Anyone who knows me knows that Tarte is one of my favorite cosmetic brands. I have been a fan of their eye shadows pigmentation and soft silky feel against my eyes as well as their mascaras and lippies. Each year Tarte works with QVC to offer an awesome collection filled with goodies for the makeup lover at heart. I took advantage of the Holiday Collection last year and was super excited to see QVC release a Limited Edition Special Value Collection this year as well.
The Today’s Special Value pricing on QVC on November 21st, was $49.98 – now the set is available for $54.98 USD (plus shipping/handling) on QVC’s website and you also have the choice to sign up for 2 Easy Installments making this collection very affordable for anyone who is interested in purchasing. The packaging for the collection is show stopping and will definitely turn heads under any Christmas Tree. It’s gorgeous and ready to go – no extra box or wrapping needed… hence “Bow & Go”. A gorgeous gold ribbon (not pictured) is also included so you can surprise that special someone this Holiday Season.
The palette itself is gorgeous – thin and sleek. Made of a sturdy cardboard, It includes 16 beautiful amazonian clay shadows (0.07 oz x 16). All shadows are full sized and packed with not only color but perfect for any makeup lover. There is a mix of matte and shimmery / metallic shades and each shadow feels soft to the touch and blends effortlessly. The one thing I worry about when buying any eye shadow palette with such a large number of shades is that the palette may include a “dud” shade and this palette is honestly… perfection.
I especially love that this palette is Neutral heaven for me. It includes the perfect selection of nudes to create everything from an everyday wearable work look to a smoky and daring look for a night out on the town. I love when neutral based palettes have purple shades included and this palette includes a few purples, greens, pinks, creams, taupes, browns and a gorgeous bronze gold. Scroll down to see the swatches of each shade in order from Left to right – top to bottom.
All swatches are done on bare skin – no primer or base. Swatches are done dry.
If you were to purchase any of the Eye shadows separately, Tarte retails them for about $17.00 each. By getting all of these awesome shadows all in one palette you are saving tremendously and you have a huge selection of colors that will allow you to create any look you can think up.
The set includes two Full Size Tarte smolderEYES Amazonian clay waterproof liners (0.056 oz) in Brown & Fig. Brown is a Vegan pencil which is a bonus. These liners are absolute favorites of mine because they are not only creamy and easy to apply without tugging at your eyes, they smudge easily with the built-in smudger to add a smokier, smoldering effect. And, big bonus for me – these are Waterproof. Let me just say that they will not budge. I love using these on my waterline because I don’t have to worry about it moving. It will last from the time I put them on till the time I take it off with makeup remover. On Tarte’s website – these retail for $22.00 each.
Fig has an almost metallic sheen to the pencil. After using the pencil a few times, I think it lends for a gold sheen which I love. This pencil brings out the sparkle in my medium brown / hazel eyes and really makes them pop. Brown is a matte shade pencil and I absolutely love the shade. It is not quite a dark brown, more on the medium shade and definitely is a great alternative to the black pencil I normally like to use. Both of these are not only long lasting and waterproof but make great eye shadow bases to help your favorite shadows pop and have awesome staying power.
For my makeup look I am using the following eye shadows from the Tarte palette: Radiant Rosewood (on the lid), Blissful Brown (transition shade above the crease), Playful Plum (blended into the crease), Ideal Ivory (used as all over highlight on the browbone and inner corners), and Buttercream Frosting (slightly blended under the highest point under the brow for highlight). Tarte Smolder Eyes Pencil liner in Fig blended onto the lower lash line to smoke out the look and Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara on my lashes. On my lips I’m using Tarte Lip Surgence Lip Creme Pencils in Precious, Promise and Thoughtful all layered together to create a custom color.
You will receive 2 Full Size Tubes of Tarte’s lights, camera, LASHES Mascara (0.24 oz). If you were to purchase these on their own through Tarte’s website they will cost you $19.00 each. I have been a fan of this mascara for a while now. The only critique I have with regard to them is that the ones that are included with the collection are not waterproof and since my allergies are bad I have major raccoon eyes if I’m having a bad allergy, watery eyes day. The mascara however is great for both volume and length and conditions your lashes while using it. I also love that it holds your curl very well – probably one of my favorite things about it. It is definitely a 4 in 1 formulation.
This collection also includes the popular Tarte Lip Surgence lip creme crayons (0.10 oz) in four brand new shades. These colors are so beautiful and will go with any skin tone. I absolutely love the Lip Surgence crayons from Tarte and already own a few. They are long lasting, creamy and feel great on the lips. The colors are easily blended together to create your own custom color on your pout. These colors are only available through QVC in this collection and you will not be able to find them at Tarte online. What I love is that they are all full sized crayons in this collection so you are getting a retail value of $96 total for the whole set (retail $24 each) and it is included in this awesome Holiday Collection.
Overall – I’m definitely impressed with not only the quality of the whole collection but the price point and the value involved with all the products. The packaging itself is absolutely gorgeous and ready to give as a gift. Beneath the palette of the collection is a gorgeous gold bow that you can use to tie all three boxes together to make a beautiful display / gift or you can decide to give each box individually. Honestly, even if you were purchasing this collection for yourself you are getting an awesome deal and besides – you are well worth it. 😉
Sparkle Rating… Definitely a 5.0 Sparkles on the Sparkle Scale. This collection is gorgeous and worth every penny. This is the highest rating I have given any product and this is the only product I have given this rating. This is well worth your money and definitely something that you should get your hands on if you can. And… to the men out there – this will make an awesome gift for your lovely ladies in your life.
