Silk Naturals Valentine's Day Collection Haul and Swatches

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were purchased using a gift card from a giveaway and with my own money. I have no affiliation with Silk Naturals, and all opinions are my own.

I know I've mentioned the brand Silk Naturals quite a few times here on my blog, but I still like I haven't given the brand enough love here. I've been buying from them since the summer of 2009, and I almost always do a haul whenever they release a new collection. Sadly, whenever I start editing my pictures to do a post, my pictures just feel so flat. They never seem to do the colors justice, so I never end up posting them. I'm working on it though and hope to go back and post more pictures from my eye shadow collection in the future.

Recently, I got an email from Makeup Detox saying I won her giveaway for a $20 gift card for Silk Naturals, and I was thrilled. The fact that I got my code on the same day that Silk Naturals released their Valentine's Day collection was just the icing on the cake.

Here's a look at what I got:

This is my whole haul, minus a few skincare samples a friend asked me to pick up for her. I'll also point out here that there was a mistake with my order. The little pods on the right are concealer samples, and I had ordered full sizes. I sent a message to Silk Naturals right away letting them know. They got back to me within about 30 minutes. That was on a Monday, and I had my full size concealers in my hands by Thursday (along with three extra gift with purchase shadows). Silk Naturals has amazing customer service!

Now for a close up look at each item.

HD Cream Blush in Dollface - $4.50

Dollface is a gorgeous rosy pink with lots of gold shimmer. The formula is soft and creamy. I prefer to apply this by brushing a small duo-fiber brush over the top of the tube and then blending it on my cheeks. I haven't tested longevity yet.

HD Peach Concealers - $0.99 for a sample pod and $5.50 for a full size

I'm always on the hunt for the perfect concealer to hide the dark circles under my eyes, so I was thrilled to see Karen release these concealers. I wasn't sure which shade to choose, so I chose the lightest two. As I already mentioned, I ordered the full size, but I was originally sent sample pods, which works out well since I can show was the samples look like. The full size comes in the same slimline tube as the cream blush. I've only tried each shade once, so I'll have to follow up with a review later.

Eye Shadows in Touch, Kismet, and Rendezvous - $4.50 each

From left to right: Touch, Kismet, and Rendezvous

From left to right: Touch, Kismet, and Rendezvous

From left to right: Touch, Kismet, and Rendezvous

I have a serious weakness for eye shadows from Silk Naturals, so I couldn't stop myself from picking up the three new shades they released. Touch is a pale yellow gold shimmery shade. Kismet is a medium grey with purple undertones, and Rendezvous is a deep matte purple. This trio actually works beautifully together. I was also pretty surprised by how much I like Rendezvous. Darker crease shades intimidate me, so I was a little worried. It applied nicely and blended like a dream, so it wasn't overpowering on my fair skin.

Slick Stick in La-Dee-Da - $4.50

I'm not a lipstick person, so while I've tried a few lip colors from Silk Naturals, most of the time, I pass them up. The color La-Dee-Da was just too interesting to pass up though. I liked that the color was a sheer plum shade, and the green shimmer adds an unusual touch.

Products not Pictured in Detail

If you kept track from the original picture, you'll notice that there were a few items that I haven't shown up close yet, and I'm not going to in this post (it's long enough as it is). On the far left was the weekly gift with purchase shade, so it isn't available anymore. The two jars in the middle are samples of the Medium Sleep in a Jar and the relatively new Cloud powder. I find the Sleep in a Jar a bit drying, and the Cloud powder is supposed to help retain moisture, so I want to try mixing them. Then on the far right is a mini sample of the eye shadow Mousse (they always include a sample like this in every order).

That's my haul! Did anything in particular catch your eye? Did you pick anything up yourself?

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were purchased using a gift card from a giveaway and with my own money. I have no affiliation with Silk Naturals, and all opinions are my own.

Tarte Journey to Natural Beauty 6-pc Collection - Review and Swatches

You know I'm completely in love with Tarte Amazonian clay blushes. They are my favorite blushes to use, and I've amassed a decent sized collection since their release.

When I saw that there was an Amazonian clay blush in the new Tarte Today's Special Value on QVC, I couldn't resist ordering it (and signing up for auto delivery).

The set is currently selling for $59.94 plus shipping (the price will jump to $72.50 if there are any remaining after the official TSV date of February 5) and comes with:

• Brow Architect Liner and Shaper
• Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation Brush
• Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation
• Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Fearless
• Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick in Plummy Rose
• Tarte Lights, Cameras, Flashes Mascara
• Makeup Bag

Brow Architect Liner and Shaper in Fair/Light (Estimated Retail Value: $18)

Full product

Spoolie

Defining Powder in Fair/Light

Liner Product

Liner Product

I've never really done much to my brows. They are naturally full, so the most I normally do is pluck and wax them. This product was my first real experiment with a brow pencil. I surprisingly like the little bit of definition the liner part adds to my brows. According to the pamphlet sent with the set, the liner is a universal shade. Sadly, I can't get the defining powder to work for me. It applies cakey, uneven, and extremely obvious. The spoolie is nice to have right with the product.

