Tarte 'Gifts from the Lipstick Tree' - Achiote, who knew?!

A few weeks ago I received my first Tarte Gift Set! I bought one for myself and one for my mother for Mothers day (I got 30% off each one + Free Shipping).

Gifts from the Lipstick Tree

That's right folks, say 'Hello!' to Tarte's Gifts from the Lipstick Tree! The star of this set is an ingredient called Achiote, and if any of you cook, or are Hispanic, such as yours truly - You're first thought may be...'Don't you cook with that?' - YES! These are those little seeds that we infuse our olive oil with to put it in rice or those yummy pasteles/tamales that we all enjoy! Who knew we would be putting it in our makeup!?

LipSurgence - Blush - Gloss

Anyway, on to the review!

Achiote - Amazonian Clay 12-hr Blush

Pros:

• Color: A very light peachy-pink, that gives you a great healthy glow to your cheeks without screaming - 'I'M WEARING BLUSH!'. It is perfect for the summer weather and compliments my light olive complexion. It really is a very nice color, and it has been my 'go to' blush since I received it.

• Formula: It is a pressed powder but it goes on your skin so nice and smoothly, it just glides. It is very blend-able, so you don't have to worry about streaks.

• Packaging: Very simple and girly packaging. It's a perfect purse-size compact.

• What about the 12-hr claims? On me, it lasts a good 3-4 hours, but that's probably because I have a tendency rest my head on my hands when I'm sitting at my desk reading something. But for me 3-4 hours is pretty great.

Cons:

• I got nothing!!

Maracuja Divine shine lip gloss - Achiote

Brush Tip Applicator

Pros:

• Color: Much like the blush, it is a pretty sheer peachy-pink with a bit of gold shimmer. Worn alone it gives your lips a beautiful shine with a very subtle hint of color.

• Not Sticky!

• Smells Minty & has a mild minty taste.

• Moisturizing

Cons:

• Packaging: The packaging is very pretty, but for some I can see that it may be a bit Bulky. But don't let this stop you, especially if you usually carry around huge purses (Like me!)

• It takes FOREVER to get this product started - Definitely don't be in any rush when first applying this gloss because you will be clicking away at this thing for a couple minutes. However, once you get it started you're good, but it has a long way to travel!

LipSurgence - Lip Luster - Achiote

Pros:

• Color: This color most closely resembles its Namesake 'Achiote' ingredient. With only one swipe of this lip luster you get a light wash of a peachy-pink color. But with a few extra swipes, it builds up to a rich deep pink.

• Minty & Mild Minty Taste. It gives you a little bit of tingle, but that is nothing to be surprised about if you own any other LipSurgence

• It is very moisturizing

Cons:

• Reapplication - This does not have very long staying power.

Overall, I was SUPER satisfied with my Tarte Purchase (As usual!). I would recommend this set to anyone who is interested in trying out the Tarte brand or even those who are new to make-up, or for a warm weather make-up update. It's totally worth the splurge! You can pick up your own set of Tarte's 'Gifts from the Lipstick tree' for $42 at Sephora, or online at the Tarte website.

Do any of you own this Set, or any other Tarte set? Have any recommendations?

Love,

Helen.