Finish 13 by Halloween - A Project Pan Challenge

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own. 

I know I just did a post about products I'm trying to use up not very long ago, so it probably seems pretty silly that I'm doing one again, but this one is going to be slightly different. 

I had mentioned in my previous post about the Pan that Palette Challenge that I'm working on with my Lorac Pro Palette. That challenge introduced me to the panning community on YouTube and other social media sites. They do a variety of panning challenges throughout the year, with different time frames and different amounts of products. I love the idea! It is such great motivation seeing other people who are focused on using up products. 

I first saw this challenge on Amber F's YouTube channel. You can see her introduction with her products here. 

Although Amber is taking part, the two YouTubers who came up with this challenge are Megan and Tatum. You can see their introduction videos here and here. 

As you can probably guess, the rules of this project are pretty simple. You pick 13 products that you want to use and and see how far you can get with them by Halloween. There are no restrictions on the products themselves. I've seen some people use deluxe samples or groups of mini samples. I've seen some people choose products that were nearly new but say that their goal was to just hit pan on the product instead of using it up completely. I love the flexibility of it. 

Most of the products that I chose for this project were already mentioned in my previous post, so it is going to be a little redundant, but I'm going to go ahead and show them again with updated pictures. Several products already have visible progress, which is really exciting. Just as a note for the sake of timeline, all of these product pictures were taken on July 25, a week before this post will actually go live. As another note, some of these products are not cruelty-free, and they are in this project specifically so I can finish them up and move them out of my collection.

Product #1 - Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation in 0.5: I haven't been using this foundation since my last post since I've been using the NYX one. In order to better track my progress when I do start using it again, I have drawn a line to show where I currently am with it.  

Product #2 - NYX Invincible Fullest Coverage Foundation in Ivory: I've been liking this foundation quite a bit. As you can see, I have used a binder clip to keep some of the air squeezed out of the tube. 

It's a little ambitious of me to have two foundations in here, but as you can see, I really don't have a whole lot left of the Urban Decay one, and it feels like the NYX one has a lot gone in it too. I can almost roll the tube over one more time. If I don't finish both of them by Halloween, I expect that I can at least have them both done by the end of the year. 

Product #3 - Tarte Colored Clay CC Primer in Fair: This wasn't in my post before about finishing products up, but it was in my face product inventory post. I've got two of these, and the color is a little bit dark for me. I figured I would try and use it up now while the weather is still warm, and I can pretend I have a tan. I've got it rolled all the way up here, so you can see how much product there is. Like the foundations, I don't know that I'll be able to finish this by the end of the project, but I'm hoping. 

Product #4 - Silk Naturals Blush Samples in Guava and Lychee: Because of the size of the samples, I am counting these two samples together as one product. Guava is a great shade for this time of the year, and I think Lychee will be a nice color to start transitioning into fall.

Product #5 - Darling Girl Torrid Eye Shadow Sample: This looks a little silly by comparison to have two blush samples and this tiny sample by itself, but this color is one that I only use as a liner, so I only use a tiny bit for each application, and it isn't something I will use every day.

Product #6 - Nars Laguna Bronzer Mini: This is one of the products that is already showing quite a bit more pan than what it did a couple of weeks ago. I use it with a big fluffy brush to do a light dusting around the perimeter of my face. As long as I keep using it consistently, I don't think I'll have any trouble finishing it.

Product #7 - Tarte BB Tinted Undereye Corrector in Fair to Light: This is another one that is already showing a good amount of progress. You can see that I've hit the edge of the pan.

Product #8 - Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten: I can see a lot of progress on this product too, but this is definitely a long-shot product to finish it by Halloween. I might end up using it until then and just getting rid of it. This is one of those products that I want to move out of my collection because Stila is not cruelty-free.

Product #9 & #10 - Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils in Zero and Ransom: These were mini eyeliners, which is one of the reasons I chose them. The other is because Zero works well as a base for the Darling Girl eye shadow sample I'm trying to use up, and Ransom works really well as a base for Deep Purple from the Lorac Pro Palette, the palette I'm working on using up.

