Showing posts with label tarte. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tarte. Show all posts

June 22, 2015

Tarte Miraculous Maracuja Makeup Setting Spray - review [Spoiler Alert: HOLY GRAIL STATUS!!]

Hello, Beautiful!

Makeup setting sprays - and primer sprays - are one of those makeup products I can't help but try, but at the same time I'm a little skeptical of just how much they really work. Of course, being the crazy makeup obsessed person I am, I will keep trying them until I find one that I can call holy grail. So one day I was browsing the QVC website (the beauty section, of course) and saw the Tarte Miraculous Maracuja Makeup Setting Spray. I had never heard of it or seen it before, and without even reading the description I purchased it. Knowing how much I love the Tarte Maracuja oil, I was sure if anything that at least it would hydrate my skin. Let me just tell you, I'm so glad I purchased this because it's now holy grail status!!!

Check out all the product info, along with my full review, after the pics!

Tarte
Miraculous Maracuja Makeup Setting Spray
 


Tarte Maracuja Makeup Setting Spray Info & Review
Cost: $28.00 (2.75 fl oz full size)
Availability: Available on the QVC website, eventually on the Tarte website, and everywhere else Tarte Cosmetics are sold.
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Kisses!

PRODUCT DETAILS...

An innovative misting spray that can be used before or after makeup application as the perfect primer or finishing touch to any makeup look.

Helps to prime and set makeup in place with the miracle of Maracuja and plant extracts. This spray helps to set makeup and is infused with good-for-you ingredients for the look of a dewy, radiant finish that will last.


MY REVIEW...

First, let me start by saying at the time I wrote this article, I'm only able to find this for purchase on QVC's website. No where in the description does it say it's a QVC exclusive for such and such amount of time (which QVC normally will list), so I can't say for sure if this is a QVC exclusive or not. They may have mentioned something in an on-air presentation but I never saw this presented on-air. Of course, eventually this will be sold on the Tarte Cosmetics website, at Sephora and Ulta -- I can't imagine why it wouldn't be sold there -- but until then, if you want to get your hands on it, you'll have to go through the QVC website.

Now, let's get onto the good stuff.... let's talk about how this is the primer/setting spray to top them all!

I have used this as both a primer and a makeup setting spray and I've been using it now for a few weeks in various ways so I have a lot of input to share.

As a primer, this really impressed me. I have used other makeup setting sprays as primers before, but they never truly worked - except the one from Victoria's Secret, which has been discontinued... that stuff was great for priming! I haven't tried the Smashbox Primer Water (yet) so I can't compare that. But what I can compare is how well this spray worked as a primer compared to other makeup primers I own and use.

To use as a primer, I sprayed it four times and kind of closer to my face than I would if I were setting my makeup. I sprayed once for the forehead/nose area, once for each cheek, and once for the chin/nose area. Then I let that dry completely and proceed with my makeup application. As a primer it held my makeup in place and helped prolong the wear, just as a regular primer would - if not even better. Sure, it doesn't fill in pores or blur imperfections, but it creates a great base for your makeup to adhere to and it locks it down for hours and hours.

As a makeup setting spray, I think it works equally as well. It locks in makeup and helps prolong the wear, while also making your face less powdery if you went a little over board with powder. I do love it as a makeup setting spray, but I feel I really see this product perform as a primer. I've been using this as a primer now almost every single day. It's perfect because it is a weightless, invisible layer - and in the summer you don't want more and more layers on your face to slip, slide and melt off.

I don't know how this will work for those that have really oily skin. My skin is combo, and it leans more dry but if I'm outside in the heat I will sweat my face off in the t-zone without any hesitation. It works for my skin tone and I really hope it will work for others.

If you've been fed up or frustrated with makeup setting sprays because you don't think they really do much, then I suggest giving the Tarte Miraculous Maracuja Makeup Setting Spray a try because this stuff went above and beyond all expectations I had. I'm really impressed with this product and think it's a stand-out product worth the $28 price tag.

Now let me know what you think...
What do you think of this product? Have you tried this, or would you consider adding this to your beauty wish list? Discuss in the comments below!

xoxo with love & beauty,
Crystal Valentine

September 24, 2014

BoxyCharm - September 2014: value breakdown, swatches & mini reviews!

