When I think of ‘green living gals’ I picture them sporting bushy brows and a stick of beeswax chap-stick in their pocket to cover all their makeup needs. Rinsing out ziplock bags to reuse them usually isn’t done by someone wearing metallic green smoked-out eyeliner. Or… is it? Could this be the beginning of the eco-sexy era? 

Tarte is a brand I’d wanted to experiment with for a while. It’s a line that boasts ‘skinvigorating’ ingredients for a blend of fashion and eco-friendly health. The products, and their packaging and production process, are sulfate, paraben, petro chemical, preservative, triclosan, synthetic frangrance, propylene glycol, phthalate, GMO, and talc free. What they do say they use in the products is a vast array of plant extracts. When a dear friend offered her Amex points (she’s a big shopper) towards some new makeup to help replenish after my theft (I don’t even want to talk about it) I thought-what a great opportunity to try this line. Thanks Claire!

So we went for the Femme Fatale palette via Sephora. For $45 you get 10 decent sized eye shadows, a two-in-one pencil, and a two-in-one brush. It must be crap right?

Ok, first I pulled out the brushes. Soft in texture, bristle alignment and spread-ability great. Score one.

Next, the liners came out. They are quite soft with great color intensity. One is a green-blue that has some sheen and the other a matte rich blue. When applied to the eye, the liner did clump to the lower lash line a tad because of the softness, but also could be easily smudged out for the same reason. It’s the worst for home use when it’s not moveable if you ask me. 

And finally, the shadows. They are truly gorgeous. They are a little more emollient than some that are more powdery types (maybe because of the lack of some more mainstream ingredients?) which I actually found to be an aid in blending. Pigmentation is medium to high. You can use one layer for something softer, or it piles extremely well to create more intensity. The blending is really really easy with these shadows, but I must say that later in the evening, at a bar, I wiped my eye and *woosh* took a nice stream of shadow with me. It was a mini-crisis. I would not recommend these shadows for anyone with super oily skin, and will use an eye base next time to help it stick.

There are so many possible color combinations in this palette, but it comes with an instructional card with two looks: one comprising the top row of colors and one with the bottom row. As the name suggests, it is a younger-targeted palette, but Tarte also offers another Femme Naturale version for a subtler look.

The shadows are held into the palette by magnets so that you can replace the colors without getting a whole new set. Great for the environment, and for the pocket book. Unlike MAC shadows that you have to delicately melt out of their pods to stick in a palette. And believe me, that’s a mess.  

Another note on Tarte, a friend swears by the flush cheek stain and it’s one of their most popular products. I look forward to checking it out.