Tarte Smoldereyes Liners--An Amazing Deal, but Worth It?

I was thrilled when the Tarte Smoldereyes liner set came back into stock at Sephora; $39 for six liners than normally retail for $25 each. Now, I love me some Tarte, but that is an insane price for an eyeliner. The set works out to just over $6/pencil, though, which is a steal.

Left to right, the liners come in Golden Beige (champagne with shimmer), Moss (olive green with shimmer), Violet (purple sparkle), Espresso (medium brown with shimmer), Silver Black (black with glitter), and Smoke (metallic silver with shimmer). The kit also comes with a basic sharpener, which is a good thing because these babies are far thicker than any other eyeliner that I've ever seen. They're more the size of an eye pencil intended for use as a shadow than as a liner.  Each pencil also comes with its own smudging sponge, which works remarkably well to smoke out the colors.

First impressions:

Silver Black:

Silver Black was the first pencil I tried. I'd been warned about the huge chunks of glitter in it ahead I'd time, but was still surprised at how much glitter I saw when I started applying it. Most of it ended up tangled in my lashes, and proceeded to fall into my eyes for the next 30 minutes. Still, the color payoff was excellent, the formula was pleasantly soft and easy to work with, and it was fully opaque after one pass. Personally I don't really mind the glitter overall since I already have enough black liners that are work-appropriate and have been looking for a special occasion one, but if you're in the market for an everyday liner you should look elsewhere. 

Wear time in the upper lash line: 10+ hours
Wear time on the waterline: I am so not even going to try this given how much glitter this pencil has. Beauty is pain and all of that, but I'd need to be a masochist to put this that close to my eyeball.

Smoke:

Smoke was my second liner, and thankfully there was no glitter in this shade. It's a lovely medium metallic silver--very similar to Urban Decay's Gunmetal, but with more shimmer. Like Silver Black it's a soft, creamy pencil with excellent pigmentation. I almost think it's too soft as I kept having to comb little pieces of it out of my lashes as I applied it. You can even see in the top swatch that there's a small chunk of liner that came off onto my hand when I applied a line of color.

This one isn't dark enough to be worn alone on the upper lid, but looks nice when used over a line of darker liner. It smudges particularly nicely using the attached sponge.

Wear time on the upper lash line: 12+ hours
Wear time on the waterline: 4+ hours

Espresso:

I tried Espresso next, and like Smoke it felt very, very soft. A good liner needs to be soft to apply properly, but again, you shouldn't have to pick bits out of your lashes. I'll be honest, I wasn't thrilled with how Espresso applied or wore on the waterline. Pigmentation was far less impressive than Smoke in the same area, and wear time was much less. Application on the upper lash was unusually tricky with Espresso, as the pencil was so soft that I couldn't keep a point on it to save my life. I'll experiment a bit with this one (it's occurring g to me as I type to stick it in the fridge for a few hours before sharpening/applying again) but as of this writing I'm not a big fan.

Wear time on the upper lash line: 12+ hours
Wear time on the waterline: under 3 hours

Golden Beige:

Golden Beige was next on the docket, and much like Silver Black it is chock full of big flecks of glitter. Pigmentation-wise this is a very light champagne color, probably best worn as either a highlight shade or above a darker liner right at the lash line. The color is totally overwhelmed by glitter, though, and it was really hard to tell where I was seeing pigment versus glitter at times.  If it wasn't for the sparkle factor this would become my everyday highlight color, though, because it really is a lovely golden champagne color.

Wear time on the upper lash line: No idea. Try as I might, I could not get this to show up well enough on my pale skin to gauge wear time. I'm going to guess that it's the same as the others, in which case it's an all-day affair.
Wear time on the waterline: 3 hours

Moss:

Moss applied beautifully, and like Smoke and Violet is shimmery without being glittery. The shimmer in all three shades is muted enough to be work appropriate (unless your workplace is extremely conservative). Like Golden Beige, Moss is light enough to need a bit of help from a darker shade on the upper lash line. It's a gorgeous golden green, and provides a not-insignificant amount of brightening, especially above the lashline.

Wear time on the upper lash line: 12+ hours
Wear time on the waterline: 3 hours

Violet:

Violet is bright purple, and walks the line between the set's shimmery colors and its glittery ones.  It sparkles, but doesn't have the huge chunks of glitter that make Silver Black and Golden Beige problematic.  The color is intense, and I actually had to remove my first application and re-apply because it was too much for the look I'd already created.  The intense pigmentation also helped it last longer on the waterline than the others I tried, which was nice.  This pencil definitely had the softness issues that I discussed above, but wasn't quite as hard to work with as Espresso.

