tarte ’09 Holiday Collection

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multiple shades of tarte lip gloss laid on a table
Tarte holiday collections are always one of the highlights of my year. That might sound crazy (or slightly sad) but have you ever seen them? The 2008 Purse Your Lips lip gloss set was my favorite purchase for the whole year (I kid you not). 2007’s We Wish You Wealth palette still gets pulled out on a weekly basis for it’s beautiful eye shadows. Was it any wonder that when the package of this year’s holiday goodies arrived it had me singing hallelujah?

Tarte is smart! This year there are 3 new gifts to fit any budget; $25, $39 and $52. So, depending on how naughty or nice the recipient is, they’ve got it covered. You, of course, deserve them all!

I’ll start with the big guns, the $52 Sephora-exclusive Treasure Chest palette. We did not get the chance to test this, but it is very worthy of a look. As awe-worthy as my beloved Wish you Wealth, but 30% bigger! There is a whole second layer of matte shadows in the Treasure Chest, for a whopping 32 total. But wait, there’s more! 16 lip glosses, their infamous Park Avenue Princess bronzer, a luminizer and 4 new powder blushes. I really don’t need this, but oh, how I want it!

We did, however, get to test the
Three Carats Mini Cheek Stain Set, three limited edition colors with incredibly fabulous packaging. Like the caps, the shades shimmer too; Brilliant is champagne hued, Princess a beautiful rose, and Cushion a deep apricot. But far from superficial, they’re good for you too. Packed with naturally occuring, antioxidant rich nutrients and vitamins so that you can truly glow.

And finally, the gift that had me weak at the knees (it’s a must-have for gloss lovers), the Crown Jewels Lipgloss Multi-Gift Set

Let me just say, Purse Your Lips has been given a run for it’s money! (Close your ears, you pretty little year-old glosses, you don’t want to hear this.) Tarte has given you not 5, not 10 but 15 glosses, each prettier than the next. But the true genius lies in the fact that they are separated into 3 collections and boxed so that you can give 1 or 2 as a gift, keeping the set that speaks loudest to you. Or keep all three, we don’t judge! These glosses smell and taste great (sweet, but not overpowering), feel smooth and look fabulous.
multiple shades of tarte lip gloss laid on a tableOn the left is the Glittering Green Goddess, collection. This is the most sheer and subtle color group. The shades are (from left): sheer nude-peach, beige, sweet pink, cotton candy pink and shimmering cinnamon (my favorite of this group, as it has the most pigment and super fine peach glimmer; not quite glitter but more than shimmer!)

The photo on the right shows the Twinkling Trendsetters. This is my favorite overall group. Great pigment and really fashion forward yet wearable colors. From left, they are: twinkling melon-pink, strawberry, fuschia, raspberry and brick-red. The melon-pink seems like it was made specifically for me. I’m a total coral lover but tend to pass it up in the winter as it seems too…peppy. The shade adds just enough warmth to it that it really works well in the colder months.

multiple shades of tarte lip gloss laid on a tableLast up, the Dazzling Divas. Remind you of anything? Yeah, me too! But I happen to be a Dazzleglass fiend so I was very pleased. From left, they are: dazzling warm sand, gold, orchid, violet and coral-pink. I think of this collection as the enhancers, the glitter looking it’s best over a lipstick or more pigmented gloss (with the exception of the coral-pink, they are surprisingly sheer). But oh, how they enhance! They turn your lips into a sparkling pool of luscious color. You really don’t get much more festive than these.

How about it ladies? Are you feeling regal and glam with the Crown Jewels? Did the Three Carats leave you royally flushed? Let us know!

