January 17, 2014

Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette Review & Swatches

This was provided to me by a brand for review and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post but all opinions are my own.

Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette18

This review of the Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette ($36) feels a little late because ALL OF YOU have tried it before me 🙂 I wasn’t sure I liked the idea of a matte eyeshadow and blush palette to be honest but if anyone at all was going to change my mind about matte it was Tarte.

Tarte introduced me to mattes I actually LOVED! I think the first time I really dug a matte eyeshadow as when I hauled the original Tarte Jewelry Box Palette that was launched around 2009 or so. That palette had a huge array of eyeshadows in a ton of different finishes and yes, there were mattes in there. No one can deny that Tarte’s super silky matte formula is so easy to work with and use. My experience with mattes up to that point had all been bad. Dry, chalky, with a patchy application that looked horrid on my eyes. Seriously, matte just wasn’t for me.

But in comes Tarte and singlehandedly they change my mind. To this day I’m still a little scared of matte anything but I know if Tarte’s behind the wheel I’m safe.

The Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette reinforces the fact that Tarte knows how to do mattes.

Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette2

I run across plenty of beauty products daily so it’s been a while since I had “fun” with any of them but the Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette was just FUN! I know who even associates matte and fun in the same sentence?

I dunno…

Tarte Be MATTEnificent Matte Eye & Cheek Palette

Maybe it because it was a no brainer to use or the formula is completely amazing? Maybe it was just I was so happy that I could actually apply, blend, and wear matte shadows so well? Who knows but I had a blast with this palette.

Housed in a very sleek and beautiful compact with a purple swirling design that looks like the inside of a cut mineral rock of some sort the Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette contains essentials for your cheeks and your eyes in one smooth sophisticated formula.

Open it up and inside is a generously sized mirror, blush, six eyeshadows, two eyeliner shades, and a very soft, usable dual sided brush for apply and blending your shadows.

There’s a clear over sheet on the palette which has the name of each product on it as well as where each of the shades is best suited for placement on your eyes.

You get:

  • Eyeliner/Eyeshadow:
  • Dream in Chocolate
  • Don’t Stand Black

Eyeshadow:

  • Sand Out From the Crowd (base)
  • Peach for the Stars (lid)
  • Two Plums Up (other corner)
  • Pink Outside the Box (lid)
  • Rose to the Occasion (crease)
  • View From the Taupe (crease)

Blush:

  • Elevated

First let’s start with Elevated which is a completely matte, silky, extremely smooth and easy to apply and blend out shade of Amazonian Clay Blush. This has a long strong wear without losing intensity more than 12 hours on my cheeks. The shade is a dusky cooler mauve. On my cheeks it reflects a tan natural peach. It’ll likely look different on everyone depending on your undertones. The shade is sheer at first but builds up a treat so there is plenty of pigment here to go around. I’m very heavy handed with blush and this was easy to apply without overdoing yet still had plenty of color that I was pleased with the results and didn’t feel the need to apply and reapply to get color to show up.

Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette6

Tarte Elevated Blush Swatches

The shadows are amazing but most of you already know that as you likely own some sort of monster palette or two or three from Tarte already. They are silky smooth and finely milled but never chalky, never too powdery! They are sheer perfection and absolute joy to apply and blend out. These are sophisticated mattes at their finishes in terms of quality of the formula, the outstanding texture, and the amazing color pay off. These aren’t weak or sheer just because they are matte. They pack pigment! There isn’t enough good things to say about this formula and I think Tarte even went an extra step with this palette because the shadows just feel even more incredible than past mattes. They don’t crease or fade on my drier eyes even without primer and have a long, strong wear. Even the most passionate of matte haters out there will easily be converted to loving matte!

Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette

Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette5

Tarte Be MATTEnificent Matte Eye & Cheek Palette swatches

Pink Outside the Box, Rose to the Occasion, View from the Taupe

Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette swatches

Sand Out of the Crow, Peach for the Stars, Two Plums Up

Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette12

Dream in Chocolate and Don’t Stand Back

The bottom of the palette has two eyeliner shades. These can be used to line with wet or dry. The shades are very intense so I wouldn’t recommend them for all over eye looks but you can def use them to accent with. Again, the formula is perfect with a silky, smooth texture and a skip-free application.