Wear time on the upper lash line: 12+ hours
Wear time on the waterline: 4 hours

Bottom line:  this set is absolutely worth the money IF you're looking for liners to create smokey looks rather than precision lines.  These pencils are too thick and too soft for detail work, though one could probably deduce as much from the "smolder"part of the product name.

The single best thing about the Smoldereyes liners is their longevity.  Wear time for every one was incredible--I wore each for at least 12 hours before removing it, and still had to scrub a bit to get the last vestiges of liner off after removing the rest of my makeup.  They have far more staying power than Urban Decay's 24/7 liners, though you do have to trade off precision for longevity when you go with Tarte.  Given my penchant for 14+ hour days, this is a set I will definitely use until the last stub of pencil is gone.

A word on packaging, and why it matters

Dear Makeup Companies of the World,

Hi there, how's it going?  Not much new with me, save that I've been doing a lot of experimenting with your products over the last year, and have come to some conclusions about packaging that I feel compelled to share with you.

Packaging matters.  Not only does an attractive compact or case attract a busy shopper's eye in a crowded display, but it affects the way we as consumers use your products.  Case in point, Benefit blush:

Benefit's packaging definitely stands out from the crowd on a store shelf--I don't think I've seen another brand using anything similar--but the way one has to hold the box and brush in order to use the product is less than lovely.  When one uses Sugarbomb, or one of your other multi-colored shades, it requires a not-insignificant amount of physical dexterity to sweep the brush evenly around the face of the pan in order to pick up an even amount of each shade.  It's awkward, and while I like the product enough to keep it in spite of this flaw, it will make me think twice about purchasing another blush from your line.

Moving on to a design that works, let's examine the Naked Palette, and Naked 2

*sigh*  Urban Decay, you rock so hard.  As much as I love Naked 1, Naked 2 has stolen my heart, at least in part due to the really solid packaging upgrade.  From a luxe (but easily dirtied) velvet box closed with hidden magnets to a solidly constructed metal casing that snaps closed tightly but isn't difficult to re-open, you've managed to make an already appealing shadow collection even more desirable.  What's more, you upgraded the mirror to run the full length of the palette, which is incredibly helpful on-the-go or while traveling.

There's no awkwardness about the Naked Palettes, and that's really saying something given how difficult-to-use certain other palettes are.  Say, for example,

the Tarte for True Blood palette.  It's lovely, sexy, and visually stunning.  Everything that compelled me to buy this palette in the first place still screams at me from my vanity every morning, but actually using the shadows is a lot less fun than it should be. 

For one thing, they're all crammed together to the point that cross-contamination happens even when a shadow has barely been touched.  Plus, due to the way the shadows are organized, you're not just contaminating one or two adjoining shades--there are 4+ other shadows touching each pan here!  Doubleplus, the organization of this palette makes it difficult to figure out which shades should pair up together.  Some connections are obvious, but others...not so much.

And then there's the product that is priced high, but whose packaging feels like something out of Rite Aid.  Not to knock drugstore cosmetics at all--there are wonderful drugstore products out there--but in terms of a compact's feel, there's typically a big difference between a Sephora-level product and a drugstore one.  Tarte's Amazonian Clay blushes don't seem to know this, though, because in spite of their steep $25 pricetag and amazing quality, the compact feels $3.99 in my hand.  It's cheap, flimsy plastic that I seriously doubt would do much to protect the pan if it was dropped (please correct me if I'm wrong here--I have no desire to test this theory on one of my own blushes) and is difficult to open to boot.  No $25 compact should require me to sacrifice intact nail polish just to open it up.

And yes, Bobbi Brown, I'm also looking at you here.  Your Party Palettes are ridiculously difficult to open.  I use them plenty, so it's not a matter of breaking in the closure--there's a design flaw here that needs examined.

My point being, packaging matters.  I know you know this, and I know that you probably run zillions of focus groups just to figure out what kind of packaging will appeal most to consumers.  The emphasis on curb appeal to new buyers has to be balanced with usability for those of us who've already purchased the product, though.  Because when push comes to shove, I'm not going to spend another $40+ on a Bobbi Brown shadow palette next season, especially when I don't use the ones I have as often as I might due to packaging issues.

