- Editor’s Rating: 4.5
- Price Range:
- USD: $14.00 – $29.00
- CAD: $18.00 – $38.00
- Original 0.56 oz, 16g | Travel Size 0.21 oz, 6g
- Made in Italy
- Shelf Life:12M
- Permanent Edition
For some people, using cream-based makeup can be overwhelming and difficult to apply. It can be intimidating to use new products. It’s easier to use powders because it is what they know and is simple to use.
What if I told you that there is a quality cream product that will have you falling in love with creating a sun-kissed, contoured glow?!
Tarte SEA Collection made a brilliant cream bronzer that is super easy to use, has a natural look, is buildable coverage, and dries to a matte powder finish.
If you want to learn how to use cream bronzer and make your skin to look perfectly sun kissed with a hint of defining shadow, then continue reading!
Benefits and Claims
Benefits:
- It’s a “Lift” in a compact.
- Uses Slip Grip TM technology to hydrate, adhere, and soften the skin.
- Velvet cream formula applies easily onto the skin.
- Natural matte finish.
Claims:
- Vegan.
- Dermatologist Tested.
- Waterproof.
- Clean Beauty: No Parabens, Mineral Oil, Phthalates, Trixlosan, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, or Gluten.
Good Ingredients:
Emollients: Triethylhexanoin, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Methicone, Cocos Nucifera Oil (it can have a high comedogenicity level depending on how you react to coconut oil)
Moisturizing: Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol
Protects: Titanium Dioxide
Not So Good Ingredients:
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene and Dimethicone
Pros:
- The shades are very versatile and look good on many skin colours (I’ve used it on my clients for weddings, events, and shoots).
- The compact is pretty sleek and easy to travel with.
- The cream is easy to use.
- It dries matte.
- It’s waterproof and longwearing.
- Blends easily onto the skin.
- A little goes a long way.
- Fragrance free.
- The mirror inside the compact is an actual real mirror, where there are many compacts that use a fake mirror that distorts the face.
- You can see most of the face while using the mirror even though it is small.
- It comes in multiple size options.
Cons:
- The packaging lid is on the cheaper side and might break if pushed to far back.
- The mirror is very small.
- There aren’t many shade options.
Testing and Results
I’m SUCH a sucker for beautiful branding, and the tarte SEA collection does not disappoint. I not only fell in love with the brands colour scheme but also the shades of this innovative bronzing formula. When you first open the tarte bronzer compact, the bronzer can look intimidating. Don’t let this fool you as the cream to powder formula is super easy to use and looks gorgeous!
I want to make sure that you know all that is needed to make a decision if this product is right for you. Here are the results of me testing out the claims, benefits, and more!
A little history about my skin before we begin:
My Skin Type: Combination Skin Colour: Olive Sensitivity: Mild
Smell
The Tarte Cream Bronzer has a faint plastic-like smell to the formula.
Texture
It feels smooth, light, and creamy.
Quality
The formula is amazing quality! A little goes a long, long way. It goes onto the skin beautifully.
Packaging
The boxed packaging for the tarte cream bronzer is this stunning, soft matte textured, light blue and white colours. It looks and feels very clean. On the right side of the box, there is the details of the main features of the product with a big cruelty free and vegan sign!
I love the big recycling sign on the back of the box, it helps to remind us to keep recycling beauty products as much as possible!
The container itself is a bit on the cheap side. You can tell that they put a lot more effort into the makeup bronzer than the quality of the container that it’s in. It’s a cute spherical dome, the lid is easy to open, and it has a snap-like closure that closes really well. Inside of the top lid there’s a small functional mirror that zooms out so that you can see your whole face to apply the bronzer if needed.
tarte SEA Bronzer Q&As
The Tarte Seychelles shade is the perfect match for fair to light skin tones. It doesn’t go on orange and looks like your skin is beautifully sun kissed!
