Local ULTAs May Still Have This In Stock…

Tarte Big Thrill Collection ($48.00) is a large box set/palette that contains sixteen eyeshadows (0.08 oz. each), four blushes (0.16 oz. each), and three lipglosses (0.20 oz. each).  It’s a palette that’s really loaded with value, because you’re getting so many shades and high quantities of each.  The average individual powder eyeshadow is around 0.05 oz.–these are even larger–and the average blush is right around 0.16 oz. (and Tarte’s full-sized blushes are 0.20 oz.), too.  Many lipglosses are between 0.17 and 0.24 oz., so these fall right in the middle.

I’m so bummed, because I’ve had this for a little over a week and started testing it as soon as it arrived, but it just sold out online. It’s an ULTA exclusive, so I’m hoping that some may still be available in stores. I already did the bulk of the work (writing the actual review is the “fastest” component of the process–it’s the photographing, swatching, editing, and testing that take up most of the hours!), so I still wanted to share with you.

Shooting Star is a shimmering pale white–not too stark but not too creamy. It had good color payoff, but it was a tiny bit powdery. Too Faced Vanilla is more matte. MAC Laundry Daze is less shimmery. Givenchy Lune Mysterieuse Les Ombres de Lune is a little yellower.

Giant Peach is a soft peach with a barely-there frosted finish. It had great pigmentation and was soft, blendable, and easy to work with. bareMinerals Peace is more satiny. bareMinerals Stealth is a touch more orange.

Totally Taupe is a medium brown with champagne sparkle. There’s a touch of gray, but it was fairly warm and didn’t look like a taupe on me. It had decent color payoff but could be a little sheer to work with. Bobbi Brown Pink Chandelier is a bit warmer. Dolce & Gabbana Cinnamon is a touch lighter. Tarina Tarantino Fantastical has a stronger sheen.

Brilliant Bronze is a medium-dark bronze with warm, orange-red undertones and a frosted finish. It had great, true-to-pan color payoff, and it was soft, smooth, and blendable. This shade is very, very dupable, though! It’s a classic, basic shade, so if this was the only shade you liked, there are lots of individual options. Chanel Intuition is a touch darker. MAC Mulch is a little redder-toned. Urban Decay Deeper is less orange-toned. MAC Bronze is richer, warmer.

Cloud 9 is a pale beige with neutral undertones and a matte finish. It had good pigmentation, and it was just barely powdery–but very soft and easy to blend out. It is extremely similar to Urban Decay Kinky, MAC Vanilla (slightly warmer), bareMinerals Chance (pink-toned), and MAC Blanc Type.

Pop of Pink is a light pink with warm, yellow undertones and a frosted finish. It had just so-so color payoff, as it was a bit sheer in places and needed to be layered or used wet for greater intensity. MAC taupeless is a touch pinker and has more sparkle. Chanel Harmonie du Soir is very similar. MAC Invicible Light is a step lighter.

Amazed by Amethyst is an eggplant purple with a soft, frosted shimmer. It had great pigmentation and was soft, smooth, and not at all powdery. Urban Decay Rapture is purpler. theBalm rem is purpler, lighter. Illamasqua Queen of the Night is very similar.

Pumped About Purple is a blackened purple with red undertones and a very fine violet-red micro-shimmer over a satiny finish. It had good color payoff, but it was a little dry. MAC Spellcaster is similar in color but has a matte finish. Urban Decay Rockstar is purpler, lighter.

Silver Burst is a bright silver-tinged white with a frosted, metallic finish. This shade had out-of-this-world pigmentation, though it was a little powdery. Bobbi Brown Iced Blue is very comparable in color–less frosted.

Next Level Lilac is a mauve-tinged taupe. It’s a little gray, mauve, and brown at the same time. It has a mostly matte finish, and the color payoff was lovely. Tom Ford Enchanted is purpler. Urban Decay Bust is darker.

Intergalactic Metallic is a gray-shimmered, soft black with a soft, frosted finish. It had great color payoff, and it was soft and smooth to the touch. Urban Decay Gunmetal is warmer. Urban Decay Asphalt is quite similar. Bobbi Brown Gunmetal is more satiny.

Jump for Juniper is a deep, dark blue with a hint of green to give it a teal-like edge. It has a mostly matte finish. The color payoff was nice, and the shade wasn’t powdery. Inglot #340 is a touch greener.

Clay Crush is a pale beige with a gray tinge. Perhaps you may call it a light greige! It’s cool-toned and has a matte finish. The only dupe I could think of was MAC Double Feature 6, which is a bit darker and browner.

Rush of Gold is a orange-yellow gold with a metallic, frosted finish. It had good pigmentation but was a little loose. L’Oreal Gold Imperial is yellower. MAC Sweet & Sour is a touch cooler-toned.

Go for Green is a medium yellow-toned green with a pearly finish. It had good color payoff, but it was a little powdery. Dior Garden Pastels is similar in color but has a frosted finish. Wet ‘n’ Wild Earth Looks Small From Down Here is more olive. Inglot #412 is more metallic, so it is also a bit lighter.