What can I say?

Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette is a great palette to play grown up with! This creates super easy elegant eye looks. You really don’t have to be a master, expert, or wizard at eye makeup to use this palette. It contains excellent essentials to start you on the journey to actually using and love matte eyeshadow. With Spring on the way it is the perfect collection of shades for soft, feminine, flirty, fresh, and very natural looks at are super office friend.

Tarte Be MATTEnificent Matte Eye & Cheek Palette fotd

Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette15

Sand out from the Crowd (worn all over my eye), Peach for the Stars (worn on the crease), and Two Plums Up (worn on the outer corner) with Elevated Blush on Cheeks

Tarte did an outstanding job with this palette and I know most of you already agree with that.

I’d love to hear your thoughts if you own this one.

It is definitely Muse Approved.

Available now at Sephora, Sephora.com, Ulta, Ulta.com, and tartecosmetics.com.

This was provided to me by a brand for review and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post but all opinions are my own.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Michelle

    The colors are pretty … but I must say, the compact case is amazing! I just love it! IDK, but I think I like the packaging more than the contents, not to say that the contents are bad, just the packaging is just that phenomenal! LOL.

  • Caroline

    Looks like a very pretty palette, and the swatches are definitely impressive! But my one experience with Tarte shadows was the NeutralEYES palette, and it was AWFUL, so I’m hesitant to try any more. Maybe Tarte shadows just don’t work for me…? I wish someone would give me some for free so I could try them again. LOL

        • Caroline

          Thanks for the ideas, Amy! Unfortunately, I always wear primer and it doesn’t seem to make a difference with the Tarte shadow palette I have. I haven’t tried applying with a damp brush, but I might give it a shot. 🙂

          • amy

            I think it depends on the primer, too. I like the tarte primer with them, but LORAC Behind The Scenes works well for me, too. UDPP is too “slippery”, and the shadows don’t stick as well as they do on a creamier one. I only have the 10-pans, and True Blood, and 2 Holiday sets, so I don’t know if the eye & cheek palettes are different.

    • Lisa

      I am with you on the NeutralEYES palettes, but Tarte eyshadows have changed so much!! They must have quietly revamped their formula at some point, because Call of the Wild, and their past 2 mega holiday collections at Sephora, have had absolutely top notch eyeshadows.

      • Lauren

        I have NeutralEyes vol. 1 and I don’t care for the formula of the shadows either. I find the mattes in that palette to have a lot of fall-out and there are only 2 shimmery shades. I don’t reach for it much, if at all, for that reason. However, I have the Amazonian Escape eye and cheek palette (my favorite palette for business travel), Call of the Wild (wearing it today, in fact!), Romancing the Glow (an eye and cheek palette that was on QVC – it’s a summer palette) and the Gorgeous Getaways (the Ulta Holiday palette for 2013) palettes and all 4 are excellent. I believe they have revamped their formula over the past 2 years.

  • Cindy

    Was thinking of ordering this with my Ulta 20% F&F coupon from FB yesterday but Ulta.com was temporarily out of stock :(.

  • Christina D.

    See, Sista Muse? Now, I’ve always loved matte eyeshadows as my absolute fave finish — but never tried Tarte before this palette. And you’ve tried Tarte — but steered clear of mattes. Serendipity! I have found a new brand to love in Tarte and you have found new matte shades to love as well! I think Jung called this synchronicity? Or maybe it was The Police? 🙂

    • Isabella Muse

      christina, def love it 😀 Tarte has turned me onto matte as far back as the first jewelry palette! I’ve always been a matte naysayer prior to that hehe 😀 that’d be the police hehe 😀

  • April

    I JUST ordered this online from Tarte’s website yesterday lol. I’m SOOO excited to get my hands on this! And I got it with 20% off too because I signed up for email updates and got that immediately in my inbox. P,us, bc my total order was over $40, I got free S&H. Usually I would order from Sephora but I ended up getting such a good deal!