Aside from not liking the defining powder, the other major negative to this product is that there isn't much of the liner product. The second to last picture above shows the liner product twisted all the way out. That's all there is there.

Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation Brush (Retail Value: $32)

I already have one of these from a previous purchase of the Amazonian clay foundation. It's a super dense, soft buffing brush. I used it a lot to apply mineral foundation over the summer. I find it a bit too large for applying liquid foundation.

What makes this version of the brush unique is the decorative handle. I think it's really pretty, but I'm worried about how clean it will stay and how well it will hold up over time. One minor feature that I really like about this version of the brush is that the bottom is flat. It's such a large-handled brush that it seems to make the most sense for me to just stand it up on my table, but the original one that I have is curved at the bottom of the handle, so I have to keep it in a brush holder.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation in Fair (Retail Price: $38)

As I mentioned earlier in this post, I've purchased this foundation before. I like it. It's a really good color match for me, which is always nice since I have a hard time finding foundations that match me. I also feel it's worth pointing out that you are getting 1.7 fl oz of product when most foundations only have 1 fl oz.

My biggest gripe with this being included in the TSV is that it's included in TSV's too often and is included in the auto delivery shipments. I already had a tube-and-a-half of this foundation in my stash before I got this tube, and I'll have two more coming my way in future shipments. Even if I didn't have any of this in my stash already, I don't know anyone who can go through a foundation in three months (the amount of time between shipments). I wish Tarte would mix it up by including different face products in each shipment.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Fearless (Retail Value: $25)

The pamphlet states that Fearless is a warm pink shade, and I would agree with that. It also has fine gold shimmer. It's a beautiful shade that is up to par with the regular shades in the line.

Amazonian Butter Lipstick in Plummy Rose (Estimated Retail Value: $26)

 

I'm not a lipstick wearer, but I was curious to try this one, and I'm thrilled that I did! It doesn't feel heavy on the lips; it feels more like a balm. The color is also a really nice, everyday color. I'm really curious to see what shades will be sent in the following shipments.

Lights, Cameras, Flashes Mascara (Estimated Retail Value: $19)

 

If you've followed me for awhile, you know that I'm not a fan of the Lights, Cameras, Lashes mascara. I was skeptical about trying this new variation, but I figured I might as well give it a shot.

I'm happy to report that I'm liking it, even though there's been a couple minor issues. The first issue I had was figuring out how to deal with the brush.  I'm going to go ahead and link you back to the product listing for this set to see a better picture of the brush for this mascara because my picture doesn't show it very well. The brush has a slight curve to it, and, according to the pamphlet, one side has shorter, softer bristles, and the other side has longer comb-like bristles. The shorter bristles, as best as I can tell, are on the underside of the curve. The first few times that I used this mascara, the wand felt really awkward; I was worried I was going to poke myself in the eye.

My other issue was having it smudge onto my browbone during the course of the day. So far, this has only happened once, so I'm assuming it was some freak occurrence. I'm not noticing any flaking during the day, which is the usual problem I have with mascaras. I'll make sure to give an update if I discover down the line that I actually dislike this mascara.

Edited to add: I had the smudging issue again today. I've come to the conclusion that it was because I was too warm and ended up with a light sheen of perspiration on my face. Not good. I'm the type of person who sweats at the drop of a hat (lovely image, I know), so this is really unfortunate. I will probably still use this mascara some, but it couldn't be an everyday mascara for me. It'll have to be relegated to days when I'm just running a couple of errands or days when I'm just playing with makeup and not planning to leave the house.

Swatches

From left to right: Plummy Rose Lipstick, Fearless Blush, Brow Liner, Brow Definer, Foundation

 

The Bag (Estimated Retail Value: ???)

 This is a really cute bag that's a good size. All of the products from this set fit in this bag with plenty of room to spare. I don't know how much I'll actually use it, but since I just consider it an extra, that doesn't bother me.

Bonus Item:

 Tarte always throws in a deluxe sample of product with the first shipment of a TSV. This time it was a sample of their Brazilliance Skin Rejuvenating Maracuja Self Tanner. I was a little disappointed because they've sent this sample before, and I don't use self tanners. Then again, it's a bonus, so I'm not really bothered by it.

 Total Estimated Value: $158 (Note: I didn't assign any value to the bag or to the self tanner samples.)

Final Thoughts:

As with all of the other Tarte TSVs that I've gotten, this set is an incredible value. You are getting the entire set for less than buying the foundation and brush individually. If you are interested in a couple of these products, it's worth checking out. If you aren't sure whether to get the auto delivery option, get it. You can always cancel future shipments if you decide you don't like the colors in them (the future colors haven't been released yet).


Are you going to indulge in this Tarte TSV? If you've picked it up, can you give me any tips on how to get the defining powder to work.