tarte Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette: Swatches and Review
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While I’ve tested and reviewed hundred’s of products during my beauty blogging life, I didn’t start out as a makeup junkie. In fact makeup, particularly eyeshadow, kind of scared and intimidated me through out high school. Why oh why, didn’t the tarte Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette exist during my teenage years?
When I experimented with shadows, my teenage tastes went for bright (and frosty!) blues – to bring out my blue eyes – right? Wrong. The vivid shades and my heavy hand made my eyeshadow overshadow my face, looking out of place and just wrong.
Finally, on the night of my senior prom, one of my besties (and a future makeup artist) helped me to get ready and artfully shadowed my lids with a rich brown, a hint of plum and a nude highlighter. I checked out her results and finally understood what the magazines meant about making “your eyes pop.” A makeup addict was born.
The tarte Tartelette Palette ($44) is my latest fix. This sleek yet substantial palette contains 12 matte shadows in brand new shades that were created “to inspire, celebrate, and empower real women.” And like real women, there’s some multitasking involved as these Amazonian clay-infused shades are offered in a mix of liner, lid, and crease shadow hues.
Let’s look at the colors!
Row One:
Free Spirit – warm creamy nude
Force Of Nature – soft nude brown
Dreamer – warm milk chocolate
Multi-Tasker – rich dark chocolate
Row Two:
Caregiver – pale pink
Natural Beauty – pinkish medium brown
Best Friend – dirty plum
Bombshell – blackened plum
Row Three:
Super Mom – cool ivory nude
Wanderer – soft camel
Power Player – basic taupe
Fashionista – inky black
tarte Tartelette Palette Row One: Free Spirit, Force Of Nature, Dreamer, Multi-Tasker
While the palette shadows can be mixed and matched at will, the first row is the one I reach for most often. It features a quad of warm browns and nudes that work together for an easy, everyday look. And Force Of Nature is the perfect, all over the lid, “no makeup” shadow for when I’m too late/lazy for a real cosmetics session.
tarte Tartelette Palette Row Two: Caregiver, Natural Beauty, Best Friend, Bombshell
The second row amps up the color with some super wearable plum and pink shades. Natural Beauty is naturally gorgeous when worn smudged in the crease of my eyes and really makes my blue eyes shine.
tarte Tartelette Palette Row Three: Super Mom, Wanderer, Power Player, Fashionista
The third row leans to the cool side and offers cream, taupe and black shades. Power Player is a pure, basic taupe and I couldn’t love it more. And Fashionista makes a great, dramatic, smudgy black liner.
Not sure where to start? This purple and gold decorated palette also includes a card with a step-by-step guide to create both a daytime and nighttime look.
Overall, this palette is a winner, especially for those that love matte shades. I found the formula of these shadows to be of high quality. The colors were silky and easy to work with, and the pigment is decent, especially for ‘natural look’ shadows. I got all day wear from this palette when paired with a primer, and found the shades to be nicely buildable for when I wanted to add a little oomph. If you’re in the market for a ‘wardrobe building’ shadow palette, check out tarte’s latest little palette, the Tartelette .
we heartsters – Which Tartelette color is your favorite?
photos: we heart this, swatches shown on NC25/30 skin tone
Tyna, co-founder and co-editor of wht, worries about becoming a crazy cat lady, reads at least a book a week, checks in at a Flyers fan forum every morning and is forever (some say obsessively) organizing her closets and drawers.
skin tone: NW 20/25
skin type: combination
favorite beauty product: eye shadows and lip balms
Yay, I am really excited for this review. as much as I love everything about it – the homage to their fans, the all matte colors,the impressive swatches – i think it might just be matte overload for me. I like a few good mattes in my life. This is amazing for someone who loves a versatile look with a wide range of matte colors though! and I love me some Tarte. I think some of the pinky mauves i can pass on, but this is a job well done indeed!!!
Matte overload?! AS IF there is such a thing! Hee.
Although I am a little obsessed with matte shadows of late. I need MORE!
This is perfection! Hardcore swooning. Tarte’s eyeshadows are spectacular, and I’m a huge fan of matte – need a little balance with all of those shimmers. I’ll have to track this palette down asap!
I could see this palette looking GREAT on you @heather – you should definitely look for it on your next makeup shopping spree!
I’ve been trying not to buy eyeshadow palettes lately (I have so many!), but this one was so wonderfully neutral and wearable, I had to have it. I tend to wear a lot of shimmer shadows, but lately I’ve been loving a matte eye. The colors on these appear richer on the lid than they do in the pan–this is not your basic matte palette, ladies! Everyone needs this :)
They ARE rich for a matte shadow @krista – glad you are enjoying the tartelette too!
I find all matte palettes are super handy! I don’t really use them for all matte looks, rather that I always have the perfect matte base color for any look I want to do. And this is pretty much as gorgeous as they come.
Good point @stef! And since I use the shimmery shades in palettes slower than other shadows – so I have a number of pretty and flattering (to me) shimmers. I use them when I need to add a little something to my beloved matte shadows.
Love everything about this! Colors are very wearable, beautiful compact, favorite brand…. I think I need to make a trip to Sephora!!
Yes, yes you do @spitfire77.
And not just for this palette – just cause a trip to Sephora is always a good idea!
This is one of the prettiest palettes I’ve seen in a long time. I’ve always wanted to try the Tarte eye-shadow palettes and the clay makes it seem all the more special. This is on my ‘must have’ list.
If you have never had a tarte palette and you love mattes – this is a great place to start @vyrleeblake! And I love their face palettes as well – cause tarte makes some great blushes too.
I’m pretty picky about matte eyeshadows but this palette seems like it’s fabulous. The color choices are really nice and the texture looks beautiful.