Tarte Pin Up Girl Holiday Blush Palette: Swatches + Review

I was so bummed when I missed out on last year's holiday collections because I just wasn't wearing a full face of makeup. My normal routine was BB Cream, powder, and maybe a dusting of blush if I was feeling either pale or ambitious. This year, I wanted to make sure that I bought at least one blush palette, the Nars or the Tarte, because I've been wearing blush and bronzer daily.

I decided on the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush palette because the Nars palette wasn't yet announced. This palette was probably going to be less money and I already know I like the Tarte blushes, plus these are all limited edition colors.

This is the packaging for the palette. It looks like a little golden clutch. I do have to agree with everyone else and say that it is on the bulky side, but this isn't something I'm going to be tossing in my purse. Right now, I just keep the palette on one of the my shelves in the bathroom. The little pearl hair pins actually can be removed and used in your hair. I haven't even bothered with those yet. I might just take them off the palette so that they don't leave an indent.

Bulky packaging aside, I do have to say my biggest con for this palette is that the names not listed anywhere on the actual palette. The insert shown above slips out of the palette even when it's closed. The only other spot that has the names is the back of the box. Eventually, I want to know which blush I've been using. I do still have the box and the insert, but it would be so much more convenient to have the blush names printed on the package, especially since there's already a sticker on the back.

From top: Irreplaceable, Bashful, Whimsy, Embraced, Breathless.

Looking back, I'm actually glad I didn't get the Off the Cuff palette from last year. It contains permanent colors, one of which I don't like and another that I own which is a bronzer. I really like these colors better.
Additionally, I've actually worn all of these colors and I can say I definitely love them. It's nice being able to have five colors all in one spot.

Embraced and Bashful are the only two shimmery colors and the other three are matte. I've really been into neutral and nude blushes, so Breathless was a nice addition to the palette for me. That said, Embraced and Irreplaceable are probably my favorite colors in the palette, followed closely by Bashful. I think Breathless just isn't a standout because my favorite for a nude cheek is Tarte's Exposed, which I have in a single pan. I'm also not a huge fan of pale pink blushes like Whimsy. I like this color because it doesn't come off like Pepto Bismol like some blushes and it isn't chalky, but I'm not ready for the color yet. It just doesn't mix well with my bronzer like the other colors do.

I think the only other thing worth mentioning is that these blushes are powdery. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just realized the first time I was trying these out that a bunch of powder kicked up when I swirled my brush in the pan. I'm used to how MAC blushes are a bit stiffer. The color pay off on these are great, which I think is because of them being slightly softer and powdery.

Packaging get a B- because I want the names on the palette and it's a little bulky.

Blushes get an A- because I really love them overall and the color selection is nice. Despite the powdery mess you can cause, the colors are worth the pain.

So do I think this is worth $42? Absolutely. I'd rather pay the $42 for this palette than the $65 for the Nars palette that has a huge pan of Laguna bronzer in it and a bunch of colors I won't wear.