Tartelette in Bloom ($44) is chapter two to the original Tarte Tartelette which has been in my daily rotation since purchase. This one has a mix of mattes and shimmers and covers a cool to warm spectrum. I'll tell you right now that unless you're a serious beginner to eye makeup, you won't be needing this one. Not that anyone ever *needs* more eyeshadow but we purchase for shits and giggles anyway, hm?
I enjoy the slim yet sturdy packaging and big mirror enough to justify this palette worming its way into my stash. It's actually quite handy for storing at my work desk.
I found that the mattes are comparable to the original Tartelette. They're seemingly sheer and stiff when swatched onto skin, but when applied to the lids they're pigmented and very easy to blend. I particularly like this formulation because you can never "overdo" or apply too much. For comparison, the Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye palette has very pigmented mattes that are easy to blend, but if you don't have much lid space like me, you're prone to over-application as they're dusty.
Nobody (by nobody I mean Ulta.com) told me that this palette is scented like hot cocoa. It's NOT the same scent as the Too Faced Chocolate Bar and smells rather artificial...but I don't notice it unless I get really close and inhale. There's a slight scent once on the lids but I don't notice it lasting more than a few seconds. Still, why? Just why?
Here they are swatched on bare skin in various lighting. The picture above is taken under artificial yellow light. You can see that the shimmers swatch very well with just one pass, while the mattes took me 2-3 passes to build up color. Swatches go from right to left and top to bottom.
My favorite shades are: Rocker (beautiful neutral taupe shimmer), Firecracker (shimmery bronze), and Rebel (matte warm brown.) Smarty Pants doesn't look very pigmented when swatched but it's the perfect transition color for me at NC25 that isn't peach or orange.
Do I have dupes of every single color? Yes, except for Rocker. However, I still enjoy the fact that it has a enough colors in one place to create a multitude of different looks: a stand alone palette that's perfect for travel.
Here's one last look under flash. Again, the formula isn't ground breaking but I still think it's a great palette for beginners and people who frequently travel or do their makeup on the go.
Here are two looks that I've done with Tartelette in Bloom:
Pros:
- Tarte has really improved their eyeshadow quality. These are all pigmented and easy to blend and stays separate on the lids.
- Great selection of mattes/shimmers and cool/warm tones that will give you a lot of looks for day or night.
- Sleek and sturdy packaging with a big mirror.
Cons:
- Artificial-chocolate scented for no particular reason.
- The shimmery shades are also very soft...be careful and watch out for fallout!
- Redundant if you already have a large stash of eyeshadows.
- It's not the longest lasting formulation and will crease with 9+ hours of wear.
For me, I really enjoy the formula for daily looks that don't require thinking or planning ahead. I've tried and kept my share of eyeshadow palettes and this one easily takes a ranking in the top 5. My other go-to palettes would be the Lorac Pro 1 and Stila Eyes are the Window Soul Palette.
For example, I purged my TF Chocolate Bar because it had too many shades that I wouldn't use on a daily basis even though it's very neutral and understated. Another neutral palette that comes close is the MUFE Vol. 1 Nudes, but it leans just slightly too cool and doesn't have enough matte warm browns for blending. I could go on and on, but my final emphasis is that the Tartelette in Bloom may seem "extraneous" to collectors but combines the best colors and finishes for complete-neutral-daily eye looks.
Overall, I'd say that this is the perfect gift for the younger makeup lover in your life who's just getting into makeup. They won't have a problem with over-application or turning several colors into a muddy mess and can rely on one palette to get the job done. I'd say that this is an easy palette to skip for makeup aficionados/enthusiasts.
xo Be
