Musings of a Muse

What a great time of the year to indulge in the Tarte Fall Collection 2009! Get 40% Off your total order using promo code FF09.

Happy shopping!

Tarte is totally slaying me this Fall season with the introduction of not one but two palettes. Oh you do so know I can’t say nay to a Tarte Palette! Tarte Femme Fatale Eye Palette and Tarte Naturale Eye Palette should be winging their way into your Fall wish list for a dramatic or nude eye look!

Check out one of the two after the jump!

The two best parts about the Tarte Femme Fatale Eye Palette is the fact that’s it refillable (yup you heard me right) and it comes with quickie instructions for creating two looks. Interestingly enough the palette is made up of ten separate shades and gives instructions for using five shades of shadow per a look. Oh god, let me tell you, I made such a fantastical mess this morning attempting to pull off one of the two looks. I swear present me with five shadows and it’s like brain surgery…most I ever used was three…four is pressing it and five is living dangerously. Ahhh! Brain overload….BOOM! Sadly, I don’t have looks to share today but I’m attempting them again shortly and will post when I’ve gotten the knack of it.

The palette is a great piece as the refillable shades totally make it worthy of a pick up. Each shade is the standard Tarte size with a magnetic backing for slipping the colors in and out of the palette. The palette also includes a double ended eye liner pencil and a double ended brush. Something tickles me about the fact that it’s refillable. Not sure why I love that option so much but it’s just rather super don’t you think?

The Tarte Femme Fatale Eye Palette for more smoldering eye looks where as the other is for a more natural, softer look. This palette contains an array of deeper, richer shades. You can get away with pretty much using them all individually if you want but of course the fun is in mixing and matching ‘em up. The palette is the traditionally royal purple shade that Tarte is known for. It’s a sturdy plastic with a wrap around of faux leather and golden spikes topping it. Quite chic and slick looking. Pretty decent for traveling as well since the plastic keeps everything snug although I’d wrap a rubber band around it for extra precaution when toting it around so it doesn’t flip open by mistake. The brush it comes with is very good. One end holds a crease and the other a standard eye shadow brush. Both are soft without shedding and pretty much will do the job of applying and blending with ease. The liner pencil included has two shades, emerald green and sparkling jewel blue.

I love that Tarte included instructions for creating two separate looks. I’ve noticed more and more US brands have embraced the technique of explaining how to achieve a desired look from a palette. Nothing worst than getting a beautiful palette home and just being clueless how to use it. The step by step instructions are made up of six steps and are pretty easy to follow. I’d probably have done an ok job of recreating each look if I didn’t have such a problem with the darker, bolder shades in the palette. But I shall continue to try, try again until my shadow application and blending techniques are at the greatness status, one can hope.

On the instruction cards the eye looks are a bluish, purple look and a golden green look. I honestly had a hard time figuring out how they created such great looks with these shades as it seemed heaps difficult. But like I said I stink at blending so could be me.

The palette is made up of ten shades as mentioned above. You’ll get (top row) a sheer pink blush, light gold, violet, smoky blue, and a shimmering onyx. On the bottom row you’ll get a shimmering light apricot gold, copper, bronze gold, green, and a reddish brown. Aside from the base shadows of pink and apricot (used as a color wash on the eye and prepping the eye area for the deeper shades) all the colors are deeply pigmented and pretty much have a shimmery finish. The two last shadows on the bottom and top row are the ones that are tricky for me as they are almost matte in texture so I had a time of it trying to blend correctly plus they are generally dark and difficult to work with for me. I really need practice with these guys.

I’m kinda psyched to perfect the looks and get them right. As I said I don’t have looks with the palette as of yet as I’m just in practicing mode but I’ll post when I do have them as I’m excited to try to dupe them correctly.

Overall, Tarte has a nice Fall Collection to add to your wish list. The palettes are a prime piece for me as I’m all about eye shadow but they have also released a new concealer and an eyeshadow primer as well which could become quick favorites for many.

The two palettes are worthy of a check out especially if you love Tarte and just adore color in general. The shadows are all a good healthy size so it’s quite a bang for your buck as you should know if you’ve indulged in some of Tarte’s incredible Holiday offerings.

Tarte Fall 2009 is available for purchase at Sephora and www.tartecosmetics.com If you sign up for there newsletter here you can get 30% off your order plus free shipping on $60 or more. Kinda a good deal if you’re wanting to haul Fall 2009.

Is Tarte on your Fall wish list?

What items are you interested in getting?

Tell it!

The Muse is excited to hear that Tarte has launched it’s own YouTube Channel. The channel will feature Tarte makeup artists and members of the executive team giving tutorials.

