Tarte Shape Tape: Worth the Hype?


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Packaging

The thing that makes Tarte Shape Tape stand out most compared to other concealers is how large the product’s packaging is. Usually you see concealers come in these thin, dainty tubes but shape tape comes in a package almost two times fatter than most of my other concealers! It’s had to tell whether this packaging means that you are actually getting more product or if it’s just extra plastic around the sides. Overall, however, there’s nothing special about the concealer’s packaging other than its sheer size. 

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Application

Shape tape’s applicator, however, is a whole other story! Like most liquid concealers, shape tape comes with a doe foot applicator but unlike other liquid concealers, the doe foot applicator is ginormous. The doe foot applicator is about the thickness of my pinky finger and given that most doe foot applicators are about a quarter of that size, this definitely changes the way that you apply the product! Another thing I have also noticed about the applicator is that it’s much more sponge-y than other doe foot applicators. I’m not sure if this is simply due to the applicator's increased size, but with the bigger size and the spongier consistency, I find myself dabbing this concealer on the under eyes rather than the downward swiping motion I would usually use with concealers.

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Product

As you’ve probably already heard about shape tape, this product is full coverage. I like to use it for my undereye circles and with this concealer, you really only need a couple of tiny dots of product in order to cover your entire undereye area. Although I love that the product is so full coverage, I think its formula ends up being very thick because it is so full coverage. This makes it a lot harder to blend out which means the concealer can look very cake-y if I don’t take extra special care when applying it! The best way that I’ve found to apply shape tape is to apply a couple of tiny dots to my undereye and immediately blend it out with a damp beauty blender. I’ve found that if I leave it on my skin for any amount of time before blending it out, that it often won’t blend out as well and ends up looking thick and cake-y underneath the eyes. 

Cost

Shape tape will set you back $27 at Ulta. While this might not seem like a lot when it comes to high-end make-up products, you can find tons of drugstore concealers for a quarter of the cost! The only thing that justifies the $27 you’ll have to spend is the fact that you don’t need a lot of product to get tons of coverage!

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Final Verdict

Is it worth the hype? Not really. At least not for me. While I think it’s a good product if you’re someone who needs a lot of coverage underneath the eyes, for the cost and how fussy the formula is, I think most people would be better off with another concealer. There are a lot of other concealers out there that offer great coverage but are more affordable and more forgiving if you don’t blend them exactly the right way. While its a great product that I’ll probably still reach for on nights out or special events where I need a lot of long lasting coverage, I don't think it's worth the hype when it comes to everyday use. As someone who likes to keep my makeup products as easy to use as possible, Tarte Shape Tape is just a little too fussy to be worth it.

What did you think of Tarte Shape Tape? Did you think it was worth the hype? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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BeautyFix: April 2018


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This month’s BeautyFix box theme was Au Naturale in honor of Earth Day. It featured natural beauty products with clean, fresh ingredients! BeautyFix is a monthly skincare, makeup, and haircare subscription box created by DermStore. A monthly subscription is $24.95 per box and a one-time box purchase is $34.95. Most items in the box are either full or deluxe sample size products. 

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Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash | Full-Size $10

I’ve tried a lot of Pacifica products with just okay results. This cleanser has a really nice sweet coconut smell and feel extremely light on the skin, but isn’t something I’d re-purchase (although it will be great to throw in summer travel bags!).

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Sunday Riley: Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream | Full-Size $65

This gel cream treatment boasts hyaluronic acid as one of its ingredients which makes me so happy because hyaluronic acid is one of my favorite skincare ingredients! I just find anything with hyaluronic acid super hydrating without adding too much of that greasey feel you might get with other moisturizers. This cream feels very light on the skin and smells like cucumbers! Plus, Sunday Riley is a brand that I’ve never tried but always have heard good things about, so I love that BeautyFix included this brand!

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Juice Beauty: Stem Cellular Moisturizer | Full-Size $70

The BeautyFix box almost always includes a Juice Beauty product each month, so for me, the novelty of this brand has worn off a little bit. Although I still very much enjoy the products I receive from Juice (especially because a lot of them are full-size!), I’m not the biggest fan of the signature scent they put on all of their products! 

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The Organic Pharmacy: Enzyme Peel Mask | Full-Size $79

This peel mask smelled like straight up orange juice - which was a pleasant surprise! The sample itself was tiny, so I was a little disappointed that I was only able to get 2-3 uses out of it, but I enjoyed the fact that it was a peel mask that didn’t make my skin sting like a lot of other peel masks tend to do. 