Hello, Beautiful!

This is my September 2014 BoxyCharm! Check out everything I received in my box!

BoxyCharm is a monthly subscription service where you receive a box filled with FULL SIZE and luxury size beauty samples from a variety of brands - including well known high end brands! The amount of items varies month to month, but it's usually between 5 and 7 items per month. The cost of BoxyCharm is $21 a month with free shipping.

If you want to sign up for BoxyCharm just click here or follow the link below (it's my referral link). Sign-up link: https://www.boxycharm.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/10912/


September 2014 BoxyCharm




 


Shipment Quick Stats:
  • Value of this month's BoxyCharm: $77.95 (value is approximate)
  • Total # of Items Received: 5
  • # of FULL SIZED items: 5
  • # of makeup items: 3
  • # of beauty tools/brushes: 0
  • # of nail items: 1
  • # of hair care items: 0
  • # of skin care items: 0
  • # of body care items: 0
  • # of fragrance items: 1

Now I'll talk about each product...

tarte LipSurgence Lip Gloss
Shade: Tipsy
 



  • MY THOUGHTS: Earlier this month I posted a review on the tarte LipSurgence Lip Glosses in shades Flush, Blushing Bride, and Park Ave Princess. I really like these lip glosses, even though they are on the sheer side. When I saw there would be one in this month's BoxyCharm I got a little worried I'd receive a shade I already had, even though there are 10 shades currently in the line. Then I saw somewhere (I think BoxyCharm's Instagram) that there was 4 shades going around in the boxes, and 2 of those 4 shades were ones I already have. Luckily I receive a shade I didn't have, Tipsy. This shade in particular has to be the one that is least noticeable on my lips. It's described as a sheer coral but on my lip it hardly changes the tone and looks more like a glossy clear shade. But I did find it makes a great topper to other lipsticks that need a slight boost in tone.
  • FULL SIZE VALUE: $19.00


NCLA Nail Lacquer
Shade: Catwalk Queen

 




  • MY THOUGHTS: I've always wanted to try NCLA polishes because I've heard they are really good, but I hated the $16 price tag. I did get a set of NCLA Nail Wraps in my February 2014 Blush Mystery Box (and come to think of it, I still haven't used them). The nail polish shade I received in my BoxyCharm is Catwalk Queen, which is a cream nude shade. The shade is just eh, okay to me but what I LOVE is the formula! It went on so perfectly and was opaque in ONE COAT! It's not often that you find a creamy nude polish to be opaque and not streaky in a single coat. I'll certainly be wearing this shade, paired with other polishes (I already have a mani in mind that involves this shade and a gold glitter polish)
  • FULL SIZE VALUE: $16.00


Coastal Scents Go Palette
Shade: Cairo

 




  • MY THOUGHTS: This arrived broken, and of course it was a dark shade that broke (why does that always seem to happen; it's always the darkest shades that break?!). But I was able to clean it up a bit and swatch it out. It's your standard Coastal Scents shadow quality; pretty good but nothing amazing. The shades are pretty, but I have so many neutral palettes that this was honestly a bit of a boring palette to receive. There were three going around in the boxes and I really wanted one of the more colorful palettes to play with. Ah well, I think I'll try to get some use out of this or I'll likely pass it onto my nieces. 
  • FULL SIZE VALUE: $12.95


Tarina Tarantino Fleur de Lash Mascara
Shade: black

  • MY THOUGHTS: I have to say, I was expecting the Tarina Tarantino Hyperdream Eye Brightener (or whatever it's called) because BoxyCharm had posted (or emailed; I can't remember where I saw it) that if you were a newer subscriber - aka me, since this is only my second box - then you'd get the eye brightener since newer subscribers missed out on it. Older subscribers - anyone that already received that product in their past BoxyCharm boxes - would receive the mascara. I was so excited about the eye brightener only to find the mascara in my box. I really shouldn't complain though, because it is full size and I will eventually give it a try. I'm not opening it yet because I have so many open mascaras at the moment, but I'm looking forward to trying it out. Love the packaging, as always, on Tarina Tarantino products!
  • FULL SIZE VALUE: $19.00


