Tarte Lid Lock Clay Eye Base Review & Swatches
Tarte Lid Lock Clay Eye Base ($21) is a new “eye foundation” or or matte eyeshadow primer that the brand recently released for Summer 2017. This isn’t Tarte’s first venture into the world of lid primers as they have had Colored Clay CC Eye Primer Stick, Tarte Colored Clay Full Coverage CC Eye Base, and a host of other formulas over the years.
This new formula comes housed in a pot and to my knowledge Tarte hasn’t yet released an eyelid primer in a pot but feel free to correct me if I’m forgetting something.
Let’s take a look at my review and swatches below.
Tarte Lid Lock Clay Eye Base comes housed in a heavier 0.14 oz glass jar with a tortoiseshell face plate that matches the one on the Clay Stick Foundation and Clay Play Face Shaping Palette.
Tarte calls the formula an eye foundation that grips like a primer and provides a neutral, matte finish that allows eyeshadows to wear without fading or creasing. They also promote it as being emollient and soft courtesy a formula that contains carnauba palm. It’s also marketed as an opaque base to neutralize lid discolorations.
As you know Benefit Lemon Aid has been discontinued so, the search is on for something to replace it for me and sadly Tarte Lid Lock Clay Eye Base probably won’t win the spot.
I like the idea of this a lot more than I do the formula. It’s a light beige shade with a yellow undertone (Tarte calls it a warm buff shade) which isn’t exactly universally flattering. For me, it looked a little pasty but I will say that it was incredibly good at intensifying eyeshadows shades. As we already know sometimes Tarte eyeshadows can be a bit sheerer or even a bit too powdery. This sets a good canvas for use with such eyeshadow formulas as it really does intensify the look of eyeshadows and gives them a good base to grip on to. It does in fact keep shadows in place all day without fading or creasing not to mention giving them a bolder, intenser finish.
I just didn’t like the formula sadly. I wish it was a little creamy and easier to spread. This has a very firm texture and I struggled picking up the color due to this not to mention it proved a little hard to blend out. Needless to say there was a lot of tugging involved to get it on my lid. As nicely as it held my shadows down and as great as it did giving them a bolder look and finish it just wasn’t worth the hassle of application. But if you have oily lids you might experience a better application process. My lids and skin are fairly dry so that might account for the struggle I had.
Something to take into consideration is that MAC’s Paint Pot in Soft Ochre is $22 and a smidge larger at 0.17 oz in size and will likely get you a better experience than Tarte Lid Lock Clay Eye Base.
Tarte Lid Lock Clay Eye Base isn’t quite as great as I had hoped for. Oily lids might have a better experience with it than I did but all and all I’d say save your money and buy another primer.
Tarte Lid Lock Clay Eye Base is available now at tartecosmetics.com and should be available soon at sephora.com and ulta.com.