December 9, 2016

Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Volume II Eyeshadow Palette Review & Swatches

Affiliate / Purchased
I purchased this item and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post.

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Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Volume II Eyeshadow Palette ($36) is a new, limited edition eyeshadow palette that launched with the Tarte Spring 2017 Collection on late Sunday evening. This palette is a the sequel and cooler version of Tarte’s original Rainfoest of the Sea Eyeshadow Palette that launched last year.

Here’s my review and swatches of the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Volume 2 Eyeshadow Palette.

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First off, thanks Tarte for your quick shipping! I ordered this on Sunday and it arrived on Wednesday! Wow! That was quick. I’m also surprised it isn’t sold out with the Tarte 30% Off Sale going on at the moment. If you want it, best hop over there and grab it as you can get 30% off your entire order including this palette using promo code BESTIE.

As we know sequels are typically never as good as the original right? But, Tarte’s Rainforest of the Sea Volume II Eyeshadow Palette definitely will eliminate any misconceived notions you have about sequels being bad!

This comes housed in a small circular compact that’s a little smaller than a CD which has a generously sized mirror inside and eight eyeshadows each of which are the same 0.05 oz size as the original palette. The purple face plate is a little different compared to last years which had a wave design. This year they went with a coral reef design. So, if you’re storing these together you can easily tell them apart even though they lack a label (aside from a small sticker on the back). I didn’t realize it but the shades are printed on the palette as well. You have to squint a little to see but the small face plate in the middle has each of the shades printed on it! The palette also includes a card with two get the look tutorials.

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One of the things that sets the Rainforest of the Sea Eyeshadow Palette and Rainforest of the Sea Eyeshadow Palette Volume 2 apart from any other Tarte Eyeshadow Palette you may own is the very dramatic change in the formula. This formula is very, very, very different from anything else that Tarte offers at the moment. Tarte says the formula is plush and velvety with a hydrating finish that has a cream powder texture. I find the texture is best likened to Make Up For Ever’s Artist Eyeshadow but a bit softer and creamier. This is a gel shadow that has a dense texture and is considerably less silky and powdery compared to what Tarte normally produces. These are best described as a hybrid formula that’s part powder, part cream! But nothing like the creaminess you’d get from say Stila’s Eyeshadow formula as for one thing these lack the crazy frost I associate with that formula and for another the texture is a little harder. The softness lends to a great blending process that’s free from fall out issues and wears long and strong without fading or losing intensity. The color is very smooth and even after application.

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Oddly enough, Tarte says this is the cooler of the two palettes but I actually felt it was warmer than the original. Granted their are smokier shades in here that lean towards being cooler but there are also warmer nudes and naturals as well. The thing that pleased me most about the shade selection is that I never felt like the colors overlapped anything that was available in the original. I also loved that I could get either a nude look from this palette or a smokier one. I also felt like the shimmer factor wasn’t as strong in this palette and the shades ran towards being more satiny matte.

Shades include:

  • Pearl (white shimmer)
  • Conch (off white)
  • Sunset (yellow gold)
  • Marina (caramel)
  • Seaside (chestnut)
  • Siren (dark brown)
  • Breezy (shimmering slate)
  • Riptide (steel blue)

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Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Volume 2 Eyeshadow Palette Swatches (Pearl, Conch, Sunset, Marina)

Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Volume 2 Eyeshadow Palette Swatches (Pearl, Conch, Sunset, Marina)

Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Volume 2 Eyeshadow Palette Swatches (Seaside, Siren, Breezy, Riptide)

Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Volume 2 Eyeshadow Palette Swatches (Seaside, Siren, Breezy, Riptide)

Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Volume II Eyeshadow Palette delivers everything we know and love about the original. This beautiful palette is filled with soft, creamy eyeshadows that are pigmented, easy to work with, and feel just like butter!

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I think it deserves a Muse Approval.

Get it now at tartecosmetics.com and at Sephora.com as well.

Did you pick it up?

What are you feelings about it?

Do share!

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Affiliate / Purchased
I purchased this item and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post.

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

  • Rosemary

    I did pick it up with the 30 percent off and I’m so glad I did! This is my first tarte palette, I’m an urban decay and too faced girl. Can’t wait to try this baby out! Thanks for your review and swatches!

  • Emily

    Mmmm. . . LOVE Riptide! I like the whole bottom row of swatches, but not crazy about the top row. Remember yesterday when I asked if I should get a Tarte Pro to Go or a Smashbox Cover Shot mini palette? Well, I will be able to tell you soon which is better because I ordered them both today! I say I don’t want any more palettes, but maybe a mini is OK, and then I buy 2 minis! And now I’m considering Rainforest of the Sea gem! When you say it’s like a cream powder hybrid, is it like ColourPop texture?

    • Isabella Muse

      Let me know! Curious minds which turns out better for you! 🙂 No, much denser than Colourpop’s formula! Colourpop has a very creamy, soft texture, this is much more dense in comparison!

    • Agona

      I picked up 2 of the smashbox cover shoot palette–should arrive soon. I was curious about the tarte pro to go too but didn’t get it.

  • Hayley

    Do you know if both palettes are limited edition, or do you think they’ll be around a good while? Also, do you prefer rainforest or the double duty beauty stuff that’s only at ulta?

    • Isabella Muse

      Hi Hayley! Well, the original came out last year and was limited edition and here we are a year later and it’s still around haha 🙂 I’m not really sure how fast or quickly V2 will sell out. You never know what these things, sometimes they sit around forever. Where as other times they disappear fast. It’s 30% off so, if you can now would be a ogod time to buy it. Double Duty Beauty has a ton of nice offerings as well. I don’t really prefer either/or collection because both collection had some great releases and there were a lot of misses too. If you search my archives you’ll find reviews of pretty much everything in both collections! Hopefully that can help you decide what you may need or not need!

  • Anna

    Tarte’s Rainforest of The Sea Line is amazing, but am I the only one bothered by that name? lol how is there a rainforest in the sea haha

  • Maria

    Thanks Muse. The colors look nice on you. I am glad that I ordered this with the 30 % off sale. I was hesitant at first.

  • Lisa

    I got it & was also surprised at how speedy their shipping was! I used it yesterday & absolutely loved it! I have never used a shadow that had this consistency. I like the color variety too.

    • Isabella Muse

      right? I didn’t expect it to ship that fast! Glad you’re loving it!

  • Tammy

    I love my Rainforest After Dark, but Double Duty Courage is one of the palettes I turn to most often 🙂 And I’m hoping that this palette gets here tomorrow!!

  • Lori

    Ooooooh I was waiting for swatches because from what I read (and from what I could see in pictures), there was some concern over how similar this one would be to the first one… it’s not though!!! YIPPEE!! I have the original and this is the only eye shadow formula I like from Tarte. I’ll be adding this one to my collection

  • Emily

    Heads up, this palette is part of the Sephora Weekly WOW deal and is available for $18. I’m moderately tempted. I know you love these, I just have too many barely used palettes in my collection. I wish I could just start over!