My relationship with beauty is cyclical. I go through phases in which I can’t stand to leave the house without styling my hair. Then, I go through phases in which I won’t even touch a heat tool, much less run one through my hair. Likewise, there are times when I paint my nails one new shade after another in an unending parade of colors. Other times, I might decide to let my natural nails be for weeks at a time.
The same goes for the actual products I use. Maybe it’s because I’m a beauty editor, and I’ve been tasked with testing a wide array of brands and products, but there are times I go months without using something, only to inevitably come back to it. It could be an old face mask I used to love or a mascara I decided to give a second chance. Whatever it is, and whether it’s by choice or happy accident, I love rediscovering beauty products.
That’s exactly what happened with Tarte. You know Tarte, right? The brand that’s best known for its Shape Tape Concealer ($27), Amazonian Clay, and Rainforest of the Sea products? It’s been years (literal years) since I’ve used a Tarte product, but once I did, I rediscovered some old favorites. Not only that, but I realized just how good some of the brand’s more recent offerings are. Keep scrolling to see which Tarte products are totally worth your time and attention.
Let’s start with what’s perhaps the brand’s signature product—Shape Tape Concealer. This formula has reached cult status, thanks to a creamy, full-coverage finish that disguises blemishes, discoloration, and stubborn undereye circles. Maybe you’ve seen it on store shelves or maybe you’ve seen it on Instagram or YouTube. Chances are you’ve seen it somewhere. Maybe you’ve even used it before. I’m just here to remind you of its greatness. The thing is that I’ve used this product in the past, and I knew it was good, but it’s certainly been a minute. When I recently swiped it across my skin, I was pleasantly reminded of just how creamy and full-coverage it really is. A few dots here and a few dots there was all it took to conceal my post-breakout marks and dark circles. I patted over it with a damp Beautyblender ($20) to diffuse the product, and it stayed put all day. Since then, I’ve been switching it out every other day with my beloved Il Makiage Multi-Use Perfecting Concealer ($28).
Next up, we have the brand’s highly anticipated follow-up to Shape Tape Concealer. Just like the concealer before it, the foundation is full-coverage and long-wearing. The brand claims that it’s transfer-proof, waterproof, and sweat-proof. While the cloudy, 60-degree weather I wore it in wasn’t much of an experiment for that, I can say that it did have a blurring and smoothing effect on my skin. Even though I’m not usually a fan of full-coverage foundations, because of the way they tend to exacerbate my skin’s texture and appear powdery on my skin, I didn’t hate this one. I know what you’re thinking—that’s not exactly a glowing review. Here’s the thing, though. That’s actually really high praise seeing as I would normally avoid a full-coverage foundation like the plague. I was able to wear this one for a full 8 hours without wanting to make a dash for my makeup remover.
I’ll cut right to the chase. This product really, truly impressed me. Not only did it coat every single one of my lashes with its inky black formula, but the brush swept through all of them without leaving a single clump behind. I wore it throughout a 12-hour day, and there was virtually no flaking or smudging until I cut through it with my makeup remover. Ever since I rediscovered it, I’ve been using it daily for full, fluttery lashes.
I’ve never met a Tarte eyeshadow palette that I didn’t like, and this one is no exception. The 12 shades, which range from pale sand to deep, smoky brown, make it an easy palette to reach for when creating a neutral eye makeup look. Since all of the shades compliment one another so well, and the silky powders blend so easily, it’s completely and utterly goof-proof.
This face and body bronzer was recommended to me by Senior Beauty Editor Erin Jahns. At first glance, I didn’t have high expectations. In the pan, the bronzer looks like it would be too warm for my skin tone. It also seemed too highly pigmented, like it would be hard to blend. I was wrong. While certainly warm in tone, it doesn’t look garish against my skin, and since the powder is lightweight and silky, it blends out into a soft and diffused look. A little goes a long way; I found that using a light touch is enough for achieving a natural-looking glow.