In conclusion, PACKAGING.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed

As you may remember, I'm a big fan of Tarte.  I love their cheekstains, eyeshadows, and lip products.  I especially love that I have yet to encounter a dud product from them, which makes me far more likely to try new things from the brand sight unseen.  That said, Exposed is a shade that I purchased on a whim and probably wouldn't have looked at twice if it hasn't been for Temptalia's review a couple of weeks ago.

(an aside--my husband replaced all of the lighting in my bathroom this weekend, and I'm still trying to figure out the best angle for swatching.  Blog readership, meet my sink!)

Lovely, isn't it?  Very subtle, and perfect for a laze-around-the-house-no-I-shouldn't-be-wearing-makeup-but-I-am-because-it-makes-me-happy day.

In terms of wear time, I definitely get the full 12 hours advertised, which is pretty impressive for a powder blush.  I get at least 12 hours from Tarte's cheek stain too, for what it's worth.  I didn't pair Exposed with a highlighter here, and honestly I'm not sure it would look right with one.  Just as I wouldn't wear a glittery lipgloss over a my-lips-but-better lipstick,  I wouldn't pair my-cheeks-but-better Exposed with highlighter.

Regardless, I'd heartily recommend Exposed to pale-skinned, warm-complected ladies looking for a blush that won't make you look at all like you're wearing blush.  Check it out!

Give Me Some Lip! Review

I am a sucker for sample kits.  I can't tell you how many I've purchased over the years, only to be disappointed with 99% of them.  Initially I was prepared to be disappointed by the Sephora Give Me Some Lip set too, particularly since I could easily see from the promotional photo that it contained one lipstick I knew I'd never use and one gloss from a company I'd sworn off buying glosses from a long time ago. 

So what made me bite the bullet and shell out $25 (actually $20 because I used a Friends and Family code) for this one?  Two words: Tarte Moody.  I freaking love this color, and the prospect of having a purse-sized tube plus getting at least one or two other products I'd keep using was enough to convince me that Give Me Some Lip was worth purchasing.

So how did it stack up?  Surprisingly well.  First, swatches!

Left to right: Tarte LipSurgance in Moody,  Smashbox gloss in Fame, Kat Von D Painted Lipstick in Celebutard, Buxom Lip Polish in Leslie, Benefit Benetint in Rose, and Lancome Juicy Tube in Raspberry Ice.

First, the bad.  I hate, hate, hate the Kat Von D shade.  It's a nude, but not a my-lips-but-better nude.  It's far pastier than my natural lip color (which isn't dark) and wasn't flattering at all.  This was the one shade I knew wouldn't be a hit from the minute I saw the photo online, though, so it wasn't as if I was disappointed when I tried it on and realized it was a no-go. 

I also didn't care for the Smashbox gloss in Fame.  I go back and forth about Smashbox glosses, because while they're really long-lasting, they're so incredibly sticky that I never wear them, even when I do like the color.  Fame didn't do anything for me as a shade, so it went into the reject pile too.

Now when I bought this set I made a deal with myself.  As long as I liked at least half of the box I could keep it.  With two shades down, I needed at least three hits (not including the Tarte stain that I already loved) or I'd have to send it back.  Thankfully, the rest of the colors and formulas proved themselves to be worthy of the "keep" pile.

The Buxom lip polish was, on first glance, a reject.  I tried it on over the Kat Von D (mistake number one) and didn't pay much attention to how much gloss was on the applicator before I put it on my lips (mistake number two).  When I looked in the mirror I actually burst out laughing because it looked like I'd gone back to 1989 and put on some of that candy makeup they used to sell.  Remember that?  It was gloopy and stringy and tended to stick stubbornly to the purse of the lip so you had to use your teeth to get it off.  Ick.  Not a look I would care to sport at 10, much less 30.  So it's no surprise that I was ready to lump Buxom in with Smashbox and Kat Von D.  Then, this morning, I decided to give it another try.  This time I wore it over a shade (to be revealed momentarily) that I really liked, and I made sure not to apply much at all.  Eureka!  What had initially looked like a gloppy mess turned out to be a very lovely champagne-sparkle shade that worked beautifully when lightly applied.  It does have a strong minty effect on my lips, and I could definitely do without the extended tingly sensation it provokes, but overall the color and lifespan of the shade (I'm going on five hours of wear time as I type, and it's even lasted through a meal) make it a keeper.

