Tarte Foundcealer Review & Guide: Yes, I Love It
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Foundation and skincare go hand in hand. If you’re wearing foundation, chances are you’re using a moisturizer designed specifically to be worn under makeup. It’s one of the most important steps to ensuring that your makeup stays on for a long time.
Today, in this Tarte Foundcealer review, I’m reviewing Tarte Babassu Foundclear Skincare Foundation which is a new addition to the brand. I’ve been trying it out over the last little while and I’m going to share my thoughts on it below so that you can see if it would be a great fit for you!
Keep reading to get the full foundation rundown.
Bottomline Up Front:
If you’d like a super quick rundown of this foundation to see if it would be a great fit for you, I would say that it’s a great contender in my makeup lineup. Here’s why I like it:
- There are 30 available shades
- It leaves the skin with a great smooth finish
- You get skin benefits even after you’ve taken it off
- It eliminates the need for a lot of moisturizer under your makeup
Key Features
The Tarte Babassu Foundcealer Skincare Foundation is a hybrid between makeup and skincare. I’ve never seen something like this before, so I was very excited to try it out and see what all the fuss was about! For those of you wondering, the coverage is medium, and if you want lighter coverage, you could apply it lightly with a less dense brush.
This is a great foundation if you are looking for a radiant finish to the skin; if you want something that has a matte finish, then I’d recommend opting for another foundation. You can use this foundation no matter what skin type you have (normal, combination, dry, and oily).
The main concept behind this foundation is that it gives good pigmented coverage (like a normal foundation) while also benefitting your skin after you’ve taken it off. Its active ingredients work together to help reduce any skin concerns, such as fine lines, wrinkles, dryness, etc. It has three active ingredients that work together to achieve this: babassu, sunflower seed, and hyaluronic acid.
Babassu is made from the seeds of the babassu palm; its main benefits are moisturization, nourishment, and the ability to soothe the skin. Sunflower seed has both A and E vitamins, which help to hydrate and regenerate the skin. Now, you’ve heard about hyaluronic acid before; it’s touted for helping the skin to retain moisture.
In terms of available shades, there are 30 different options to choose from. The other good thing is that Tarte also covers most undertones when it comes to each shade. In this case, there might a couple of different shades that work with your skin. I’ll go over how to pick your shade in the ‘Where and What To Buy’ section below.
Pros
- The foundation offers an incredibly smooth finish
- You are getting some great skincare benefits even when wearing makeup
- Any skin type can wear this foundation
- I love that you can build this foundation up to whatever coverage you want
- It makes the skin feel so refreshed after taking it off
- There are 30 different shades to choose from
Cons
- It does wear off on certain parts of the skin, especially if you wear glasses or get a sweat on
- You’ll have to bring a setting powder with you, which is quite annoying
- It probably wouldn’t work well over the top of face sunscreen. given that it’s a sifter finish foundation
Where and What To Buy
As I previously mentioned, there are 30 shades available for the Babassu Foundclear Skincare Foundation. Even though the range could be a little bigger, you’ll probably be able to find the shade that is right for you.
The one thing that I don’t understand is that there is a mini size available, but it only comes in six available shades, so if you don’t fall into those ranges, you’ll have to get the larger size.
If you’re wondering what to get in terms of shades, I would recommend looking at the Tarte or Sephora websites, especially if you’re shopping in-store. This is because the shade names are number and letter codes, which can be confusing.
For example, the fairest shade is called 8B, which stands for porcelain beige. That can be quite confusing, but each shade does have a descriptor on the website, which, for this shade, is ‘very fair skin with pink undertones’. I always recommend buying a foundation in-store, unless you’re purchasing a refill and know what shade works for you. This way, you can test out the shades to see what undertones fit you best.
I would even recommend swatching a few different shades on your neck or chin and then walking around the mall and looking in different lighting. This way, you’ll ensure the perfect match.
In terms of buying options, I would say the best place to purchase this foundation would be your local Sephora. This is because they have great makeup artists who will be able to help you out and they have the option of testers too (not in Canada, though, due to COVID).
They also have a great return policy as well if you find you don’t have the right shade. If you live in the U.S., however, ULTA is also another great option for purchasing Tarte products.
My Personal Experience
I bought my foundation at my local Sephora so I could try out the different shades in-store to see what was my best match. I ended up going with the color 16N, which is fair-light neutral. My skin tends to be a bit on the warmer side, but I wanted a foundation that could transition into the winter months as well.
The packaging itself looks quite sleek, with a shiny plant design on the cap and a matte glass-looking bottle. It is made entirely of plastic too, so if you were to drop it, it wouldn’t shatter like some foundations that have glass bottles.
Some people have noted that it’s confusing to open up the bottle because the nozzle is hidden in the design. All you have to do is rotate the cap and the pump will pop up from the top. I love this feature because it means that there will be no risk of any foundation pumping out if it’s in your bag.