    • Thalia

      Thanks for posting that, April — I just did the same thing! 20% off is a REALLY good deal.

  • amy

    That blush is gorgeous, and while I’ve never really been drawn in by packaging, this is an exception!Which leads me to ask, are the eyeshadow pans removeable/replaceable, like withnthe 10-pan palettes? If so, I will grab one ASAP.

    • Isabella Muse

      I’m not terribly experienced with depotting but I believe these can be removed however they do not have any smaller holes in the back to pop them out nor are they magnetic, you’d have to wriggle them out yourself with some sort of tool or clip or something.

      • amy

        I was hoping they were magnetic… I have most of the 10-pans, and this would have been *perfect* for mixing them up a bit so I don’t have to travel with multiple palettes, especially with the blush & liners. I would think of all the palettes, this would be the most reusable!

        • Isabella Muse

          i dunno if you have any em palettes but it comes with that nifty tool to pick the pots from the pan of the compact that might be excellent to use to wriggle these out. But seems like a lot of work to do so. You def have a point reusable would have been nice so you can move around shades and blushes and travel with other shades etc especially since the compact is very pretty!

          • amy

            Well, if I stumble upon it, I may pick it up. I do like the shadows included, and I could figure out a way to repurpose the palette for my magnetic shadows if I ever run out of these… The pans in all the palettes seem to be uniform in size/shape, which makes me even more curious why these don’t pop out (especially with all the “we are committed to recycling” spiel printed on the packaging of the 10-pan palettes).

  • Julie

    Huge thanks for this review! I’ve been on the lookout for a matte palette and I’ve eyeing this online for a couple of days, but I haven’t been able to see it in person and was worried about the quality of the shadows! I’m going to pick this up and give it a try!

  • Christina

    Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! I normally don’t ask these types of questions, but wuld you say this or the It Naturally Pretty Matte Palette has a better texture/formula? I know shades are different, but they’re both matte palettes.

    Thanks!

    • Isabella Muse

      oh that’s hard 😀 I’m going to say that Tarte wins it…I LOVE the It one but they are a bit powdery and tarte is very very finely milled and super silky so tarte gets it although you would be amiss hauling the it cosmetics one too as the shade range is larger and the formula is lovely just a touch more velvety/powdery versus these softer, silky shadows!

      • Christina

        This is going to be tough, then. I have the IT palette, but your love for this makes me want this too!

        • Isabella Muse

          aw I hear ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😀 this seems most popular at the moment and selling fast so maybe grab this first as it is LE!

  • Dee

    I ordered this after I saw your post about it a short while back and it came yesterday. I have several Tarte blushes but have never tried their eyeshadows. I LOVE this palette. So soft and silky. And the case! That alone made me squee. I like matte shadows, but this is definitely one of the easiest to use.

  • EK

    Muse, by any chance, do you have any thoughts on the TARTE Coral Crush Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette? I just saw it on Sephora’s website. It reminds me of Tarte’s Aqualillies in terms of packaging but I don’t know what to think otherwise…GRACIAS in advance! 🙂

    • Isabella Muse

      i don’t ek, I actually have it but never got a sec to review as I purchased it when it was on QVC.com I’ll try to get a review up for you! I loved the aqualillies one which is why I grabbed the coral so I assume it is good ;-D but I’ll def review/swatch when I have a sec! Sorry I didn’t do so sooner!

  • Avalith

    Was pretty much waiting on your call to buy this palette! I’M GOING TO GO GET IT RIGHT THE HECK NOW!!!

  • fancie

    I’ve never tried any Tarte shadows but I really like this palette and have added it to my wishlist. I love mattes!

  • Marissa M

    I wasn’t even considering this until I saw your review. Those swatches are gorgeous! Plus, Tarte always gets me with their pretty palette cases.

  • Diane

    Your review was spot on 110% i love tarte and have many palettes by them and this is one of my top favorites! I didnt know mattes could be so buttery! And the colors + case are gorgeous. I wound up buying one then buying a backup bc its limited edition lol

  • Robin

    Very tempting, but I’m going to pass. Too close to Naked 3 colors. I love that blush though. Hopefully it will sell out so I won’t be tempted. LORAC lippies are causing me to leap of the wagon. LOL

    Have a great weekend!

