Tarte Wing Workers Deluxe Tarteist Eyeliner Set

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

The Wing Workers deluxe set ($35) was the second item I picked up with my 20% off birthday code from Tarte. It is part of the holiday sets and features 4 of the Tarteist clay paint liners plus a blush valued at $78. The Tarte holiday sets have been hit or miss based on various reviews I've seen but this one is a winner IMO, and I'm not even someone who wears a winged eyeliner that often. Plus, I'm kinda digging the Pucci inspired print packaging Tarte went with this year.

I'm also loving that these come in tubes, as I'm hoping that means they will not dry out as fast as pot liners. Each tube has a mini well that you can use to work the liner onto your brush, but fair warning: any leftover pigment in the well will be dry the next day. So....we'll have to see have well the tubes do when it comes to keeping the liners wet.

I also like that you get 3 beautiful colors in addition to a standard black matte, as I'm not really a black liner person, as I find it a bit too harsh.  But the matte Aubergine and shimmery Bronze and Navy are such pretty colors, especially for fall.  Plus, you can wear them as eye shadow bases for an intense, opaque eye look!

The navy appears to be the least pigmented of the four and I did need to go back over it twice, but I used such small amounts on my brush to get what you see above. You also get a double ended brush for lining your eyes, and I like the slant side the best for doing a precise line.

So far I've been wearing these more as shadow bases than as eyeliners, but I'm quite pleased with them! They are waterproof and are supposed to wear for 12 hours, and on my oily lids they definitely hold up all day without flaking or creasing. 

Several of Tarte's holiday sets have been made in China and the quality on those has been varied, but these are made in Canada. I've gotten to where I don't buy holiday sets until I've read enough reviews to know how the quality is, given the trend with brands outsourcing to China so often and the sometimes problematic quality issues. No problems here, though.

Tarteist Pro Wild Animal Custom Magnetic Palette

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

My birthday was last week and I took advantage of several discount codes to pick up some items that appealed to me.  With all the holiday sets coming out there is an abundance to chose from, but I'm trying to chose judiciously and not go overboard (not always successfully). I used a 20% off code and chose two items from Tarte, and today I'll be showing you the new Wild Animal custom magnetic palette ($17). It's a beauty.

This medium sized palette has a nice heft to it and feels solid in construction. The cover is a heavy textured plastic that will not show smudges/fingerprints and I like that there is also a mirror inside. The palette is made in China but the quality seems high, with no skimping as far as I can tell.

I no longer mind depotting items and find that I've been using shadows I've depotted more regularly then when they were scattered in different palettes. I decided to put some of my Estee Lauder blushes from the Color Portfolio palettes in this one, as well as a few of my Tarte Amazonian clay blushes.  Pink Kiss is a little worse for the wear as it was the first one I depotted, but the others came out pretty good.

I believe these are limited edition and you can only purchase one per transaction. I'm tempted to get another one before they sell out!

LipSurgence Lip Creme in Stunning by Tarte

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

Stunning is something I've been reaching for quite a bit in the last few weeks, no doubt due to the warming weather and brighter days we've been having.  It's a color I associate with spring!

I like Tarte's LipSurgence lip creme formula, as I find them hydrating enough to wear on their own. Despite Stunning being a lighter color, it has enough pigmentation to make it more than a lip balm, so I get color + moisture = winning :-)  Wear time is probably only 2-3 hours, but I'll take comfort over longevity.

I received Stunning as part of the Gift or Get Beauty set I picked up back in November, but it was also part of the holiday Dressed to the Nines LipSurgence Lip Creme gift set.  I'm guessing they were offering leftovers of these mini-sized tubes in other gift sets, as I'm not seeing Stunning in the regular lineup of colors. Too bad, as this melon pink is perfect for spring.  Perfect.

Moody LipSurgence Lip Tint by Tarte

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

I got Tarte's Moody ($24) back in November as part of a customizable set they were offering. I chose it because I thought it would be perfect for the fall season and because I wanted to step outside of the usual peachy pinks I gravitate towards. Turns out it was a great color choice!

