Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Eye & Cheek Palette Review, Photos, Swatches
Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette
Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette ($36.00 for 0.85 oz.) contains six eyeshadows, two eyeshadow/liners, and one blush. Each square-sized eyeshadow is 0.0758 oz., while the blush is 0.1544 oz., and the two rectangle-shaped eyeshadows are 0.1185 oz. each for a total weight of 0.8462 oz. If you’re familiar with Tarte’s formula, these performed similarly to past Tarte eyeshadows I’ve tried; the biggest takeaway is that they’re so soft that they are quite powdery. You’ll want to use softer brushes and a light touch when you go to pick up product to apply to the lid. I recommend patting the color on, then blending, to minimize excess powder falling underneath the lid.
For me, this is the type of texture that is very workable, as it still adheres well to bare skin and blends nicely without sheering away to nothing, but it usually has a fair amount of powdery fall out that is easiest to clean up if you do your eyeshadow before your base products. On my medium skin tone, a lot of the lighter colors all looked the same on, which had no impact on the rating, but may be something to keep in mind if you’re of a similar complexion. The majority of the eyeshadows in the palette lasted seven and a half hours and then showed signs of fading. I like the palette, and if the colors show up with enough differentiation on you, it would be a nice neutral palette that’s not too warm or too cool-toned. It’s also very well-priced with plenty of product for the price tag.
Elevated is a soft, medium rose with neutral-to-warm undertones and a matte finish. It is part of the Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush formula. It had excellent color payoff, was buildable and blendable on the cheeks, and had a soft, silky texture (slightly powdery, though, so go easy on the surface). I don’t usually get 12 hours of wear out of this formula, and Elevated lasted well for nine hours before showing signs of fading but was significantly faded by the twelfth hour. Tarina Tarantino Neopolitan Lane (P, $25.00) is browner. NARS Love (LE, $29.00) is warmer,. bareMinerals Glamour (LE, $19.00) is slightly pinker. Urban Decay Overexposed (LE) is a touch lighter. MAC The Perfect Cheek (LE, $21.00) is cooler-toned. Illamasqua Naked Rose (P, $26.00) is pinker, cooler-toned. Tarte Exposed (P, $26.00) is a touch darker, a smidgen browner. See comparison swatches.
Sand Out from the Crowd is a light beige with warm, vanilla undertones and a matte finish. The texture was very soft, and it had good color payoff, but it was powdery. As it a staple/basic shade, there are a lot of similar shades — see comparison swatches.
Peach for the Stars is a rosy, light-medium beige-brown with a matte finish. Again, the texture was so soft that it was powdery, though definitely silky to the touch, and it had good pigmentation. Urban Decay Freestyle (LE, $18.00) is lighter. MAC Frisco (LE, $15.00) is a touch pinker, lighter. Inglot #341 (P, $6.00) is similar. Bobbi Brown Antique Rose (LE, $29.00) is darker, browner. See comparison swatches.
Two Plums Up is a dark, neutral-to-warm-toned plum with a matte finish. The texture was soft, finely-milled, and silky, so the color was easy to blend out on the skin and lid, but it is on the powdery side. It had fairly good color payoff. Tarina Tarantino Deep Dahlia (LE) is shimmery. Kat Von D Fur Elise (P) is warmer. theBalm Sexy (P, $16.00) is warmer. theBalm Moderato (P, $16.00) is also warmer. bareMinerals Nightcap (P) is cooler-toned, purpler. MAC Hyperviolet (LE, $18.00) is a cream product. MAC Palace Pedigreed (LE, $15.00) is brighter. Make Up For Ever #160 (P, $20.00) is more berry-hued, brighter. See comparison swatches.
