Tartlette Amazonian Clay Matte Eye Shadow Palette by Tarte Cosmetics

You guys. I can't even tell you how excited I am to show you this palette. First off, I spent like an hour in Ulta trying to decide whether or not to get it. I heard of it when it was first announced back in November and it disappeared from my thoughts until this blog post showed up in my email. Now I know Rachel is beautiful on her own but that palette just looks so good on her that I had to get it and try it for myself.



     Fortunately Ulta had it in stock at the same time as they had a 20% off coupon so I got it for about $35 instead of the regular price of $44. Gotta love a deal! I also heard QVC had it around the same time for $36 and with a dual ended brush but I didn't want to wait for it to be shipped. Considering I only got to use it twice before I had LASIK and was under strict "no eye makeup" instructions for the first week after, I could have probably waited. 

     This size and beauty of this palette made it only fitting that I would want to pair it with the idea of travel and pretty heels and all things girly. It's a very small palette considering there are 12 good sized eye shadows and a larger than usual mirror. Tarte did not include a brush pan which keeps this palette compact and lets you use your own favorite brushes. The palette itself isn't much wider than my passport and is still less than a half inch thick. It measures only 4" x 4.75" while a passport is 3.5" x 4.9 ." It feels sturdy in your hands, but surprisingly light and as many other bloggers have pointed out, the mirror stands up by itself. You won't have to worry about it falling shut if you use it to do your makeup. 

          The shadows themselves are a range of warm neutrals with some pinks, mauves and plum tones. I love how you can use matte shades to create a more natural look than you could with shimmer or glitter. Sometimes you need a little shine to give that extra spark but it's not necessary for every day.  If you add a couple shimmery shades or "top-coat" like products, you can create an amazing array of looks.  Two of my favorites are a dark brown and plum smoky eye or a softer neutral look with the lighter colors and a just a touch of sparkle to the middle of my lids.

     The shadows themselves are smooth and creamy with little fallout. I often have trouble with fallout when I use an angled eyeliner brush to line my upper lashes but I find that it is often my error and lack of brush skills than the formula of the shadow. The shades blend nicely and are well pigmented and lasted all day with primer.

     There is simply so much flexibility in the colors in this palette and there is not a single one that I don't wear. So often there are one or two colors that I look at and go, "Really? I'm never going to use that." This palette nailed the color range for me. If you like warm neutral colors with  pink, mauve or plum tones then you will love this palette. If you already have a  matte palette that you love that is "your colors" exactly you probably don't need this one as well, but in my opinion, it is pretty awesome. 

Leave a comment below if you liked this post! If this palette or matte shades just aren't your thing, what's your go-to eye shadows?

***Disclaimer: All items mentioned in this or future posts have been purchased by me, at my own expense unless otherwise noted. I am not affiliated with or sponsored by any company or brand so you can be assured my opinions are mine alone. My opinions are based on my own experience and independent research.