Guess who's back with a makeup first impressions!
After seeing all the buzz on Instagram, I was beyond excited to get a package from tarte today containing both formulas of their new Shape Tape foundation!
tarte's Shape Tape concealer is one of their best-selling products, known for its super thick consistency and totally opaque coverage. It only makes sense that the brand would capitalize on the product's success by releasing an entire Shape Tape line, and as a regular user of the concealer, I was pumped to try it all out.
(Note: The one major thing everyone is talking about with this foundation is how unacceptable the shade range is, and with that I wholeheartedly agree. I seriously cannot fathom why tarte thought providing only three shades for POC was okay, especially after brands like Fenty are proving that this sort of behavior in the beauty industry is no longer okay. They did announce they'll be adding ten more shades, but even this shows that POC were an afterthought when it came to this product. Because I love Shape Tape, I was still excited to do this review and see how the products looked on my skin, but bear in mind that I in no way condone taste's serious oversight. An amazing, amazing brand, but a seriously big mistake.)
In total, I received three shades of the matte Shape Tape foundation ($39), 3 shades of the hydrating Shape Tape foundation ($39), one blending sponge ($18), and one foundation brush, not listed on their site at the time I'm posting. While I did notice the brush was similarly styled to the Artis brushes, I had heard multiple bad reviews on how it worked with the matte version of the foundation, so even though I love my Artis Oval 8 brush for blending out matte foundations, I skipped the tarte version and applied both of the formulas with a blending sponge.
One of my favorite things about the Shape Tape concealer is the HUGE doe foot applicator, which makes concealing a large under eye area or cluster of scarring a breeze. However, It felt tedious to be constantly re-dipping the foundation wand back in to get product over and over again, so even though I like that they kept the packaging consistent, part of me does wish a pump had been used instead.
First Up: Matte
So originally, I assumed the hydrating formula would be my favorite since I'm on a brightening, more natural-looking makeup kick, but I actually loved this matte finish the most. I found the product spread on super easily and blended out with little effort. This one really applied just like the Shape Tape concealer, as if it were literally bottled into a foundation. That being said, there wasn't as much coverage as the actual concealer, but I can't help but wonder if that much pigment would've looked cakey regardless of how well it was applied? I think this level of coverage was reasonable, but probably not as high as many Shape Tape fans were expecting, and yet I know I would've complained about it being too thick had I received an exact copy of the concealer's formula in a bottle. Also, I used a sponge, and I have a feeling that my Artis brush would've made the coverage even stronger, so I feel like this is pretty buildable medium to full coverage considering how I applied. Regardless, I liked the finish and could see myself using this regularly.
Overall, I enjoyed this formula and would wear it again, and it's definitely similar enough to what I was imagining for me to be pleased with the product.
Next Up: Hydrating
This foundation was less of a hit in my book. First off, I noticed it smelled like that classic "makeup" scent, which I personally love, but know some others despise, so I wanted to point out that the matte version was more or less scentless. This one is by no means a "bad" foundation, but it's not Shape Tape-esque in any way beyond the packaging. Shape Tape is a thick, full-coverage matte concealer, so to try to make that formula super hydrating misses the mark for me, and I found that this was difficult to blend and didn't look nearly as flawless as its matte twin. It wasn't a bad formula per se, but I see myself using the three matte bottles up before I return to these, which I'm sure I will eventually use. The coverage was just as good (medium to full buildable), but the overall finish left more to be desired, and my texture was slightly emphasized.
Keep in mind that these are my first impressions, not a full review--this was my first time trying out these foundations, and I'm sure my thoughts will change the more I use them and layer them with other products in my routine. I'm also wondering how they will hold up over time, and if perhaps the matte formula will look drying after a few hours and the hydrating finally reach the dewy, fresh finish I was banking on. That being said, I will definitely keep you posted on which formula I end up liking more, but for now I recommend the matte if you're a true Shape Tape fan, as it's most reminiscent of the concealer. It looked great on my combo skin and didn't emphasize my texture as much as the hydrating formula, and it honestly didn't feel drying enough to require a hydrating companion in the first place.
tarte is, in my mind, one of the major players in the beauty game right now, and I'm a big fan of their ingredients, branding, and a ton of the people who work there as well (I actually used to intern in their NYC office!). I use a tarte product almost every day, whether it's the Shape Tape, a Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint, or the Clay Play Face Palette, just to name a few. Even though my first impression of this foundation might seem a little underwhelming, I stand by tarte as a brand wholeheartedly, which is why I'm so excited to keep playing with this product and see how I end up feeling about it.
I really hope you guys enjoy this review--If there are any other new launches you're interested in me reviewing, def let me know!
