Holiday Gifting 2014 - Tarte Pin Up Girl Blush Palette

When it comes to making a beauty junkie's face light up like a Christmas tree, a beautiful palette is definitely one of your most full-proof gift options. Last month I wrote about ten of the palettes I was coveting most, and after much swatching and deliberating while perusing the aisles of Ulta and Sephora, I decided this tarte Pin Up Girl Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Palette was the perfect addition to my personal collection. From the gorgeous packaging, to the quality of the blushes, to the value of what you're getting, this Limited Edition holiday palette is one of the best you can pick up this season.

The tarte Pin Up Girl Palette includes 5 exclusive shades of Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush: Breathless (pinky beige), Embraced (plummy rose), Whimsy (light pink), Bashful (rosy peach), and Irreplaceable (mauve rose). Embraced and Bashful have a shimmery finish, while Breathless, Whimsy, and Irreplaceable have a satiny matte. If you've never used an Amazonian Clay Blush before, the formula is pretty spectacular. They're a little bit harder than your average blush, but have a ton of color payoff and are extremely blendable. They also do live up to their 12 hour claim and will stay put on your cheeks through even the craziest of work or school days.

From Left to Right: Breathless, Embraced, Whimsy, Bashful, Irreplaceable

Aside from the wonderful formula of the blushes themselves, there's so much to love about this palette, and many reasons why I chose it over some of the other blush palettes that have cropped up for the holidays. When I was swatching in store, I was really impressed by the variety of colors and finishes that you get with this palette. You not only get a nice mix of matte and shimmer, but also cover all of your basic color families (pink, peach, berry and nude). The shimmer is also not overwhelming, making each of these shades wearable for just about any occasion.

You're also getting a pretty incredible value. After doing the math, each pan of blush in this palette is 79% of the size of a full-sized blusher. That puts the value of each shade to be $20.54, or $102.70 total, which makes the $42 price tag seem more than reasonable. The rectangular pans I think are also easier to dip your brush into than a small circle or square.

The packaging of this palette is probably the one questionable or potentially complaint-worthy factor. The casing has a pillowed exterior that adds a bit of extra bulk that was probably unnecessary. Some are also not a huge fan of the gold fabric finish. I personally think it's kind of pretty, and has that extra sparkly touch that you often find with holiday gifts. However, compared to the ultra sleek and gorgeous casing of say, the NARS Virtual Domination Cheek Palette, I can see how some people might see it as a turn off. Regardless, the interior of the palette is lovely, with a huge mirror and each of the blushes beautifully embossed. The hair pins are also a nice little added touch.

All in all, I think this tarte palette is a great option for that makeup addict in your life. We all love eyeshadow palettes, but that also means we have a tendency to own more than we need already. I think a blush palette is a nice option to change things up a bit. Compared to the other similar palettes I swatched (Hourglass, NARS, and Benefit, to name a few) I think this one has the most variety and the most overall wearable shades. The price tag is also much more reasonable than some of those other palettes, especially considering the amount of product you get.

Are you a fan of Tarte products? Would you love to see this palette under your Christmas tree?