Definitely use the Tarte Breezy Cream Bronzer in Grace Bay if you have medium to dark skin. It mimics the colour of a natural tanned shadow. Or you can use this on fair to light skin tones for a contour cream product!
The best way to apply this product is using a sanitized spatula, scraping off a tiny bit, and smearing it on the back of the hand. The hand warms up this product perfectly for your bronzer brush. Tap the brush on the hand smear and then place it in the areas of the face that need more definition and a tan look.
Another method that I like that is quick and good if you don’t have a brush, is to use your fingers.
Take your middle finger and find under your cheek bones. Do one swirl circle into the cream with your middle finger. Place your middle finger under your cheekbone starting where your hair line is a going straight out (not down) towards your nostril. Lift the finger off the face before the eye starts. Then use your ring finger to blend around the cheek bone. Do this technique under the jaw line and temples.You can directly place your bronzer brush in the compact but it doesn’t give you the best control for the face. If you do not have a spatula, use the tip of a clean makeup brush handle to scoop out the tiny bit of product.
I’m a sucker for a good cream brush. Use a brush that is made for cream products, not just a big bronzer powder brush. The Smith Cosmetics 118 Blush/Powder Brush is perfect for applying colour all over the face or just to shade in the defined parts of the face.
You can for sure, it just won’t look as even or smooth as if you had a clean, blank canvas. Foundation evens out the skin to make the other products colours evenly apply and stand out in a positive way. You might not notice bronzer on your bare skin, but if your skin is evenly pigmented then you can for sure! There are no rules for makeup, just guidelines to help make sure that you look like the best version of yourself.
YIt is all about how you apply it, how much product you are using, and your skin prep before you apply your bronzer. It’s important before you apply makeup to prep your skin properly so that everything goes on smoothly. Moisturize, prime, apply your face makeup products (like concealer or foundation, setting powder, etc), then apply your bronzer after those steps.Use the spatula method where you scoop out a bit of bronzer onto the back of the hand. The steps are explained in the “How do you use Tarte Cream Bronzer”.
While both are amazing, it depends on the benefits and claims that each product/brand has and your skin’s needs. In this case the cream bronzer is good for all skin types and dries with a matte finish. This is good for everyone but might be really good if you have more mature skin and don’t want to accentuate the texture of your skin.Powder bronzer is wonderful because it is quick to apply, easier to control than cream, and is a texture that most people are familiar with applying.Personally, I use both depending on what look I’m going for, where I’m going, and how my skin is feeling. I’ll use the cream bronzer for going to hot humid climate because it is waterproof. Then I’ll use the powder bronzer for my daily use to make my skin sun-kissed and defined.
Is tarte SEA Cream Bronzer Worth it?
There is such an interesting take when it comes to cream bronzers in the industry. Either you love it, you don’t care for it, or you’re scared of it. With Tarte’s cream bronzer, it can turn any sceptic into a believer!
It is so easy to use, the colours work for many skin tones and all skin types. I love the formula, the way it applies on the skin, and the lightness of the compact.
If you are looking for a really easy bronzer to give you an even tan looking face or something to use to sculpt the skin at the same time, then you need to try this.
The biggest pro for this cream to powder formula is that the matte finish looks natural and isn’t drying to the skin. If you have really dry skin then you will love the cream application to provide a smooth look.
If your skin is oily then the matte finish helps to adhere to the skin and not look shiny.
My final thought: if you need a refill for your bronzer, haven’t tried a good cream bronzer, or just own a powder bronzer, you got to try this. The clean beauty aspect is great for your skin, it isn’t heavy, and is worth having in your kit for the unique benefits.
Would I purchase this again?
A 100%, yes. If you want you can try the smaller travel size to see if you like it before committing to a full sized compact! It is worth the money, worth trying, and worth all the benefits.
Thank you so much for your support and reading my findings on this product.
I would love to know your methods of applying cream products or your favorite cream products that you use! Comment down below to share.
If you have any questions about my experience, please let me know as well!
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