Pink Outside the Box is a light, pastel pink with a matte finish. This might be somewhat chalky, as it had a stronger white base, on deeper complexions. The texture was soft, somewhat powdery, but it had good color payoff and adhered well to the skin. MAC Flounce (P, $15.00) is cooler-toned. Too Faced Strawberry Bon Bon (P) is similar. Too Faced Powdered Sugar (LE) is lighter. LORAC Light Pink (P) is a touch lighter. MAC Pen ‘n’ Pink (P, $15.00) is similar. NARS Bouthan #1 (P, $24.00) is similar. Benefit Pinky Swear (P, $20.00) is similar. bareMinerals Giddy (P) is slightly warmer. See comparison swatches.
Rose to the Occasion is a medium-dark, rosy brown with a matte finish. It had so-so color payoff, and the texture was soft and silky though powdery to work with. It a few shades darker than Peach for the Stars, but if you have a medium skin tone like mine, they look about the same applied. bareMinerals Velvet Mauve (P, $14.00) is a touch browner. Aveda Bare Bellis (P, $14.00) is more shimmery. Chanel Rose de Mai (P, $28.50) is lighter. See comparison swatches.
View from the Taupe is a medium, neutral-to-warm-toned brown with a matte finish. It’s a very, very warm taupe, but it read more brown than taupe to me. It had nice pigmentation, and the texture was soft without being too powdery (one of the least powdery shades in the palette). Clarins The Essentials #4 (LE) is more satiny. Too Faced Cookie Dough (LE) is similar. Inglot #337 (P, $6.00) is warmer. See comparison swatches.
Dream in Chocolate is a deep, dark chocolate brown with a matte finish. It had fairly good pigmentation, and like the rest, it was soft but powdery. Laura Mercier Espresso (LE, $23.00) is similar. MAC Midnight Hour (LE, $15.00) is warmer. Tom Ford Beauty She Wolf #1 (LE) is more muted. LORAC Espresso (P) is similar. bareMinerals Boardroom (LE) is cooler-toned. NARS Mekong (P, $24.00) is shimmery. MAC Midnight Flurry (LE, $15.00) is cooler-toned. MAC Dance in the Dark (P, $15.00) is warmer. MAC Embark (P, $15.00) is deeper. See comparison swatches.
Don’t Stand Black is a medium-dark black with a mostly matte finish, though it had a very slight sheen compared to the more matte finishes of the other shades. This was the weakest performing shade in the palette, as it didn’t stick as well to bare skin, even though the texture didn’t feel stiff or dry (soft but powdery). As this is a more basic/staple kind of shade, there are lots of potential dupes, and here are twelve to consider — see comparison swatches.
Be MATTEnificent
LELimited Edition. $36.00.
Elevated
LELimited Edition. $29.00.
Sand Out from the Crowd
LELimited Edition.
Peach for the Stars
LELimited Edition.
Plums Up
LELimited Edition.
Pink Outside the Box
LELimited Edition.
Rose to the Occasion
LELimited Edition.
View from the Taupe
LELimited Edition.
Dream in Chocolate
LELimited Edition.
Don't Stand Black
LELimited Edition.
Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette
Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette
Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette
Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette
Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette
Tarte Elevated Blush
Tarte Elevated Blush
Tarte Elevated Blush
Tarte Sand Out from the Crowd Eyeshadow
Tarte Sand Out from the Crowd Eyeshadow
Tarte Peach for the Stars Eyeshadow
Tarte Peach for the Stars Eyeshadow
Tarte Plums Up Eyeshadow
Tarte Plums Up Eyeshadow
Tarte Pink Outside the Box Eyeshadow
Tarte Pink Outside the Box Eyeshadow
Tarte Rose to the Occasion Eyeshadow
Tarte Rose to the Occasion Eyeshadow
Tarte View from the Taupe Eyeshadow
Tarte View from the Taupe Eyeshadow
Tarte Dream in Chocolate Eyeshadow
Tarte Dream in Chocolate Eyeshadow
Tarte Don’t Stand Black Eyeshadow
Tarte Don’t Stand Black Eyeshadow
Tarte Eyeshadows: Sand Out from the Crowd (inner lid), Peach for the Stars (middle of lid), View from the Taupe (outer lid), Rose to the Occasion (crease)
Tarte Eyeshadows: Sand Out from the Crowd (inner lid), Peach for the Stars (middle of lid), View from the Taupe (outer lid), Rose to the Occasion (crease)
I have been so on the fence about this one! The colours are gorgeous but they are fairly light, and i’m not sure if it would show up on my NC35 skin.
