It’s hot as hell in Southern California. It’s also been two months since Miss Spawn joined our family. I’ve got little time to spend on making up my face before I have to breastfeed, diaper her, or hold her. That means a change in my makeup routine, namely switching to a tinted moisturizer over a foundation.
Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer
Enter Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer. I was at Sephora picking up my birthday VIB gift when I remembered I needed to get a lighter (consistency) foundation. I strolled right to Tarte to check out their products, got the Sephora MUA to help me find the right shade and went home with a new product!
There are seven shades to choose from. I’m a Medium-Tan in this.
Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer
If you’re keeping track, I’m an NC-35 in MAC, Tan in Tarte (though I could probably go lighter right now), Medium-Tan in Tarte’s tinted moisturizer, and Stromboli in NARS.
TARTE Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer and Full Coverage Foundation
What’s a BB cream you ask? It stands for “beauty balm” (or “blemish balm”) and I first saw the influx of BB creams from the Asian beauty market. It’s lighter in texture and coverage, and most BB creams claim to do something extra for your skin. Kind of like a tinted moisturizer on steroids. (Yeah, they cover your face. Boom.) Most will hydrate your skin and/or even out your skin tone. Then they’ll also treat your skin – like covering fine lines or control oil production.
Swatch and Application
Applying Tarte’s tinted moisturizer is easy. I didn’t have to use the foundation/kabuki brush that I usually do with the full coverage foundation. I squeezed a small amount on the back of my left hand and swiped and blended with my right middle finger. It is more liquid-y than the foundation, so don’t squeeze too hard. Just like the foundation, a little goes a long way.
A bonus discovery – I didn’t need to apply a makeup primer first. Usually I use Hourglass’s primer (or Coola Suncare’s facial sunscreen) but I went straight from my daily facial moisturizer (Olay, holla!) to this.
Left: Tarte Amazonian clay foundation vs Right: BB Tinted Moisturizer
Coverage
This is definitely lighter in coverage. Tarte says you can blend up to medium coverage but why would you want to do that? Let your skin breathe a little!
I think this was the perfect marriage between a tinted moisturizer and a super lightweight foundation. Note – some might think it still feels like a foundation. But trust me, as soon as you blend it on your skin, you’ll notice it’s much more lightweight.
Tarte’s BB Tinted Moisturizer felt smooth going on, and it kept my face relatively oil-free. Another bonus – it’s SPF20. Tarte claims to diffuse fine lines and wrinkles, and hydrate, soften, and brighten my skin. Well, I think it brightened my skin.
You be the judge.
I showered and put makeup on. – Tarte Amazonian Clay BB tinted moisturizer
See? You can still see my blemishes and imperfections but it mostly blended into my skin and just made me look like a ‘better me.’ No one can get rid of those bags under my eyes. (This new mom is not getting any sleep. Baby Spawn has got me on her crazy ass schedule. I’m lucky I can blog right now!)
Buy or Chuck – BUY
I’m a fan. I really like the consistency and lightness of the tinted moisturizer. I like that I can still see my skin and it’s not a full coverage product. Tinted moisturizers are generally more forgiving – they don’t make you look super flawless like a full coverage foundation would. I think this would be a great product for anyone who just wants some evening out and light coverage. I love the SPF20, and the quality of Tarte’s products always impresses me.
Tarte’s BB tinted moisturizer retails for $36. A little goes a long way, and I think this would last me at least six months or more.
Are you a BB cream user? Have you used Tarte’s BB tinted moisturizer? What do you think? (Let me know if you’ve got a recommendation!!)
Tarte Amazonian clay BB tinted moisturizer SPF 20
Disclosure: This is my honest opinion and review. I paid for my tinted moisturizer and thought it was a fantastic product to write about. This post does contain affiliate links.
Great review. Thank you.