August 16, 2018

I’m Trying Hard to Understand the Appeal of the New Tarte Creaseless Concealer

I purchased this item and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post.
1 stars out of 5

Tarte Creaseless Concealer review and swatches

Tarte Creaseless Concealer ($26) relaunched recently in 30 shade selections and new packaging with a doe foot applicator for easy application versus the old squeeze tube it used to come in. A lot of people were pretty excited about this launch as Maracuja Creaseless Concealer was a formula that really loved but most importantly there were over 30 shades to choose.

The irony in the shade range is the fact that I purchased three colors that almost look exactly alike to me when swatched. Light-Medium Sand, Medium Neutral, and Medium Honey were the three I got and I have to say I was shocked none of them really worked for me since they were all TOO light. Medium Honey was probably the shade that worked out best but even that was a bit too light for me. I mean pasty looking light! Anything that has medium, honey, and sand seemed like it would have some warmer under tones but I felt like all of these ran cooler.

Ok………so much for making strides to release an all inclusive concealer range.

Shade ranting aside….

I’m a concealer junkie. As soon as a brand launches a new concealer formula I’m on it right away. In the case of Tarte Creaseless Concealer I waited a little bit before trying it just because I wanted to see what the word on the street was before I decided to buy yet another concealer that didn’t work out.

I want to tell you how much I love Maracuja Creaseless Concealer and how great the formula was and how it compares to the new Creaseless Concealer but I can’t! But why?! Because I really don’t remember loving it and I don’t really remember the formula all that well either! It’s been a while since it launched and honestly, if I’m not sitting here, typing this, and crying about it being gone I guess it didn’t make any lasting impression with me.

I can tell how hard I’m trying to understand the appeal of the new formula. I’ve read a lot of great reviews but I can’t say I had the same experience with this formula. It’s very thick, it’s very creamy, and it’s very pigmented. WOW GREAT right? Noooooo! The problem is it’s also very, very emollient. It feels like grease paint and it blends painfully bad. I purchased the fiber brush they released with this and that didn’t help the blending process at all! It made things slightly easier but it didn’t exactly make this concealer look as flawless as it did in the ads.

Tarte Creaseless Concealer Swatches (Light Medium Sand, Medium Neutral, Medium Honey)

Tarte Creaseless Concealer swatches

Tarte Creaseless Concealer Swatches (Light Medium Sand, Medium Neutral, Medium Honey)

Here’s the thing, I use It Cosmetics Bye Bye Concealer and lord knows that’s a really emollient concealer but take that formula and amp it up times 10 and you have Tarte’s formula. It’s just a very heavy, thick, emollient concealer which proves difficult to blend due to that texture. I’ve practiced a lot with it and I think I finally got the blending process down pat but sadly, I can’t prevent it from creasing into my fine lines. I can’t get a smooth finish with this no matter how I prep and prime. It sinks right into those lines and ages me 30 years.

It is beyond awful and unless you have an under eye area that as smooth as a baby’s butt there is no way this will look good on you! I’m amazed Tarte can actually have so many of their public relations team pushing and pushing and pushing this as some sort of miracle. Guys, come on, be real with me. This stuff sucks.

Anyway, I’m currently spending my days trying hard to make this work for me as I think the coverage is great! It’s quite pigmented which is something I love about a good under eye concealer! But sadly, the creasing is the biggest deal breaker as is the formula. It just feels like stage makeup! Very greasy, gummy almost, and just hard to blend.

Oh well!

Have you tried the updated Tarte Creaseless Concealer formula?

Did you like it?

Where to buy

Sephora Ulta Tarte

Tarte Creaseless Concealer is a updated formula of Maracuja Creaseless Concealer that now comes in a square barrel with a sponge-tipped applicator for application and an updated shade range that includes 30 colors to choose from. The concealer is 0.23 oz in size and $26. This is a very pigmented, thick, creamy concealer that I’d be inclined to rave if it wasn’t for the fact it feels like stage makeup with a very emollient texture. This texture gave me a real problem during the blending process and it creased horribly under my eyes.

Pros

  • Very pigmented.

Cons

  • Creases horribly.
  • Thick with a sticky, gummy, emollient texture that was difficult to blend.
  • Weird shade range for my light medium skin tone with colors being very pasty.

Who

I guess if you have a super smooth under eye area this might just be a great formula but anyone with finer lines or even natural laugh lines will have issues with creasing.

