Tarte neutralEYES Eye Shadow Palette Volume II - Review

I love Tarte Cosmetics. I've tried their eye shadow, eye primer, cream stick blush, mascara (Lights, Camera, Action is my all time favorite mascara) and their emphasEYES aqua gel liner.

I was in Sephora a month or so ago, and I purchased the Tarte neutralEYES Eye Shadow Palette Volume II. It included a full size emphasEYES aqua-gel eyeliner in brown, a double-ended eye shadow brush and a free sample of lifted natural eye primer with Firmitol.

My first thoughts about this palette was how beautiful the packaging was. The color on the outside is a beautiful rich purple with a leather like feel. There is a place on the inside to hold the brush and eyeliner. It's so easy to pop in a suit case or in a cosmetic bag. Very travel friendly.

　

The eye shadow colors in this palette are gorgeous. They are blendable and soft, highly pigmented and last all day. A little goes a long way. The colors would look nice on any skin tone and I think they are all wearable. Some palettes come with colors I'd never use, but I've used every color in this palette. There are five matte colors and five shimmering colors. Since I'm middle aged, I don't wear shimmer eye shadows very often, but these have just the right amount of shimmer, perfect for any age!

top row (L-R): matte soft beige, matte pink cashmere, matte buttercream, matte pebble, matte espresso

bottom row (L-R): shimmering whisper pink, shimmering golden peach, shimmering hazel, shimmering plum

smoke, shimmering cinnamon (my camera didn't do the best job of showing the true colors...trust me, they are gorgeous.)

The double-ended brush is very nice. I use the rounded end of the brush to apply my base coat of shadow, then use the blunt end to tap on the color into my crease. I find that's the best way to apply this eye shadow, with a tapping motion. Then the rounded end of the brush nicely blends everything. Another reason this palette is travel friendly...you only need to take one eye shadow brush and it stores in the case.

　

The emphasesEyes aqua gel liner is a very unique formula. It takes a lot of practice to use them. The tip will break off easily, so you need to be very light-handed when applying. The lighter the pressure, the better. It goes on very wet so you can blend it out if you want. I had a very difficult time using it under my bottom eyelashes. It kept clumping in my lower eyelashes and I just couldn't get it to look nice. I do not recommend the emphasesEyes aqua gel liner.

However, the Tarte eye shadows have a huge payoff, and I highly recommend them. I also like the fact that they are formulated without mineral oil, parabens, phthalates and sodium lauryl sulfate. I loved this palette so much I bought one for my sister for her birthday. She loves it!

The palette comes with a chart showing each eye shadow color and inside are two different instructions pamphlets, one for a day look and one for a night look,

You can purchase this palette at www.sephora.com or at www.tartecosmetics.com.  The cost is $44.00 and if you consider the amount of products you are getting, it's a great value!

Take care...

Number 4 Hair Care Products and Befine Exfoliating Cleanser

My husband had to work late last night, so I decided I would spend the evening pampering myself. I had several sample products from my past Birchbox shipments that I wanted to try, so it was the perfect night to do so.

First up...

Number 4 Fleurs de Temps Voluminizing Shampoo by Number 4 Hair Care

This shampoo is designed to (per its website) "turn fine, meek strands into big, bodacious hair. You’re on your way to full, voluptuous strands." They website says it is designed to detangle and cleanse hair without weighing it down. It uses natural lemongrass, golden seal, and gooseberry, plus the brand’s four signature Liquid Complexes™. Each complex is a different blend of natural ingredients designed to help protect, purify, strengthen, and revitalize hair.

I just had a very small sample packet of this shampoo but it did lather really well...and I have  very thick hair. So, a small amount worked perfectly. The smell of the shampoo was wonderful. I couldn't pick out any recognizable scents, but it did smell really good. As far as voluminizing my hair...I can't really say because I already have a lot of hair and it is thick, not flat at all. But, my hair did feel very clean and smelled great. I'm curious as to how a shampoo can turn meek strands into bodacious hair. Not sure I buy into that!! 

 Number 4 Fleurs de Temps Voluminizing Shampoo costs $34.00 for 8.5 ounces.

 Next up...

Number 4 Lumiere d'hiver Reconstructing Masque by Number 4 Hair Care

This Masque infuses moisture and protein (the two things that hair needs most!) into strands of the hair. It has natural ingredients such as soy protein (works to reconstruct and strengthen hair) and shea butter, jojoba seed oil, and sunflower oil to nourish and moisturize the hair. It also has silicone polymer, which "smooths and detangles." You need to leave this product in your hair from 2 to 5 minutes before rinsing.

This mask was very thick which made it easy to apply. I put probably a heaping teaspoon full into my hands, rubbed them together, then worked it into my hair. Since it was so thick, I felt I really had some control over where I was putting in on my hair. I concentrated a lot on my ends. It rinsed out easily and my hair smelled great.

Since my hair is so thick, I wrap it in a towel for 5 to 7 minutes to soak up some of the water before blow drying it. I removed the towel and used a wide tooth comb to start coming it out. I was disappointed in the amount of tangles that my hair had. The bottle says it "smooths and detangles" but the detangle part didn't work so well for me. I had a hard time getting the comb through my hair. However, after I dried my hair it felt very soft , smooth and a little shinny. I don't know if it left my hair in better condition because the conditioner I use now, (Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition) has my hair in really good condition. 

Number 4 Lumiere d'hiver Reconstructing Masque costs $58.00 for 5.1 ounces.

Personally, I doubt I would purchase either of these hair care products as the cost of pretty high for me.

And lastly....

Befine Exfoliating Cleanser with Brown Sugar, Sweet Almond & Oats

This two-in-one product has gentle beads that removes dead skin cells and then melts into a creamy cleanser. I love that because I know when I exfoliate using my usual product, I overdo it. So the fact that the beads melted into a creamy cleanser is a good thing for me. The first thing that hit me when I applied the product to my face was how horrible the scent was. The ingredients include brown sugar, sweet almond, oats and ginger root. For me, it was not a pleasant scent at all. However, after I rinsed the product off, I loved how my skin felt. My face was clean, hydrated, soft and I thought my skin looked healthier. If I could get past the scent, I would probably purchase this product. The jury is still out on that!! 

Befine Exfoliating Cleaner with Brown Sugar, Sweet Almond & Oats cost $25.00 for 4 ounces.

You can purchase all of these products at http://www.birchbox.com/.

Take care....