I’ve really been loving Tarte’s makeup lately – their products are slowly taking over my makeup collection! From their new ‘airbrush’ powder foundation (which I’ve been using almost everyday) to their popular clay-based blushes and super-hydrating lip tints, their products continue to impress me across the board – in quality, pigmentation, longevity, and packaging! What first drew me to Tarte’s new Energy Noir palette in particular (released as part of their limited-edition Energy Noir Fall 2015 collection) was the shade selection. Shades like cooler purples, greys and browns, really seem to complement light-medium complexions with a slight olive/yellow undertone, and I imagined they would suit me pretty well. So let’s continue on to my Tarte Energy Noir Palette review!
What is the Tarte Energy Noir Palette?
The Tarte Energy Noir palette is an eye and cheek palette that features liner, lid, crease, and highlight shadows, along with a complexion-enhancing blush. The formulas are all Amazonian clay-infused, which helps to provide better application and longer wear.
What’s Included in the Energy Noir Palette?
The Tarte Energy Noir Eye & Cheek Palette includes six matte and two shimmery eyeshadow shades, plus a versatile shimmery champagne eye and cheek highlighter. There’s also a full-size pinky-nude blush included (well, at least it’s close to full-size – you get .191 oz here vs .2 oz in the separate full-size version), along with a step-by-step guide that offers inspiration on how to take your look from “Everyday Energy” to “Nighttime Noir.”
Here’s the full list of the eyeshadow, highlighter, and blush shades that are included in the Tarte Energy Noir palette:
- full moon (matte beige)
- charged up (silvery taupe)
- dark drive (matte dark chocolate)
- stone unturned (matte taupe)
- up too slate (smoky plum)
- misty mauve (matte mauve)
- power plum (matte dark plum)
- lunar eclipse (matte black)
- crystal spark (champagne highlighter)
- unearthed (pinky nude blush)
- (bonus!) eyeshadow brush that came with this particular set
Swatches
Below are the swatches of all the eyeshadows, the highlighter, and the blush (they are in the same order as the list above, starting with Full Moon on the left).
As you can see, the shades are a mix of mauvey purples and cool browns. They all work really well with one another, so you can really mix and match however you’d like.
My Tarte Energy Noir Eye & Cheek Palette Review
First of all, the packaging is gorgeous and feels solid. It also comes with rather large mirror too that spans the full width and height of the palette. Super convenient!
Eyeshadows
After experimenting with the palette for a few days, I have to say, the texture and quality of the shadows really range from shadow to shadow. My favorites are the shimmery shades (including Crystal Sparkle, Charged Up, and Up to Slate). They were satiny smooth, easy to apply, and very pigmented.
The matte shades, however, I found to be a bit chalky in texture. The two darker shades – Lunar Eclipse and Power Plum – are more difficult to build up because of this. However, for a softer outer ‘v’ or liner, they work just fine (as you can see in my photos further down). The other matte shades, including Misty Mauve, Stone Unturned, Dark Drive, and Full Moon, had much better pigmentation and smoother textures.
In the end, all the shadows are incredibly easy (and quick) to blend together, allowing you to create a seamless look. Below is a simple look I tried using ‘Charged Up’ on the lid, ‘Stone Unturned’ in the crease, and some ‘Power Plum’ mixed with ‘Lunar Eclipse’ applied lightly in the outer ‘v’. You can see how smooth the eyeshadows look in texture, as well as how seamlessly they blend together.
In terms of longevity, for me the shadows lasted throughout the whole day with barely any creasing (and I’d like to add that that’s without using eyeshadow primer, and during the hotter Summer months that we’ve been experiencing lately!). I did experience very slight creasing on the very inner crease of my eyelid, but it was barely noticeable. Everywhere else, the shadow stayed put. There was absolutely no fallout, even from the shimmery shades.
Blush
Lastly, the blush, well, is perfect (there’s a reason why they are so popular in the first place!). It’s pigmented, silky smooth in texture, and lasts a day long. You can play with its intensity by building it up on the cheeks to create a dramatic flushed look, or apply lighting for a pretty, natural looking flush.
Here’s what the shade ‘Unearthed’ looks like, applied lightly to the cheeks.
Eyeshadow Brush
The double-ended eyeshadow brushes comes with everything you need to create a look with the eyeshadows. On one end, there’s a crease brush, which is small enough that you can use it to easily apply color in the outer ‘v’ as well. On the other end, there’s a shader brush. What it love about the shader size is its size – it’s fits over the whole lid and makes it super fast to apply shadow in using just a few quick swipes. It’s slightly fluffy and rounded on the top, so you can cover the crease area at the same time. I particular love this brush for whole-lid applications!
A Quick Look…
Here’s another look I created using a whole bunch of eyeshadows combined from the Tarte Energy Noir Eye & Cheek Palette.
Above, I’m wearing the shade ‘Charged Up’ over the lid and on the crease, and ‘Crystal Sparkle’ on the inner lid. ‘Stone Unturned’ was applied and blended into the crease, followed by ‘Dark Drive’ in the outer ‘v’. Lastly, I applied ‘Full Moon’ as a highlight.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Tarte Energy Noir Eye & Cheek palette is great for anyone looking for a versatile (and travel friendly) makeup palette. The set allows you to create neutral daytime looks, all the way to smoky, more dramatic looks. The eyeshadows, for the most part, are quite pigmented and smooth textured, and not to mention extremely blendable and long-lasting.
The Energy Noir Eye & Cheek palette is available on Tarte’s website for $38.00, and occasionally here on QVC for the same price ($38) with the double-ended eyeshadow brush included.
Update: It looks like the palette is no longer available on the Tarte and QVC websites, however I was able to find it here on Amazon.
What do you think about their new Energy Noir Fall ’15 collection?
