It’s America’s number one-selling concealer, has gained cult status among YouTubers and bloggers in the UK, and has over 200 five star reviews on QVC UK. We decided to put Tarte Shape Tape Concealer to the test.
With rave reviews from all ages, it has racked up the most five stars out of all 68 concealers currently on the QVC UK site – very impressive alone. It’s vegan-friendly, free of parabens, and promises flawless matte coverage, no flaking or creasing, and to cover redness, blemishes, pores, dark circles and acne scars. Tarte call it their ‘facetune in a bottle’. So we put it to the test.
First impressions
It comes with a blending sponge and applies with an applicator wand – it’s good to have options for how you apply it. The formula has a super-thick, cream consistency and doesn’t seem like it would blend very easily. However, the upside of this is that you’d hope it gives good coverage that doesn’t easily budge. Let’s find out.
How do you apply it?
It blends surprisingly well, especially with the warmth of fingers or the great trick QVC have on their site. They recommend using the blending sponge that comes with the concealer, but to wet it first. This makes sure the product is not absorbed by the sponge and gives a little less coverage, so it’s ideal for the under eye area. For blemishes the coverage is perfect – just dab on with the wand and stipple with the sponge to blend outward.
Does it cover imperfections?
Totally. It hides dark shadows under the eyes and makes you look flawless. We can see why it’s dubbed ‘Facetune in a bottle’!
What if I don’t like heavy make-up?
If you’re not a fan of full coverage, just be sure to use sparingly. It’s a great one to use for events like nights out or weddings when you need your coverage to work a little bit harder. If you’re concerned about the formula settling or caking, we recommend using a gel-textured primer – it helps the concealer glide on and stay put evenly.
Does it last?
In short, yes. Those with a tendency to rub their eyes or face a lot (yes hi) may need to reapply or set with powder, but we found this had some serious staying power.
Anything else?
A little goes a long way. You just need the slightest dab with the wand on blemishes,and under your eyes. For dark shadows, if you don’t like anything too heavy we recommend doing a triangle of dots with the point drawing down onto your cheek, rather than drawing a full triangle as you would with other concealers. You can always add a little more, but the coverage is so high with this that we doubt you’ll need to.
Our verdict?
One of the best high-coverage concealers we’ve come across. It gives the desired high pigment without feeling heavy or caking on the skin, though on the delicate under-eyes you definitely need to use the damp sponge method to achieve this. It’s easy to apply and blends like a much lighter concealer – overall making it easy for us to see why it’s got so many 5* reviews.