When this blush is applied to the apples of the cheeks, it provides a flush of color and a natural-looking radiance, thanks to a slightly shimmery finish (don’t worry, it’s not glittery or over-the-top in the slightest). I had a hard time choosing which shade I wanted to go with, but I eventually settled on this nude-peach color, which seems universally flattering.
As someone who’s constantly switching between liquid eyeliner and eyeliner pencils, I like the fact that this is a 2-in-1 situation. For this look, I used the pencil side. I simply wiggled the pencil back and forth over the top of my upper lash line, making sure to blend it up and out into a subtle flick. The formula is creamy and pigmented, so there’s no tugging or pulling sensation like there is with other eyeliners out there.
I finished off my makeup look with this lip product, which has a really interesting texture, almost as if it’s halfway between a balm and a gloss (with maybe a touch of lip oil thrown into the mix?). Thanks to a blend of maracuja and grapeseed oil, it feels really comfortable on the lips. It’s silky and moisturizing with no stickiness whatsoever.
I had a few lip color options to choose from for this look, and even though I could only go with one, it wouldn’t feel right to move on without mentioning the other I considered. Meet the brand’s Buttery Lipstick in the shade Bare Bud, which is a soft brown nude color. This was, yet again, recommended to me by Senior Beauty Editor Erin Jahns. I can see why she likes it. The formula is soft and creamy, so it feels comfortable on the lips.
For this look, I used the same foundation and concealer that I used before, except this time, I applied a primer first. This hydrating formula boasts good-for-skin ingredients like antioxidants, probiotics, and amino acids. While I must admit that I don’t usually wear primers (because it’s just another layer of product I don’t want to feel on my skin), I felt good about applying this one due to its hydrating and nourishing nature.
After primer, foundation, and a touch of concealer, I broke out this new cream bronzer, which is waterproof (in all honesty I chose this one because it made me feel slightly more confident about going out on a rainy day with a full face of makeup). Like the first bronzer I used, this one is definitely warm in tone, yet it didn’t look unnatural. Thanks to its creamy, blendable texture, my skin looked slightly sunkissed. This might be my new summer bronzer go-to.
I applied the bronzer with this brush. It’s worth calling out because the bristles are super dense and super soft, which makes blending a dream. Plus, the shape of the bristles makes it easy to apply the bronzer in a precise shape. I found it easy to deepen the hollows of my cheeks, define my jawline, and bronze up my hairline.
As is quite apparent from my first look, I love a good peachy-pink makeup product. I just think it’s a universally flattering shade and one that gives a bright and youthful flush to the skin. this blush is no exception. I knew I would love it at first glance since the color is spot on. As for the formula itself, it’s creamy and blendable, just like the bronzer.
I was curious to try this mascara after falling head over heels for the first one. This one is formulated to define the lashes with jet-black pigment. It definitely does that (the formula made my lashes look darker than ever). However, I found that it was better at lengthening than it was at volumizing my lashes. Since I’m partial to volume over length, I have to admit that I prefer the Maneater Mascara. If you prefer length over volume, though, this one’s for you.
Next, I reached for the same dual-ended eyeliner I used before. This time, though, I flipped it around to swipe the liquid formula across my upper lash line. Like any good liquid eyeliner should be, this one was smooth and inky (I personally can’t stand it when a liquid eyeliner tugs at the skin or deposits color unevenly. Luckily, this was not that). I drew on a tiny upward flick on the corner of each eye and left it at that.
This lip bam-lip tint hybrid is another new product from the brand. It’s formulated with hyaluronic acid, vegan collagen, vegan squalane, and microalgae, so it’s all about moisturizing and nourishing the lips while providing a slight wash of color. Even though I eventually went with this shade, called Retreat, which is a soft petal pink, I (yet again) had a hard time deciding between shades.
When I said I had a hard time deciding between shades, I meant I had a hard time deciding between the aforementioned petal pink color and this one. This nude-peach shade, called Sandy Toes, gets an honorable mention.