Described as a deep berry and definitely a moody cabernet in the tube, Moody applies as more of a sheer berry stain.  It's lightweight but with a nice glaze that leaves my lips a lovely reddish stain.

I find the LipSurgence Lip Tint formula comfortable to wear but not as hydrating as I would like. The lighter formula also means I need to reapply every few hours, but it does not provide enough moisture for me to rely on it solely.  So, there's that.  I also think theses are a tad on the high price side at $24, but considering I paid a fraction that, no complaints here.

Overall though, I'm really enjoying Moody for it's super wearable color!

Loving Your Unloved v. 5: EmphasEYES Cream Shadows by Tarte

Here is something I don't understand:  why do cosmetic companies discontinue good products?  Because the emphasEYES cream shadows by Tarte were really good.

I was able to accumulate five of them a few years back, and sadly they are starting to get hard and dry.  I was still able to create a couple of really pretty eye looks with them, but it took a stiff brush and some digging into the pots, so these lovelies are gasping their last breath, sadly, and will be tossed after this series.

My favorites were Champagne Pink, Shimmering Taupe, and Shimmering Golden Beige.  Plum Smoke saw the least amount of love from me, but I'm just not a purple shadow wearer in general.  I try every once and a while, though.

Shimmering Taupe

 Champagne Pink made for an effortless nude eye look.

Pink Champagne (flash)

Champagne Pink + Plum Smoke

Rest in peace, EmphasEYES cream shadows.  I probably should have loved you more, but you will be missed.

Tarte Haul and Lights, Cameras & Flashes Statement Mascara

Tarte had a deal that I couldn't pass up recently called the Gift or Get Beauty Set ($59). I found it impossible to resist because (a) it was customizable, (b) it contained the airbuki brush, and (c) all of the items were full sized.  The value of of the set was $163, not counting the makeup bag.  Today I'll be showing the Lights, Cameras, & Flashes Statement Mascara ($23).

Dressed in a gold lamé snakeskin jacket, Lights, Camera, and Flashes aims to make a statement with it's ultra-black matte pigment and the supposed ability to increase the volume of lashes by 752%.  That's quite a claim there, gold lamé jacket or not.

The brush has a mixture of short to long rows of spikes which are supposed to deposit (short spikes) and then comb through (long spikes) as you rotate the brush.  The mascara spreads easily enough as it's on the wet side, and the longer spikes did help brush out what would have been lots of clumps otherwise.  My biggest issue was that the large brush and longer spikes tended to deposit color on my eyelid if I'm not rather delicate with my application.  I've got small eyes and that's a problem for me more often than not, but larger brushes are particularly at fault.

I also found the large brush difficult to maneuver on my bottom lashes and  the mascara had a tendency to smudge there anyhow.  However, I liked how black and matte the mascara was on my top lashes, so I can use another mascara for the bottom.  The formula does feature some ingredients to help strengthen lashes, namely:

• Provitamin B5: vitamin B derivative that helps treat and thicken lashes.
• Beeswax: a protective barrier between the skin and the environment that has been known to naturally stimulate collagen production.
• Mineral pigments: soothe and soften lashes.

Bottom line, I'll use it as long as I don't get frustrated with the large brush with it's mess-making potential on my small/narrow eyes.

Fragrance of the day:  Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's Gingerbread Snake with it's gingerbread and exotic Indonesian oils sugared with vanilla.  I needed something that would go well with Bubble & Bee's Sugar and Spice body butter, a favorite of mine for this time of year (full review here), and Gingerbread Snake fit the bill.  It's time for a new Sugar & Spice, which I better get soon as it's only available for a limited time each year.

Song of the day:  We've had our first cold snap and I'm resisting turning my heat on.  It was 56 in my house this morning, but it will be getting back up into the 70's later this week so I think I can tough it out.  Why do I do this?  I do not know.

Cold by Annie Lenox (partial lyrics)

Winter has frozen us 

Let love take hold of us

(Cold cold cold)

Now we are shivering

Blue ice is glittering

(Cold cold cold)

Worth viewing for her purple eye shadow alone, but the song is also fabulous.

