Product Review -- Tarteist Pro Amazonian Clay Palette

It seems like Tarte has really been on a new product kick lately.

Every time I turn around, they've come out with something new, and it's starting to feel really difficult to keep up.

Still, from the moment I first laid eyes on the Tarteist Pro Amazonian Clay Palette, I knew it was going to be mine.

I'm a sucker for shadow palettes in general, I'm a sucker for warm shadows in particular, and I'm seriously in love with Tarte's metallic shadow formula, which I thought the shimmery shades in the palette might be -- so it was kind of a no-brainer.

The palette comes in a fairly slim metallic compact. The top has a black, almost rubberized finish that gets dirty in a hurry, while the bottom has a gold metallic finish. Inside, there's a large mirror that stays open by itself, so it's ideal for doing your makeup.

Tarte Tarteist Pro Amazonian Clay Palette

The palette contains 20 shadows, which are 16 mattes and 4 of what Tarte describes as "iridescent luster shades with a microshimmer, duochrome formula." 

The shades include: Classic, a matte cream; Innocent, a matte peach; Whimsy, a matte reddish brown; Smoked, a matte blackish brown; Ethereal, a metallic bronze; Vintage, a matte ivory; Fierce, a matte cool plum; No Filter, a matte purple-y mauve; Vamp, a matte dark plum; Glam, a metallic gold; Chic, a matte pale pink; Profesh, a matte taupe; Mod, a matte dark pink; Drama, a matte maroon; Minx, a metallic dark mauve; Indie, a matte gray-ish beige; Bold, a matte light brown; Edgy, a matte chocolate brown; Punk, a matte black; and Trendy, a metallic blackened teal.

Tarte Tarteist Pro Amazonian Clay Palette

I've seen some reviews of this palette that describe the matte shadows as going on patchy -- that hasn't been my experience at all. They are extremely pigmented and apply and blend easily for me. (My lids aren't particularly dry, though, which I feel is important to mention. Perhaps if your lids are on the dry side, the shadows won't work as well.)

From l. to r.: Classic, Innocent, Whimsy, Smoked, Ethereal 

From l. to r.: Vintage, Fierce, No Filter, Vamp, Glam

From l. to r.: Chic, Profesh, Mod, Drama, Minx

From l. to r.: Indie, Bold, Edgy, Punk, Trendy

It's true that a couple of them, such as Mod and Drama, feel somewhat dry when you swatch them with a finger, but they still apply and blend easily for me despite the texture. 

The shimmery shades do seem to have a similar formula to Tarte's metallic shadows -- they have a very creamy texture and are very pigmented, so they're very nice to work with. 

I feel like the shade selection in the palette is interesting -- there's a nice range of light shades that work for highlighting or the lid, midtone shadows that are ideal transition shades, and dark tones that work well for the crease and outer corner. The palette leans warm overall, I'd say, but there's also some cooler tones, which is nice for variety's sake.

That said, I feel like the shades are somewhat similar to shadows in Tarte's Tarlette and Tarlette in Bloom Palettes, so if you have those, it may not be a must-have.

Trendy and Minx are standout shades, though, but you'll have to decide if they tickle your fancy.

I like the palette quite a bit personally, but I do wish that Tarte had included more of the metallic or shimmer shades. In fact, I would have liked it if the palette was half matte and half metallic.

(Actually, if you're listening Tarte, I wouldn't mind if you put out an entirely metallic palette because I love that formula so very much...)

The palette is $53, though you are getting 20 shadows, which are 1 g each so you are getting plenty of product.

You can find the palette on Tarte's website or at Ulta.

Have you tried the Tarteist Pro Amazonian Clay Palette? Are you a fan?