When it comes to my general makeup buying preferences, I'd define myself as a dabbler. I own one or two products from a LOT of different brands, as opposed to having tons from any one in specific. I love to experiment and try new things, but generally only buy the products that really grab my attention. The one exception to all of this? Tarte.
Somehow over the last year I've amassed a giant collection of their products, and it's probably because almost everything I try ends up becoming an absolute necessity in my everyday makeup routine. Their Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Pencil quickly took the number one spot over my Brow Wiz, the Double Take Eyeliner is the only one I ever really need, and the Shape Tape...well. I don't even think I need to explain my love of Shape Tape.The long story short of it is, I've probably tried more from Tarte than I have any other single brand, and its rare that I come across a dud.
Which brings us back to today's adventure in beauty. A few weeks ago I was somewhat mindlessly scrolling through my Facebook news feed, when up pops an ad for a set of Tarte products on QVC. Now, I'd never bought anything from QVC before, and I knew I had absolutely no need for any more Tarte makeup.
And yet.
This set was honestly such an amazing value I couldn't pass up the opportunity to review it. And not just that "Limited Edition Set" kind of value where it looks like you're getting a great deal but actually you're paying for a sub-par product that's in no way comparable to the original goods. No, this set contained multiple full-sized permanent products for a ridiculous price. Sounds pretty sweet, am I right? So let's break down exactly what you get and whether or not it was as awesome of a deal as it seemed.
The Tarte Good-For-You Glamour 6-Piece Color Collection contains a coordinated set of products to create a beautiful, autumnal look. Each kit contains a full-sized Clay Stick Foundation (there are a number of shades to choose from), a full-sized Lip Sculptor, a full-sized Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara, the Ladies Night Clay Palette, as well as two makeup brushes and a makeup bag. Purchased individually these products would cost you over $170, making the retail price of $65.94 look pretty darn good. On top of that, if you're a new QVC customer you can save $5 off your first order with the code FIVE4U (which is exactly what I did). QVC also offers the handy option of breaking your order down into three payments of $21.98 for no additional charge, if you'd rather not fork out over $65 all at once.
Aside from the obvious "bang for your buck" factor, one of the biggest reasons I decided to invest in this kit was because I knew that I had already tried most of these products, enjoyed them, and could use backups or replacements. Take the Clay Stick Foundation, for example. When this product launched earlier in 2017 I got super curious and decided to pick it up from my local Ulta. At the time we were going into summer, when I'm usually starting to rock a considerable tan. Knowing that the shade I currently own (Medium Sand) is going to be too dark for the fall and winter, I decided I could pick up this kit in Light-Medium and be totally set for the rest of the year.
I also have the sneaking suspicion that I will enjoy this product even more in the cooler months. My skin is insanely oily in the summer time, and this stick foundation, while leaving a matte finish, has a very creamy, hydrating consistency. It's incredibly easy to blend and looks very natural on the skin, however its also not the most long wearing or transfer-proof foundation I've tried. Long story short, I'd give this one 3.5 out of 5 stars, and considering that it normally retails for $39 alone I think if you're curious to try it out getting this set is definitely the more economical the way to go.
Next up is the Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara, which has been one of Tarte's best sellers for years. This mascara is frequently sampled in everything from gift with purchase sets to subscription boxes, so I've had it in deluxe sample and the full size many, many times. Again, this isn't my favorite mascara, but it also isn't by any means a dud. The packaging is really cool, if not a little bulky, and the wand is easy to work with. If you're someone that generally wears more natural looking makeup, you'll probably love this product. It gives your lashes length, volume, and definition, but not to the point of extreme. It's a great everyday kind of mascara that doesn't flake, smudge, or irritate my eyes. Generally I'm a full drama kind of person when it comes to my lashes, which is the only reason that I prefer other formulas over this one. However I have been keeping this on my dresser since I got it and find myself reaching for it often.
Now, these brushes are probably the dark horses of this set. I mostly just considered them a bonus freebie, however they've immediately skyrocketed to everyday staple status. The larger face brush especially is incredible for blending in foundation. The bristles are insanely soft and have the perfect amount of density to blend your foundation in without leaving any brush strokes behind. I find it to work especially well with the Clay Stick Foundation, and by pairing the two together I've actually found myself enjoying the foundation even more. This brush would also be awesome for blending in cream contour, or could be used to pat on powder for touch ups.
The eye brush is perfect for doing detailed blending in small areas. I would say it's not quite big or fluffy enough to apply a transition color to the crease, but if you want to deepen up the outer corner of your eye it works perfectly.
Also, let's not forget how absolutely beautiful these brushes are to look at. Yes, appearance certainly isn't everything, but since they both perform so well I feel like they deserve brownie points for looking pretty. I honestly wish these brushes were sold individually, because I would highly recommend picking up at least the face brush if you weren't interested in the whole set.
