The Lantern Skin Studio | Murfreesboro, TN 37128

Where Your Journey to Great Skin Begins

Makeup & Cosmetics

An Esthetician’s Review of Tarte’s Full Coverage Powder Foundation

By 14 Comments

Update: I’ve left this post here simply as a memorial to what was my absolute favorite powder foundation – ever. For anyone who is looking for a somewhat similar product, try Tarte’s Shape Tape Powder Foundation. It does not have the exact silky feel that the old formula had, but it has performed well for me and is what I continue to use for daily makeup. It has buildable coverage as well.

Photo Credit: Tarte Cosmetics

To give you a little background on why I’m writing this review, I’ve been hunting for a new foundation for quite some time. Years ago (and I mean more than 10), I was a fan of Bare Minerals products. They were new-ish, trendy, all over television, and their line was unique at the time. After a couple of years of drilling their loose mineral foundation into my skin via a kabuki brush, I developed an allergy to the extremely cheap (for the manufacturer), and rather questionable filler that is prevalent in Bare Minerals (and many other mineral lines), bismuth oxychloride. After a series of events of nasty hives and awful itching and pain, I thought I’d be done with mineral makeup forever, as it was next to impossible to find it without the bismuth oxychloride. Again, this was over 10 years ago.

Over the years, I’ve played with lots of different foundations. I used a liquid brand from Origins for a number of years and later began trying some newer mineral powder foundations as a number of brands began ditching the bismuth oxychloride for higher quality, non-toxic ingredients. I’ve been using a great powder foundation from Osmosis for the last few years, but since I no longer carry their skin care line in my studio, I wanted to find a new option.

To qualify as my definition of a great powder foundation, I have quite a list of qualifications:

  • Not overly dewy; my skin is naturally oily, so any excess shine or glow is not desirable
  • While not being overly dewy, it also can’t dry out the surface of my skin or make the skin surface look papery and dehydrated
  • Can’t settle into fine lines
  • Doesn’t appear to sit “on top” of the skin, but instead blends beautifully to the texture of skin
  • Comes in an array of colors suitable to seasonal changes in skin tone
  • Must provide buildable coverage that I can use to accomplish full coverage on days I want it
  • Staying power – must still look great after 8+ hours of wear
  • Can’t contain bismuth oxychloride

On a recent visit to a local beauty retailer, I dug through probably 10 different varieties of mineral powder foundations. Some had the dreaded bismuth oxychloride along with way too much shine, others had really poor color selections (how could anyone think 6 shades is enough for the variety of skin tones that exist), and yet others just didn’t blend well or have a high-quality feel.

Then, I discovered Tarte’s Confidence Creamy Powder Foundation. I was rather leery of the term “creamy” in the name. It gave me the impression this would be some sticky, thick pancake makeup. This turned out not to be the case. Instead, I found a gorgeous foundation powder with the most gloriously silky feel. It is soft, velvety, and so luxurious feeling. I color matched myself, and decided I’d give it a try.

The following morning, I ripped open the box, unpacked my new little compact, and started to apply with my favorite kabuki brush. It was a grand morning. This stuff went on so beautifully. I needed very little product to get a great level of coverage; it literally took just a minute to get my foundation applied. I picked up a small concealer brush and gave a quick touch up to my under eye and moved on with the rest of my “face”. My blush went on beautifully over this foundation, and I found blending a breeze. I had no insane alien-esque glow like I know many mineral lines provide. Don’t get me wrong, some glow is a beautiful, but looking like you’re radiating a layer of Vaseline is not.

Despite being thrilled with the application, I still had to be won over by the product in regard to how to would wear throughout the day. Well, I’m happy to report, it wears beautifully. I’m almost positive that I have less shine after hours of wearing this product than I did with my previous mineral powder foundation. It must having something to do with the clay in the powder, but whatever it is – I’m impressed. As another bonus, it doesn’t have that wear-off effect where you feel like you lost 75% of your coverage by the end of the work day.

Tarte’s Confidence Creamy Powder Foundation is also called Double Duty Beauty Confidence Creamy Powder if you’re shopping at Ulta. Ulta claims this product is only available at their locations, however, it appears that is the case only in regard to name. So, Double Duty Beauty at Ulta, Confidence Creamy Powder Foundation elsewhere. Don’t let Ulta confuse you. 🙂

If you’re looking for a fantastic new foundation, I give this my highest recommendation. If you have extremely dry skin and really need the enhanced moisture that thick creams and liquids deliver, you may not find this powder foundation (or any powder foundation) to provide quite enough moisture. However, if you do not have extreme moisture needs, definitely try this gem of a cosmetic. As a side note, this product can also be applied wet if you need a bit more creamy texture!

If you’re looking for a fantastic new foundation, I give this my highest recommendation.

One last word: There’s a trendy concept going around to create duo skin care and makeup products. In the end, let your makeup be your makeup and your skin care be your skin care. Although this brand as well as many others do market their products as being chock full of antioxidants, peptides, etc. – those ingredients often do not perform well for the skin when tied up in a makeup formula. So, although Tarte does promote this as also being an anti-aging cosmetic, I would count more on the cosmetic function than the skin care function for this and any other makeup.

