Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Review: Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in 'Dollface'

...or, as I secretly refer to this post, 'A Cool Pink Blush Extravaganza'. You may intepret the word 'cool' both ways here and it'll still be relevant, by the way.

Not so long ago, as a result of browsing through Sephora's brightly-lit shelves with Tracy from Beauty Reflections and Larie from Eye Heart It, I came in possession of the much talked-about Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in the shade 'Dollface'. The decision was facilitated by Tracy's expert opinion and the words 'It's lavender-based, very pretty', to which my happy retort was 'Oh, I don't have anything lavender!'. Ekhm... or do I [suspenseful background music]?

Well, let's discuss the blush first. As everyone and their dog knows, the blusher is housed in a pearlized plastic compact reflecting the shade of the blush inside (sort of). I'm actually not a huge fan of this packaging; I see that it's practical, but also a bit... juvenile? Given that the blush retails for $25, I'd be much happier with something more elegant. With that being said, the mirror inside is a very decent size and I like the Amazon river embossing.

'Dollface' is a matte, cool-toned light pink. It's quite a pure shade of pink, but it applies softly and blends quite easily without, in fact, giving you a bad case of doll cheeks. It's just brightening enough to naturally compliment cooler skintones such as mine and the perfect shade of light pink for the winter season.

It is not, however, very unique. Just take a look below... Eeek! Have I really managed to accumulate 4 exact same shades of pink from 4 different brands?


No, not exactly [fans herself]. While you can already see subtle differences in the pans, the true differences come through in the swatches. No. 7 Natural Blush in 'Soft Damson' is definitely warmer and a bit more tawny than 'Dollface'. NYX Powder Blusher in 'Angel' is plummier and has a different finish - it's more satin with tiny silver shimmers. But... Inglot blusher no. 72 is pretty darn close; maybe a touch cooler and a bit deeper. Not different enough to warrant keeping 'Dollface' though; so, I was a good girl, and returned it :(

A word about longevity - it's impossible for me to verify whether the Tarte Amazonian Clay blush really lasts 12 hours. Or else, I think it did, but almost all my other blushers do last just as long on me as the Tarte one. And... the Inglot blush was MUCH cheaper. Just saying.

What's your experience with the Tarte Amazonian Clay blushes? What are your favorite cool pink blush shades?

15 comments:

  1. Really pretty shade! Thanks for the comparison :) <3

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  2. wow such control! you returned it! they are pretty similar in color family, but i didnt see any exact dupes. hopefully you will spent that 25 dollars on something more welcoming to your collection :) i have tipsy, but i barely use it. i tend to reach for it in the summer. i want exposed next...

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  3. Ohh, at least you returned it. No need to have multiples of the same color!

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  4. It looks pretty on your swatch...While I like cool pink, I usually go for something that's even more purple based (the pinker ones tend to give me a rash-like effect)like Benefit Thrrrob...If I were to one of these tarte blush, I would just be boring and get the coral one Tipsy.

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  5. Dollface is one of the Tarte blushes that doesn't attract me for some reason. It looks nice but I think Inglot looks nicer... even though they're similar :P

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  6. I love your pink blush collection :) I've been playing with the Tarte ones every single time I'm at Sephora... but I can never actually make the purchase :)

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  7. I'm the same with lipsticks...You like what you like...;-) I love these types of pinks as blush too...

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  8. Good for you, Monika! Takes a strong woman to return a pretty blush. I agree you about the packaging and those suckers are $33 here! I have only one of those Tarte blushes and it's a shade I don't have anything close to (Natural Beauty). Dollface is pretty but it doesn't suit my skin tone. Maybe you can pick up something extra special later on in prettier packaging. :D

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  9. Thanks for all the comments, lovelies! I think I will definitely save that $25 for another blush purchase... any recommendations? It doesn't have to be in the cool pink family!

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  10. Aww, good for you in returning it! It's funny how we are always attracted to the same colours! Keep you dollars, there's a surprise coming for you in the mail soon! :)

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  11. Tracy, you're just the best :) And I have something just perfect in mind for you...

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  12. I really want to try some Tarte, especially the foundation from the clay range sounds like it has great coverage. It looks so pretty but I think I prefer the Inglot swatch better!
    xox

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  13. So pretty, love the swatches!


    Would love it if you visit my blog when you have time ;)

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  14. Awww... You returned it. If it was possible, I'd keep the Tarte and return the Inglot. I just like the softness from Tarte Dollface better. It seems like it will be able to give you a soft, natural looking flush that won't make you look like you have powder sitting on top of your skin - especially on HD cameras. From the pictures, the Inglot one seemed to give me that impression.

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