Product #11 - Lorac Baked Matte Satin Eye Shadow in Posh: This is the shadow that I'm using as my regular browbone highlight shade, so I'm hoping to move it out pretty quickly. 

Product #12 - Urban Decay Primer Potion Mini: You can see my binder clip trick again here. I used to love this primer. It was my favorite, but it doesn't seem to work as well as it did. I've been using it with another base (currently the Stila Smudge Pot), and it has been working okay that way. 

Product #13 - Nude Eye Shadow from the Lorac Pro Palette: In my other post, I mentioned that I'm working on the Pan that Palette Challenge started by Amber F, and I'm trying to pan the Lorac Pro Palette. I'm working on using up Nude right now by using it as a layering shade. Currently I'm layering it over Gold from the same palette because I find Gold to be too intense on its own. 

Those are my 13 products for this project. Have you taken part in any kind of panning challenge? How did it go for you? 

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own. 

Makeup Inventory - Face Products

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Since I've been working on finishing off products, I wanted to share my makeup inventory of face products. I'm pretty pleased with the amounts I have in these categories, but I also want to work on narrowing it down farther. I would love to have my face products narrowed down to a small set of holy grail items.

Here's a look at what I currently have as well as my goals for the future. 

Primers 

Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer in Fair (x2) - I have two of these because of a QVC TSV. One has been started already, and the other one hasn't been opened yet.

Too Faced Primed and Poreless - You might be able to see that  I've made pretty good progress with this primer. It's the one that I'm currently rotating with the Tarte one above.

The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost - I don't know if this is technically a primer, but it feels like one, and it does say that it should be applied after moisturizer and is a perfect base for makeup, so I've got it in this category.

Tarte Colored Clay CC Primer in Fair (x2) - This is another multiple thanks to QVC. Sadly, the shade is a bit too dark for me. I need to work on using these more to move them out of my collection.

Total number of primers: 6
Ideal number of primers: 1 or 2

Foundations

Paula's Choice Resist Instant Smoothing Anti-Aging Foundation in Porcelain - This is a pretty good shade match. I haven't used it regularly in a while to remember how well I like it.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation in 0.5 - This is the foundation I've been using the most for a while now. It's the foundation that I've been working on using up. The shade match is pretty good, but there's something I haven't been liking about it lately.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation in Fair (After I took this picture I found another tube of Fair and a tube of Light...*sigh* Thankfully, I think my mom is going to take at least one of those tubes) - This foundation really annoys me. I had a tube that I bought not long after this foundation was released, and it was a really good match. Sadly, they seem to have changed the shade because this tube (and the tester in Ulta) is too dark.

NYX Invincible Fullest Coverage Foundation in Ivory - This foundation is one that was surprising to me. When it comes out of the tube, it looks like it is too dark, but it actually blends in and matches me really well. I like it pretty well.

Tarte Maracuja Miracle Foundation in Fair - Another Tarte foundation that is too dark for me.

Cover FX Custom Cover Drops in N10 - This is my most recent foundation purchase, and I'm really liking it. I haven't used it much recently because I'm trying to use up other foundations, but I think this might be a staple in my collection.

Tarte Amazonian Colored Clay Liquid Foundation in Fair - Darn Tarte! This is another foundation that is too dark for me. *sigh*

With the foundations that I have that are too dark, I have Life's Entropy Foundation Elixir in White on my wishlist to make them a better match. I would eventually like to only have foundations that truly match my skintone.

Silk Naturals HD Foundation Samples in N10 and N20 - The full-size of this product is in a stick form, which would this much easier to apply. I find it difficult to apply this from the sample pod. The N10 shade is a really good match for me though.

Total number of foundations: 7 full size and 2 samples
Ideal number of foundations: 1 to 3

Correctors

Silk Naturals Peach HD Concealer in 10 (full size and sample) - I recently finished the full size and sample I had of this product in shade 20. I personally find shade 10 too light. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with these since I'm not sure if I'll be able to make them work.

