Tarina Tarantino Dollskin Cream Blush and Pressed Sparklicity Duo

I jumped on the Tarina Tarantino bandwagon slightly too late, I have been admiring many of these products for several months and have recently just started shopping this brand however Sephora just announced that they would no longer be carrying this brand in their stores or their websites.  The makeup line will still be available on the Tarina Tarantino website however I don't know of any other websites or stores that ever carried this line (other than Sephora) so now this brand will go the way of Vincent Longo and B. Kamins.  After Sephora stopped carrying these brands, they got much harder to find and most likely lost market share since now the products need to be hunted down instead of being able to play with them in the stores...  Which is really sad because the one product that I have bought and tried from this brand is great and now I just want to order more...

I have always drooled over the blushes from this company at the store, however I always just kept ordering Illamasqua blushes from the website since I was so in love with that formula.  I still love that formula but I am trying to branch out a bit and try some other brands.  Of course I would find a formula that I love right as the brand is being pulled from its biggest retailer, I will still try and find this brand online but it is just so much easier to find the products when browsing the store.  I bought and tried one of the products that was introduced for the spring season and I wanted this product as soon as I read about it.

The Dollskin Cream Blush and Pressed Sparklicity Duo is a combination of a cream blush shade and the best selling Sparklicity product (a product that is unique to this brand).  "A collection of blush duos with exquisite powder formulas that glisten.  Get a gorgeous, radiant look with these rich, velvety-soft blush combinations. The unique formulas blend effortlessly on cheeks and kiss skin with the subtle shimmer of micro-crystalline Sparklicity. The intense pigments are long-lasting, leaving skin beautifully moisturized and glowing all day." 

There are two shades available in this product:

- Mr. Pink - bright azalea pink/shimmering soft pink
- Coral Cameo - warm sunset/shimmering gold tan

I own Mr. Pink, I love the bright pink cream blush hue, worn alone or with a bit of the Sparklicity on top.  The smallest appliation of the blush turns my cheeks bright pink and makes me look like I just came in from the cold.  This formula is very pigmented and still very easy to use, it must be applied in moderation (otherwise it will be too bright) but the effect is lovely.  The blush by itself is best for the daytime, I would only add the shimmer for getting dressed up at night. 

I am so sad that I just discovered and bought this formula, I love this product and now want to try the powder version of this blush and see how it compares to the Illamasqua formulas that I love.  I hope that the discontinuing of this brand from Sephora does not spell the end of the brand itself, I will be very unhappy if I cannot order these products at all...

photo courtesy of Sephora

Tarina Tarantino Summer 2012 Collection

I missed out on the Tarina Tarantino spring collection, something is telling me that it came out so late in late spring that I had alreaday started working on the summer collections by the time that it was finally up on the Sephora website and I wasn't going back a whole season for one collection.  I really can't stand when company's release their collections so late that I have already bought everything that I am going to purchase for the season and then I end up missing out on something that I really want, I can't understand why a line would be brought out later than many of the others but I might be missing out on a key marketing concept.  Perhaps timing will be covered in my upcoming gradurate Marketing Research class...

I am guessing that releasing the spring collection so late didn't quite work as well as the company had in mind since the summer collection came out with the rest of the collections.  This collection was up on Sephora's website last week and I started looking at the new eye shadow palette first.  I can't say that I am impressed with the new design of Sephora's website, it is a bit harder to find the seasonal collections than it used to be.  I found the new palette and then looked to see what else was listed as "New" when I looked at the full list of the makeup items from Tarina Tarantino.  Hopefully, I didn't screw something up here and I have the right group of products in this seasonal collection.  Am I the only one that it not really impressed with the new website?

We have three new products in this collection; the eye shadow palette, a blush duo, and a waterproof version of the company's mascara formula.  I originally loved the eye shadow palette but when looking at all the products, the blush duo quickly caught my attention and I fell in love with the cream blush and highlighter package.  I have always been interested in the Tarina Tarantino blushes, I just haven't really tried them out yet.  I have heard so many wonderful comments about the formulas of all the products in this makeup line and I need to buy a few pieces from this collection so that I can add my own comments to the praise heaped on this brand.