Harvey Prince - Hello

  • MY THOUGHTS: I'm really, really, really not a fragrance/perfume person so I'm always bummed out/let down to receive any kind of fragrance in my subscription boxes - especially because my nose is so picky when it comes to smells. Everyone seemed to rave about this scent though, but I wasn't wow'd. I thought it was just okay; it wasn't an offensive scent or strong scent - which is good - but it also wasn't a scent that I was sniffing over and over again out of pure love for it. I did spray some on one of my arms to see how the scent would wear on my skin and I didn't even notice a scent after awhile. I'll likely give this another go in the future. It's a great size though (10 ml).
  • FULL SIZE VALUE: 1.7 oz @ $55 -- this is 10 ml, making it an $11.00 value. For whatever reason, BoxyCharm lists this as $29.00 (and in my quick Google search I couldn't find this listed for $29 anywhere)


My Thoughts On The Entire Box...
  • VALUE: The value was approximately $77.95
  • USAGE: I've already used the tarte LipSurgence Lip Gloss and have plans to use the NCLA nail polish very soon. I'll try out the Tarina Tarantino mascara in the future, and probably use the Harvey Prince perfume. I honestly don't know if I'll use the Coastal Scents shadow palette, only because the colors don't excite me at the moment. Maybe I'll use it to try and find dupes of some higher end palettes/shades. 
  • FINAL THOUGHTS: I think this was a good box. Not as high of a value as last month (although they did list the perfume as $29 instead of $11, which would make the value $95.95). I think there was a great mix of brands and products in this box. I can't wait to see what October's box is filled with!

Let me know what you think...
Did you receive a Boxy Charm this month? If so, what are your thoughts on your box? If you don't receive a Boxy Charm box yet, click here to sign up! Discuss in the comments below.

September 21, 2014

tarte The Slenderizor Bamboo Contouring Brush: pics, review

Hello, Beautiful!

I'm a makeup brush junkie; I certainly don't need anymore but I can't help but keep buying them. There's always a newer, better, softer, denser, better blending brush on the market.... or so it seems. Although I'm not the biggest fan of dual-ended brushes, I was really intrigued by tarte's The Slenderizer Bamboo Contouring Brush. This is supposed to go hand-in-hand with tarte's The Sculptor Contouring Face Slenderizer (which I also did a review on), but you could use it with anything really. I'll tell you how I like to use it in my review below, after the pics!

tarte The Slenderizer
Bamboo Contouring Brush

 

 




tarte The Slenderizer Bamboo Contouring Brush Info & Review:
Cost/Availability: $32.00. Available on the tarte website, at Sephora, at Ulta, at QVC (this is $28 at QVC, but there is $5.22 shipping, making it actually cost $33.22) and everywhere else tarte cosmetics are sold.
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Kisses!

Product Info...

Mutli-functional, double-ended contour brush for a seamlessly sculpted, slimmer appearance.

Create that professional contoured look in seconds with The Slenderizer Bamboo Contour Brush, crafted with sustainably harvested bamboo and soft, synthetic bristles. This easy-to-use complement to The Sculptor Contouring Face Slenderizer seamlessly buffs the perfect contour using the denser, domed side of the double-ended brush. Next, blend away any harsh lines with ease using the fluffy, angled side for flawlessly finished looks.


My Review...

Even though I'm not the biggest fan of dual-ended brushes (simply because I hate storing them - but I love them for travel), I am a fan of this tarte brush! Actually, I'm a fan of just about every single tarte brush I've ever gotten so it's no surprise that I love this one as well.

It's a soft brush on both ends, with the shorter end being domed and more dense - making it great for precision contour blending - and the angled end being fluffier, making it great for blending and buffing out a product.

I love using this for contouring - and although I don't use it with tarte's The Sculptor Contouring Face Slenderizer (see my review on that for why it wasn't a favorite), I do use it with other contouring products, mostly powders as that's what I have at the moment for favorite contour shades. But this works great with cream products too.

You can even use this brush to apply foundation! Perfect for cream foundations, great with liquid foundations, and fantastic with powder foundations as well. I've been using it a lot for foundation and I use the denser, domed side to kind of pack on and get more coverage, and then the angled side to buff and blend it all in.