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Skyn Iceland: Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels | 4 Pack $15

Yeesss! This is one my all-time favorite eye gels! I’ve received it in numerous subscription boxes and am always so excited to use them again! Although my under eye bags usually aren’t too bad, I love how relaxing and luxurious putting on a pair of eye gels feels! These gels are super, super cooling, stay on for hours, and really help to relax and de-puff the under eye area. 

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This Works: Deep Sleep Pillow Spray | Full-Size $56

I’ve really been wanting to try a good pillow spray because I’ve heard so many great things about how they can help you get better quality sleep! This spray smells wonderful and I’ve enjoyed using it, but it was honestly such a small sample that I couldn’t really tell if the pillow spray really worked for me. I wish the sample they’d given was a little bigger!

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HUM Nutrition: Raw Beauty Green Superfood Powder | Full-Size $39

This superfood powder claims to provide beauty boosting nutrients and is something you can easily throw into a morning smoothie if that’s something that’s already a part of your routine! Unfortunately, this just isn’t the product for me - I’ve previously received superfood powders in other subscription boxes and to me, they taste awful! 

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Tammy Fender: Intensive Repair Balm | Full-Size $130 (!!!)

In this month’s box, subscribers could have received one of two products from Tammy Fender. I received the intensive repair balm. The name of this product makes it sound like a really heavy moisturizer but it’s actually much more lightweight than I expected! Although I don’t love the smell of the product, it works well and I’ll be happy to bring it along for a couple of trips I’ll be taking this summer!

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I am always so impressed by the value of the BeautyFix boxes. With the price tags on these skincare products, you are getting way more than what you pay for the box! If you are a skincare junkie like I am, you really cannot go wrong with the BeautyFix boxes. Through these boxes I’ve been introduced to tons of new brands and products that I’ve really enjoyed and I always feel like i’m getting such a great deal on products that are oftentimes high-end and therefore, much more expensive than the $25 price tag of the BeautyFix box!

What did you think of this month's BeautyFix box? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

Boxycharm: January 2018


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Boxycharm is a beauty subscription box that sends 4-5 luxury and full-size items each month for $21/month (or less if you buy a 3, 6, or 12 month subscription!). January's theme is "Rock 2018". This is my first month receiving Boxycharm and I am so excited to share my first impression of this box!

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Dr. Brandt: Pores No More Luminizer Primer / Retail $38

I’m a little mixed on the specific formula of this primer (I don’t love glowy primers), but when it comes to receiving primers in subscription boxes, I really can’t say no! I think they’re one of the easiest products to give in subscription boxes because almost anyone can use them and you don’t have to worry about it not matching your skin color. I have an exfoliator from Dr. Brandt that I absolutely love so I know this primer is a high quality one!

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It Cosmetics: Brow Power Universal Eyebrow Pencil / Retail $24

I’m honestly so impressed by the brands represented in this month’s Boxycharm. I already love the IT Cosmetics CC Cream and have always wanted to try more of their products, so this brow pencil is perfect! The spooley is incredibly soft and the shade (universal taupe) is a good fit for my brows. I love that this brow pencil isn’t too pigmented since this makes the brow strokes look a little more natural.

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Pur: Bronze and Brighten Cheek Palette / Retail $34

This bronzer, blush, and highlighter palette is absolutely beautiful and so pigmented. If you love palettes that are glowy, then this is the palette for you! Although I'm definitely a bigger fan of matte bronzers and blushes, this palette will be absolutely perfect for the summer months.

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Grande Cosmetics: Grandelips Hydrating Lip Plumper / Retail $27

This lip plumper doubles as a lip gloss with a little bit of color and claims to improve lip volume in 3-5 minutes. Although it seems like lip plumper are all the rage right now, they just really aren't the product for me. I find that they seem to do very little and are usually in more of a lip gloss formula. This was one of the varied items in this month's box and I would have much rather received the other item, a matte lipstick. This one was a dud for me :(

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Crown Pro: Glam Metals Palette / Retail $25

One of my biggest motivators for trying out Boxycharm was the fact that they are known for giving out palettes! I loved receiving this item and seeing what Boxycharm sends out to its subscribers, despite the fact that this really isn’t the product for me.

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Products Mentioned:

My overall impression of this month’s Boxycharm is that it really just wasn’t the right theme for me. With a “Rock 2018” theme, most of the products were all about being glowy and glossy, whereas I tend to prefer matte foundation, matte lips, matte eyeshadow - pretty much matte everything. Although this month’s box wasn’t a great fit for my personal preferences, I’m still incredibly impressed with the value of the box and I’m super excited to see what next month’s box has in store!

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