Tarte Shape Tape concealer has been talked about in the beauty blog and YouTube world for a while now. I watched plenty of women (albeit twenty-somethings) try this concealer only to rave about how wonderful it was. I thought, "Well, heck. I need to try it, too." So, I went on the hunt...for months. I searched for the right shade that was out of stock even on the Tarte Cosmetics website. I figured it has to be pretty great stuff if you can never find it, right? But was it?
I finally got my hands on the perfect shade after stalking Ulta Beauty (three different locations) and checking the Tarte website every other day. I was so excited to try this "holy grail" product that has been praised by so many. At first application, I loved it. My horrible dark circles finally looked concealed for a change. It was wonderful for covering up redness and blemishes, too. The first time I tried it, I only wore makeup for a couple of hours and it still looked fabulous when I went to remove it. The next time I used it I wore make up for a full day. This is where Tarte Shape Tape Concealer and I decided to break up.
As a 41-year-old that can pass for 25 on a good day, I thought my skin could use the same products as a lot of twenty-somethings use, and for the most part, that is true. However, this concealer is not for forty-something skin, no matter HOW great your skin is. As you get older, you lose moisture and collagen in your skin, changing the elasticity. Even those of us that take care of our skin and look younger still have fine lines and skin that has been exposed to the elements for 40 plus years.
This concealer, no matter what they tell you, settles into fine lines. Regardless of how I applied it or how much moisturizer or primer I used, it settled into my fine lines around my eyes within a few hours. By the end of the day, my under-eyes looked blotchy, flaky, and downright awful. I have had concealers fade throughout the day, but this resulted in something I had never anticipated or experienced: it made me look older. I tried it a few times thinking that I just applied too much, or too little, or I didn't blend correctly. Every time I used it I had the same end-of-the-day result.
Let me be clear about two things.
1. Tarte Cosmetics is awesome. I have used some of their other products and LOVE them. I have an eye shadow palette that I use all the time and it's wonderful.
2. This concealer is great for someone with young, smooth skin. For a teen or a twenty-something, this would be perfect for concealing all kinds of skin issues.
My conclusion of my Tarte Shape Tape journey is that this isn't a great concealer for anyone over about 35. I found that I looked better just using my foundation under my eyes than trying it again and again hoping for something new but still getting the same result. That's the definition of insanity, isn't it? I suppose I just wanted to love it as much as everyone else does.
This whole experience sent me on a journey of finding a new concealer that works and still looks good at the end of the day. It led me to Urban Decay's Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer. It does a great job at covering redness, dark circles, and blemishes without the dreaded end of the day gasp when I look in the mirror. I am still willing to try other high-end concealers that are raved about. Maybe my next journey will be It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye.