The real prize of the set, and the color I'm wearing Buxom over today, is the Benefit Rose shade.  Applying this one is really, really unnerving and I'm going to go on record here as saying that I dislike the whole application process.  Benetint is packaged in what really looks like a nail polish jar, and applies with a brush like a watercolor.  If you look at the photo above you'll see that it's a true stain, and dries in seconds once on the skin, but before that (and because the jar is full of this dark red liquid) I get very anxious that I'm going to either drop the jar or spill/drip some of the stain onto my clothing.  This might work better for me as a rollerball, to be honest.  Still, the shade is a beautiful pink/rose that looks really lovely on my lips.  Not only would I be tempted to keep the set for this shade alone, but I'm fairly certain that I'll be purchasing a full-sized version when this sample runs out.

Finally, the last hit of the kit is the Lancome Juicy Tube in Raspberry Ice.  The scent of this shade is almost overpowering (ARTIFICIAL BERRY!) but the color is really beautiful.  In the tube it looks like an electric peach with glitter, but on the lips it mellows out into a soft pink/peach that reminds me of nothing so much as NARS Orgasm blush.  The glitter translates into a subtle shimmer, and the overall effect is quite pleasing.  I was really surprised at how much I liked it, especially since I don't tend to gravitate towards peachy lip colors.

So at $25 for the set, this works out to a little over $4 per tube ($3.33 since I snagged it during F&F), which is definitely a price point I'm happy with.  The Tarte LipSurgence alone retails for $24 for a full-sized tube, and a sample this size would work out to $8 if the price was calculated proportionately.  All of which is to say that both mathematically and aesthetically I think the Give Me Some Lip set is a solid value worth buying if you're in the market for some new lip products.

A Tale of Two Mascaras

Last summer I met my new true mascara love, Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes.  A sample-sized tube of LCL was included with the Tarte True Blood palette.  I was instantly hooked.  LCL was everything I wanted in a mascara: it made my lashes look dramatically longer, the wand separated them beautifully, and I still felt that they looked natural enough when I was wearing it that someone could conceivably believe that I wasn't wearing mascara. 

But all good things must come to an end, and after 5 months that sample tube finally dried out to the point where I couldn't justifying continuing to use it every day.  So into the trash it went, and into my online shopping cart went a full-sized tube of LCL.  In the interim I used my old standby, Clinique's PowerLash, and another sample, Makeup Forever's Aqua Lash formula (more on both of these in a future entry).  Neither made my eyes look the way LCL did, so you can imagine my joy when the Friends and Family box arrived and my new tube was finally here.

And this is where our story takes a turn for the tragic, because that full-sized tube I paid nearly $20 for?  It's not as good as the sample.

Woe!

Now, I'm inclined to think that the difference lies more with the full-sized brush than with the formula itself.  I've certainly heard stories about how some manufacturers will put a slightly different formula into a sample than they do into a full-sized product, but I really don't think that's the issue.  The real problem is that the sample brush seemed to do a far better job of separating the lashes than the full-sized brush.  Photo links (because I didn't save the sample tube) below:

Sample brush: From the Pretty Exclusive
Full-sized brush: From the Makeup Temple

Is it just me, or are those brushes different?

In any case, I'm not ready to throw in the towel on Lights, Camera, Lashes yet, but I would love to know if anyone else has had trouble with their LCL brushes.  My main complaint is that my lashes aren't separated very well by the brush (which can always be fixed with an eyelash brush) and thus are looking more Kewpie Doll-ish than I'd prefer.

Tarte Cheekstain--Never Use Powder Again!

Like many beauty newbies, I really hesitated before even trying something called "stain" on my skin.  In my world, stains are difficult to remove, obnoxious, and stick around long after you want them gone.  Therefore, I was skeptical when a Sephora sales associate encouraged me to give the Tarte cheekstains a try.  If you've been reading my posts over the last few days, you've probably noticed that I talk about Tarte a lot.  It's currently one of my favorite brands because I have yet to try a product from them that doesn't deliver as advertised.

My first Tarte stain was from their True Blood collection:

In the tube this stain looks seriously scary: bright blood red, and full of glitter.  Once blended on my hand, though, the red softened to a really natural-looking flush that I knew would look amazing on my face.  In spite of my dislike of glitter and the $30 price tag, I was sold. 

I got it home and wore it religiously for two weeks.  During that time I fell more and more in love with the color while becoming less and less crazy about the glitter factor.  I finally decided that the latter outweighed the former, and with a heavy heart sent the tube back to Sephora.

