Tarte cosmetics

Tarte Friends & Family 30% off sale? Step away from the blush and nobody gets hurt!

If you’re a bona-fide Tartlette you understand full well my excitement at the 30% off Friends and Family sale Tarte Cosmetics has going on at their website. And even if you’re not a Tartlette yet, now is a great time to initiate yourself into the cosmetic awesomeness that Tarte. Use the code FFAUG through August 8, 2012.

Here are my recommended picks to haul during the sale.

Amazonian Clay Long-Wearing Blush

Blushaholics can’t truly call themselves one unless they own one of these amazing blushes. Made with Amazonian clay, they are moisturizing to dry skin yet oil-resistant enough to withstand even my OPEC-threatening oily skin. These blushes are very pigmented and you need very little to start with and the coverage is buildable. For those with dark skin, be wary of the very light shades as while the color does build up, fair shades will look ashy on dark skin. My favorite blush colors (and the ones I own) are Frisky, Tipsy, Amused and Flush. I’ve tested these in the hot Florida heat and while there was some fading of the color at about 4 – 5 hours, a quick re-touch with a little product brought it back to life.

Swatches of my beloved Tarte Amazonian Blushes!

Amazonian Clay SPF15 12 Hr Full Coverage Foundation

This foundation is waterproof and is so light on the skin it is a godsend for oily-skinned gals. Unfortunately I returned the color I bought (Deep) as it is made for dark-skinned beauties with yellow undertones, not us red undertoned gals. That aside the foundation performs well, blends effortlessly, is long-wearing and comfortable even on my sensitive acne-prone skin. Hopefully Tarte will make a dark shade with red undertones in the future.

Amazonian Clay emphasEYES Eyeliner

If I didn’t already own an obscene amount of MAC fluidlines and YSL gel eyeliners I would so haul some from Tarte. Made with Amazonian clay, these waterproof eyeliners are softer than MAC’s yet a bit stiffer than YSL’s but come in a very wearable range of five (5) shades. A nice bonus is all shades of Tarte’s waterproof eyeliner come with a brush to line and smudge the product on your lids.

So what are you hauling from the sale? Got anything you’ve just gotta have? Comment and let everyone know!

Have you heard of Birchbox? If not, go get yourself acquainted with it here.

If you have (and don’t feel like going to the site just yet) check out my unboxing of this month’s Birchbox filled with beauty booty for a monthly fee of $10. Last month I got my first box and while it wasn’t all that exciting, it wasn’t dissapointing and for $10 you can’t beat it with a stick. Then again, you could but why would you?

Special delivery from Birchbox for March 2012!!

For March I opted to get the Teen Vogue Birchbox which contained items hand-picked by the Teen Vogue staff. Granted I’m no longer a teenager but I love hip products so I went for it. Please note this wasn’t my ‘regular’ box but Birchbox sent me a ‘do you want this’ email and I gladly accepted. So let’s get to the goodies that arrived this month!

From left: Kate Spade's 'Twirl', Tarte lip tint in 'Lucky', Keratase hair oil serum, Essie Luxeffects nail polish, Twistband snag-proof hair tie.

‘Twirl‘ fragrance by Kate Spade

Classified as a fruity-floral, I received a standard ‘sample size’ atomizer on a card. This smelled absolutely delightful when sprayed but my body chemistry immediately turned it into sewage. Very disappointing as I love the complexity and sophistication of this fragrance. This is definitely not a personal favorite for me but I wouldn’t hesitate to give it as an upscale fragrance gift.

Tarte Cosmetics Lipsurgence Lip Tint in ‘Lucky’

For me this was the star of this month’s Birchbox. I’ve heard a lot about Tarte Cosmetics and while I’m in total love with their blush, I haven’t tried their lip tint before. Lucky is a light pink with brown and if overdone can look chalky on dark skin (use a light hand). Even so, this is a very pretty spring pink universal shade that should flatter cool as well as warm undertones. I’m personally very happy with how the color looks on my NW43 skin and look forward to trying more of these from Tarte.

Keratase Hair Beautifying Oil

I’ve never personally used Keratase products but I have heard of their excellent reputation for hair care. A small sample of ‘beautifying oil’ included in the box is going straight into my carry on for my upcoming trip. As a woman of color with textured hair, hair oil is always a welcome thing.

Essie Luxeffects Nail Polish

Regular readers of my blog know I’ve previously reviewed my pics from the Essie Luxeffects line. While fate saw fit to send me something I already own, I was very glad t see the silver glitter Set in Stones in my box.

Twistband Hair Tie

How handy is this little sweet thing? I’d never heard of this brand until it arrived in this months’ box. BIlled as a snag-free elastic tie that is gentle to hair, I received a pretty spring blue hair tie that will also go in my trip carry on. I’m always looking for great hair ties to keep my hair in place during sweaty workouts but won’t damage my hair when taking them out. I can definitely see myself ordering a few of these in the future.

Handy 'rundown' card of all Birchbox items and purchase information

Overall I am extremely pleased with this month’s Birchbox delivery. If you haven’t tried the service yet, it is a great way to try a variety of beauty products each month without paying a lot of money. For those of you who have tried the service, how do you like it so far? Have you tried it and decided it wasn’t for you?

The Beauty Is A Geek

Tarte Cosmetics 30% off Friends And Family Sale!