I was slightly intrigued by Tarte's new Rainforest of the Sea Eyeshadow Palette. It was neutrals and cheaply priced at only $34. It's limited edition and a Sephora exclusive. I see it's now sold out online, but can be found in store.
Per Sephora: "Define and defend lids from everyday aggressors with this eye shadow palette. Introducing plush shades in a velvety formula, they’re powered by tarte’s Rainforest of the Sea™ complex, formulated to hydrate and balance lids with a creamy powder is that is never drying or chalky. Each of the pigmented, blendable shades is a blend of liner, lid, crease, and highlight shadows in wearable mattes and metallics to define and contour your eyes. It includes a step-by-step guide to take your look from beachy bronze to a sea-inspired evening eye."
It's a round gold palette with a cool pattern on the lid. I do find the clasp hard to open. It's tight with no real lip to be able to open it easily. That's really my main complaint. Otherwise it's a great palette. For the price it's a great shimmery neutral palette.
Per Sephora the shades are: Seashell (pink), Wave (slate), Abyss (dark brown), Reef (copper), Starfish (bronze), Cove (tan), Sand (ivory), Mermaid (gold). Seashell is a shimmery light neutral pink. Wave is a shimmery medium neutral grey with purple undertones. Abyss is a shimmery neutral dark brown. Reef is a warm shimmery reddish bronze. Starfish, my favorite, is a shimmery neutral medium bronze brown. You could look at this as a cool bronze or as neutral brown. Cove is a matte light tan. Sand is a matte cream. Mermaid, my second favorite, is a shimmery neutral to cool sand.
Overall, the feel of the palette is in the neutral to cooler area. It's not warm yet it's not a typical cool palette. It feels very neutral. The shimmery shades are the best of the palette. They're fairly pigmented, they go on sheerer in general and I wouldn't call them very pigmented. They're creamy and smooth. Their application is even, blendable and I think they're great. These are what I wish the Make Up For Ever single eyeshadows were like texture wise. The two matte shades are the disappointment of the palette. They are sheer, hardly show up and are thinner and less creamy than the shimmery shades. Past testing, I never wore the matte shades. The shimmery shades I used lasted all day no issues.
Sunlight:
Swatches Top To Bottom: Starting with Wave and then Clockwise in Palette:
Compared with:
Top Row L to R: Cle de Peau #305 Satin Moon Quad Beige, Tarte Cove, Surratt Greige.
2nd Row L to R: Tarte Mermaid, Addiction Sand Bar.
3rd Row L to R: Tarte Starfish, Natasha Denona Satin Tan.
4th Row L to R: Tarte Reef, Surratt Haute Chocolate.
5th Row: Cle de Peau #305 Satin Moon Quad Bronze.
6th Row L to R: Tarte Wave, Cle de Peau #305 Satin Moon Quad Grey.
7th Row: Charlotte Tilbury Golden Goddess Quad Grey.
8th Row L to R: Tarte Abyss, Suqqu Kozuecha Brown.
Last Row: Urban Decay Punk(Gwen Stefani Palette).
I then realized Tarte Reef(Left) seemed similar to Charlotte Tilbury's Golden Goddess Quad the Bronze shade(Right). Tarte Reef is more red.
And I also thought Burberry's Storm Grey(Left) was similar, but it's less purple compared to Tarte Wave(Right).