At $32 this is a pricey brush on its own, but tarte often includes brushes with products when you buy them from QVC and sometimes in various kits on their website or at Sephora and Ulta. Just keep an eye out and if you see this brush in a kit or sold with a product, I'd recommend getting it if you're looking for a multi-use brush that could be used for both contouring and your foundation!

Now let me know what you think...
What do you think of this brush? Have you tried this or is this on your beauty wish list? Discuss in the comments below.

September 20, 2014

tarte The Sculptor Contouring Face Slenderizer (Park Ave Princess): pics, swatches, review

Hello, Beautiful!

I love contouring, and I love tarte, but tarte's The Sculptor Contouring Face Slenderizer just did not work out for me. The shade is their iconic Park Ave Princess - which many people love, hence whey it's so popular within the tarte line. But Park Ave Princess and myself just don't get along; our color tones just don't match up and I can never get Park Ave Princess to work for me as a face product (bronzer, contour). Although I did like Park Ave Princess in the tarte LipSurgence Lip Gloss!

However, I've gotten some questions about this product and thought I'd write up a review post and show some photos and swatches to maybe help out those that are interested in this product. Check out all the product info, along with my full review, after the pics!

tarte The Sculptor
Contouring Face Slenderizer
Shade: Park Ave Princess





  





tarte The Sculptor Contouring Face Slenderizer Info & Review:
Cost/Availability: $24.00 (0.09 oz full size). Available on the tarte website, at Sephora, at Ulta, at QVC and everywhere else tarte cosmetics are sold.
My Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Kisses

Product Info...

A slimming face slenderizer in tarte's signature Park Ave Princess shade making it easier than ever to contour like a pro.

Chisel your cheekbones in seconds with The Sculptor Contouring Face Slenderizer, an innovative contouring tool which helps create the illusion of a slimmer, more defined face. The stick applicator comes in tarte's signature Park Ave Princess shade designed to complement all skin tones. Create instant definition and the look of high cheekbones with this easy-to-use tool, while creating a naturally slimmer appearance on the neck, jawline and nose.

For the perfect blended look, apply with tarte's The Slenderizer Bamboo Contour Brush.



My Review...

Like I said at the start of this post, me and Park Ave Princess just don't get along. I know tarte says it's a shade designed to compliment all skin tones, but not my skin tone. It's just too orange of a shade for me and never looks natural. I know a lot of people can wear Park Ave Princess and look amazing, so that being said, if you are a fan of tarte's Park Ave Princess then you will be a fan of this product.

I was actually very excited about this product... I had been looking for a cream contour product that wasn't in a pan to use on my face and that wasn't just a cream foundation stick in a darker shade. This seemed like the perfect product; a twist-up chubby pencil that would deliver creamy contour color. This would have been the winner of my cream contour hunt, but this only comes in one shade at the moment: tarte's iconic Park Ave Princess.

Even though the shade and myself don't get along, I still gave it a few test drives for review purposes. I find that it's easy to apply and blends out fairly easily... almost too easily though, as you can over blend it into almost nothing if you're not careful (which would defeat the purpose of the product).

I really wanted to use this to contour my nose, because it seems like the perfect size product for that area. And it is a great size product for contouring the nose, but again, the shade is what makes it unusable for me.

I did use tarte's The Slenderizer Bamboo Contouring Brush to blend this product out on my cheeks, forehead and nose. I have a separate review of that brush coming up shortly after this post (spoiler alert: I love the brush!).

Because the color was so off for me, I never could leave it on long enough to really test its staying power. I immediately washed it off the first time I tried it. The second time I gave it a good hour but everytime I looked in the mirror I wanted to wash it off. And the third time I put it on, then sat down to watch a movie and stayed away from a mirror for at least 3 hours. It stayed on just fine that whole time, but most people want a product to last longer than 3 hours and unfortunately I can't comment on that.

I think if you like the Park Ave Princess color and are looking for a cream contour product that is easy to use, this is one you should definitely consider. But if you're like me and don't like Park Ave Princess on your skintone, then skip this product -- at least until tarte decides to add more shades.

I think if tarte came out with more shades this would be a bigger home run hit than it is right now.

Now let me know what you think...
What do you think of this contour stick? Have you tried this or is this on your beauty wish list? Discuss in the comments below.