Tarte “Make Believe in Yourself” Palette

Hello:) Today, I thought I’d touch on the counterpart to the highlighter trend—unicorns! I know these magical beasts have been showing up everywhere in the fashion/beauty world and I for one am not complaining one bit. When I hear the word “unicorn” I immediately think of pastels, glitter, rainbows, and of course, the iconic horn–pretty much everything that is wonderful in the imaginary world. So, when I caught a glimpse of Tarte’s new “unicorn-inspired” collection, I was REALLY excited.  BUT the big question is (as with most insta-famous makeup products these days) — is it worth the hype? Well we shall see…

So, Tarte released their “Make Believe in Yourself” Collection on March 14th, 2017. The collection included an eye and cheek palette, a powder highlighter single, a liquid highlighter, two lip paints, rose gold glitter liner, a brush set, face and body glitter and a re-release of “lights, camera, lashes” mascara in new, holographic packaging. The full collection is available for purchase on Sephora.com and tartecosmetics.com, while only a smaller selection of items are available on Ulta.com (brushes are only at Sephora and tarte).

The Basics:

Purchase Price: Make Believe in Yourself Eye and Cheek Palette $40 USD + Free Shipping (Sephora VIB Rouge)

*Note for shipping – For U.S. and Canada, this product is available on the Tarte, Ulta, and Sephora websites. International customers will have to order on Sephora.com and/or check out the international shipping list provided on tartecosmetics.com (they ship to a lot of countries outside the U.S. and Canada). Shipping rates will vary.

Cart to door time: 6 days (Ordered 03/22/2017 > Received 03/27/2017) This will also vary depending on where you purchase from.

I have been putting this product to the test over the past few days and have incorporated it into my daily wear.

Eye & Cheek Palette:

 

Swatches:

All swatches are done on clean, bare skin. No primer or sprays are used. I do two swatches side-by-side with each color. The left swipe is done using my finger, while the right swipe is done with a flat, synthetic eyeshadow brush. I only do one pass because I think it shows the strength of pigmentation.

Shade Breakdown:

10 total eyeshadow shades + 1 highlighter

Myth ~ This is a matte, dusty rose color that is pretty similar (in pan) to ABH Buon Fresco, although maybe a tad lighter. For me, this is kind of meh…not the best, not the worst. I understand why Tarte included it because it does serve as a crucial transition color, but it’s lacking in pigmentation and feels chalky. I will say that with primer and a little work, it does build and I’ve had no problems using it in my eye looks.

Magic ~ A metallic bronze shade that builds and blends well. The arm swatches are one pass, but with two or three this looks really nice. I used a denser brush to work with it on my eyes and did not have any issues. I really love this one and look forward to using it more.

Wings ~ I have nothing nice to say about this shade other than it looks beautiful in the pan…and that is where it will remain. It is a gorgeous metallic copper that I would love to use; however, it’s crumbly (gets all over the palette) and will not adhere except with a finger and a lot of consistent pressure. I tried working with it in so many ways – multiple brushes, primers, and sprays. MAC Fix + had minimal impact. Unfortunately, Wings is a dud for me.

Marvel ~ BEAUTIFUL. This is a golden, green metallic shade. I haven’t seen anything like it — at least in my collection. As with Magic, it takes more than one pass with the brush but not by much. It builds and blends nicely with little to no fallout.

Trance ~ A metallic taupe shade that is similar in texture and performance to Magic and Marvel. You probably have something like it in another palette but I still think it’s a nice edition to the color wheel.

Fairy ~ This is a shimmery, deepened lavender. Honestly, it’s really nice. I am not usually a purple kind-a-girl but I keep coming back to Fairy. I think it’s smooth, nicely formulated (no glitter chunks of any kind), and unique.

Mystic ~ Icy-blue, metallic amazingness? No really, this shade is stunning and once again, not something I thought I’d want to wear in my everyday looks. Nice formula, builds and blends–almost no fallout.

Dream ~ This one is very similar to Mystic in formula. I’d describe it as a metallic turquoise, but lighter and almost silvery. It’s unlike most turquoise colors that I’ve seen.

Crystal ~ A metallic champagne that is softer to the touch when compared to the other shadows in the palette. Although the color is a pretty common neutral, the texture makes this one of the best out of the 10 eyeshadows. It is very smooth and has full pigmentation with one swipe.

Pixie ~ I have to describe Pixie as a golden peach. It’s almost identical in texture to Crystal, so again it is one of the best in the palette. When comparing it to other shades on the market — Natasha Denona Golden Rose is VERY similar in color (of course much more expensive). I’m super happy that Tarte included this and that it’s so well done.

Center Highlighter ~ This is an opalescent highlight with a golden/peach shift to it. Definitely warmer than it looks in the pan. I think the formula is fine–just a little on the dryer side. The lack of moisture lends itself to being a more subtle highlight but it’s easy to layer. Although it may not be my favorite formula, I think it’s really pretty and one that I will continue to reach for.

The Nitty Gritty: Tarte has been hit or miss for me in a lot of ways. I don’t think I’ve been really excited about a release from them in quite a while. I do think they have some amazing products (i.e. Tartlette In Bloom, Shape Tape Concealer, A.C. Blushes) and some that are not-so-great. I was on the fence before purchasing this particular collection, mostly because of the poor quality of MANY super-hyped products lately, but I have to say I’m really glad I have this palette. I think when I look at it as a whole, the majority of the colors are interesting. Interesting, mostly because at first glance I think–‘Nope. No…No way am I going to wear light blue eyeshadow out of this house”…but then, it just kind of works. Tarte chose to use lighter tones of traditionally “scarier” colors so they come off as soft, not harsh. I don’t think this is a stand-alone palette — you definitely need some matte neutrals for transition. Myth doesn’t quite cut it. And Wings is not good. At all. But I do think I will get a ton of wear out of the other 8 shades and I will use the highlight.

So, is it worth $40?

For me, yes. I haven’t been excited by a palette in a long time and with this one, I became more excited once I had it in hand and started working with the colors. I know it’s not for everyone though. This is not a vibrant palette, but it’s not supposed to be. The colors are soft–not really pastel, just muted. I wouldn’t give the formula of the shadows an A…but maybe a B+ overall. Wings pulls down the average. It does smell sweet like candy as well, so if you’re into that…it’s subtle.

No matter what you decide, I hope this helped a little:)

**My review of the Magical Wands Brush Set by Tarte is here as well**

~ XOXO