Tarte's EmphasEYES Cream Shadows for the Next Loving Your Unloved

Disclaimer:  I purchased these.

After a bit of thought I decided on Tarte's EmphasEYES cream shadows for the next volume of my Loving Your Unloved series, where I give some love to items that have languished neglected.  I have 5 shades and they are starting to dry out, so it's time to use'm before I lose'm!

These have gotten some use over the years but I do find the pots a bit small and therefore cumbersome when it comes to application.  Fortunately I have a small but dense brush that is working for me that I will use.  Below you can see how four of them looked brand new, and it will be interesting to see how much of a dent I put in them over the next month.

These were originally sold via QVC in 2011, but I purchased mine on sale from Sephora in December of 2012, so they are actually going on 4 years old.  I do see a few of these still for sale on Amazon (from Tarte), but I'm guessing they are few and far between having been limited edition.

Tarte LipSurgence Lip Luster in Sweet: Perfect for Spring

Disclaimer:  I purchased this.

There are two colors I especially associate with spring:  soft pinks and light greens.  Now that the weather is starting to warm up where I live (thank you semi-tropical climate zone), I pulled out one of my Tarte LipSurgence pencils called Sweet to wear for the week.  I don't know why I've been neglecting my LipSurgence lip pencils, but I've got to say Sweet has renewed my appreciation:-)

Sweet is part of the lip luster line of the LipSurgence lip pencils, which essentially means there is a bit of shimmer in the finish.  Sweet is a medium pink with a gold shimmer, giving it a peachy pink color which works well with my complexion.  I just look more alive and healthy when I wear colors like this, or at least I think so :-)

The formula is mildly hydrating with a slight mint scent and cooling sensation on the lips, no doubt due to the vitamins C & E, peppermint & jojoba oils in the formula.  I'll be honest and say that I think the $24 price is a bit on the high side, but I've always acquired mine as parts of a set, which makes them much more reasonable.  Regardless, I think Sweet is a perfect spring color!

Tarte Thoughtful Treasures Best-Sellers Set

As we all know, holiday sets are being released willy nilly right now.  There are so many great values available, it makes it hard to chose!  The Tarte Thoughtful Treasures Best-Sellers Set is the first of the holiday offerings I've picked up, prompted by my fondness for the Amazonian clay blushes and that I just ran out of my Maracuja oil.  I reasoned I might as well kill two birds with one stone, as well as try out the LipSurgence Skintuitive lip tint in Energy.

Tarte's LipSurgence Skintuitive lip tint in Energy is supposed to deliver a personalized shade of pink by responding to your skin's natural pH level and energy.  Now, I'm not sure about the energy part, nor am I sure how different the shades of pink will be from person to person, but I do like the color it turns on me.  It's surprisingly vibrant on my lips considering how sheer the swatch is on my arm.

Energy has a strong peppermint scent and does contain peppermint oil, as well as other plant bionutrients, vitamins, and essential oils.  I found it comfortable, hydrating, glossy, and wear time was a respectable 3 hours or so.  The regular sized Energy goes for $24 for .1 ounce, so you are getting a little over half that size in the Thoughtful Treasures set, which is $19 for all three items.  Not bad.

Thankful

Thankful is a new, limited addition color in the Amazonian clay blush family.  A coral leaning pink with a soft gold shimmer, Thankful is nicely pigmented and does indeed give me a healthy and rested appearance.  I do not get the 12-hour wear time these are touted for, but I do find they last a good 8 hours, which is good for my oily complexion.  Thankful is a smaller size than the regular Amazonian clay blushes (.053 oz vs. .2 oz), but I'm okay with that as I enjoy collecting these and will never make it through a full sized one in my lifetime :-)

Last, but not least, is the Maracuja oil.  Containing essential fatty acids and Vitamin C, this oil is supposed to help your skin be firmer, brighter, and smoother.  I like using a few drops of this at night as the last step in my skin care regime.  The last bottle I had was this same size and lasted me several months, so a little goes a long way.

I'm enjoying this little set and think it's a great deal at $19!