I think some of them will just look the same on your skin tone, unfortunately! 🙁
I got it + think that the LIGHTER you are, the more the colors will differentiate. They do blend beautifully + gradate into each other. Haven’t tried it over Milk pencil, though. That could help. It doesn’t pop + it’s definitely SFW. Any work. Maybe it begs for a bold lip. (Sephora Courtisane was decent…) It seems to pull cooler on me than Ms Christine: the taupe is grayer than browner. The sand + peach were the only ones that ran neutral to warm on me; all the others were cool. I’d say, try before you buy + BYOB (bring your own BRUSHES!) As Christine said previously, this will be a workhorse for some. But the lightness + powderiness leave out many. I doubt there would be much differentiation in anyone with darker than medium skin.
Dang it, Christine! Now I need this palette LOL. It’s so pretty! And it got a better grade than I expected from being all Matte.
If they weren’t so powdery and messy to use, it would have been a pretty good palette.
Wow I ordered this palette immediately!! LOVE <3
Enjoy! 🙂
The packaging is sooo pretty, I wish it were magnetized to be able to switch out shadow pans from other palettes, especially since those liners will long outlast the shadows… I also find it interesting that on the boxes of the 10-pan palettes, tarte goes on about “recycling”, yet they create this *stunning* piece, only to have it be tossed when the product is gone…?
I think you could recycle the palette itself! Tarte doesn’t seem to have a permanent range of eyeshadows, so that’s probably part of why they don’t do a magnetized system.
The 10-pans are all magnetized, and unless something changed in the last few months, there was a small range of singles available on the website. The wording on the 10-pan packaging even states that one can order refills, and the palettes themselves were designed to be reused/refilled/customized, which is why this beautiful, sturdy-looking palette would be more ideal for that purpose!
Good to know! I haven’t seen a 10-pan palette in awhile – just the super mega palettes!
There are 2 (maybe 3?) that are still around, and I just took a look at the tarte website, and they have individual pans!
Hmm, the blush is really the only part of this that I care about!
Exposed is pretty similar, at least!
Elevated is *exactly* what I wanted Exposed to be!
Many of the new Tarte releases has been quite disappointing for me this year so far. They have decreased the sizes of products and kept the prices the same. The quality doesn’t seem like it’s there on this product either :/
The size of this palette is quite big (in terms of weight!), at least.
It’s a very nice product, it’s not just something that I need. Or, rather, it’s not something that I “need.”
I can see it not being a run-out-and-get-it-immediately kind of product.
I’m so excited about this palette! A friend is ver kindly sending it from the states for me – it’ll be my first time trying Tarte and my first set of matte eyeshadows! Not to mention the gorgeous purple packaging…
Thanks for the review – I’ve been really interested to hear your thoughts, and I’m glad it came up with a fairly decent review! 😛
I hope you enjoy your first foray into Tarte, @Sylirael!
I love the packaging, so beautiful! That alone makes me want to buy this, but luckily I also think I’ll love the contents. Definitely getting this!
Yay!
I am loving all the taupey rosey shades that so many brands have been putting out lately 🙂
Me too!
Too light for NC42 skin tone 🙁 Though the palette is beautiful !
I hear ya, Jessie! I felt like on my skin tone, it’s not the most versatile palette.
I wish Tarte would make that blush permanent! It seems like a great matte natural blush for my skin tone.
It would be nice to see it added to the permanent range.
