Tarte Airblush Maracuja Bouncy Blushes - Review and Swatches

Happy Saturday everyone!

It's been a busy week this week in the beauty community and blog world. I'm excited that the EU ban on animal testing went into effect on March 11. It won't solve everything (especially since I don't live in the EU), but it's a good step in the right direction. I'm looking forward to seeing what changes companies make because of this ban. There's also the announcement that Google Reader will be going away on July 1. I've seen some places that Google Friends Connect is going away as well, but other places say it's not. There's also the new FTC rules that were released this week. I've been a slacker and don't have a disclaimer written yet. I need to get on that. Speaking of those new rules...

I purchased all items mentioned in this post. 

I got all three of the Tarte Airblush Maracuja Bouncy Blush shades through a QVC TSV. They have since released all of the shades individually. They retail for $25 and can be found at Ulta and on Ulta.com and tartecosmetics.com. They are currently not being sold on Sephora.com.

Packaging

All three available colors come in a purple compact with a deeper purple floral design on the top. The compacts aren't bulky and seem to be quite sturdy. I wish they had made these compacts like the Amazonian clay blushes. It makes it easier to identify which color you are grabbing.

The compact also has a mirror inside the lid if you feel the need to take it along and do touch-ups during the day.

Product

From left to right: Shimmering Poppy, Shimmering Pink, Shimmering Peach

From left to right: Shimmering Poppy, Shimmering Pink, Shimmering Peach

 The three colors available in this formula are Shimmering Poppy, Shimmering Pink, and Shimmering Peach. Shimmering Poppy is my least favorite of the three. In the pan, it looks more rose-toned than it comes across in swatches or on the cheeks. It pulls really orange for me, which is disappointing. Shimmering Pink is a bright, cool-toned pink. Shimmering Peach is a soft peach shade. I'm not a huge peach blush fan, but this is the type of peach blush I gravitate towards when I do wear peach. As their names would imply, all three shades do have shimmer, but the shimmer particles are really fine and are very subtle on the skin.

The blush consistency is quite interesting. In the pan it is firm but silky at the same time. I like that it is firm enough that I can use a brush without getting too much product on it, which can happen with softer cream blushes in my collection. I prefer using a stippling brush to apply these, but they apply well with fingers too.

Because of the maracuja oil in the formula, I would guess this blush formula would be fantastic for people with dry skin. At the same time, I really like how it works with my combination/oily skin. I think the only skin type the might not get along with this blush formula.

As for lasting power, I was testing these out this week and had fantastic results. I didn't use a face primer and was using an Asian BB cream as my foundation. I also spritzed my face with rose water after I finished my makeup. With this routine, I was able to get at least 12 hours of wear time.

Final Thoughts

These are great blushes! I enjoy the formula, texture, and lasting-power. I don't grab for them enough because grabbing for my powder blushes is just habit. I have a hard time spending $25 on a single blush, so I doubt I would have purchased these if they hadn't been part of a set. However, I'm really glad I have them. If you are a fan of cream blushes or struggle with dry skin, I would highly suggest giving these a swatch the next time you are at Ulta.

Have you tried these? Do you hesitate to buy single items with a high price tag too?