Here are the new pieces for summer!

Dollskin Cream Blush and Pressed Sparklicity - A collection of blush duos with exquisite powder formulas that glisten.  Get a gorgeous, radiant look with these rich, velvety-soft blush combinations.  The unique formulas blend effortlessly on cheeks and kiss skin with the subtle shimmer of micro-crystalline Sparklicity.  The intense pigments are long-lasting, leaving skin beautifully moisturized and glowing all day.
- Mr. Pink - bright azalea pink/shimmering soft pink
- Coral Cameo - warm sunset/shimmering golden tan

Emerald Pretty Eye Shadow Palette - A unique palette of shimmery, high-payoff shadows inspired by a magical, far-off place.  Infused with crushed pearls and diamond and porcelain powder, this set of shadows is like jewelry for eyes.  The shades of olive green, shimmering aqua, and iridescent white were carefully created by Tarina to capture the essence of The Emerald City in the bejeweled Land of Oz.  From sweet to wicked, these intense formulas offer shimmery payoff and ultra-high pigmentation.  Quality ingredients ensure long wear and shades can be applied either wet or dry.
- Glinda's Kiss - iridescent white
- Silver Shoes - pearlized silver
- Dandy Lion - pearlized olive green
- Saw Dust Heart - matte deep brown
- Ozma - pearlized aqua blue
- Very Wicked - pearlized emerald green

Fleur de Lash Waterproof Mascara - A superior waterproof mascara that thickens and lengthens for maximum volume.  Tarina Tarantino has always been obsessed with what she calls, "butterfly lashes", luscious, feminine lashes that bat with beauty.  This formula was created by Tarina to ensure every woman could get this look, by combining a long-lasting formula with an extra-thick brush.  "Fleur de Lash is like false lashes in a tube, for lashes so beautiful you want to bat them all day long." - Tarina Tarantino.

The eye shadow palette is very pretty to look at, the packaging is a lovely jade green shade that creates a great showcase for all the eye shadows contained in it.  I am on the fence about if I need it or not.  I have all of these shades already, I like them a lot but I will only really need to be buy this palette if the formula is flawless.  I have heard that this eye shadow formula is close to perfection so i will play with this palette at the counter in Sephora and decided from there.  I love the Mr. Pink blush duo, this bright pink shade will be perfect for the summer and then will still be great long after the summer has ended.  That product is topping my Most Wanted list for the next month.  Lastly, I don't really use waterproof mascara formulas but I am really interested in how well this formula performs against classics like Diorshow and BadGal Lash, I will buy the regular formula first and then decide if I would actually need a waterproof formula in the summer months.

There are just so many brands and products that I want to try, it is getting harder and harder to shop at Sephora without getting distracted and adding $200 worth of products to my basket...

photo courtesy of Sephora

Tarina Tarantino Holiday 2011 Collection - Aurora Collection

I see that Tarina Tarantino has released their holiday collection in a timely fashion, their fall collection came out so late that I was already in the middle of the holiday collections by the time that it hit the counters at Sephora and wasn't really able to go back and check it out.  I wish that they would have released that collection in the summer months when I have more time to blog and don't have to worry about classes.  Oh well...  The holiday collection looks gorgeous so I am willing to forgive the fact that I wasn't able to get my hands on anything from the fall collection.  This collection contains some great shades of purples and pinks and will work all the way from the holidays into the beginning of the spring months.

The holiday collection is named Aurora and reminds me of the main character of Sleeping Beauty.  I love the icy shades in this collection and they remind me of a Disney Princess waking up from a long sleep.  "Tarina Tarantino took her inspiration for this mesmerizing new collection from the luminous, colorful glow of the Arctic Northern Lights, magically icy landscapes, and wintery dreams.  The result?  A range of stunning products - from shadows to cheek color to eyeliner - that sparkles with opulence and whimsy."  I love the pink shades from this collection that are used on the model and I think that I can make this collection work for me since I have the same hair color and skintone.