I'll go on record here and say that if Tarte ever decides to sell this red shade again without the glitter I will buy a tube at twice the original price.  That's how crazy I am about the red.  They don't make it as part of their regular line, though, so I had to choose from their other shades.

I finally decided on Natural Beauty, which is a cool raspberry shade.  I love the way it looks, and just like the True Blood shade it blends easily and quickly to create a very natural-looking flush on my cheeks.

Tarte Natural Cheekstain Pros:

• Smooth, blendable formula
• Highly pigmented--a little of this stuff goes a long way, which makes the $30 price a bit easier to stomach.  I'm guessing a tube will last at least 6 months, possibly longer, when used daily.
• Lasts all day and doesn't need to be retouched like a powder blush (this is huge for me--I hate having to carry around my cosmetics all day just so I can do retouches).

Cons:

• None of the currently offered shades match that gorgeous True Blood red that really will look good on anyone, and the glitter in the True Blood tube just doesn't work for anyone over 22.
• A little goes a LONG way, and especially when you're just starting to use the product it's easy to apply too much.  No one wants to walk around looking like Bozo the Clown.
• All of Tarte's cheekstains smell like Lemon Pledge.  I have no idea why Tarte thinks added scent is a good idea, but they do.  
• As with most other higher-end cosmetics, the price point is really steep, especially for someone who's just starting to build their makeup collection.  Unlike some of the other products I've reviewed and deemed "must haves" (ahem, Urban Decay Naked Palette) I have yet to even see mentions of drugstore cheekstain that come close to Tarte's quality.  It really is one of those bite-the-bullet beauty finds.

Sephora Friends and Family--Counting Down the Days!

Sephora's annual Friends and Family 20% off sale is expected to begin in the next 2-3 weeks, and I know my online shopping bag is already filling up with goodies.  Purchases I'm planning to make include:

Bare Minerals refillable Mineral Veil brush--$15

• I've been a fan of the Mineral Veil since I first tried Bare Minerals back in 2008.  I used their complete line for a couple of years before switching to Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer and Tarte cheekstain, but I still love the Mineral Veil as a finishing powder.  At only $15, I'm willing to give this new delivery system a try.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara

• I love, love, love this formula.  It adds just enough volume to my lashes (which are reasonably thick to begin with) and lengthens without making them look unnatural.  It's just a great product and absolutely worth the $19 pricetag.

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner Travel Set in Naked

• This set includes my daily favorite, Bourbon (shimmery brown), plus Zero (black), Demolition (dark brown), Underground (metallic taupe) and Stray Dog (silvery taupe).
• At $32 this is a great deal if, like me, you're looking to try out some new shades of Urban Decay's fabulous 24/7 liners without spending $18 for full pencils.

On my maybe list:

Tarte Starlet Limited Edition Makeup Vanity

• At only $52, this huge shadow collection seems like a no-brainer, especially when you consider that it comes with a full-sized tube of Lights, Camera, Lashes! which I was already planning to spend $18 to buy.  That brings the price of the palette down to just over $30!  I'm really hesitating to pull the trigger on this purchase after my disappointment with the True Blood palette, though.  Plus, I'm seeing some negative reviews about the pigmentation of the shadows.  This may be one I need to see in person before I buy. 

So what's on your "to buy" list this Friends and Family season?

Tarte for True Blood

Like pretty much every other woman between the ages of 18-45, I am a sucker for True Blood (puns!).  What I am not usually a sucker for, though, are gimmicky tie-in products.  My gut reaction is actually to ignore them because if a product isn't good enough to sell well without the name of a celebrity, movie, or television show attached why would I buy it?

Enter Tarte's True Blood collection.

I was initially very skeptical.  First, I'd never tried any Tarte products before (see yesterday's post about lip colors--I purchased those at the same time I purchased the True Blood palette) and I'm loathe to spend $52 on eyeshadow even when I do know and love the brand.  Second, it is SO gimmicky.

And yet, I was totally smitten by the wide range of colors in the palette.  Mossy green, wine red, and several lovely pinks alongside matte black and gold.  The palette also offered a sample of Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara (not pictured because I have since completely used it up) which I'd been eager to try.  The eye primer sample and full-sized black eyeliner were less of a draw to me as I was happy with the primer and liner I was currently using, but it can never hurt to have some extras lying around.