I don’t need this palette (though I’m very attracted to the packaging. It’s gorgeous!). I have a million palettes, most of the shadows would look light on my medium skin, and I am not the hugest fan of all mattes. I really enjoy Tarte shadows, but I find that you have to work with them very differently than Urban Decay or MAC. I absolutely love fluffy shadow brushes for Tarte (the one included in the NeutralEyes palette works SO well with Tarte shadows) instead of stiff brushes like the MAC 239. It was interesting to see you articulate that in the review. It really is true – if you want the best results with Tarte shadows, get something fluffy (e.g., the Sigma E55 if you don’t have a Tarte shadow brush) and you’ll get way better results.
I actually like the 239 with this palette 🙂
No offense to anyone who likes this is meant, but even though it’s pretty, I just find it sooooo boring!
Sometimes I think putting together a really natural eye can be tricky that it’s more fun to do than a brighter look!
Plums Up is really pretty! I need an eyeshadow pan like that!
It’s a great shade to have on hand!
Ooh, what lipstick are you wearing?
Milani Berry Tempting! http://www.temptalia.com/milani-berry-tempting-ravish-raspberry-pink-lady-brilliant-shine-lipglosses-reviews-photos-swatches
Matte can look very chalky without any shimmer colors. I feel like I want this palette, but at the same time I don’t. I’m an NC37 and from what you shared, this palette may not be best for my skin tone so I don’t think I’ll be picking this up. Thanks for the review Christine!
No problem, Nicki! 🙂
I got this palette and have been wearing it the past week. I love it, but I’m also very pale skinned. I can see how it might not wear well on darker skin tones. Hopefully Tarte comes up with a palette people with darker skin tones can wear better.
So happy to hear you’re loving yours, Pamsy!
The packaging is beautiful! I almost want it just to display in my room.
Haha!
LOVE how all Tarte products look and the packaging…Sadly cannot wear them as they all irritate me…too much naturalness i guess lol
Aww, that’s too bad, Alia!
I wanted this so badly that I stalked stores until I found it. However, the blush just did not show up on my skin very well at all, and the eyeshadows mostly looked the same. I wanted to love it so badly, because as a frequent traveler this would be perfect!!! But it just left me so sad that it didn’t work on my skin tone. I’m NW25, so in my opinion this would only really work on fair to light skin.
Yeah, it definitely seems to be a palette for fair skin tones!
Pretty Palette! Loved the Plum shade! 🙂
It’s a nice shade of plum!
Beautiful colors! Wouldn’t work on my NW45 skin tone but my niece whose around a NC 20 is just starting to wear makeup; she might really like this…maybe a birthday present for her.
That would be a nice gift, Lisa!
I bought this today! To be honest I couldn’t avoid it with such beautiful packaging. I’m super fair so the colours all show up nice and different, and the blush is the exact shade I’ve been hunting for since I died my hair red and knocked out my old blush matches. I feel like this is definitely going to be a solid base palette for me, because you can always add shimmer on top to mix it up a bit. Haven’t tested it out fully yet but swatching in store the shadows felt super cream and very nicely pigmented.
I’m thrilled that the palette is working well on your fairer skin, Rachel! 🙂
ugh i really want this. of course i live in europe 🙁
by the way, i was going to try your *foundation matrix*-thingie. and it doesnt seem to work, i clicked in my undertone and skintone, which is fair, but the results were all really dark colors! seems kind of strange 🙁
I’m not sure what undertone you selected, but when I went to fair and tested the different undertones, it’s showing the correct results.
Wow, the outer design of the palette is stunning! Quite the bright, bold contrast to the soft shadows.
I like the color scheme, but I would like a few of the colors to pop more and not be so similar.
I’ve been enjoying pinky-taupe shades like the ones here, but I have good ones in my Naked 3 palette already.
If you have Naked3, you’re covered!
I’ve really been needing some matte eyeshadows, I’ll have to check this out!
Let us know if it works out for you @Melinda!
The colors are very pigmented! But can’t afford for that one
Check out some of the dupes or shop your stash! I’m sure you have similar shades!
Hi Christine, I was wondering how similar Elevated is to Benefit’s Dandelion?
Dandelion is warmer, more shimmery!