Here is the collection...

Aurora Jewel Shadow Palette - A compact with five coordinating eye shadows to make your eyes sparkle like jewels.  These palettes feature five shimmery eye shadows in colors that call to mind the hypnotic nightime glow of the aurora borealis.  Each shadow includes crushed pearls, diamond dust, and silky porcelain for a glimmering effect.  These longwearing formulations feature ultra high intensity pigments and can be applied wet or dry.  The compact's oval shape makes it easier to see the whole surface of your face when applying makeup. 
- Diamond Dusk - pale champange/icy pale silver/medium rose/shimmering medium charcoal/deep shimmering black
- Violet Storm - pale champange/medium forest green/pale shimmering lilac/bright blue/deep shimmering plum

Sparklicity Gloss - A hydrating gloss that adds color and sparkle to your lips.  One of the most innovative lip products on the market, this gloss contains gemstone powders to create dazzling glimmer effects on the lips.  Lip staining pigments add color that increases with each additional coat.  Natural oils and butters provide hours of non-sticky hydration.  Wear alone or over other lip products.
- Paiette - sheer light pink with iridescent shimmer

Fleur de Lash - A superior mascara formulation that thickens and lengthens lashes.  With Fleur de Lash, Tarina Tarantino has combined the best long-lasting formula and a luscious, thick brush to give you traffic-stopping lashes.  Fleur de Lash is like false lashes in a tube, for lashes so beautiful you want to bat them all day long.
- Black Opal - black

Sparklicity Pure - A microcrystal sparkle product to add luxurious shimmer to the eyes, cheeks, and lips.  Made almost entirely of a shimmery reflex material, Sparklicity Pure creates an incredible sparkling effect without binder materials getting in the way of its reflective properties.
- Pure Opal - white iridescent shimmer

Eyelicity Glitter Liner - A collection of sparkly liners.  These three vibrant shades provide smooth color payoff and excellent coverage.  Shades in pink and white highlight and brighten the eye.  Each color is easy to blend after application and is highly smudge-proof.
- Black Diamond - black liner with iridescent glitter

Pearl Glow Primer - A two-in-one primer that adds a luminous glow and primer in one step.  Tarina Tarantino's Pearl Glow Primer is like capturing beautiful light in a bottle and is the perfect shade of "glow".  It also gently moisturizes the skin and creates a perfectly prepped surface for makeup application.
- Pearl - opalescent glow
- Pearl Nude - nude tinted opalescent glow

Dollskin Cheek - A collection of smooth-texture high-definition blushes.  This micronized, high-definition powder features a silky, blendable, and buildable texture that imparts the collection with a natural glow.  It's true color payoff that wears all day long.  For every skintone.
- Carved Rose - cool vivid pink
- Charm - medium rose
- Feather - shimmering peach
- Neapolitan Lane - muted beige pink
- Parasol - shimmering bright pink coral

For the first time in quite a few collections, the cheek shades have caught my eye first instead of lipstick shades or eye shadow palettes.  I must try the Dollskin Cheek product, especially the Carved Rose and Charm shades.  I am forever on the hunt for new blushes and I love the look of very vivid pink cheeks against pale skin, I am so excited to try this product out!  The Diamond Dusk eye shadow palette is lovely however the shades are not very unique and I would only really be likely to purchase this is the pigmentation and formulation of the shadows is very special and unique so I will need to try this one out at the counter before I make a decision on it.  The lip gloss shade is pretty but since it is light pink with shimmer, I know that I already own a ton like it and can safely ignore it for the time being, maybe it will look amazing when I try it at the counter.  Last but not least, I am very intrigued by the primer from this company, this one will be going on my shopping list right along with the blushes.

