Glistening Powder Set is the perfect set to try if you cannot decide which color to buy from the four available in larger sizes. With the set, you get all four shades of Golddigger (gold with sparkles), Sugar Daddy (champagne sparkle), Material Girl (lavender sparkle), and Tickled Pink (shimmery pink). While I liked their texture in that they are not heavy with the sparkles, but sexy soft shimmer, they really didn't stay on for a long time. I've got other favorite shimmer powders I am using; Laura Mercier Star Dust is a must-have for me, and the new J Lynne Cosmetics has FABULOUS shimmer powders (a review on that will be later).

With not loving the Glistening Powder, I did find a shimmer product I do like. Tarte redeemed themselves with Social Climber, a unexpected moisturizing gold-flecked dry oil with avocado and apricot oils that is perfect for cleavage, shoulders or even legs to provide a come-hither sexy look. It's not super-glittery, so don't think you'll be shining like a disco ball. It's quite nice! It's a bit pricey at $28, but the bottle isn't exactly small, so I had no problem with buying it.

After trying out quite a few products from Tarte, I must say that I am pleasantly surprised with the quality and the products are just fun! I can't believe I have feelings for another foundation, and I am really loving the lip products. I can see those being staples of mine. You gotta check them out at Sephora.com!

find out about this reviewer and more about the panel...

Posted July 11, 2005

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