Thank you!
I can see the formulation making it a little messy but the colors are pretty. Probably something better to try if you don’t have a whole lot of neutrals. They don’t show up a lot on you yet they give you a very “no makeup” finished look which is always good for work. Still it looks pretty on you.
Thanks, Karen!
I tried the blush on my hand in both Ulta and Sephora. On both occasions the blush didn’t show up on my hand at all and my skin is fairer than fair. When I removed it, there was blush on the cotton pad, but I saw NOTHING on my hand. Very weird! Was thinking of buying it, but not going to bother if it’s a “phantom blush,” LOL.
LOL @ phantom blush!
The blush by itself is what makes this palette tempting for me. I wonder what Tarte’s history of bringing LE items into their permanent line is like?
I think I’ve seen it with some of the individually released blushes – like a QVC exclusive shade that then goes permanent, but I’m not 100% sure.
This isn’t typically a palette that I would go for, but I actually really like it!
That’s awesome! A little surprise 🙂
The makeup looks beautiful, and the case looks stunning!
I’ve depotted Tarte shadows before. This is easy to reuse when it’s empty. Use Magnetic tape and you’re golden.
Good to hear depotting is easy!
I bought this as a travel palette & I’m eager to try it tho a little concerned abt your warning about powdery consistency & fallout. I’ll take your advice & do my eyes first. My skin is fair/light & matte is my preference for ES. Tho it’s similar to my IT Naturally Pretty matte palette this is easier to pack.
Love the packaging and the blush and I’m a sucker for matte shadows, but I have medium skin colouring and I’ll sit this one out.
This looks like it would be a nice addition to Naked Basics eyeshadows…
I bought this thinking because I have a light complexion this would work for me. Unfortunately, these tend to just blend away and by the time I get some good color payoff they end up looking messy and sort of blotchy. I’ve tried them over Milk, painterly, and UD primer potion. Oh well! 🙂
Oh no! What a bummer!
Christine! Do you think this one is better the The Balm’s Meet Matte Nude? Which one should I buy?
Thanks!
I like Meet Matte Nude!
I bought this palette when Tarte had the 20% off coupon code. I tried it for the first time today. I have to say…..I am in LOVE! I wore the eye shadow for 9 hours today without any fading. The liner shadow did not transfer to my lid as many other liner shadows have done to me. It is perfect for work and I think I will make this part of my daily work day makeup routine. I did not try the blush yet and I used my Sigma brushes for application. I am very pleased!
I ordered this palette because I couldn’t resist the beautiful packaging. When it arrived, I found the texture to be very silky and powdery, but this also translates to MESSY…even when I use a light hand to pick up the shadows with different types of brushes. This I can live with (it just means I can’t travel with it), but I’m pretty disappointed that the majority of these colors do not show up on my lids. For reference, I have light-medium skin with yellow undertones (I wear Medium in Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation). I’ll try this again with primer before I decide if it needs to go back. I do like Dream in Chocolate, but that may just be because it’s the only thing that shows up on my skin. It is a little difficult apply along the lash line though, because of its texture, and I probably wouldn’t choose it over my other eyeliner products. Just my honest opinion of this product… It’s one of those things you should really try before you buy.
The packaging alone makes me want to buy it!! And I dont even wear eyeshadow lol
Recently picked this up and absolutely adore it. The texture is truly amazing, very soft — but can be messy indeed. To remedy this I suggest applying the eyeshadow before your base/foundation. Otherwise, this a great palette, and at such a value as well. My only regret is that the colors, while gorgeous, look too similar for any major (or minor) effect. On a side note: I love the shade, “Rose To The Occasion,” which appears similar to “Nooner” from UD’s Naked 3 (both are my favorites from each palette — hee).
Definitely a great tip, Courtney! Thank you for sharing 🙂
I love Love LOVE this palette so much that I purchased a backup.
It’s great for people who love matte colors, natural looks or for vintage inspired looks.
btw: I am NW20/25
Glad it’s working well for you!