When I first glimpsed the new limited-edition Tarte “Be MATTEnificent” Palette on the shelves of Sephora, I knew it had to be mine! Let’s have a look, shall we?
Exterior of the palette:
As you can see, the palette contains 8 matte eyeshadows (two of which are intended as “liner” shades) and one blush, which makes it a multifunctional product. The first thing one notices about all Tarte palettes is the large amount of product housed in each eyeshadow pot, which is always a plus!
I’m now going to swatch and describe each eyeshadow for you:
1) “Sand Out From The Crowd”
This shade is a light vanilla cream hue — perfect as a base color all over the eye from brow to eyelid.
2) “Pink Outside the Box”
Light baby pink — ideal as a lid color, base, or brow bone highlight.
3) “Peach for the Stars”
A cool peach — suitable as a lid, crease, or base color.
4) “Rose to the Occasion”
Dusty rose mauve. Beautiful as a lid or crease color!
5) “View from the Taupe”
Cool-toned taupe. Can be utilized as a crease or lid color.
6) “Two Plums Up”
Dark eggplant/plum shade — can be used as a lid, crease, outer corner, or even liner shade.
To top it off, the palette offers two matte “liner” shades — black and brown, in “Don’t Stand Black” and “Dream in Chocolate” respectively:
The blush, “Elevated”, a new shade for Tarte, is a neutral dusty pink which, at least in the pan, appears to be universally flattering:
It provides a natural flush to the cheeks, which can be built up as desired. Modeling the blush:
This palette has so much to offer — eight eyeshadows, populated with both neutrals and pigmented “pop” shades, and a universally flattering blush! The palette, with its strong lavender and mauve undertones, certainly leans toward the cool end of the spectrum — and thus may best suited for cool-toned ladies. The shades, however, are quite pigmented on the lids and very blendable as well. Blend-ability is the key to any seamless eye look! I was also impressed by the brush which comes with the kit and used that brush to create two sample eye looks below.
Eye Look #1:
To create this eyeshadow look, I applied “Sand Out From The Crowd” all over the eye from eyelid to eyebrow, on top of Urban Decay’s primer potion. Then, I applied “Pink Outside the Box” to the lid. Next, I applied “View from the Taupe” to the crease and “Two Plums Up” to the outer corner. I finished by lining the lash line with “Don’t Stand Black.”
Eye Look #2:
To achieve this look, I applied “Pink Outside the Box” as my base color. Next, I applied “Two Plums Up” to the lid, blending it out with “Peach for the Stars” on the crease and “Rose to the Occasion” in the outer corner. I lined the lash line with “Dream in Chocolate.”
I highly recommend this palette! It’s sophisticated and sultry — yet neutral enough to wear to work. If Urban Decay ever decided to make a lavender/plum-themed “Naked” palette, it would look something like this! In addition, a Tarte “Amazonian Clay” blush usually costs $26 alone, so, at $36, this palette is a gorgeous steal. The eyeshadows and blush look just as vibrant at 6pm as they do at 6am when first applied.
This palette is limited edition, so grab it while supplies last!
Final Verdict: 5/5 Stars
Available at ULTA, Sephora, and tartecosmetics.com for $36