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