Naturally Beautiful Cheeks: Green Siren by Tarte

Tarte Green Siren Natural Cheek Stain ($30.00) is a semi-sheer peachy-bronze with golden shimmer and a slight frosty sheen. Tarte really knows how to do an effortless cheek, because their cheek stains are always above the bar. Their latest shade, Green Siren, in the Natural Beauty Cheek Stain product line, for fall, is gorgeous. It is particularly flattering on those with neutral or warm tones, though it the shade isn’t overly warm, so it is still pretty and suitable for cooler skin tones.

When applied, cheeks look naturally glowy and look luminous without being too frosty or glittery. The product feels smooth and creamy and applies easily to cheeks without leaving behind any harsh lines. It can be easily blended out with a stippling brush like the 188. My only issue with the product was the packaging/applicator, because when you push the gel blush up, and then apply it directly from the tube, the blush gets pushed back into the tube. It was a bit annoying, and I think it’s something that could be fixed.

• Product: 8/10
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 7/10
• Packaging: 7/10

Recommendation: This is a great shade to transition from summer to fall as we start to countdown the days of summer. It’s natural and beautiful, and it is hard to over-do.

Availability: Sephora.com, tartecosmetics.com

See swatches…

Tarte Natural Cheek Stain in Green Siren

Tarte Natural Cheek Stain in Green Siren

Tarte: Get Killer Eyes on a Budget

Tarte Femme Fatale Eye Palette ($44.00) is one of two palettes from Tarte’s Fall 2009 Collection.  It’s a refillable eyeshadow palette that contains ten different eyeshadows.  The top row contains:  shimmering blush, iridescent smoke, shimmering violet, shimmering indigo, shimmering onyx; the bottom row contains:  shimmering light gold, shimmering copper-rose, shimmering deep bronze, shimmering jade, shimmering garnet.  It also includes a double-ended eyeliner and double-ended brush.

Now, I’m going to give you my take on the top row’s shades:  a soft, buttery semi-matte pale dusty pink; a frosty, icy silver with pink pearl; a deep red-tone purple with magenta; a dark navy blue with gray; and a gray-black with light sheen.  The second row’s shades:  a soft, semi-sheer peach with a buttery feel; a peach-toned copper with a frost finish; a warm-toned golden caramel brown; a muted teal with gray-blue; and a rich, deeply pigmented burgundy-black with purple flecks.

I found all ten shades to have a soft, smooth texture and all of them had decent to great pigmentation.  The only two that has slightly less pigmentation were the first shades in each of the rows–which I’d attribute more to them being softer shades overall, and thus just not appearing as pigmented as the other eight shades.  It’s an interesting mix of colors, and I can definitely see several combinations just jump out at me, which is something in its favor.

It’s actually a very value-heavy palette, because each shadow is 1.75g/0.06 oz.–which is more than a single, standalone MAC eyeshadow (which is 1.5g/0.06 oz.)!  If it’s cheaper than MAC, it’s pretty much going to be a better deal than most other high-end brands, too.  It’s actually great to see a palette that gives you plenty of product while pricing it right.

• Product: 8/10
• Value: 9/10
• Ease of Use: 8/10
• Packaging: 7/10

Recommendation:  Palette lovers, rejoice!  Value, pigmentation, and usability combine to make this a very worthwhile palette.  I personally didn’t love the packaging, but it’s such a minor point when what’s inside is so good!

Availability: Sephora

See product photos and swatches…

Tarte Femme Fatale Palette

Tarte Femme Fatale Palette

Tarte Femme Fatale Palette

Tarte Femme Fatale Palette

Tarte Femme Fatale Palette

Tarte Femme Fatale Palette

Tarte Cosmetics is now 40% off during their Friends & Family Sale.

The sale is good from August 17th through the 24th.  Just use coupon code FF09 at check out.

Tarte Cosmetics for Summer 2009

eyeQuatic waterproof summer essentials set ($35.00)

Along with a mod-chic headscarf, this set includes 3 mermaid-inspired lock & roll creaseless cream & powder shadow duos and a deluxe lights, camera, splashes! waterproof mascara. Lock & Roll shades in Turquoise, Citrine, and Tanzanite. (Note: I am ALL over this one!)

celluFIGHT natural anti-cellulite self-tanner ($40.00)

Do double-duty beauty: get tanned and taut in one easy step! Achieve a natural, healthy glow with a hydrating, gradual self-tanner that works on all skin tones. celluFIGHT™ is formulated with skinTIGHT™ complex , a proprietary anti-cellulite complex that firms and tones skin while improving elasticity. Plant and bio-nutrient extracts boost cellular metabolism shedding excess fat tissue. Caffeine helps stimulate blood flow immediately reducing “the orange peel” effect on problem areas such as waist, hips, thighs and buttocks. This anti-cellulite natural self-tanner contains clinically-proven antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that prevent the long-term build-up of fat tissue under the skin.

multiplEYE natural lash enhancer ($65.00)

Achieve a 152% increase in the appearance of lash length with multiplEYE, a natural lash enhancer. Our proprietary HydroPlant Peptide™ is clinically proven to give the appearance of longer, thicker lashes naturally: soy and amino acid proteins combine to form an essential super-protein base that fortifies and nourishes lashes. This protein emulsion is infused with cellulose, a plant-derived thickening agent, and vitamin C, an antioxidant booster.

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TARTE is offering a huge Friends & Family Sale discount of 40%!