Review and Swatches: Tarte Shape Tape Concealer

When I think of the products that qualify in my mind as an "exciting makeup launch", I think of palettes, lipsticks, and highlighters. The product I never, ever think of is....concealer. That's why when I first heard that Tarte was coming out with a new concealer, my initial reaction was, and I quote, "Ummm. Ok, that's nice." Had I known then what I know now, I'd have bought myself a tent to camp out at Ulta and wait for its release. (This is an Ulta exclusive product. More on that at the end.) 

I did not pay any attention to the product after it came out because, well, how great could a concealer be? Besides, I have had a long, committed relationship with the Makeup For Ever Waterproof Full Cover Concealer. And as they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! It wasn't until I was unable to ignore the buzz around the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer that I became interested. Literally everyone and their mom was raving about this amazing, new, revolutionary concealer from Tarte. 

In my following Ulta visit, I decided to stop by the Tarte display and see if I could find a good shade match. Lo and behold, the display was completely EMPTY. So, obviously, commence Operation Locate and Acquire ASAP. I called two other Ulta locations, and everyone was sold out. I was shocked. WHAT on Earth is up with this CONCEALER? New Naked Palette sold out? Suuuure. Anastasia's latest and greatest sold out? Of course. But CONCEALER? What parallel universe did I wake up in?

Fortunately, Ulta re-stocked online the following week, and I picked up five of the shades to:

A. Find my match since I did not test them in-store

B. Use the darker ones to cream contour and lighter ones to highlight

C. Feed my insatiable appetite for new products

D. All of the above

(The answer is always D, kids.)

The Ulta package arrived a few days later, and I was pumped.

Left to right: Fair, Light Medium, Medium, Tan, Deep

The overall shade range (available on Tarte.com) includes 10 shades. (Ulta carries six of those shades. (The best part is that if one of the shades does not work for you as an actual concealer, they all make for amazing cream contour/highlight products, based on your skin tone.

Left to right: Fair, Light Medium, Medium, Tan, Deep

The packaging is standard in the sense that it's your average tube and doe foot applicator....only, on steroids. The tube itself is noticeably larger, weighing in at an impressive .34 ounces, versus .22 ounces for the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, .23 ounces for the Too Faced Born this Way Concealer, and .16 ounces for the Urban Decay Naked Concealer. 

All that aside, the doe-foot (maybe more like cow foot?) applicator is gigantic:

I was taken aback by just how huge the applicator is, but the more and more I use it, the more I love it. The larger size is great for covering more area at once, and also does some small level of self-blending, as application with this larger surface area inevitably ends up patting in some of the product while you are still applying it. 

Ready for some swatches?? 

Top, left to right: Fair, Light Medium, Medium
Bottom, left to right: Tan, Deep - No flash

Top, left to right: Fair, Light Medium, Medium
Bottom, left to right: Tan, Deep - With flash

For my NC40 skin tone, Medium has worked perfectly for a a concealer, and Light Medium is my perfect shade for highlighting under the eyes. I tested out the Deep shade for cream contouring, and for me, it pulled a little too red; I ended up having to do a lot of work to correct the shade, so for me, it is not a first choice to cream contour. As for actual performance of the product, however, it was a high performer in that it was long-lasting, and really helped to pull together the powder contour powder I had to put over it.

Pros:

• The coverage is incredible; full coverage while still looking smooth and luminous (without looking oily or shiny).
• This is an oily-skin friendly product! Once set with powder, it will last until you remove it.
• The product is so smooth that you don't haaaaave to set it if you don't want to. While I enjoy the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer (and others like it), I found that it would begin creasing under the eyes faster than I could screw the cap back on the tube. With the Shape Tape Concealer, the product looks amazing all day, with or without powder. (I always prefer to set it to ensure longevity, but have gotten by without it.)
• A little goes such a crazy, long way. When using it to highlight under the eyes, I did my usual thin slide of product across my under-eye, and found that it was actually way too much! I literally need one small dot under each eye, and that gives me the perfect amount of highlight and coverage. Same story for on the face -- the smallest amount will provide complete, smooth coverage.
• The price is extremely fair, I think - $24 for 10 oz. That's a steal for the amount of product you get.

Cons:

• The Shape Tape Concealer has a very strong floral fragrance. I mean very strong. It's not necessarily bad, but it's not my favorite, either. I have heard a lot of people say they like it, but for me, it's a con. Good news is the fragrance dissipates upon application and blending, but it's worth mentioning, especially for anyone who has sensitivities to fragrance.
• This product is an Ulta Exclusive, which means you can only get it in-store, on the Ulta site, and, of course, on Tarte's website. This is great news for people who have easy access to an Ulta location, but not such great news for those that don't!
• Availability has been a problem since its release. Most shades are frequently sold out (in Ulta stores and on both retailers' websites). Restocks seem to be frequent, though.

Final Thoughts:

No exaggeration, this is the best concealer I have ever used, and I have used a lot of different ones. I've tried drugstore and high-end stick, liquid, and cream concealers over the years, and nothing comes even close to the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer. What truly sets this product apart is that fact that it does so. much. more. than just spot concealing. The skin-loving ingredients such as sunflowers seed and olive oil help to hydrate the skin, and keep the concealer looking fresh all day. Whether you use it to conceal or to highlight and contour, the Shape Tape Concealer will be your hardest worker from application removal. Within just a couple months of use, it has skyrocketed to one of my all-time favorite and daily use products. Definitely check this product out; I am sure you will love it!

Overall Rating:

A+ (++++)