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

  • Kimmwc03

    Wow. I’ve heard so many positive youtube reviews but if you say it creases then it’s a pass for me. So many concealers crease on me, even after good prep work, that I’m thinking of not using concealer anymore. And I don’t have any lines or dryness on my face, either.

    • Isabella Muse

      I have too! oddly enough the ones on Sephora are horrible (they typically don’t show the negative stuff) which makes me feel relieved I’m not the only one that hates it!

  • kimkats

    Tarte just can’t make up its mind on how to do shades… I have 2 foundations from them, and even though they say they’re the same shade (medium light) they’re WAY different. And then they do this – somebody there needs to get their poop in a group, and establish some guidelines on shade names and the actual shades themselves! This is why I almost never buy foundaton or concealer online without seeing it first – It can say it’s medium light sortakinda beige, and it can look like baby poo… there’s no consistency!!

    hmph… crabby old woman rant over… 😀

    • Isabella Muse

      yup! same here! what concealers and foundations. Their shades are weird and not consistent!

  • Carolina

    I have the older version (the one in the tube) of this concealer. How I hate that concealer! It is the complete opposite of its name. I admit I have some creases under my eye but when I have used this concealer it only acts like a billboard to publicize them! I was never tempted by the new version, no matter how many extra shades they launched. Sad to hear this isn’t any better.

    • Isabella Muse

      omg yes! that’s exactly what happens with this! It makes me look 80!

  • Janet Angermeyer

    Dear Muse! Like you, I was a concealer junkie, but no more. After years of experimenting and many dollars, I’ve stopped the madness and come to the conclusion that the best concealer (for me, anyway) is Maybelline Age Rewind, especially the neutralizer shade. Honorable mention to Bobbie Brown Corrector. That’s it; I’m done!

    • Isabella Muse

      ya know I REALLY try hard to love Age Rewind but something about it never does it for me! I think I don’t like the texture, it feels a little oily to me!

  • Natalia Dajczer

    Ever since I heard that this as basically the maracuja creaseless concealer with new packaging it was a huge nope for me. I hated that thing so so sticky and … weird. Blegh.

  • Shelly

    So glad I took that creaseless concealer out of my basket and put it back on the shelf!

  • Carla

    You should try blending it with a damp beauty blender ! And top it with the baking method using a dry beauty blender (I love using it with Laura mercier) I totally agree it’s thicker than most concealers, but I dont hate it! I get a really nice finish when I bake with a dry sponge. You can’t use wet it would be way too much dewy-ness.

    • Isabella Muse

      Tried that! I got that from watching Phyrra’s youtube vid as she used a damp beauty blend! But still getting really bad creasing! I didn’t bake though! I’ll try that and see if it helps!

  • Tippy6

    I also found tarte’s shade inconsistencies rather strange as I have a few of their foundations and concealers in medium and every single medium is different and not just a slight difference either as some aren’t even close. I would like to make a suggestion on the concealer issues. I have deep set eyes and as time has marched on, I have fine lines under my eyes that almost borders on a crepe paper like appearance and this is how I avoid ANY settling and this has worked with any brand or type of under-eye concealer regardless of brand, type, formula or composition. I only apply the smallest/slightest amount of very slightly lighter shade than my overall skin shade (MAC NC35 right now is a dead-on perfect match for me, it vanishes on my skin) of concealer under the inside 1/3 of the eye and only blend it so as not to go over into any adjacent lighter area. For some reason, less is best when it comes to concealer and it is easier and simpler to add just a mere smidge more than try to remove too much. I use either the Artis Elite Circle 1R orUrban Decay (UD) Eyeshadow Countour E211 utilizing a light pouncing motion to distribute the concealer over the dark area only and then the UD Smoky Smudger E208 for the darker recessed area only in the inner corners. I then go over the entire concealed area with a UD Domed Concealer F112 to lightly blend in the entire area completely with the same light pouncing motion if needed. To finish, I lightly dip a UD Tapered Blending E209 in Ben Nye Media Pro HD Powder in shade HDP-1 Colorless to set the entire concealed area and it will be imperceptible. This setting powder will not alter the shade in any way and will not shift, settle or wind up looking dry, flat or floury due to its ultra fine milling. This powder is also great for setting creme eye shadows. It took me quite a while to develop this method but it works and even passes the 20x magnification final check test. Hope this is helpful. It does sound like a lot of effort but once one gets the hang of it, it will only add a few minutes to the war paint process. Muse, if you decide to try this, let me know what you think.