To apply this foundation I chose to use a semi-dense and soft round brush so I could work the foundation into my skin. The reason I chose not to opt for a Beauty Blender is that I thought it might displace some of the product and make it not stick properly to certain areas.
Keep in mind, that everyone has different skin types, and with mine dewier foundations tend not to stick to my t-zone unless I use a brush. All I did was blend it with light pressure until it blended into my skin and primer. After that, I used a slightly tinted light coverage setting powder and set it all in with a long-lasting setting spray. I did give it five minutes to set before I finished the rest of my makeup routine.
I wore this foundation on the hottest summer days. Where I am, it’s 30 degrees celsius, so it gave this product a good run for its money! I will be testing out this foundation during the winter months too when my skin is drier, which might give me different results.
I did take my first application photo in the morning when I was inside too, so you’ll notice that my eye makeup has faded a little at the end here as well.
If you have oily skin, I think that this product might wear off quicker than those with normal or combination skin tones. But even for me, with combination skin, I found it wore away in my t-zone, most notably on my nose as you can probably see. It did keep me hydrated all day though, which I love because my cheek area does have some slight bumpy-dry patches.
As always, I recommend bringing a touch-up powder compact with you when you go out, as it will probably wear away throughout the day.
If you get any cakiness around your nose or mouth, use a tissue to pat any excess away, and then go in with a small brush and touch it up. You never want to layer too many coats of the foundation because it’ll end up looking like a mess by the end of the day.
Overall, I thought this foundation was pretty good! I can’t compare it to foundations that do stand up to all-day wear, but with some practice, you’ll find out how to best use this product. If you ever wanted to, you could use it as a concealer or a spot cover-up too. Try experimenting with different brushes too and if it doesn’t work for a specific season, then you can try it all year round and see what works!
Alternatives
IT Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow Lightweight Foundation + Glow Serum with SPF 40 and Niacinamide
This foundation’s name is a mouthful! What’s great about this alternative option is that you’ll get some good skincare benefits, much like with the Foundclear foundation. The Nude Glow Foundation is fortified with Niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, which both help moisturize the skin and help it retain moisture.
The coverage is medium, buildable and works best on dry, combo and normal skin. If you have oily skin, I’d say that this foundation might cause excessive shininess, so it might be better to avoid this foundation.
What’s great about it, though is that you do get SPF 40 with this foundation, so you won’t have to apply a separate one underneath. This foundation comes in 22 different shades, but unfortunately, most of them seem to be sold out online at Sephora right now. There is a good chance you’d be able to find them in-store though!
Rose INC Skin Enhance Luminous Skin Tint Serum Foundation
This foundation was crafted by actress and model Rosie Huntington Whiteley. She started her beauty brand Rose INC, which has grown in popularity recently. This serum foundation comes in fourteen different shades, but it is quite sheer so there should be a shade that you can find!
The idea behind this foundation is that it delivers a sheer tint to the skin, while also plumping and smoothing everything out! It works great for improving dullness and uneven skin texture and helps hydrate uneven skin. It has a similar radiant finish as the Tarte Foundclear Foundation.
M.A.C. Cosmetics Studio Radiance Sheer Face and Body Foundation
I love this foundation! I used to work at M.A.C., so it was a daily staple of mine. What I love about this foundation is that it blends right into the skin, so that you can’t tell that you’re wearing anything. It comes in 30 different colours, so you have loads of options!
Even though this foundation is quite sheer, it is buildable; you can even make it medium to almost full coverage. I would still recommend a primer with it, as it will help it stay on for longer. It’s a perfect foundation to wear about and about and even on the beach because it’s waterproof.
FAQs
Question: Do I Need a Primer Underneath my Foundation?
Answer: You should wear a primer underneath your foundation. When you apply a primer, this will ensure that you have a good base for it to sit on top of. Without one, you may find that it comes off more easily or looks cakey in certain places. Make sure that you get a primer that works with your skin type, so that you get the most out of your face makeup.
Question: What is the Best Setting Powder for My Foundation?
Answer: The best setting powder for foundation depends on the type of foundation that you’re wearing. If you’re wearing a light coverage foundation, then you should use a powder that contains a slight pigment as that will help boost the coverage.
If you’re using a medium to full coverage foundation, then I would recommend using a translucent loose setting powder to lock everything in. I find that using a heavier powder just makes everything look pretty cakey.
Question: Will the Tarte Foundclear last 12 Hours?
Answer: I found that the Tarte Foundclear Foundation didn’t last.
Tarte Foundcealer Review: Bottomline
So there you go, that was my review for the Tarte Babassu Foundclear Skincare Foundation! I would say that it’s a good product and it will also help take care of your skin over time. I think if you had a skin type that usually leads to foundation wear-off, then you’ll have the same problem here.
I found that it came off of my nose a few hours into wear, but you could always fix that with some powder. It does deliver a smooth and flawless finish to the skin though. I’m excited to see how it wears as time goes on, especially in the winter months.
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