Pixi Correction Concentrate in Brightening Peach - I've been working on finishing off other correctors for so long that I haven't used this particular one in a really long time.

BareMinerals Correcting Concealer in Light 1 - I've already finished one of these in the past. I liked it well enough that I picked up a second one on sale during one of Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty.

Tarte BB Tined Undereye Corrector in Fair to Light - Yet again, I have multiples because of QVC sets. I've made a big dent in one of them, so I should hopefully be down to two soon.

Total number of correctors: 6 full size and 1 sample
Ideal number of correctors: 1

Concealers

NYX Full Coverage Concealer in Porcelain - I'm actually really happy with this concealer. This is the one that I use most days.

Meow Concealer in Inquisitive Siamese (Large and Small Jar) - I don't use this nearly as much as I used to, but I still feel like it is a staple in my collection. It is really handy to have a powder concealer for adding a final touch of extra coverage when a cream concealer doesn't quite cut it. I typically use this after I've finished my makeup entirely and need a little more help covering a spot. The reason there are two jars is because I transfer a small amount of product into the smaller jar instead of using it directly from the larger jar.

NYX Incredible Waterproof Concealer in Porcelain - This concealer lives in my purse along with another small jar of the Meow concealer. I am frankly terrible about touching up my makeup when I'm out, but they are handy to have around. Since this NYX concealer is so inexpensive, I don't feel bad about having it basically collect dust in my purse.

Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil in CIA - I like this concealer, and I like the convenience of having it in pencil form. I use this on days when I'm a little to lazy to deal with the NYX jar concealer and a brush.

Total number of concealers: 4
Ideal number of concealers: 4

I am actually really happy with my concealer selection right now. I like having the option of a stick concealer or a jar and the powder concealer for a boost of coverage. Like I said with the NYX stick concealer, I like having an inexpensive product in my purse for the random times when I do feel the need to do a touch-up while out and about.

Powders

Meow Pampered Puss Mineral Foundation in Inquisitive Siamese - I used to wear Meow's foundation on its own, but now I wear it as a finishing powder for extra coverage.

Random Mix of Powders - Yes, this jar also says it is a Meow foundation, but this was actually an empty jar I used to combine a lot of random loose finishing powders I had. At this point, I don't even really know what all is in this jar. I know most of it is the illuminating BareMinerals Mineral Veil because I had several of those from...you guessed it...QVC. I know there is a mini regular Mineral Veil in there, and I'm pretty sure there is pure silica powder and silk powder in there as well. It's basically the dumping ground for loose powders that I don't hate but don't love.

Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder - I haven't opened this yet. I vaguely remember using a mini of this powder a while ago and liking it, so for right now, this isn't going to join the powder dumping ground (which is full anyway).

Too Faced Amazing Face Skin-Balancing Flexible Coverage Foundation Powder in Vanilla Creme - I bought this as a pressed powder foundation to try since I've used loose for so long. I've thrown this in my purse a few times when I've had something to go to after work. It's okay, but I don't love it.

Physician's Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation in Translucent Light - I bought this a long time ago because it was on clearance. It's a little too dark for me. I used up another compact a few years ago when I got a little bit more of a tan than I usually get. I haven't gotten that tan since. I've thought about crushing this up and adding it to my powder dumping ground.

Total number of powders: 5
Ideal number of powders: 2 - one with coverage and ones translucent

Correcting Concealer Powder(s)

You are probably wondering why these weren't up with the other correctors. I use this as a final step after I finish my eye makeup, and I arranged these pictures in the order I use them.

Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar Light Peach and Medium Peach
Silk Naturals Translucent Cloud Powder

While there are four items here, this is really classified as one product for me. Light Peach is too light, and Medium Peach is too dark, so I mix the two together. I add in some of the Translucent Cloud powder because it isn't supposed to absorb oil, so theoretically, it is good for under my eyes, which tends to be drier. I still haven't found a balance here since I wish I could just skip this step in my routine, since I'm sure it dries out the skin under my eyes, but I like the extra coverage.