    • Isabella Muse

      I actually already use Ben Nye Banana Powder to set and absolutely love it 🙂

      • Tippy6

        Muse, the Ben Nye Luxury Powder in Banana is a fantastic product; however, the Ben Nye Media Pro HD Powder is of a different formulation and is milled to a much finer texture. I have acquired a ridiculous amount of concealers in my quest for that holy-grail and after spending a good bit of time, finally realized that good results had more to do with application, tools utilized (in this case, the brushes specified) and the final step with the Ben Nye Media Pro HD Powder to set. I have concealers from ultra-expensive to drugstore that I relegated as losers because of the creasing/settling issue rattling around in my war paint drawer and have pulled them out and applied them with the method explained and they have all performed brilliantly. I just regret that I didn’t figure this out way earlier because I could/would have saved myself a bundle of money! You have no idea; you think you have a thing for concealers? I’ll bet I have you beat by a country mile. I would probably get physically ill if I pulled out every single concealer that I have and put them all together in a pile. I checked what Ben Nye Media Pro HD Powder in HDP-1 Colorless is currently selling for and it retails for $18.00 (USD) for 0.32oz / 9gm. Just a little goes a long way and this amount will last a long, long time. Hope this explained things a little more. Thanks for your reviews and keep up the fantastic job! Keep on keeping it real!

        • Isabella Muse

          thanks so much Tippy!! I’ll have to try ;-D does it come in color? I’d love a yellow one ;-D Aw thanks so much <3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! haha us concealers junkies need to stick together!

          • Tippy6

            Muse, I double checked and no, this particular finishing powder is only available in colorless but whatever shade concealer you are wearing will be spot-on exact after application of this powder. It is truly colorless and does not mute or alter any shade or type of war paint. I did discover that there is a sample-size screw-top jar with sifter available at CameraReadyCosmetics.com for $3.99. This may be enough for quite a few applications if only used for setting concealer under the eyes. I have some of these sample-sized jars of other powders and they are quite generous. Hope this helped and have a great week!

  • Kim

    I love it. I’m 35 and I feel like it doesn’t accentuate my fine lines at all. I always use a small amount of concealer no matter what concealer I’m using and then I blend it with a damp blending sponge. I set it with a small amount of powder. I find that this concealer blends well, stays put, doesn’t crease much on me (no concealer is truly creaseless in my experience). I like the consistency and the coverage. To each his own.

  • Susan Phillips

    I agree, Muse, this new offering from Tarte is just awful! The saleswoman at Ulta promised me my concealer searching days were over Still searching……

    • Isabella Muse

      🙁 It’s so disappointing as I was really hoping I’d like it!

  • KatyCT

    I actually really like this concealer. I found that I only need a very small amount because it is a bit sticky – by that I mean only a few dots! I blend it with a brush and then a damp sponge and set with a very small amount of powder (I use ByTerry Hydro powder – I don’t bake) and it stays all day. I don’t like ShapeTape because it is too drying under my eyes.

    I agree with you on the shade range though. I have two shades and I can use them interchangeably.

    • Isabella Muse

      I’m glad to hear it! If it works for you that’s awesome ;-D The shades are really bad 🙁 too pasty for me!

  • Kate

    Hi Isabella,

    This is yet another Tarte product I’ll never buy (it helps that the brand isn’t sold in Europe).

    I wanted to let you know that I absolutely love your blog and whenever I’m on here, I excitedly click everywhere as if it were Disneyland.

    You are a huge inspiration to the little beauty blogger that I am.

    Love from Belgium xx

    • Isabella Muse

      awww Kate thank you! Your comment made my day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3! what's your blog's url? I'd love to stop by and visit!

        • Isabella Muse

          <3! :-D It looks great! Reading now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! congrats!!!!!!!!!!!! ;-D I'm a lover of beauty blogs (everyone loves youtube but I'm totally into blogs still!) so I'm happy to add you to my list!

  • Jan Steinlage

    I loved the old Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in the tube but do NOT like this new version. I agree – it is thicker and doesn’t spread nicely and shows creases. With the old one in the tube, I would put a small amount (you can’t use very much of it) on the back of my hand and rub it to warm it up, then dab and pat under the eye. I would even use it as a lipstick primer on my lips. It was magic!! I wish they would bring the old one back. This is NOT the same formula.