Exquisite Emerald is a green-teal shimmered red-brown. This is more of a duochrome shade. It had good color payoff and applied smoothly. MAC I’ve Got a Crush On You has more of a teal duochrome. I suspect MAC Green Brown is also comparable.

Blushes

Park Ave. Princess is a warm bronze-shimmered tan brown. It has great color payoff, and it was soft and smooth. This shade lasted for eight hours without fading. Urban Decay Toasetd,/a> is similar in color but has no shimmer. MAC Light Over Dark is similar but has a stronger sheen.

Angelic is a pale gold-shimmered white gold highlighter. It had a lovely soft, smooth texture and good pigmentation. This shade wore for seven and a half hours without fading. NARS Albatross is most similar, but it has a cooler-toned base color. theBalm Solid Gold is more golden.

Thrilled is a strawberry pink with a frosted sheen. It had good color payoff, and it was soft and smooth. This shade lasted for eight hours without fading. MAC Easy Manner is lighter. Chanel Blush Horizon de Chanel is a touch lighter. MAC Stunner is closest but softer.

Curious is a warm-toned pink-coral with a soft, frosted finish. It had excellent pigmentation with a soft, finely-milled texture that was easy to blend. It lasted for eight hours without fading when I tested it for wear. MAC Legendary is lighter. theBalm Don’t You Want Me is a little more muted. Tarina Tarantino Parasol is pinker. Tarte Blissful is brighter.

Lipglosses

Strawberry Sensation is a medium pink with lighter pink shimmer and warmer undertones. It’s semi-opaque on lips, and it looks a lot less pink and more coral on. It lasted three hours on me. Revlon Papaya is more orange. MAC Strictly Plutonic is less pink.

Apple-a-Day is a sheer fuchsia rose with iridescent fuchsia shimmer. I had trouble getting this shade to apply evenly. It wore for two and a half hours. Burberry Hibiscus is darker. Le Metier de Beaute Hibiskiss is redder. Bobbi Brown Electric Violet is pinker.

Abra-cad-apricot is a brown coral with a creamy finish. It’s semi-sheer and milky, so it does settle a little bit into lip lines. It managed to stay on for three hours. MAC Everlasting Nude is pinker, brighter. MAC Temper Tantra is less orange.

OVERALL, I like the palette a lot, and I think the quality is pretty good across the eyeshadows and the blushes.  I liked the variety in the colors available for the eyeshadows in particular; there were some neutrals but several colorful hues as well, and they had a range of finishes from more matte to fairly frosted.  A few shades were powdery, but the majority were soft, blendable, and pigmented.   All of the blushes (though, one is more like a bronzer and the other a highlighter) are warm-toned, though.  I think perhaps a berry or plum blush would have been a good inclusion. The lipglosses aren’t fantastic but aren’t bad; they’re just… gloss. They tended to wear away faster than the average gloss, and though they’re touted as a hydrating formula, they were neither drying nor hydrating.  They had a fruity scent and were slightly tacky.

Tarte Big Thrill Collection

Tarte Big Thrill Collection

Tarte Big Thrill Collection

Tarte Big Thrill Collection

Tarte Big Thrill Collection

Tarte Big Thrill Collection

Tarte Big Thrill Collection

Tarte Big Thrill Collection

Tarte Big Thrill Collection

Tarte Big Thrill Collection

Tarte Big Thrill Collection

Tarte Big Thrill Collection

Tarte Big Thrill Collection

Tarte Big Thrill Collection

Tarte Big Thrill Collection

Tarte Big Thrill Collection

Tarte Big Thrill Collection

Tarte Shooting Star Eyeshadow

Tarte Giant Peach Eyeshadow

Tarte Totally Taupe Eyeshadow

Tarte Brilliant Bronze Eyeshadow

Tarte Cloud 9 Eyeshadow

Tarte Pop of Pink Eyeshadow

Tarte Amazed by Amethyst Eyeshadow

Tarte Pumped About Purple Eyeshadow

Tarte Silver Burst Eyeshadow

Tarte Next Level Lilac Eyeshadow

Tarte Intergalactic Metallic Eyeshadow

Tarte Jump for Juniper Eyeshadow

Tarte Clay Crush Eyeshadow

Tarte Rush of Gold Eyeshadow

Tarte Go for Green Eyeshadow

Tarte Exquisite Emerald Eyeshadow

Tarte Big Thrill Collection

Tarte Park Ave. Princess Blush

Tarte Park Ave. Princess Blush

Tarte Angelic Blush

Tarte Angelic Blush

Tarte Thrilled Blush

Tarte Thrilled Blush

Tarte Curious Blush

Tarte Curious Blush

Tarte Strawberry Sensation Lipgloss

Tarte Strawberry Sensation Lipgloss

Tarte Strawberry Sensation Lipgloss

Tarte Strawberry Sensation Lipgloss

Tarte Apple-a-Day Lipgloss

Tarte Apple-a-Day Lipgloss

Tarte Apple-a-Day Lipgloss

Tarte Apple-a-Day Lipgloss

Tarte Abra-cad-apricot Lipgloss

Tarte Abra-cad-apricot Lipgloss

Tarte Abra-cad-apricot Lipgloss

Tarte Abra-cad-apricot Lipgloss