I haven't used as much fromthis company as I would have liked to before checking this collection out.  The shades that are featured in it are lovely however somewhat generic but I have heard many raves about the pigmentation and textures from this company's products.  If the raves are correct then it would make all of these products worth a purchase since they would be unique in the beauty market.  This is a line of products that I will need to try at the store and can't just order online.  With the hustle and bustle of my Sephora at this time of the year, I may have to postpone this shopping trip until the new year...

photo courtesy of Sephora

Tarina Tarantino Summer 2011 Collection - Sparklicity Bronze

I feel like every single Tarina Tarantino collection involves the word "Sparklicity" in the title.  Every collection consists of shimmery products, one of which is always an eye shadow palette and another of which is always a shimmer body product in some form.  I'm glad that this company has a formula that works for them and that means that I trust that I can find great products in these categories but how many eye shadow palettes do I need from the same company?  Wait, let me rephrase that question...how many shimmer body mist items do I need from the same company?  I guess this company is telling me that I need to replace mine with the season...

The Sephora website provides a quote from Tarina Tarantino as the collection description.  "'Influenced by soaring Moorish architecture and dusty Turkish horizons, Sparklicity Bronze conjures up images of sun drenched vistas and regal exoticism.  Dazzling geometric tiling from the famed Topkapi Palace inspires this sophisticated update of summer colors.  Shimmering neutrals, misty golds, and soft oasis blues lure you eastward on this elegant voyage.'"  So pretty much, this collection looks as though it will be a bronze version of last holiday's Sparklicity Gold.  With the addition of shades of blues instead of just neutrals.  I have been trying to work some blue shades slowly into my eye look, only as a accent in the crease.  I am looking forward to seeing if this eye palette will work with this look.

The new Sparklicity Bronze products...

Sparklicity Bronze Eye Shadow Palette - A palette with eight full-sized, naturally neutral shadows.  Sparkle is a state of mind and this palette of shadows allows you to indulge in a little shimmer and shine.  To make your eyes twinkle like jewels, each of these neutral shades contain long-wearing, high intensity pigments and is infused with crushed pearl, diamond dust, and silky porcelain.  The large oval mirror inside allows you to see both eyes during application, creating your own personal mini vanity.
- Pearl
- Pearlized Nude
- Shimmering Bronze
- Matte Brown
- Pearlized Pink
- Taupe
- Turquoise
- Shimmering Brown

Sparklicity Pure Bronze - A shimmering pigment for the eyes, cheeks, and lips.  Complete your look with a unique, reflective finish.  This glittery formula is made almost entirely of a pure-refraction reflex material and joins a soft, muted bronze background shade.  This result is a shimmery effect that layers perfectly with the rest of your makeup to accentuate the arch of the brow, eyelids, cheeks, and lips. 

Sparklicity Bronze Shimmer Dust - A microcrystalline glitter for the body and hair.  Sparkle is a state of mind and this product adds a dazzling shimmer to bare shoulders, legs, hair, and the decollete.  Its microcrystalline sparkle pigment is made almost entirely from a reflex material, which creates a luxurious and fantastical twinkle effects in a glowing bronze shade that's perfect accent to bronze complexion.

The only piece that I like in this collection is the eye shadow palette, these neutrals are lovely and I have always found these eye shadows to have great pigmentation everytime that I play with the testers at Sephora.  Not that I need another eye shadow palette, but I would like to buy this one, knowing that I will get a lot of use from it both this summer and more in the fall.  I am interested in the Sparklicity Pure Bronze, it seems like it will be more like a MAC Pigment than a regular eye shadow.  I find the bronze quite pretty though I would only it on the eyes so I don't know that I would need it in addition to the eye shadow palette.  I would get no use from this shade of the Shimmer Dust, it would be too deep for me unless I had a full tan.

