Review: Tarte To Brighter Days Complexion Essentials Set

Hey guys!

Today I bring you a review of the Tarte To Brighter Days set. I got this set about two months ago from Ulta for $29. I initially just wanted to try a blush from Tarte since I hadn't tried them before and spotted this little gem. The blushes are priced at $26, so for a few more dollars I figured why not go for the set?

The set comes with a full sized Amazonian clay 12-hour blush in the shade Adored, and mini sized samples of the infamous Pure Maracuja Oil, Detox Exfoliating Facial Mask, and the Smooth Operator Finishing Powder.

Adored is a cool, matte, baby pink with flecks of tiny glitters. Thankfully, the glitters are hardly noticeable on the face, which was something I was a little worried about at first. The pigmentation is great and can easily be built up if needed. I think it's a great color for Spring and Summer. It gives an adorable, innocent, sweet look to the cheeks that looks very light on the skin when well blended.

The Detox Exfoliating Facial Mask is awesome! My only complaint about it was that the sample size was so small. I wish it was a little bigger so I could've use it more than once/twice. Other than that, I would definitely purchase the full size. It is a thick creamy consistency with tiny exfoliating beads in it. When applied to the skin, you have to work fast because it can start drying within a matter of seconds depending on how thick of a layer you apply to your face. It might be better to work in sections. The beads against your skin feel great and you feel like it's actually working to slough off any dead skin cells. When it starts to dry, it becomes pretty tight and it may be hard to move your face to talk lol. But once you wash the mask off, your face feels so smooth and soft. My skin looked and felt amazing. This mask would be good to do once a week or possibly once every other week. It's definitely a WIN in my book.

The Smooth Operator Finishing Powder is like many other translucent finely milled face powder. It is similar to MUFE HD Powder but I don't find it to be as silky. It does fine to set makeup and works well as a mattifying powder for touch-ups throughout the day, but other than that nothing about this really stands out to me.

When it comes to the Pure Maracuja Oil, I think it might be a little overrated. I think it feels good on your skin after washing and exfoliating but nothing incredible. I do like that it's lightweight and hasn't caused any breakouts though. I also like that it comes with a dropper so you aren't wasting a ton of product by dumping it out into your hand. I have used this over a span of several weeks and it hardly looks like I've used any in the bottle. It really lasts a long time. I typically put this on after I get out of the shower at night and let it do it's work while I sleep. I noticed when I wake up in the morning I can still feel a little oily residue. I wish it would soak into my skin better but what can you do? I only use a couple drops so I don't think it's that I'm applying too much. Other than that, it's a good oil and this sample will last the rest of my life and possibly be passed down to grandkids, but it's nothing spectacular.


Overall, I think this was a good set for me to try a few Tarte products out that I wouldn't have tried otherwise. I definitely think the extra $3 for the set was worth it. I wasn't in love with everything that came with the set, but still think it's a good buy if you're looking to try a few different things within the line.


Have you tried any of these products? What did you think? What are your favorites from Tarte?

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