Author

  • Stef Andrews

    Stef is a plethora of things. Amongst them: co-founder of we heart this, photographer, condiment connoisseur, Philly girl in the California desert, borderline hoarder and a hardcore beauty junkie. She also has a touch of wanderlust and, arguably, the cutest dog in the whole world... skin tone: NC 25/30 skin type: oily with a fear of rosacea favorite beauty product: high end skincare and lip products

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10 Comments

  1. Stef, your review really said it all about these lovelies, but I’ll put in my two cents anyway. :)

    I have to admit that when I hear “Tarte” my mind automatically goes to their Cheek Stains, which are truly iconic and have spawned so many copycats over the years. But when I received the Crown Jewels lipgloss set for review, I didn’t think twice before tearing into that lovely box.

    Any lipgloss fan would be THRILLED to receive all or just one of the sets. I mean, the colors are *all* so incredibly wearable–there was literally not one bad one in the bunch for me, and I usually can’t pull off about 90% of lipgloss shades. They are utterly delectable–I love each type of gloss more than the next.

    In fact, I can’t really pin down which of the three I like the most. Your descriptions were spot-on about all of them, and if forced to pick just one set, I think I’d have to go with Twinkling Trendsetters as well. The pigment is just unbelievable, and the staying power is out of this world, even for a chronic gloss-eater such as myself.

    But I have to add that the gold gloss in the Dazzling Divas set is the show-stopper for me. I put it on bare lips and I just cannot tell you how amazing it looks. The multi-colored micro-glitter makes my lips look other-worldly! I can only imagine how this one will look layered underneath a lipstick, but it’s just so pretty on its own (paired with a smokey eye would be un-freaking-believable) that I can’t bare to try and layer it…yet.

    Five VERY enthusiastic stars for me. Get this one NOW ladies, while you can. I can’t see how anyone would be disappointed with this investment.

  2. You may have gathered from my review, I think the Crown Jewels may just be the best thing since sliced bread. I agree with NoveauCheap, grab one of these while you can.

    5 bright, glowing stars!
    .-= stef´s last blog ..Holly Doss cosmetics – review =-.

  3. I felt the glow of the Holidays and decided to pass on these amazing tarte sets, so that our deserving review team could get their hands on these sets. I did feel a bit like the scrooge when I felt a tinge of jealously reading these reviews, but I’m only human!

    I got to see both sets – the cheek stains have some of the best holiday packaging around – if you know someone that likes a bit of sparkle – here’s a fab gift. And, as nc mentioned, the actual check stains are beauty industry favorites (that other companies keep trying to mimic).

    And the glosses – oh my – 15 generously sized tubes – that can be split into three sets of five – keep all three or give some away – genius! This would make a very impressive gift.
    .-= Tyna Werner´s last blog ..Renee Rouleau Skin Care review =-.

  4. I’ve seen these sets, and they are indeed beautiful. I am with you T, and am jealous after reading the great reviews. I’m sure they would make great stocking stuffers! I’m not used to using cheek stains, but they look awesome too! Looks like they aren’t lacking at all in quality either!

  5. I was excited when I saw Three Carats Mini Cheek Stain Set. The packaging is awesome. The lids are sparkly and pretty and super sleek. Anyone who gets this for a gift will feel special.

    The stains are awesome too. Just a hint of shimmer in it to give your cheeks a nice glow. I fell in love with the Brilliant color. It’s the perfect fall/winter shade for me. The other two colors are great too. Very pretty and glamorous. I have been wearing those for special occasions.

    The only thing I don’t like is that my hair sticks to my cheeks after I put the stain on. This may be caused because I don’t put any powder on top of the stain. I tried that one night but the stain lost some of the shimmer and was a bit duller. I like the look better without the powder on top.

    I love those glosses! I think I would like the Glittering Green Goddess collection the best. I’ll have to put those on my wish list!

