No one loves Tarte Cosmetics as much as we do. Their pigments are high-colour, their foundations are flawless, and if you haven’t heard us waxing lyrical about their renowned Shape Tape Concealer, where have you been? And so of course, we were super excited to try their newest foundation release: Tarte Babassu Foundcealer Skincare Foundation.
What is it?
This is a vegan, liquid foundation-skincare hybrid that, according to the description, offers medium, customisable coverage. Tarte foundations never disappoint on coverage, so I expect this to be no different. As for the skincare offering – it contains babassu, essential fatty acids and antioxidants, has SPF 20, and claims to hydrate and plump the skin.
First impressions
It’s nice. Very nice… the consistency reminds me of Shape Tape, in that it looks and feels pretty thick when you first come into contact with it, but it melts into the skin beautifully and feels really lightweight. The packaging is lovely; it’s lightweight, and has a lilac and palm print top that twists up into a pump application – very cute.
For the first application I used a primer, which it sat really well on and didn’t sink into any dry patches, or break up around my nose (my usual foundation issues). However as this foundation claims to be a skincare hybrid, the real test will be on bare skin.
As for shades – the foundation comes in thirty shades (not bad), and what’s really great about it is they include shades with different undertones too, so if you’re more pink, neutral or yellow-toned, it’s pretty easy to find a good match.
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Is it truly customisable?
Tarte advises different application methods depending on the finish you want. They say to smooth over skin with your fingers for light coverage, use the damp blending sponge for light-medium coverage, and use a brush for medium-full coverage.
First I tried using my fingers as instructed for a lightweight finish – it glided on well and gave a light, dewy coverage – exactly what I usually go for in a foundation. I tried building it, using the blender sponge to pat in more product across my T-zone, which gave more coverage and a slightly more matte finish. It felt a bit tacky on the skin at first, but dried down after a few minutes.
The next day, I went in with a brush. The coverage was much, much higher, probably too high for my personal preference, and with a more satin-matte finish. However it is really impressive that one foundation can actually give such a variation of coverage options, so it’s great as a one-option suits all for both day and evening make-up looks.
For those that have used any of the Tarte foundations before, I would put this in the middle of Amazonian Clay Foundation (high coverage, demi-matte finish) and the Rainforest of the Sea Foundation (light coverage, dewy finish) in terms of coverage and finish.
What about the skincare claims?
This is another area this foundation really stands out for me. I have dry skin, and without primer (and sometimes with too), foundation will cling to dry areas and break up. When I tried this foundation without a primer, it did none of this. Because of the moisturising ingredients, it didn’t dry out my skin or draw attention to the dryness, and I haven’t found many foundations that can do this – very impressed.
Does it last?
It has very good staying power. Usually dewier finish foundations don’t last quite as long as a matte or high coverage one, but this one performed really well, both with and without primer. As expected, when applied with a brush to give the higher coverage, it did last longer than when applied with the fingers or sponge, but even with those it lasted a decent 12-hour day.
The verdict
I honestly can’t really fault this foundation. The fact that it is so versatile with its coverage is a huge selling point, and the way you can adjust the finish and coverage you get means it would be a winner for almost anyone. The Tarte Foundcealer Skincare Foundation is a great option to take away with you if you’d usually take a different foundation for day and evening, as it can offer both in one lightweight bottle.
Due to it’s moisturising properties it’s perfect for dry or normal skin types, but oily skin types would still get on with this really well because of its great staying power. A brilliant multi-tasking, multi-appeal foundation!
