Jun 28, 2011

Tarte True Blood Glamour Me Palette Swatches, Photos, Review

June 28, 2011 By Carleenp 9 Comments

Tarte cosmetics has put out a great makeup kit an palette for True Blood, available exclusively at Sephora. The Tarte True Blood Glamour Me Set includes 17 eye shadows, a natural eye primer, a full size emphaEyes soft eyeliner, and a sample size of Tarte Lights, Camera, Action mascara. I purchased a True Blood Palette to review and swatch, and am rather glad that I did! There are some very nice and very practical shades in the set. Tarte also has a limited edition cheek stain and lip tint to match the set. I adore the lip tint, and you can see a swatch of it here on Girl Gloss: Tarte TrueBlood Lip Tint Swatch.

Below are Tarte True Blood Swatches of all 17 shades. They are in the same order as seen in the rows in the photo above (alternating rows of three shades and four shades). The eye shadows have good pigment to them, and the more vibrant shades have a very nice pure color to them, which was good to see. They are a bit on the soft side, which is fine by me, but I sometimes see others complain about that characteristic. I didn’t feel that they were so soft that they were difficult to control, and I like being able to blend pretty well. A nice bonus to this kit is that the shades are very versatile. I can wear all of these, and I suspect that will be true for many other people across many different skin tones.

From left to right are swatches of the following shades: The Light, Fairy, and Dark.

Swatches of Dawn, Werewolf, Waitress, and Nocturnal

Charmer, Glamour Me, and Stake

Bayou, Telepath, The True Death, and Immortal

Swatches of Moss, Legend, and “V” (I particularly love these three shades)

Here are swatches of the TrueBlood primer and eyeliner. The primer works quite well and the liner is very soft and easy to apply. The included mascara is also quite nice. It gives good definition and length, plus I got some curl out it.

Here are a few views of the case. It is a pretty good size and the eye shadows are also of decent size. The case includes a mirror and a drawer for the primer, liner, and mascara.

The kit also comes with an instruction card for creating a few looks:

This is a limited edition collection that I suspect will be rather popular. It already is getting rave reviews on the sales page. So if you think you want it, get it before it disappears!

Buy the Tarte TrueBlood Glamour Me Makeup Set

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Filed Under: Collections and Looks, Eyeshadow, Makeup, Palettes and Collections Tagged With: Swatches, Tarte

Jun 2, 2011

Top Summer Makeup Tips

June 2, 2011 By Carleenp 1 Comment

Avoid Makeup Melt With These Top Summer Makeup Tips

From melting and dripping to sticky messes, the summer months can really take a toll on your makeup. As the temperatures rise and summer creeps in, it is important to remember some important summer makeup tips to keep you looking your best, even in the heat. Different makeup products perform differently in the heat, so it pays to know how your makeup will deal with the summer months. By following some simple and easy summer makeup tips, you can still look your best, even in the heat.

Summer Makeup Tip 1: Less is More

One of the easiest things that you can do to avoid melty messes in the heat is to go easy on your makeup. Think about how much time you will be spending outdoors and consider the amount of makeup you usually apply. Apply less makeup for each hour spent outside in the heat. You may want to use a tinted moisturizer instead of your usual foundation. LORAC protecTINT comes in 4 different shades and includes SPF 30 sunscreen. This is not to say that you can't use foundation, but a small amount of powder foundation can be placed where you don't feel like using the moisturizer. You may also want to consider a light primer to go on after the moisturizer. A light primer is a perfect summer makeup product in that it helps to keep your makeup in place all day, even in the heat. You can use a primer for eye shadow, as well as blush. Photo Finish Foundation Primer SPF 15 with Dermaxyl Complex is a great way to get the benefits of primer and sunscreen.

Summer Makeup Tip 2: Use Bronzer

In order to keep your eyes bright, you may want to consider applying some powder bronzer to your cheek bones, forehead, nose, and your chin. Apply lightly with a loose brush, so as not to have a dense pattern on your face. Make sure to lightly dust your neck and ears in order to have a uniform look. For a great waterproof, matte bronzer, check out Tarte’s Waterproof Matte Bronzer. It has been getting rave reviews!