Total number of correcting concealer powders - 3 (or 1 depending on how you count them)
Ideal number of correcting concealer powders - 3 (or 1 depending on how you count them)

Mattifying Products

Mally Evercolor Poreless Face Defender (x2) - I have a full size and a smaller size of this. Theoretically, this product is great. I've already mentioned the fact that I rarely do touch-ups during the day, so these don't get used very often. I need to use them more. 

Face Blotting Papers (ELF and Paula's Choice) - I stocked up on the ELF blotting papers a long time ago operating on the theory that I would use them regularly. I should, but I don't. The Paula's Choice blotting papers can as a freebie in an order I placed. 

Total mattifying products: 6 (there is a blotting paper packet not pictured)

Ideal number of total mattifying products: 1

What are your thoughts on face products? I know some people really love trying out new foundations and concealers. I would love to have a set routine that just works and stick with it. I think I'm actually getting close and look forward to clearing out some of these excess products. 

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

I'm Back (I Think) - Still Working on Finishing Products

Disclaimer: All of the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Well...I'm going to try and start blogging again. I doubt I will be very consistent because life still feels really crazy sometimes. We'll see how things go. I'm not going to give a personal update yet explaining where I've been the past year, but maybe I will eventually. The short of it is that life keeps moving forward, and I keep moving with it.

Even though things have been silent here over the past year, I've still been working on my project to use up some of the products in my collection. That's where I've decided to pick things up again.

Just as a reminder, part of the reason for trying to use up some of these products is that they are by brands that aren't cruelty-free, and I'm trying to get those products out of my collection without just throwing them away. If the brand is cruelty-free, odds are pretty good I chose the product because it was a smaller size or already had a decent dent in it. I don't want to overwhelm myself with what I'm trying to finish.

Here's a current look at what I'm trying to finish up and move out of my collection.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation in 0.5 (or NYX Invincible Fullest Coverage Foundation in Ivory) - I've been working steadily on the Urban Decay foundation, but lately, I haven't been liking the look of it very much, so I will probably do some alternating between the two. As you can see, I've got a good dip in both of them, so I hope to see one of them gone within the next couple of months.

Tarte BB Tinted Undereye Corrector in Fair to Light - I've got a pretty good stock of correctors (including two more of these), so this was just the next one in the lineup to work on finishing.

Urban Decay Primer Potion Mini - This primer hasn't been working all that well for me lately. It's really frustrating. Thankfully, with the next product, my shadow still lasts all day.

Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten - Stila isn't a cruelty-free brand, which is why I'm specifically trying to use up this product. Like I mentioned above, this really does help my eye shadow last longer. Because of the heavy shimmer, I stick up just apply it to the lid and keep it off my crease and browbone. That weird dent in the middle was made with a cotton swab because I wanted to see how close I was to the bottom of the jar. Sadly, I'm not nearly as close as I thought.

Lorac Pro Palette - Okay...you are probably looking at this page thinking I'm nuts right now have a whole palette listed. I'll admit, it is quite the undertaking. This year, I stumbled across Amber F on YouTube, who does a Pan that Palette Challenge. Last year, she panned the Naked Palette (yes, the entire Naked Palette). This year, she is panning the Lorac Pro Palette. I personally chose the Lorac Pro Palette because Lorac isn't cruelty-free. Do I expect to finish this entire palette by the end of the year? Absolutely not. My goal is to finish off as many of the colors as I can. Once I've finished off quite a few of them, I'll depot the rest and stick them in a Z Palette. It's a little hard to see in this picture, but I've finished off Cream. I also finished off Light Bronze (there was only one use left when I took the picture). I've got a lot of pan showing on White, and I've got good dips going in Nude and Champagne. I just finished the crease shade that I was working on (that was an individual pan), so I'll be starting to work on Taupe now too.

