I came across this set of Tarte Jewels of the Amazon Clay Liner Trio With Brush at my local Ulta and could resist. The package didn't say if the eyeliners were gel or cream, but I didn't care too much. I go through serious amount of eyeliner regularly (that's what happens when you have a lot of lid space) and the combination of standard black and colored liners was very appealing. Just look at the colors.
Tarte Amazon Clay line has been getting quite a bit of hype and PR lately. The ingredient in question is Kaolin Clay, a natural ingredient that is actually used in a huge number of makeup and cosmetic products (check the boxes of most of you have) as well as in utterly unrelated items like Maalox, paper, porcelain, ceramics and toothpaste. Does the kaolin in Tarte's products come from the Amazon? who knows. Not that it matters. I'll talk some more on the other ingredients below, but first let's discuss the eyeliners.
The three Clay Liners feel gel-like and glide on with utmost ease. They have a pretty glossy finish, dry quickly and stay on without smudging and migrating from morning to late night (I always use a primer). I'm very happy with both pigment intensity and performance- I think Tarte has produced a products as good as the ones from the leading brands. I've been using the black one to create a great cat-like winged look and the green olive for subtle smoky eyes. The bronze is too several shades too light for me and doesn't look like an eyeliner when I apply it. I wish it were a chocolate brown instead. It might be suitable for use as a cream shadow but I have yet to try doing that. Still, I'm very happy with the black and green ones.
The brush in this kit is double-ended. One side is a regular thin eyeliner brush that works as well as any in this category. It's easy to control for drawing a very thin line as well as a heavier one. The other side is a bit more questionable. The brush was kind of splayed even in the packaging and doesn't look or feel like a serious tool. I've skipped testing it duo to that split in the middle, but if you get a good one I'm pretty sure it would work for smudging, smoking and blending along the lash line.
Now, let's talk ingredients for a second. Tarte Jewels of the Amazon Clay Liner Trio has the Sephora natural seal and is toted as a green product. I've done a reasonable amount of ingredient googling and it seems that all of them are mild and gentle materials with few reports of irritations or any other risks, so that's good and important. The one thing I dislike is the illusion of this (or any) product as something that comes directly from nature. You know the image- materials collected by virgins from the northern side of a Tibetan mountain during a full lunar eclipse. It doesn't work this way- most of the ingredients might have an original source in nature, but it's all manufactured and industrialized. Here's the full list:
Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polyethylene, Isododecane, Polybutene, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, VP/hexadecene Copolymer, Ozokerite, Candelilla Cera, Silica, Kaolin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol. (+/-): Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Carmine (CI 75470)
Still, as long as you don't think of Tarte Jewels of the Amazon as some miracle product of nature, this is a good line with some great items, such as this trio of liners.
Bottom Line: Tacky outer packaging, great eyeliners, blondes would be able to use the bronze much better than olive-skinned women.
Tarte Jewels of the Amazon Clay Liner Trio With Brush ($39. A fabulous value, by the way) is available from Ulta and Sephora, in store and online.
All photos are mine.
