Miss Fix-It Palette by Tarte, $22 (on sale from $44)

The Miss Fix-It palette by Tarte is a perfect little bundle of makeup for the warmer seasons. The colors included in this palette were what drew me to buy it in the first place. The bright blue, sparkly mint green, light lavender, and sandy golden shadows were the reason I bought this palette—mostly because I have nothing like the blue or green. I already own two Tarte eyeshadow palettes so I knew I would adore the quality of the shadow and it definitely did not fail to impress me. I wore the green shadow over some primer and it stayed on brightly all day.


The palette also includes two lipglosses and a highlighter cream. The highlighter is a sparkly mix of gold and an almost pearl-like tone. I put some on my upper brow bone for a “highlighting” effect. It can also be used subtly on the cheekbones for the always lovely glow. The lipglosses are both pinkish tones, the one on the left goes on more clear and the one on the right has a more subtle color. The lipgloss goes on smooth and does not feel too sticky on the lips.


The most brilliant part of the palette is that the eyeshadows are separated from the lipglosses and highlighter by a thick cube of plastic that is attached to the palette so it won’t mysteriously disappear and you won’t have a mess of sticky eyeshadow and powdery lipgloss (grossssss). The palette also includes two double sided application brushes for the shadow, lipgloss, and even the highlighter. A little mirror is also embedded underneath the top lid that folds down. This is a super sturdy palette to carry in your purse if you like to have your makeup handy for touchups. It folds up into a neat little cube and stays shut with a magnet in the lid.



Final verdict:
Cost: This palette is originally $44 but this week Sephora has select Tarte products on sale as Tori mentioned in Friday’s Sweet Deals, so it is marked down 50% for $22!
Do the colors go on the eyelids the way they look in the palette?: Yes! You know sometimes we all buy eyeshadows where the color in the case looks way more vibrant than it does when it is applied on your eyelids. This palette’s colors are definitely true to their color on eyelids too.
Repeat offender?: I will always buy Tarte cosmetics so definitely! Obviously I don’t need two of the same palette but I’d buy a different one with different colors.

-M

Sweet Deals, Vol. 2

To make your Friday even sweeter, here are some awesome deals and some pretty sparkly things to long for . . .

Urban Decay has reintroduced their nailpolish line and is celebrating with Apocalyptic Nail Kit, a set of 6 mini polishes in their trademark dark and exciting colors (with a little zippered case), on sale for $18.

Sephora has added some great Tarte products to their sale section, like this set of 4 bright spring eyeshadows plus 2 lipglosses in a portable kit ($22), 2 smaller versions of the lip sheers Mirna reviewed in an earlier post ($15), and this cute mini palette of 4 dark eyeshadows that comes with a full-size brush ($12).

Walmart sells Hard Candy now! (Am I a little late on this? Oh well, still exciting!) Hard Candy has all kinds of makeup in pretty packaging (I'm such a sucker for a well-designed box), but their nailpolish repertoire is really what they're known for. I'm falling in love with this pretty teal, this sparkly wine, and this dark glittery masterpiece that reminds me of a hot summer street, all just $5 each. Plus, who can resist those awesome heart-shaped rings?

MAC knows I've got spring fever and is tempting me with these yummy, shiny lipglosses, or as they call them, lipglasses. Isn't the Partial to Pink color so sweet? ($18)

Oh em gee, the Harajuku Lovers perfumes are in little summer bikinis! I'm this one, Mirna is this one.

I think the next brand I'm going to try is MAKE UP FOR EVER, specifically this breathtaking black cream eyeshadow (this picture here is a total inspiration, even though it sounds like most reviewers on Sephora used it as a cream eyeliner). PS, they totally did the makeup for The Runaways. I can't wait to see their awesome rock star makeup and outfits.

-T

The Toolbox: Brow Know-How by Tarte, $18

I bought this kit on a whim, it was marked down to $9.00 and I thought it would be fun to try something different in my beauty routine. The Brow Know-How kit comes with brow powder, brow wax, brow gel, brow pencil, three brow stencils, mini tweezers, and an application brush. Everything folds up into a little box that also has a mirror on the lid. The kit comes in three different shades to match your hair color, the one I have is “dark.”


I can’t say I’ve ever tried to fill in my eyebrows or do anything other than tweeze or shape them so this was something very new to me. When I used it what I did was apply some of the brow wax to my eyebrow and then used the application brush to pick up a little of the brow powder. I was a little nervous but what I did was apply a little bit of the powder to any places where my eyebrow looked a little sparse. I dusted the powder on evenly and lightly but you can do heavier for a more dramatic effect. After applying the powder I just used the brow gel (it looks like mini clear mascara) to “seal” the powder in place. What I got out of doing this was a little extra polish to my look. It made my eyebrows look very neat and a little more shaped.


I don’t use this everyday because frankly I don’t have enough time. But every once in a while it is really fun to use this toolbox. The kit also comes with three different brow stencils that are good if you really want to change up the shape of your brows or go for a thick and dramatic look. If you have thin eyebrows and do this on a daily basis this would be a good kit to take with you on the go.

Final verdict:
Cost: $18
Is it worth it?:For $9 I thought it was worth trying, but I’m not sure I’d pay full price for it. Though if you think about it, something like this can last you a long time and the mini tweezers would definitely come in handy!
Repeat offender: I don’t think I will ever use this product up! But I love Tarte brand products so I know I’ll be trying different/new things by them.
-M

Be Good To Your Mother (Earth) 3 Full Size 24.7 Lip Sheers, $35

Tarte has truly become one of my favorite makeup brands in the last year. It started with me buying an eyeshadow palette by them without knowing much about the quality of the product. What I’ve gained from trying several of their products is that they are genuinely a high quality and environmentally friendly brand. I have been dying to get this awesome set of 24.7 Lip Sheers (found here and here) by Tarte forever, but I always thought the price was a little high. About two weeks ago one of my favorite online sample sale sites Ruelala.com (hit me up if you want an invite) had a sale on this exact set I’ve had my eye on all along and I went ahead and splurged.


I was so excited to try this set because like I said earlier, I’ve been trying to experiment with lip colors. In this set you get 3 full-sized tubes of Tarte’s 24.7 lip sheers and a really lovely deep purple reusable tote bag that zips up so you can always have it on hand (DC people I know you have that new bag tax so this is perfect because it fits in your purse or car without taking up a lot of space). In authentic Tarte style, the packaging the lip sheers come in are made with recycled aluminum and are adorned with the names Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. The lip sheers come in 3 colors, the first being Reduce which is a muted wine color; Reuse, a hot pink that can go on subtly or give you a sexy bright lip color; and finally Recycle, a nude to dry rose color. These sheers are seriously the perfect lip product for the spring and summer because they all have SPF 15 and they go on so lightly, it is almost like a colored chapstick. Unlike lipstick, the lip sheers don’t really get on your teeth, they act almost like a creamy lip stain.

Final verdict:
Cost: The price seems a little high for some lip sheers but these tubes are pretty big and you get three of them. Individually, 24.7 lip sheers cost $16 dollars each so you are getting a pretty good deal. And don’t forget you also get a tote bag and it seems like we can’t have enough of these.
Quality: Tarte’s products live up to their promises. They are high quality and guilt-free because the company is dedicated to making environmentally friendly products.
Versatility: These lip sheers can be worn everyday as a casual addition to your beauty routine or you could use them when getting decked out for a special event.
Repeat offender: If I manage to use all 3 of the lip sheers or find another shade that appeals to me I would definitely invest in another tube of this awesome stuff.
-M