Lorac Baked Matte Satin Eye Shadow in Posh - This is another Lorac product that I'm trying to use up since the brand isn't cruelty free. The dome is basically gone, and you can see that I've got some pan showing. Since this is the shade I use on my browbone every day, I'm hoping to see it gone soon.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils in Zero and Ransom (Minis) - I chose a couple of mini pencils since they will be easier to work through the full-sizes. They also work well with eye shadows I'm trying to use up. I've been topping Ransom with Deep Purple from the Lorac Pro Palette. The two together balance each other out and make a bright purple that isn't too bright for daily wear. Zero is working well with a shadow I have below. 

Silk Naturals Shantung Eye Shadow - This was a gift with purchase shadow from Silk Naturals a long time ago. I think I even have a second one. I don't necessarily want this out of my collection, but it doesn't exactly do any good just sitting in a palette. It's a subtle highlight shade that I use in my inner corner occasionally. I need to try and remember to use it more often.

Nars Laguna Bronzer Mini - This was one of those products I chose to work on finishing off because it was a mini size, making it more manageable to try and finish. 

Silk Naturals Guava Blush Sample - I've finished off several Silk Naturals blush samples this year, and this is just another one to finish off. The color is nice for the summer, which is why I chose it over some of the other samples I have left.

Darling Girl Torrid Eye Shadow - I have had this sample since Darling Girl was just a fledgling indie brand. It's just another sample I chose to work on, particularly because the teal color is nice for the summer. I've been layering it on top of UD's Zero to make it a little deeper. 

DKNY Be Delicious Perfume Duo - I have a lot of perfumes (mostly rollerballs) that aren't cruelty free. The Be Delicious scent is a nice one for this time of year, so I chose to work on it. Obviously, I've been working on the original scent side, but I'll move on to the other one next. 

Well....those are my products that I'm currently working on finishing up. Obviously, some seem pretty manageable while others are much more ambitious. 

Are you working on using up any products? 

Disclaimer: All of the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Products I Want to Use Up - 2014 - Update

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own. 

I've been meaning to do an update on the list of products I've been trying to use up, and I finally got around to taking the pictures for it. If you want to see my original post, you can find it here.

Here's what I've finished:

• Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer
• Hard Candy Concealer Pencil
• Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil in CIA
• ELF shadow from the Day to Night Palette (white with gold shimmer)
• Stila Lip Glaze in Splendor
• Chapstick Lip Balm in Cake Batter
• Silk Naturals blush sample in Candie 
• Silk Naturals blush sample in Tart Light
• Stila Smudge Stick in Anglefish

I did a lot better than I thought. I had forgotten how many items I actually finished since I tend to add a new product when something gets finished. 

Now for the things that I'm still working on and the new things that I've added to my list.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Balancing Foundation in Fair - It's hard to tell because of the opaque tube, but I've made a lot of progress on this foundation. It's the one I've been using every day. I'm guessing I have less than a month left in the tube.

Nars Sheer Matte Foundation in Siberia - Since I've been using the Tarte foundation, I haven't really made progress on this one.

bareMinerals Prime Time Foundation Primer - This is my last foundation primer sample, so I want to use it up before starting in on my full size primers.

Benefit Erase Paste in Fair - I'm really excited to say that I've hit the bottom of the jar on this one. It'll probably still last for quite a while, but I'm still happy to see some progress.

Tarte Park Avenue Princess Bronzer - This is so close to gone. After I took this picture, I broke up what was left and put it in an empty loose minerals jar. It's making it easier to get to the last of the product.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Concealer in Fair - I'd like to get this concealer out of my collection because it separates in the tube. I was honestly quite disappointed with this concealer. I end up squeezing some into a clean jar so I can use a brush to mix it together.

Too Faced Wrinkle Injection Extreme Wrinkle Filler - I haven't made as much progress with this as I should. I still forget to use it more often than not.

Milani eye shadow in French Vanilla (largest pan) - The amount of pan showing on this has gotten a lot bigger. It's still going to take a long time to finish, but I don't mind using it, so that doesn't bother me.

