Tarte Aqualillies Collection Amazonian Clay Waterproof Eye and Cheek Palette

The centerpiece of Tarte's magnificent Aqualillies Collection for Summer 2013, inspired by and named after the talented and glamorous Aqualillies synchronized water ballet team, is the Aqualillies for Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Eye and Cheek Palette ($38). It looked pretty on Tarte's Web site. It's even prettier in person. This palette is a stunner.

Make a splash this summer with Tarte and the Aqualillies! This limited-edition waterproof palette, includes six new eye shadows, a bronzer, a highlighter, and a limited-edition Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush. All of the show-stopping shades are tucked inside a darling mirrored compact decorated with the turquoise, gold, and coral theme.

Each nutrient-rich formula inside this palette is infused with Amazonian clay, which is harvested from the banks of the Amazon River and naturally baked by the sun. Amazonian clay universally benefits all skin types for a fade-free, flawless finish that lasts up to 12 hours - in shades ranging from soft to vivid to suit a wide variety of skin tones and moods.

The shades in the palette are all fabulous.

• Six new eye shadows: Hammock (chocolate brown), Bikini (golden peach), Barefoot (golden nude), Parasol (champagne rose), Sundeck (light brown) and Poolside (turquoise)
• A gorgeous shimmering highlighter in Champagne 
• A limited edition Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Captivating (warm peach)

Add your favorite mascara, and you will be ready for a day at the beach or the office. These are great colors.

I swatched all the shades in full, glorious, late-morning sun. I used a sponge-tipped applicator to apply them all relatively heavily - except for the larger swatch of Captivating intended to show you how it might look on your cheeks.

The photo directly above shows the Champagne highlighter at the top of my arm, Park Ave Princess (the bronzer) below, and Captivating below the bronzer. All were applied heavily. I applied a larger swatch of Captivating at the bottom in the photo.

I swatched all the eye colors in clockwise order, starting with the Poolside blue/turquoise shade at the top of my arm and ending with the brown eyeliner at the bottom. Poolside is glorious. There's no other way to describe it. Sundeck is the matte tan shade under the exquisite Poolside. All of the eye shadow shades except Sundeck offer a subtle shimmer - my kind of eye shadows. Parasol is an icy pink that doesn't look terribly pink. It's really a perfect, natural pink.

Barefoot looks golden in the compact, and it is. However, it's icy gold. Bikini, on the other hand, is a golden gold. Both of them appeal to me - a lot. The pretty brown Hammock eyeliner is perfect complement to all of the other shades.

Remember, when you use Tarte cosmetics, you will be using makeup that is free of parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, tricolsan, sodium lauryl sulfate, and synthetic fragrances - no hormone distruptors. Tarte is cruelty-free too.

You can find this fabulous eye and cheek palette - and the rest of the Aqualillies Collection at Tarte's Web site, where shipping is free with a $40 purchase. Although this palette is currently sold out, I checked with Tarte yesterday, and additional stock is on the way. It is also available at Sephora.

P.S. See my star magnolia blooming in the background above? Finally! Unfortunately, I think it was frozen early this morning.

Top photos courtesy of Tarte; other photos by Best things in Beauty