Noting that summer, spring, and last holiday's collections weren't all the different, I do wonder what fall has in store for us.  Last fall's collection was the most unique that I have seen from this company in the past seasons so I hope that this one will be among the same vein...

photo courtesy of Sephora

Tarina Tarantino Spring 2011 Collection

Last week, I was at Sephora and I was able to stop at the Tarina Tarantino counter and work on figuring out what the new products for spring are. The website isn't all the clear on what is what, with the exception of the new eye palette. I found out at the store that the eye palette is the main piece of the collection, with two other products contained in the collection too. The following quote from Tarina Tarantino herself was on the Sephora website and I thought it was a great lead-in to the new collection. '"On a trip to Europe, I discovered a forgotten treasure dating back many years: delicate hand-painted resin flowers in an endless rainbow of colors. These exquisite flowers became part of my jewelry collections and have now inspired my new Floriculture Palette. These eight full-size shadows have a velvety soft texture and intense color payoff that will create gorgeous makeup looks for day and night.' - Tarina Tarantino, jewelry designer and makeup artist".

The new products...

Floriculture Palette - A palette of eight high-intensity shades. This palette of velvety soft shadows makes your eyes radiant as jewels. For intense, shimmery payoffs, each formulation includes ultra-intense pigments and the powder of crushed pearls, diamonds, and smooth porcelain. Quality ingredients assure long wear and can be applied either wet or dry.

- Hollycock - pearlized brown

- Trumpette - golden apricot

- Night Hopper - pearlized taupe

- Taurella - creamy vanilla

- Secret Pond - mossy green

- Deep Dahlia - deep purple

- Poppycock - shimmery bright purple

- Tiny Pansie - pearlized dusty rose

Fleur de Lash - A superior mascara formula that dramatically thickens and lengthens lashes. Fleur de Lash enhances and magnifies each lash for seductively long, sexy-looking lashes. The long-lasting formula will not flake and the hair-conditioning properties nourish the lashes so they remain soft and supple. The extra-thick and extra-long brush has many levels of bristles, so that it captures every lash.

- Black Opal - black

Sparklicity Lip Gloss - A hydrating gloss that adds color and sparkle to your lips. One of the most innovative products on the market, this gloss contains gemstone powders to create dazzling glimmer effects on the lips. Lip staining pigments add color that increases with each additional coat. Natural oils and butters provide hours of non-sticky hydration. Wear alone or over other lip products.

- Kosmonaut - plum wine with iridescent shimmer

- Nouveau Nude - bronzed peach with iridescent shimmer

- Opaline - translucent with iridescent shimmer

- Paiette - sheer light pink with iridescent shimmer

- Parade - hot pink with pink and iridescent shimmer

- Tulip - vivid fuchsia with iridescent shimmer

Gosh, I just love that eye shadow palette and it is headed to the top of my shopping list other the next month. I can honestly say that I will love and use all of the shades in the palette, which is a rarity these days. I love that the company has combined all of the neutral shades with shades of purples and roses to add a pop of color to the eyes. I have to try out the mascara to add to my mascara collection, so I will be picking that up soon. I also loved the new lip gloss formula when I was playing with it at Sephora and I am impressed that a company has released a slant tip gloss instead of the usual sponge tip applicator. I love the Paiette and Parade shades for the spring time.

The palette in this collection might well be in the top ten list of best products that came out this spring. We are seeing lots of great palettes this season and I know that I will be buying many of them...

photo courtesy of Sephora

Tarina Tarantino Holiday 2010 Collection - Sparklicity Gold Collection

Tarina Tarantino is still a relatively new brand to me, I own very little of it and have only looked at one or two products from them so far. But I love everything that I look at so I am hoping that this holiday collection contains some new obsessions for myself. This new collection is called Sparklicity Gold and is contains all products that are gold based and very shimmery. Sephora states, "Inspired by the way light reflects against the crystals and beads in her jewelry, Tarina Tarantino created this new collection of sparkling makeup in colors that shine like precious jewels. These brillant palettes of eye shadows feature her signature micro-sparkle to create the Sparklicity effect, so you may live the sparkling life every day. After all, in Tarina's world, sparkle is a state of mind".



Here is the collection...