Additionally they’ll be providing trend, celebrity, and seasonal makeup tips and looks. And on occasion a guest celebrity makeup artist and Tarte’s Creator and CEO Maureen Kelly offering advice, tips, and tricks.

If you’re a fan of Tarte you’ll want to have a peep for yourself. Visit the Tarte YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/tartecosmetics

On occasion I run into mascaras that clump my lashes together in a gluey mess. Indeed, I’m sure you know the culprits guilty of this unseemly sin! I truly hate clumpy, gross looking lashes and the worst part is when you have a full eye look on and it seems almost impossible to “declump” the lashes with a mascara comb. Sigh. The trials and tribulations of mascara.

Here in lays the solution to all your woes or so Tarte tells us! Tarte Rejuvelash is supposed to help me rid myself of the nightmare of clumps.

Does it work?

Click it to find out!

Tarte Rejuvelash is one of those things that makes you scratch your head and go, “hmmm do I really need to spend $16 on a declumping medium?” Doesn’t that sounds fancy? Declumping medium. Whoa. I think it’s worthy of my beauty arsenal actually as it’s saved my lashes and eye looks numerous times since purchasing it.

What is it?

It’s a mini, clear formula in a tube that looks like a mini mascara which contains all sorts of important bits that Tarte tells us about but frankly it’s simply an interesting little tool to have stashed away for days that clumps come out to play.

The scenario:

You’ve just complete an incredible smoky eye and you’re ready to finish it off with a quick curl of your lashes and a ton of mascara to make all that dramatic eye shadow pop. You curl and begin applying mascara…gasp! It clumps up your lashes and you’re left looking like you have a uni-lash (one single lash instead of several). Whip out Tarte Rejuvelash and slowly comb it through that uni lash to separate your lashes and clean up the mess your mascara made.

I find this works better than a simple lash comb because it’s a wet application. The applicator is slightly dampened with all that important formula I was telling you about above plus the applicator is a complicated little creation that allows you to glide through lashes and separate them precisely. Now a lash comb takes a fair bit of work and sometimes makes a bigger mess than the one you’re already sporting however Rejuvelash seems to work considerably better because of the interesting, emollient formula and cool brush.

The formula also happens to soften my lashes so I tend to use it when my lashes are feeling a bit stiff after a coat of intense waterproof mascara.

I dunno if $16 is something you’d want to splurge on but I find that Tarte Rejuvelash is a good one to keep around for cleaning up possible mascara messes when they crop up!

The weather isn’t quite right yet for the beach or the pool sigh. If you live in New York you’ll understand exactly what I mean as it’s not much of a Summer here in the Big Apple. However, this doesn’t stop me from thinkin’ up what I need for my beach bag or in my case pool bag as the Muse doesn’t do the beach to well (seaweed, sand, eek!).

So here’s a few items that are making a starring appearance inside my beach bag this Summer!

Everyone wants beach hair, everyone. Tousled, windblown locks that are soft, seductive, and sexy. Indeed, beach hair is where it’s at! A great item to toss in your beach bag for a full head of alluring hair would be Philip B Maui Wowie Beach Mist, smells just like tropics plus I just really dig on the name.

When you’re at the beach or pool you want clean, natural makeup that wears well and wears long. Morgen Schick Cheek and Lip Stain is my go to for long wearing color on my cheeks which is waterproof and incredibly flattering for a sunkissed glow!

If you’re at the beach and you’ve SPF’ed yourself to death as is the Muse’s routine you probably won’t get much of a tan but you can flatter your pale white skin with hints of iridescent pink on face, eyes, and cheeks with a dollop of Eyeko Cream!

Tarte 24/7 Lip Sheers used to be my all time favorite lip treatment. Don’t overlook these little tubes of pigmented joy for a Summer lip look that’s natural and laced with SPF.

Keep your hair conditioned and protected from the sun with Blossom Under Cover Conditioning Mist with SPF. Frizz be gone!

Eyeko Face Off Wipes aren’t great for removing a full load of face makeup but they are nice for toting around in your purse and freshening up your face with. Each box contains 10 individually wrapped wipes!

A little touch up of cooling mist for your face is always a pleasure when sitting out in the hot sun. Pack up some Evian Mist in the travel friendly can to mist your skin with to keep it fresh and dewy!

I’m the first one to admit that Loccitane Citrus Verbena Summer Fragrance tends to not linger very long however I find that in the Summer heat it manages to give off a very subtle, fresh lemony scent that I find rather ideal for beach or pool lazying!

Give your face a kiss of sun with Eyeko Face Tint! Amps up your Summer tan or gives your pale white skin a touch of Summer sun.

Hope you enjoyed my picks for hauling in my beach bag this Summer!

What are some items you stash in your beach bag?

Tell the Muse!