tarte

Tarte LipSurgence in Swank on mah lips!

Believe it or not, this swatch session for the new Tarte Lip Service Limited-Edition LipSurgence Collection ($29) actually began as something somewhat normal…

LipSurgence in Perky

But then I had two of these tiny Snickers bars (because it’s physically impossible to have just one)…

They don’t call ’em “Fun Size” for nothin’
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Vampires aren’t known for their flexibility (their restricted diet, won’t work daytime hours, religious intolerance, etc.), but the new Tarte for True Blood LipSurgence Natural Lip Tint ($24) is. It’s one of the most flexible reds I’ve come across in a really long time.

The crayon/pencil tip makes this medium-coverage, iridescent red a cinch to apply. The color’s easily buildable, too, making it workable in a variety of occasions and looks from demure to dramatic.

I haven’t figured out why Tarte chose to give it a faint minty flavor and scent (um, how does mint relate to vampires?), but I like the way they’re executed; I think both of them are refreshing (again, vampires?) like gum.

Now that I think about it, I can’t think of a more appropriate, better taste and scent… Garlic is certainly out. 🙂

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Well polish my coffin and pour me another cup of that True Blood, Team Tarte, because I’d like to raise my glass! Y’all obviously sunk your teeth into the new limited edition True Blood Palette ($52). I’d stake my life on that.

But seriously, the effort Tarte put into developing this palette shows in the clever little details, like the words “Open After Dark” scrawled across the cubby that conceals the mini primer, mascara and eyeliner, and the lace threading through the grommets on the cover (er, those better not be silver!).

Saucy!

A little drawer for a set of fake fangs would’ve been the icing on the cake. After all, undead wannabes wear makeup, too, but I guess you can’t appease all of the fangbangers all of the time… But you can appease some of them some of the time, especially when you arrange the shadows in a palette in a logical way.

You know how brands will sometimes haphazardly place unrelated shades beside each other in a palette? That’s one of my eye palette pet peeves, but I like how this palette groups smokey shadows in the lower right hand corner, warmer jewel tones in the lower left and the neutrals at the top. It’s conducive to creativity (at least I think so) and makes it easy to sift through the 17 shades.

Baby vamps probably wouldn’t realize this yet, but after a few hundred years, the nights begin to blur together. The way these shadows seamlessly blend together reminds me of that aspect of everlasting undead life. It takes barely a few flicks from an eyeshadow brush to transition from one shade to the next, even when I’m wearing several colors on my lids.

And, dude, I don’t care how easy Vampire Bill makes glamoring humans look, it can take up a huge chunk of my night. Because these shadows stay put from dusk till dawn without fading or creasing at all, they free up my human hunting time.

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