Summer Beauty Tip 3: Consider Eyelash Extensions and Waterproof Eye Liner

When it comes to mascara, a great alternative is to have eyelash extensions applied. Done properly, eyelash extensions can last for weeks and you can swim and sweat all day with no worries of gunky messes.

Waterproof makeup has also made great strides in recent years. Gone are the days of flaky, crumbling messes.

If you are applying eyeliner, you may want to try Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes eyeliners (also see our previous review: Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes Swatches). This award winning line of eyeliners keeps you from turning into a raccoon, in the water or out. Whether you are performing a water ballet or just hanging out at the park, Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes eyeliners are a great choice to keep you looking beautiful all day. Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes eyeliners are completely waterproof, they glide on easily, and come in 25 shades.

Summer Beauty Tip 4: Avoid Heavy Lipstick

Instead of using lipstick, consider using a lipliner topped with some gloss. Find a shade that matches your natural lip color the closest, then apply and use a sheer gloss on top. This will keep your lips looking fresh all day while avoiding the sticky mess that can happen with heavy lipsticks in the Summer.

Summer Makeup Tip 5: Beat the Heat with Blotting Papers and Hydration

For your skin, carry around some blotting papers. From oily skin to light sweat, blotting papers can be a life saver in keeping your skin glowing without being shiny. Remember to keep yourself hydrated in order to keep your skin from drying and getting oily. Hydration will also help keep your makeup fresh and glowing. Also, when packing your makeup, keep in mind that even if your makeup bag won't be in direct sunlight, the heat can still melt it. Consider using a an insulated carrying case to avoid sticky messes.

Filed Under: Beauty Tips, Bronzers, Eye Liner, Eyeshadow, Foundation, Makeup, Makeup Primer, Mascara, Mattifiers, Skin Care Tagged With: Lorac, Makeup Forever, Smashbox, Tarte

Apr 18, 2011

How to Apply Eye Makeup

April 18, 2011 By Carleenp 2 Comments

As part of our back to basics series, here are some tips on applying eye makeup.

Most women know that achieving that natural eye-popping look requires a good deal of patience, experience and knowledge. Whether you are applying cosmetics for a day at the office or for a night on the town, some basic eye make up tips come in handy. Women who have not changed their eyeshadow routine since the 1960s and younger women who want to learn how to apply eyeshadow correctly before making too many mistakes should utilize the following eye makeup tips for that perfect look regardless of the occasion.

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Make Up Tip One: Always begin with primer. You would not paint a wall without priming it first. The same concept works for the application of eye shadow. Just as paint primer allows for more even coverage when painting the walls, eye primer allows for more even coverage when applying shadow. Sephora offers an excellent eyeshadow primer from Urban Decay. Primer Potion is magic in a bottle . It can be worn alone for that “no makeup” look. Worn as a primer, Urban Decay Primer Potion dries quickly and provides an unparalleled canvas for eyeshadow. It prevents the eyeshadow from creasing and ensures that the color lasts all day.

Make Up Tip Two: Once the primer is dry, it is time to choose a color palette. One of the most important eye makeup tips is that less is more. While glitter and highly saturated colors stand out on the runway, they will not look as appealing in the office. A woman can choose between a color that compliments her eye color for a natural effect and one that contrasts with her eye color to make her eyes pop. For makeup based on your eye color, see our series:

Whatever the color of your eyes, you will find gorgeous eye shadow at Sephora.

Tarte Eyeshadow Palette

The Tarte Femme Natural Palette takes the guesswork out of obtaining a nice eye shadow look. The Tarte eyeshadow kit is packaged in a cute compact that comes with its own shadow brush for easy application. The shades are pretty and natural, so that they will work with many different skin tones.

Make Up Tip Three: Finally, no eye makeup routine would be complete without mascara. Women with dark eyes and dark hair should choose black mascara. Women with blue eyes and pale hair should opt for brown mascara. With all of the different types of mascara on the market, it is difficult to choose the one that best suits one’s lashes. For thick, full lashes, use a thick brush and apply one coat of mascara. DiorShow Iconic Mascara is the right product for this situation. For thinner lashes, she should opt for a smaller brush to distribute the mascara more evenly and highlight each lash individually. Lancome Definicils Mascara makes even the thinnest lashes look lush. Curl your lashes before applying mascara for the best effect.