So I took the plunge. That was in early August, and as you can see by the state of my palette, it's not been my most-used product of the Fall.

Pros of the Tarte for True Blood Palette:

• All of the shadows are quite soft, and so highly pigmented that you hardly need to pack any onto your brush to get the full impact of the color on your lids.
• While many of the shadows are quite glittery, the fallout isn't nearly as bad as one might expect.  Definitely nowhere near the kind of fallout I saw from the glittery shades in Urban Decay's Naked Palette.
• The colors really are stunning in person.
• While the palette does run $52, it includes 17 large shadows.  That's $3/color, which is comparable to drugstore prices.

Why I Don't Recommend it for Beauty Newbies:

• Unless you're in your teens/early 20's you probably don't wear many truly glittery shadows on a regular basis.  I'm 100% no longer in that demographic, and while I love the look of glitter in the pan, on my face it looks like I'm trying too hard to recapture my younger days.
• Even if you're in the right age group to wear the glittery shadows, they're so highly pigmented that it's very difficult to create wearable daytime (read: work-appropriate) looks using the palette's most striking colors. 
• The "get the look" card included with the palette was a joke.  I could see Pam (vampire bitch extraordinaire on True Blood) carrying most of them off, but not a regular human living in the real world.  
• The arrangement of colors in the palette is gorgeous, but not terribly conducive to figuring out which shades will go best together if you're new to eye makeup.  You can sort of figure out which are meant to be worn together by picking a lid color and then looking at the shades in its immediate vicinity to see which might work as crease and highlighter colors, but even that's hit-and-miss.  I'm sure experienced eyeshadow users wouldn't have trouble with this aspect of the palette, but newbies are certain to struggle.  

Verdict:  Not for me, and probably not great for anyone in my age range who's looking for shadows to build a daily wear collection.  I'll likely buy more Tarte shadows just because I think the formula is wonderful, but will stay away from anything glittery from them in the future.

As a sidenote, I also purchased the Tarte for True Blood cheekstain, which also left me hot and cold.  More on that later this week when I discuss why beauty newbies need to check out Tarte cheekstains as a powder blush alternative.

Lips, lips, lips!

Unlike eye makeup, lipstick is something I've been moderately obsessed with for many years.  I still have yet to find the one shade to rule them all, and in lieu of that holy grail of lip colors I've amassed an embarrassing number of lipsticks and glosses that see me through the day.  I'm definitely the type of person who'd prefer to have one perfect product that I can use on a daily basis rather than dozens that I can mix and match based on my mood, so I tend to get stuck in lipstick ruts, but I'm trying hard to break that pattern and use everything I've bought at least a few times a month.

Today's look is my current favorite:  Tarte's LipSurgence in Envy (right) with their Lipstain in Moody (left):

Swatches: Envy on left, followed by Moody, and finally Moody layered on top of Envy (which is how I wear them 90% of the time):

Why Tarte Lipstain is Awesome for Beauty Beginners:

• Lipstain gets a bad rap sometimes for being drying.  I find if I just wear the LipSurgance (which is a matte) then my lips will fairly quickly dry out.  When I layer the Lipstain on top (which has a glossy finish) it's the perfect blend of long-wearing color plus moisture.  
• Longevity:  An application of LipSurgance by itself will take me from 6:00 am through 3:00 pm with no needed touchups.  When I add in the glossy stain, I can get through lunch before needing to add another layer of Moody.  I've never before had a lip color last so long without needing to be retouched.
• Tarte markets itself as an all-natural company.  While I don't pretend to be a chemist, I will say that at least on a psychological level it's nice to think that my makeup isn't slowly poisoning me with artificial ingredients.

But...

• Each Tarte lipcolor will run you $24.  That is a LOT for a single color.  If I hadn't been on a Sephora buying spree when I first discovered them there's no way I would have paid that much for a product I hadn't used and loved before.  
• Tarte's stains all tend really pink, which isn't everyone's cup of tea.  I really wish they had more neutral/brown-tinged shades, but alas they don't.

For Those on the Fence

• If you're tempted by Tarte but holding back due to the pricepoint, this 5-pack from their Holiday 2011 collection may be just the thing for you.  Five full-sized shades for $29 make this a killer bargain.  I haven't tried any of them out yet, but even if only two of the five are to your liking you've saved quite a few dollars.  At the very least, this set will give you a sense of the formula and whether or not it works for you.  Best of all, it's available at Sephora, so if you don't like it you can easily send it back for a full refund.