If you’d like to see this fabulous find in action, check out Tarte’s video below.

I had to share about my most recent fabulous find because I am asked every week what my favorite foundation happens to be. Well, for now – this is it. So long as the formulation stays the same, I don’t see switching any time soon!

I’d love to know your favorite cosmetics (gives me ideas on what to try), and if you pick up the Tarte product, I’d love to know you like it – feel free to leave a comment below!

Brow Tools I Can’t Live Without

By Leave a Comment

Top 3 Must-Have Brow Tools

I love some pretty eyebrows, and I’m often asked what my favorite brow products and tools are. Here are my 3 must-haves… I use them every day.

 

Brow Must-Have #1 – Anastasia Beverly Hills Duo Brush #12 for Brows

Anastasia Brow Brush

Even on “no makeup” days – I at least give a tiny dab of color to my brows. Your eyebrows frame your face, and it is absolutely amazing to me how much better most women look with a little brow touch up. The synthetic bristles of this brush are the perfect balance in texture: it perfectly picks up color and provides wonderful definition for a well-defined brow look, yet, it can also offer the lightest, most delicate, hair-like strokes for even the most nude makeup applications. The spooley end is fabulous for coming brows up and over, as well as for softening brow powder after application. I have owned more eyebrow brushes than I care to think of, and there is not a single one I like as well as this brush. There are definitely good and “ok” brushes out there, but this one is GREAT and I consider it an absolute must-have for anyone who fills her brows. By the way, if you aren’t filling your brows – you should start! If you happen to be a client of mine and aren’t sure how to fill your brows, just let me know during your next appointment and I’ll be thrilled to show you! This awesome little treasure costs around $18 and can be purchased through any number of outlets including Ulta, Amazon, and directly from Anastasia.

 

Brow Must-Have #2 – Anastasia Beverly Hills Precision Tweezers

Anastasia Precision Tweezers

I purchased my first set of Precision Tweezers in 2006. I still own them. They still tweeze just as beautifully as they did the day I purchased them. They have never bent nor stopped grabbing hairs with… wait for it… precision. But really, they haven’t. I now own several of these tweezers. I have one on my beauty vanity, one in my purse, and two at my skin care studio. The Anastasia Precision Tweezers do not break hairs off, they are precise enough to grab even the finest of little hairs as well as the shortest little hairs that you so desperately try to get but most tweezers just won’t grasp on to. These truly are “precise” tweezers and I consider them a must have tool. These tweezers run $28 – thus far, I’m working on my 11th year with my first pair – if only I got 11 years out of ALL my investments! As of the writing of this blog post, Anastasia is offering free shipping for orders over $25, so if you picked up the brow brush above and these tweezers – you’d pay nothing for shipping.

Quick note: I receive NO kickbacks from ANY of these products lines or companies. I just happen to be loyal to products I love – and I want my tribe (that’s all my guests at the studio and my readers) to know about those things I find extra special!

Brow Must-Have #3 – Matte Eye Shadow in a Perfect Color for You

Matte Eyebrow Powder Here’s the truth: I dislike brow pencils and most brow powders. I threw away all my brow pencils years ago, and if you were to dig through my makeup stash, you might find a long lost brow powder product – but it’d be so old, I’d hope you’d throw it away for me.

For some reason, the industry seems to think we need waxy and tacky substances to properly fill our brows. I am of a different opinion. I think most of us just need a little color and a good brush (see above), and unless we have particularly unruly brows – we don’t need the waxy, tacky, sticky stuff.

 

So, matte shadow it is. Cheap, a bazillion colors to choose from, lasts forever, easily removed if you mess up, no strange feeling residue, and can be applied as natural or dramatic as desired – with ease.

The key here is finding a matte eye shadow in a color suitable to your natural brow color, or in some cases, to match nicely with whatever dye color you’ve been using in your hair. I personally use a medium depth cool tone brown (meaning it does not have a golden hue) that’s in a bigger eye shadow palette that I love. I get eyes, brows, and a myriad of other uses out of one palette. But, I’ve had singles before as well. As for application, I really should make a video about this sometime in the future – but what you’re looking to do is gently tap the edge of your brush into your color, and using short, gentle strokes, follow  the natural lines of your brow and fill in the center. You only add more powder when you really need more color. Using short and gentle movements means you won’t be tracing harsh lines around your brows. To get a great inner edge to your brows, hold the edge of the brush vertically – and gently press it against the inner line of your brow. You’ll get a perfectly aligned inner brow and can then use that as a starting point for your fill. Use the spooley end of your brush to gently brush your brows up and over to soften any areas that need it. And, just like I mentioned earlier, if you’re a guest at The Lantern Skin Studio and need help learning how to fill and define your brows, just let me know the next time you’re in – I’ll be happy to show you!

Do you have favorite brow tools and products? Have you tried any of the ideas above? I always enjoy reading your ideas and feedback so feel free to leave a comment below!

 

Did you enjoy this post? If so, you might also be interested in Makeup Makeover: 5 Ways to Save BIG on Makeup and Still Look Great.