Everyday Minerals eye shadow in Funnel Cake (darker brown) - There's a little more pan showing, but I tend to forget to use this one when I grab a palette with a crease color in it.

Silk Naturals eye shadow in Shantung (smallest pan) - This is an old gift with purchase shade. I picked it because it is such a small pan. I'm hoping it won't take too long to finish.

Everyday Minerals eye shadow in Driftwood (lighter brown) - I haven't really made any visible progress with this shadow.

Everyday Minerals eye shadow mix of Good China and Queen Anne's Lace - I pulled this shadow out because it is an easy lid shade. There's a speck of pan showing.

Tarte fRxtion Lip Scrub and Balm - This is getting to the point where it is a little annoying. I already had a bit of the exfoliator break off, which is something I expected. I don't think this will stay usable for much longer before the bulk of it breaks off.

Sassy blush sample in Cosmopolitan and Silk Naturals Mineral Glow in Crinoline - In hindsight, these weren't the best choices for the spring and summer season. I'm gravitating towards brighter blushes at the moment.  These would take me a while to finish anyway, so we'll see how it goes.

Tarte double-ended lip liner - I keep forgetting to use this before I run out the door in the morning, so my progress has been minimal.

Stila eye liners in Stargazer, Oscar Fish, Tetra, and Moray - Oscar Fish (the brown one) is actually gone. I finished it between the time that I took these pictures and the time I got around to writing this post. These drive me crazy because I can't check to see how much is left in them. They don't roll back down once they are scrolled up.

Urban Decay 24/7 eye liners in Whiskey and Rockstar - I've been focusing on the Stila liners, so I haven't really made any progress with these.

Stila Smudge Crayon mini in Smoke - I added this to my list, tried it once, and I might end up abandoning it. The shade is a bit too dark for me to regularly use as a shadow base, but I think it is too light to use as a liner. We'll see.

Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten - This is ambitious. I haven't even made a dent in this yet. The color is much easier than Smoke to use as a shadow base.

bareMinerals Prime Time Eye Shadow Primer sample - I'm liking this eye shadow primer. I've maybe got a week or two left of it before I go back to my standard Urban Decay Primer Potion.

Sassy eye shadow in Embellish - This is a small eye shadow sample that I've already made a bit of a dent in, so I'd like to finish it off. Like the Stila Smudge Crayon, it's a bit darker than what I normally wear during that day, so I'll be mixing it with other colors to make it more wearable for me.

Jordana LipShine in Banana Cream and Sugar Cookie - I love the scent of these, and I like the feel of them too. Sadly, the colors just aren't flattering on my lips. I'm going to try and use them up on the weekends and when I'm just hanging out around the house.

ELF Studio Translucent Mattifying Powder - I bought this a long time ago thinking I would use it for touch-ups during the day. I haven't been using it, so I pulled it out of my purse to use in the morning when I'm getting ready. I scraped this powder out of the pan after this picture so I could mix it with the other powders that I have and like more. 

I'm pretty proud of what I've finished and the progress I've made on the items that I haven't finished yet. I hope to keep the momentum going throughout the rest of this year. 

Are you trying to finish any products? 

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own. 

Tarte Cream Shadow in Slate - Review and Swatch

 Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

I don't know about all of you, but I tend to fall into makeup ruts. In particular, I automatically reach for my powder products when it comes to eyes and cheeks, so I creams tend to sit unloved. It's really a shame, since I have some nice ones in my collection.

Back on Black Friday, I picked up the Tarte Balanced & Beautiful Amazonian Kit, which came with a full size of the original Flush shade of their Amazonian clay blush, a cream shadow in Slate, and an eye shadow brush. It was a fantastic deal! Slate had been ignored because it is a bit darker than I normally use for a lid color. Thankfully, I got over my hesitation and tried it the other day.

