The Tarte limited edition treasure box collector's set is a gorgeously packaged all-in one gift set filled with a large selection of Tarte’s best selling products. Included in the set are 24 Amazonian clay eyeshadows, two bronzers, two blushes, highlighter, sex kitten eye liner and travel sizes of Lights Camera Lashes mascara and quick drying lip paint. There is a reason why this gift set was included in our 2017 Holiday Gift Guide!
Can we take a quick moment to discuss the packaging? The print is reminiscent of a retro 70’s print and the pink/gold color scheme is eye catching. The packaging itself it a mix of what feels like sturdy cardboard material and plastic. The set is not overly heavy, but also not so light that you feel like you can drop it and ruin the whole thing.
Let’s get down to the nitty gritty about the actual products included in the gift set.
The eyeshadows are Tartes typical amazonian clay formula, pigmented, buildable and blendable. In the pan, the majority of the shadows are soft, so be gentle when going in with a brush and do not be surprised when you get kickback in the pan. The shimmer shades are super creamy and oh-so pigmented. Using a finger or dampened brush for application really helps the impact of the shimmer. The three darkest matte shades are slightly patchy when swatching, but perform nicely on the eye with a brush and light hand. The lighter and midrange matte colors are able to do everything from highlighting the browbone to providing the perfect crease colors for defining and adding depth to the eye. Tarte really thought these eyeshadows through, as all of the shades each have individual names (when does that ever happen in a eyeshadow palette as large as this?!)
The blushes and bronzer are pigmented, pigmented, pigmented. The blushes come in both a cool tone and warm tone pink shade (named carnation pink and watermelon pink respectively). The bronzers come in a matte (navigate) and shimmer shade (bronze luster.) Use these products sparingly at first, and build up to the color intensity you are looking to achieve.
The highlighter, in shade wanderlust, is a light champagne color that gives a natural looking highlight to the face. The shade is not glittery but still imparts a subtle glow when the pressed powder is used dry. Wanderlust is most definitely a “wear to work” type of highlighter. If you are after a more blinding highlight, use a dampened brush or your fingers to apply.
Tarte’s Sex Kitten eyeliner is a matte, triple-black, retractable, gel eyeliner, that comes with a smudger on the opposite end of the pencil. Can I be honest with you? When I originally saw the eyeliner, I was the least excited about this product in the gift set. Most gel eyeliner do not have the greatest staying power, smudge way too easily and do not perform the way you would expect it to perform. This eyeliner surprised me in the best way possible and smashed all of my preconceived thoughts about it. Not only is the Sex Kitten eyeliner waterproof and smudgeproof (once dried down), it has a soft glide tip that allows you to apply the liner without any pulling or skipping on the lashline. Tightlining, usually an uncomfortable and awkward process, was the easiest and most comfortable it had ever been! Tarte claims that the formula is able to withstand 12 hours of wear, but during my wear test, it lasted longer than that! Hate to admit this to you all, but I fell asleep at night still wearing the eyeliner after about 10 hours of wear (*gasp* cardinal makeup rule #1, never go to sleep with your makeup on!) and when I woke up in the morning, the eyeliner was exactly where it was the day before. What eyeliner do you know of that can do that?! The included smudger works perfectly well with the formula, but, be sure to work quickly as the formula does dry down rather fast. Tarte’s Sex Kitten eyeliner has, without doubt, become my new favorite gel eyeliner...and that is saying a lot about it.
The quick drying matte liquid lip is exactly what it say’s it is, a quick dry matte liquid lip. The shade deep rose is included in this set and is a gorgeous dusty mauve type of color. Don’t be fooled from the way the color looks in its packaging, the shade dries down darker than it appears in the tube. The difference in the shade is enough to be noticed, but not enough of a difference to completely change the color you expected on your lips. The quick dry formula is one of the faster drying liquid lips I have used in quite a while. Be careful to not push your lips together, while the product is still wet immediately after applying. One small drawback to the product - you do feel like there is something on yours lips during wear. It is not a heavy feeling, or uncomfortable, but you do feel like there is something on your lips. Also there is a very strange, chemical-like, taste to this liquid lip that other products do not have. The taste does fade after a while, but it is noticeable and offputting at first.
The final product in the limited edition gift set is the Lights Camera, Lashes mascara. This cult classic mascara lengthens, curls and volumizes lashes to perfection. One use of this mascara and you will be hooked. If you are looking for a mascara to darken and define your lashes, to almost false lash status, this is the mascara for you. (Side note - I used this mascara YEARS ago, circa 2006/2007, and loved it back then but had stopped using it for no particular reason. Now that I have tried it again, all these years later, and remember what I loved about it in the first place, it will be taking up residency in my makeup collection.)
If you are someone looking for a “one stop shop” for a full face of makeup, or you are someone who is starting out and wants an easy kit to pull of different looks, or if you know a makeup junkie who can appreciate a wide variety of products and shades, this is the product for you. Aside from the strange taste of the matte lip paint, this limited edition treasure box set is the perfect gift this holiday season. The price is mid-range for this set, $59, but for the product you get inside, it is well worth the cost.
The Tarte limited edition treasure box collector's set is available at both Sephora and the Tarte website.
XOXO
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