Another product that was not new to me is the Tarte Lip Sculptor. These dual ended lippies are part of the Double Duty Beauty Line that launched back in 2016 and contains a range of multitasking makeup for streamlining your daily routine. I originally picked up one of these Lip Sculptors during the initial launch, and was happy to add a new color to my collection. The shade in this set is called "Sass" which is also part of the permanent collection and while described as a "mauve" is more of a rose berry in my humble opinion.
If you're feeling over the whole matte lip trend, you'll probably really dig this product. The lipstick is super creamy and hydrating, yet packs a lot of pigment, and the coordinating gloss adds shine without any stickiness. While the packaging is a little bit more bulky than your average lipstick, it is handy to not have to dig around the bottom of your bag to find two different products. And maybe I just have a thing for yellow gold, but I also think its hella pretty to look at. If you've got a sensitive nose this product does contain a fair amount of vanilla fragrance, so depending on your preferences that could be a wonderful or terrible thing.
The real reason that I was so enticed to buy this set, though, was this palette. A few years ago I shared my review of the Tarte Showstopper Palette, which has the exact same layout and design of this one, but with different shades. That palette is hands down the best thing to travel with, and has gone with me to Iceland, to California, to the Firefly Music Festival, and more. I just love the convenience of having everything you need to do your face and eyes all in one place, and to also know that the product itself is wonderful. That being said, my Showstopper Palette is old enough that it probably should be retired out of my collection, and I've only been doing the declutter dance for so long because it's since been discontinued and I have no way to replace it.
And then I saw this set and immediately my prayers were answered. As much as I appreciated the neutral tones of the Showstopper Palette, I think I like the warm berry tones of the Ladies' Night even better. I also love that you get a variety of finishes among the eyeshadow selection, because your girl is all about that shimmery lid look. This palette is entirely exclusive to this set, which means the only way to get your hands on it is to order the whole shebang.
Now, there is one thing I do want shed some light on formula-wise. I did some research and compared ingredients lists between the formulas in this palette versus other permanent Tarte products and this is what I found. The matte eyeshadows seem to be very similarly formulated to the ones in the Tarteist Pro Palette. The shimmers are a little more unique, although they might be more similar to what you'd find in the Tartelette series. The face products, however, are NOT the same formulas as the individually sold blushes and bronzers. When it comes to how they apply to the skin I still think they blend beautifully and wear quite nicely, but I do want to put it out there that you aren't getting the same Amazonian Clay formula you would get in a $30+ blush or bronzer.
Another notable difference is that everything in this palette is infused with a vanilla fragrance. It's not overwhelming, but it is definitely noticeable when you're doing your makeup. Again, if you're very sensitive to fragrance this is something to make note of. The scent is pretty much identical to the Tarteist Pro Eyeshadow Palette, so if you had an issue with that you would probably also not get along with this.
Before we get into swatches, I did also want to point out one thing about the packaging of this product. I absolutely LOVE the circular design, and again, the yellow gold totally has my heart. The ONLY thing that I wished was different was the cover. I know they're matching the purple faux snakeskin design of the Lights, Camera, Lashes, I just wish that they could have gone with something that wasn't identical to the Showstopper. Like, a deep berry pink shade even would have been gorgeous. It's honestly a very minute thing to gripe about, but I just would have liked to see them do something different.
As you can tell, this palette swatches beautifully. The only shade of both face and eyes that was a little less than stellar to me was Clutch, which is supposed to have more of a satin finish and felt a little less pigmented than everything else. All in all I think these colors are super on trend for the fall, and can be used to create some really beautiful looks on a number of different skin tones. Speaking of which, here is the one I created!
Final verdict? If you were already considering buying any of these products before you saw this set, I would definitely recommend checking it out. Similarly, if you're like me and really love the look of the Ladies' Night Clay Palette, and feel that everything else that comes along with it is worth the extra $25, you're making a solid investment. For me, having already tried the mascara, foundation and lip product before, I knew that they were things I would definitely use and enjoy. And as it turns out I would have paid $25 just to have those brushes that I originally thought nothing of!
But truthfully, it's not just about the price. Getting a great deal isn't worth it if the products themselves are junk. I do honestly believe the products in this set are quality, especially if you're someone that appreciates a more everyday wearable kind of look. If you don't own any Tarte makeup and are curious about the brand I do think this set will give you a nice introduction that is actually representative of what they're about. And looking at all of the upcoming holiday releases I would actually recommend the Good-For-You Glamour set over anything else I've seen. Not only do you not need to worry about bulky holiday packaging taking up all of the room in your vanity, but you also know you're getting full-sized permanent products that aren't being skimped on quality-wise. If you're interested in this set I would love to hear which product is calling to you most. Tell me about it in the comments down below!
What is your favorite Tarte product?
*This post contains affiliate links. For more information regarding my affiliations and disclosures, click here.
*This post contains affiliate links. For more information regarding my affiliations and disclosures, click here.
