October 13, 2016

Tarte Sculpted Cheeks Amazonian Clay Blush Set & Brush 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-sculpted-cheeks-amazonian-clay-blush-set-brush

The Tarte Sculpted Cheeks Amazonian Clay Blush Set & Brush is a new, limited edition Tarte Holiday 2016 gift set that includes four shades of Tarte’s popular blush.

tarte-sculpted-cheeks-amazonian-clay-blush-set

I always look forward to the Tarte Holiday Blush Sets as sometimes they include some truly unique shades and it’s also a great way to get more for mess.

Take a look at my review of the Tarte Sculpted Cheeks Amazonian Clay Blush Set & Brush below!

tarte-sculpted-cheeks-set

The Tarte Sculpted Cheeks Deluxe Amazonian Clay Blush Set & Brush is $35 and includes four shades that are 0.04 oz each for a total of 0.20 oz of product. Amazonian Clay Blushes are $28 and 0.20 oz for a single shade so, this set isn’t exactly a value set per say but it is a set that gets you variety. It’s almost as if you are purchasing four smaller sizes for the price of one color plus you do get a brush with this set. The brush was disappointing in my opinion or at least disappointing for blush application. The bristles are soft, the handle sturdy, but it’s a bit too floppy for use with these blush or any blush really. It would make a mighty fine powder or even highlighter brush but not a blush one.

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I typically like and look forward to the Holiday Blush Sets and have had great success with sets like the Tarte Special Edition Holiday QVC Amazonian Clay Blush Set that launched with the Tarte Holiday 2013 Collection or even the Tarte Chic to Cheek Amazonian Clay Blush Set that launched with Tarte Holiday 2014. But the the blushes in these sets are typically considerably different compared to the regular full-size range. In the case of the Tarte Sculpted Cheeks Amazonian Clay Blush Set & Brush this is even more obvious than ever before!

Tarte Sculpted Cheeks Tarte Genius Amazonian Clay Blush Set Swatches (Vibrant, Genius, Pop, Royal)

Tarte Sculpted Cheeks Tarte Genius Amazonian Clay Blush Set Swatches (Vibrant, Genius, Pop, Royal)

Tarte PopAmazonian Clay Blush Set & Brush

Tarte PopAmazonian Clay Blush Set & Brush

Tarte Vibrant Amazonian Clay Blush Set & Brush

Tarte Vibrant Amazonian Clay Blush Set & Brush

Tarte Genius Amazonian Clay Blush Set & Brush

Tarte Genius Amazonian Clay Blush Set & Brush

Tarte Royal Amazonian Clay Blush Set & Brush

Tarte Royal Amazonian Clay Blush Set & Brush

These were very, very dense. Again, this is pretty standard with the Holiday sets but in most cases they apply and wear well but this set proved difficult to work with. The texture was very stiff and I ended up having to haul out a kabuki brush because I couldn’t pick up color very well with a regular blush brush. A kabuki brush goes a long way at actually picking up color and allowing for good application but you shouldn’t have to be forced to improvise different application methods to use a formula you know? The exception to the rule here was Vibrant which also had a dense texture but applied considerably easier with a regular blush brush. Once you get them on they look nice and they wear well at around eight hours before fading. But…the problem of actually applying them is an issue for me. I think these are a rather poor way to represent the original blush collection as anyone new to the brand buying this set will automatically assume the single full-size shades are just as bad as this. This in turn might make them not want to buy a full-size and that’s a shame since we all know how gorgeous that formula is.

I would love to rave the Tarte Sculpted Cheeks Amazonian Clay Blush Set as I have years past but this year I fear the formula and quality simply weren’t there. Sadly, this one was a skip for me.

Sorry Tarte.

The Tarte Sculpted Cheeks Amazonian Clay Blush Set is available now at Ulta.com and Tarte.com.

Own it?

Do share your thoughts on the set!

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

  • Robin

    Glad I skipped this one. Loving the Lorac blush palette!! It’s now my holy grail for blushes!!!

    • Isabella Muse

      good? Happy to hear that! I didn’t get it because I had one of the shades! But I have the last one they did and loveit!

  • Mary Brenner

    Is it just me or are 90% of the holiday offerings this year just complete shit? What happened? I used to buy so many fun holiday things for Xmas. This year i have bought zip. I am so so SO dissapointed

  • Kendyl

    Usually Tartes blushes are made in the USA, but I’m pretty sure this set is made in China or Taiwan. I feel like I’m noticing more and more lately brands switching to labs in China to mass produce these holiday sets that are not of the same quality as their regular line.

    • Robin

      And with the sale of the company, the quality standards may have been lower.

      I agree with Mary though; a lot of kits have been lacking this year: Tarte and Too Faced are at the top of my disappointments list. Bite products have been nice this year (and last year), Stila has been getting good reviews as well. If you want blush, check out Lorac. My mine has been blown away by that palette.

  • janessa

    I passed on this set this year, too. I agree with Mary, I’ve definitely been under-wowed with this years holiday offerings. The only thing I jumped on is the Tarte Blush wheel, and it’s already getting lost in my blush vortex. I’ve heard pretty poor reviews on this set overall. Total bummer, Tarte.

  • Alexia

    I got this set and I love mine. I just use blush brush I always use and it works fine. I wouldn’t have wanted to skip this set 🙂

  • vanilla

    thanks for the review. Your review is consistent with Temptalia’s. I was considering this or the color wheel. Guess I will have to skip this one.

    • Isabella Muse

      My pleasure! The color wheel is worth getting! The formula is much nicer on that palette!