Tarte Beauty in a Box: Bronze Smoky Eye At Sephora

What a great day to be celebrating Tarte! Tarte just started a Friends & Family Sale on their Web site, with a whopping 40% discount. If you like skin-friendly and earth-friendly makeup, you need to go visit. Use code FFAUG until August 9 at tartecosmetics.com.

Today, though, I want to show you Tarte's Beauty in a Box: Bronze Smoky Eye ($45), a limited-edition, don't-miss value set exclusive to Sephora.

I have to admit, as trendy as it is, the charcoal smokey eye takes me out of my comfort zone. I can wear the brown smokey eye, and that's exactly what Tarte has delivered in this fabulous set called Beauty in a Box. Bronze Smoky Eye is filled with handpicked favorites from Tarte, along with a how-to-guide and step-by-step tutorial on the box. I have scanned one to show you at the bottom of this post.

The set contains the following items, with new shades to make it irresistible.

• Full size Lock & Roll 12-Hour Eyeshadow in Burnt Bronze
• Full size EmphasEYES Waterproof Clay Shadow/Liner in PlumFull size Rise & Shine Lip Gloss and Stain in Nude
• Full size Clean Slate Natural Face Primer
• Deluxe Mineral Powder Bronzer in Park Ave Princess
• Deluxe Lights, Camera, Splashes! Natural Waterproof Mascara

This set is guaranteed (by me) to make you bronzed and beautiful if applied with a light hand and dramatic and sultry if applied with a heavier hand. I love the choice! That and the fact that all of the products are waterproof, water-resistant, or long-wearing for a look that will last morning 'til night in summer heat!

From lids to lips, each product works to create an overall bronze glow topped with a modern (and much more wearable) take on the trendy favorite: the bronze smoky eye. Unlike the traditional charcoal smoky eye ("so yesterday" in charcoal), this look is flattering on a wide variety of skin tones and can easily be worn day or night.

Here are some swatch photos. Under the photograph of Park Ave Princess is the bronzer applied on my arm - heavily on the right side of my arm and blended well on the left. I hope you can see how pretty it is. It's a sheer bronze with just a slight hint of pink - not muddy at all! Park Ave Princess is an instant pick-me-up.


Next up are the lip colors: Rise & Shine Lip Gloss and Stain in Nude, shown at left. Rise & Shine is a two-fer. First you apply the stain, and then the gloss. I hope you can see on my arm photo how pretty and "liquid" the gloss is. It makes my lips gleam. The nude shades are perfect for a dramatic eye. Tarte edited this set artfully. Although you can wear the stain alone or the gloss without the stain - for a pretty look - the combination is lovely.

Lock & Roll 12-Hour Eyeshadow has become my undoing. I want them all! Burnt Bronze is the duo that comes in this set, and it's fabulous. Lock & Roll 12-Hour Eyeshadow has a rollerball applicator for the "loose shadow," which glides easily over the cream shadow (brush applicator) to lock in the color. The loose shadow shade is shown in the middle of the photo to the right, with the intense cream above. They are gorgeous colors - together or alone. One nice feature is that they are absolutely budge-proof. I tried to wipe them off my arm with a tissue after I took the photo. That was a no-go. I had to scrub with soap and water!

You can smudge out the cream shadow for a less intense look. Just do it fast because once it sets, it stays put!

Even more budge-proof is EmphasEYES Waterproof Clay Shadow/Liner in Plum, shown below the shadow shades. This may be the prettiest plum liner I own. It apply it with a thin liner brush, and the shade, a deep chocolate with a plum cast, works perfectly for me - as I am sure it will work for everyone. Although you can wear EmphasEYES as a shadow too - so play with it - as a liner it's as trendy as it gets. A dash of plum for fall - in a shade we can all wear!

Rounding out this set are Tarte's beloved Lights, Camera, Splashes! Natural Waterproof Mascara and a deluxe-sized Clean Slate Natural Face Primer. How good does it get for $45?

Just in case there are any newbies reading, Tarte's beauty products are formulated without the chemicals we want to avoid. There are no parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes, petrochemicals, and phthalates in this set or any of Tarte's products. They do contain antioxidants, botanicals, essential oils, fruit extracts, minerals, vitamins, and marine goodies. Check out all their skinvigorating, natural ingredients in the glossary at this link. Tarte wants to make you are beautiful on the outside and inside!

I hope you will do two things. Click on this Sephora link to check out the Bronze Smokey Eye Beauty in a Box set. It's an offer worth $112 for $45. Then head over to Tarte's Web site and figure out what else you need for Friends & Family. What a perfect time to buy a Cheek Stain (normally $30)! I'm partial to TEN and Green Siren. Or check out Lock & Roll (normally $17) - a duo I am loving. I just ordered Sandstone and Rose Gold. I also purchased an EmphasEYES Aqua-Gel Eyeliner in Navy and an eye shadow palette for a future giveaway contest. At 40% off, why not? It's the perfect time to try Tarte.

Yes, I know tarte doesn't use a capped "t"! Maybe I'm too old to start sentences with a lower case "t." I'm not too old to know a terrific beauty deal when I see one. Sephora has had a series of Tarte value sets - all of which have been must-haves.

Top photos courtesy of Sephora
Bottom photo and set courtesy of Tarte