  6. Stef–I’m with you, I look forward to Tarte’s holiday sets all year long. They always have really fun packaging and a reasonable price tag to go with it. This year, I love that they have a price tag for every budget. The dividable lip gloss set is pure genius. For $39, you have gifts for 3 people. If you buy the Three Carats cheek stain trio and split them up and add them to one of the boxes of lip gloss, you have 3 really nice gift sets for a little over $20–perfect for stocking stuffers or Secret Santa gifts. The Treasure Chest, or as I like to call it, “The Beast Palette”, is just a massive value. I’ve been purchasing its predecessors for the last two years and this year’s offering has even MORE product wedged inside. It’s the makeup equivalent of a clown car :)
    It’s definitely on my wishlist.
    Now, let me talk about the item I received for review that you’ll be wanting to add to your own wishlist: the Three Carat Mini Cheek Stain set. I have an obsessive love for blush, cream blush especially. Until I decided to share my bounty w/ one of my bff’s, I had every shade of cheek stain (they’re so huge, you really can’t use an entire full-size one, so I had to share the wealth). I constantly reach for the ones I have left–they are perfect for an easy, polished look. The bejeweled trio contains new, limited edition shades (I’m a sucker for those!) in Cushion(a soft, pale shimmery peach), Princess (a soft rose shimmer), and Brilliant (pale, shimmery nude). I think these are perfect for people who like a more subtle blush–the colors are very delicate and pretty. I typically put powder over Tarte cheek stains and it works wonderfully for increasing lasting power, but most Tarte cheek stains are highly pigmented, but these are more subtle, so if you put powder over them to set it, stick to a colorless finishing powder and apply it very lightly w/ a fluffy brush. If you use regular face powder w/ pigment, it diminishes the beauty of these cheek stains. The cheek stains blend well and are very creamy, not so much a gel like most of Tarte’s cheek stains. They even have a slight lemon scent, which I kind of was digging. I love everything about these cheek stains—I wish I had an extra star to give :)

  7. Tarte Rules! And getting the Crown Jewels Lipgloss Multi-Gift Set was like Christmas Morning! I was psyched! As you can tell from Stefs review and from looking at those pix, these glosses are not only beautiful, but they wear so well. I can’t even pick which set I like the best!
    The Glittering Green Goddess pack has 5 gorgeous glosses with subtle hits of color, if you or one of your pals is a gloss lover, who is normally an Au Natural kind of gal, this set would be her new go to lip shine. Like Stef said it’s not glitter, it is pure sweet shimmer…so pretty!
    The next set Stef’s Fav. and my fav. too is the Twinkling Trendsetters, all the colors pop just enough, and have that hint of glittery shimmer that will turn a few heads! As she said too, they do taste and smell sweet which is a plus!
    the last set – Dazzling Divas – is Holiday festive gorgeous wow for your lips. Add one of these over your lipstick and boom your lips are the official star of the night! Such staying power, gorgeous color and all of these for $39 that is just about the most INSANE Great Deal I’ve seen this season! I have a feeling these will be bought up off the shelves in record time!
    The fact you can keep one give two, or hey if your not into gloss and your friends are you have three gifts down that they will LOVE you for :)
    This is a definite 5 stars from me.. It’s the best lip Christmas pack going!!

  8. Does it make me a horrible person that, even though giving the Crown Jewels lip set out as gifts is an excellent and thoughtful idea, I totally wouldn’t? As a lip gloss addict, I would selfishly and without any hint of remorse hoard them all to myself, possibly hugging them to my chest and cackling with glee.
    So does that make me a horrible person? I’m okay with that, just wondering. :-)

    Great review; I’ve always loved tarte because they seem to have something for everyone! I think I might even brave the crowds at the mall this Friday to go to Sephora and grab the Crown Jewels set…

  9. Alyssa, Oh-I’m not sharing my Crown Jewels either! If you’re horrible, let’s be horrible together. I didn’t even consider for one moment that I would give even one gloss away, let alone 5. Too pretty, MINE!
    .-= stef´s last blog ..My favorite Thanksgiving side dish ever… =-.

  10. hmm.. the link to the giveaway led me here.. damn you pc!
    sorry girls :)

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