  • Ashley

    How would you say the colors compare to the offerings in Naked 3? I’m super tempted, but I don’t wanna buy it if there’s much crossover.

  • Amrita

    I’m such a matte junkie, and I completely agree with you that Tarte has one of the best formulas out there. Your swatches are tempting me to just order this palette online even though I normally like to go in and swatch myself before purchasing; the colors are just so lovely and pigmented!

  • Diana

    Ok Muse, I promised myself I was not going to buy anymore eyeshadow palettes! I have enough to last me an eternity!!!! But after reading this, I literally dropped what I was doing and purchased it at Ulta. Meh…. I had a gift card and coupon 🙂 haven’t tried it yet but I’m so happy it’s mine

    • Isabella Muse

      YAY happy to hear it Diana! It’s apparently selling fast so you did a good thing 😀

  • krankenheim

    Matte shades absolutely can be difficult to apply and blend out sometimes. I tend to forget that when recommending products or buying gifts for friends. (I’m looking at you Urban Decay Naked Basics.)

    But the Tarte be MATTEnificent palette formula will make anyone of any skill level look like they’re a shadow pro!

    I think the price is excellent considering the amount of product and quality. And for those of us who like to do a lot of bolder looks, there’s a whole lot of base shadow going on here. All but Two Plums Up can be used as an excellent, smooth base for bright bold looks in combination with other products such as the gorgeous jewel-toned colors of Urban Decay’s Vice 2.

    For those who prefer a more polished, subtle, and sophisticated look or need a great office-friendly palette. This is perfect, as well.

    As Tarte’s first all-matte palette they really hit the nail on the head. Tarte has always done nice, buttery smooth matte eye shades but this one feels much more silky to me. It’s almost like a cream -but- it’s not, if that makes sense.

    Does anyone else think this formula feels almost as if it combines a primer or feels almost as if it’s a cream, too? Primer potion isn’t an absolute requirement for me to wear the colors and that’s very, very rare.

    As of yesterday they were completely out of stock on Ulta’s website. Sephora and Tarte’s websites both still have it though. And as I understand, it’s a limited edition. I’ve already purchased one for a friend and I may even purchase another one for myself before they’re all gone because I can absolutely see myself being disappointed when I use it all up. I very much look forward to seeing more from Tarte in this formula.

  • Erin

    Here I was thinking I was done buying makeup until next Xmas because I bought so much during the holidays. I was on a self imposed suspension from buying more but Then I see your review and my credit card jumps out on its own!!!!! :). As always, great review and lovely pics! My order is in the mail. Can’t wait to get it and play with it!

    • Isabella Muse

      hehe erin how can one resist this though!? ;-D enjoy let me know how you like it! 🙂

  • Staryu

    Tarte has really stepped it up with packaging lately. I remember back when things weren’t looking quite as profesh as they are now. Not a big fan of how some of the products are being halved yet staying the same price. I wonder how much we are paying for image overhaul.

    Regardless, I am interested in this one and will definitely swatch it when I have the chance. Thanks for the review!

  • Luci

    I ordered this palette because I couldn’t resist the beautiful packaging. When it arrived, I found the texture to be very silky and powdery, but this also translates to MESSY, even when I use a light hand to pick up the shadows with different types of brushes. This I can live with (it just means I can’t travel with it), but I’m pretty disappointed that the majority of these colors do not show up on my lids. For reference, I have light-medium skin with yellow undertones (I wear Medium in Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation). I’ll try this again with primer before I decide if it needs to go back. I do like Dream in Chocolate, but that may just be because it’s the only thing that shows up on my skin. It is a little difficult apply along the lash line though, because of its texture, and I probably wouldn’t choose it over my other eyeliner products. Just my honest opinion of this product… it’s one of those things you should really try before you buy.

    • Isabella Muse

      hi luci have you tried a sponge eyeshadow applicator? helps build color!