Sparklicity Pure Gold - A touch of luxurious, crystalline sparkle for eyes, cheeks, and lips. Complete your look with a unique, reflective finish, thanks to a formula composed almost entirely of Tarina's special ingredient: pure-refraction reflex. This product's soft, golden shade layers perfectly with the rest of your makeup to accentuate the arch of the brow, eyelids, cheeks, and lips. This product is not tested on animals.

Sparklicity Gold Shimmer Dust - A pure-refraction glitter for body and hair. Pouf this product's atomizer for a shimmery spray of fine dry powder. It adds a pretty golden sparkle to bare shoulders, legs, hair, and the decollete. A luxurious finishing touch, this product is made from an Italian formula called reflex, which delivers pure glitter, without base or binder. This product is not tested on animals.

Sparklicity Eye Shadow Palette - A pressed eye shadow palette that sparkles. This neutral eye shadow palette shimmers in light, adding a glint of glamour to your look while transforming makeup into your best accessory. Uniquely formulated, each shadow includes high-intensity pigments with a long-lasting color payoff that can be used wet or dry. The palette contains one core color and four perfectly coordinated new shades, including: Twinkling Topaz (shimmering golden mustard), Fringe (shimmery coffee brown), Brooch (dark chocolate with gold and green micro glitter), and Rosette (shimmery fleshy pink).

Sparklicity Eye Cream Hypershadow - An exclusive, pressed-eye shadow formula with high-intensity pigment payoff. These bold shadows with hyper pigmentation come in matte and variety of shimmer/pearl, glitter versions. Jet Mill Technology is used to pulerize formula into the smallest particle, which gives shadows their velvety texture. The maximum pigment load, 20-50 percent more pigment with less binder, produces the rich color payoff that is sure to get you noticed.
- Hoop - bright yellow gold shimmer

Sephora didn't list the shade that is featured in the Eye Cream Hypershadow product so based on the photo, I am guessing that it is the Hoop shade but I may be mistaken. My favorite product of the collection is the Eye Shadow Palette, I will get lots of use out of this and I think that it is perfect for both the holidays and well beyond. I think this collection is a great introduction to the brand and I am looking forward to seeing their spring collection very soon.

photo courtesy of Sephora

Tarina Tarantino Starchild Odyssey Eye Shadow Palette

Sometimes you find a product that seems totally out of place with every product in your makeup bag. For my makeup bag, this is one of them for me. I normally don't wear shades on my eyes that are quite this bold, especially not all combined together into one palette. But sometimes, it's nice to break from the norm and see what happens when you all out. Also, for days that I am back into the norm, I am betting that I can mix one or two of these shades in with a silver eye look for just a hint of color.

Sephora describes the palette as following, "A brightly futuristic ensemble featuring five exclusive metallic shades of Tarina's Eye Dream." Further details are right here, "Create an out-of-this-world eye look that will get you noticed. Tarina's pressed eye shadow formula offers high intensity pigment payoff for seriously stunning results. Jet Mill Technology is used to pulverize formula into the smallest particle, which gives shadows their velvety texture. The maximum pigment load, 20 - 50 percent more pigment with less binder, produces the rich color payoff".

So what shades are offered in this palette? The shade in the middle appears to be a pale lavender, far left appears to be a pale silver. I believe that these two shades would be best used as highlighters and have the most potential to be used in all types of looks, from subtle to dramatic. The three more dramatic shades are a medium toned teal, a perwinkle blue, and a deep navy. Sephora doesn't list the colors so if I'm not totally accurate then I'm sorry. I want to find out if the two less dramatic shades are available in single shadows becuase I can see myself getting a lot of use from them. .

Tarina Tarantino's eye shadows need to be felt to be believed. When they first released as Sephora, I ran my finger over the surface of one and discovered one of the most velvety textured shadows that I have ever felt. Even if this palette is not your cup of tea, I do recommend trying out these shadows. I am hoping that more palettes are being released from this line.

photo courtesy of Sephora