Price: $19 for the Balanced & Beautiful Amazonian Kit or for the individual shadow (I told you the kit was a fantastic deal)

Packaging

Tarte's cream shadows come in sturdy glass jars. It looks like the individually sold ones have a square base instead of the round base like this one, but the actual opening for the product looks to be the same. I personally wish the opening was a bit bigger. It's a little hard to get a normal-sized shadow brush in there and run it across the product.

I really like the fact that the sticker on top of the jar indicates the shade in the jar, making it easy to identify what color it is without looking for an actual shade name. However, the shade name is printed on the bottom of the jar, and since the jar it clear, it is also easy to identify the shade if you store your cream shadows upside down, like I tend to do.

Product

Tarte describes Slate as a shimmering silver, but I would consider it more of a grey-taupe shade that makes a really pretty soft, smoky eye. 

I really like the formula of these cream shadows. They aren't too soft or too hard. It is easy to get opaque color with it, but it also blends out well along the edges. Work quickly though. It doesn't take too much time before this shadow sets and isn't going to budge.

I did a wear test the other day over Urban Decay Primer Potion, and it didn't crease at all. I had some fading around the center of my eyelids somewhere around the 8-10 hour mark, but it really wasn't anything that was obvious until I stared at myself closely in the mirror.

Final Thoughts

 I actually like this shade a lot more than I thought I would, and the formula is fantastic. If you like the look of it yourself, I would highly suggest the Balanced & Beautiful set, since you get two extra products for the same price as buying the individual shadow.

Have you tried any of Tarte's cream shadows? What do you think? Do you tend to ignore your cream shadows or blushes like I do?

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes in Flush (New Version) and True Love - First Look

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

I was so excited last weekend when I found out that Ulta was having a 20% off sale. It seems like these are becoming more frequent, which is fantastic. I love them even more when they happen to coincide with Ulta Rewards bonus points offers. I plan on hoarding all of my points for the holiday season so I can get a bunch of products for free!

My order came in yesterday, and I was able to take pictures this afternoon. I plan on waiting to post about most of the items in my order until I've had a real chance to try them out, but I wanted to get some swatches up today because I haven't been able to find any yet.

I picked up the new Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blushes in Flush and True Love. I skipped out on the third new color, Fearless, because I already have a blush by Tarte with that name from a QVC set, and I assumed they were the same (apparently, they are not).

Price: $25 each

Packaging

The first thing I noticed when I opened my box from Ulta and looked at my beautiful new blushes was that Tarte has changed the packaging on their blushes. I don't know if the packaging will change on all of their blushes or not. I personally prefer the old design with the raised floral pattern around the word Tarte, but the change isn't huge, so I don't mind it.

Inside the blush, the compact looks like the old ones. 

Flush

Just like most of the Amazonian clay blushes, Flush is matte. Tarte describes this shade as a pink berry, which is accurate to my eyes.

Here's a picture comparing the new version of Flush with the old version. If you like the look of the old version and don't already own it, you can get it along with a cream shadow and a shadow brush for $19 here. Considering the blush itself retails for $25, this is a fantastic value. I don't know how long it will stick around, so I would suggest grabbing it quickly.

The first swatch picture is the new version of Blush by itself. The second one shows the difference between the new one and the old. The third picture compares the new Amazonian clay version with the old formulation of Flush cheek stain. The new version of the powder blush is much closer in color to the cheek stain. It's a little more pink than berry though.

True Love 

 

 Tarte describes True Love as a watermelon shade, which seems accurate as it is a pink with a hint of coral. Just like Flush, it is matte. 

 Just like with the new version of Flush, I happened to have the cheek stain in the same shade (still the old cheek stain formula). As you can see in the picture, the colors are nearly identical.

First Impressions

Since I haven't actually tried these on my cheeks yet, I can't give an official review. However, I do love the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blushes in general, so I expect that I will enjoy these as well. I'm also really excited about the colors. The new version of Flush seems like it is going to be a great shade for fair-skinned girls like me. Most of Tarte's blushes are really bright, so adding another more subtle blush to the line was smart. 

Will you be picking up any of the new colors?

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.