As you may know, Tarte was in a little bit of hot water about a year ago after releasing the foundation companion to their infamous Shape Tape concealer. The shade range was limited and the formula left much to be desired. Basically, it was a flop. But, Tarte wasn’t going to let that stop them. In February 2019 they released a new and improved foundation: the Face Tape Foundation.
Credit: Tarte Cosmetics
The Tarte website claims that this formula is “long-wearing, full coverage with a natural matte finish, transfer-proof, waterproof & sweatproof to keep you flawless through work & play, [and contains] snow mushroom extract, apple fruit extract & hyaluronic acid [to] hydrate & brighten appearance. Also pairs well with shape tape contour concealer for double the perfection.” Now with 50 shades and 5 undertones, I just had to put it to the test. I wore the foundation in 16N fair-light neutral for a whole week, and here’s what I had to say:
Monday
Routine
Primer: First Aid Beauty Coconut Smoothie Moisturizing Primer
Concealer: Tarte Double Duty Shape Tape
Powder: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder
Tools: Morphe Highlight & Contour Sponge
Thoughts
Today was the first day trying the foundation. For all of my other foundations, I use between two and three pumps to cover my face and neck, so simply because I didn’t know exactly how full coverage it would be, I used two pumps. It went on easily and because I never set my full face and wanted to see how it would wear throughout the day, I only set my concealer and smile lines. Overall my bronzer, blush, and highlight applied smoothly with no patchiness. After about 12 hours I was slightly oily in my t-zone and, even after setting my smile lines, there was some gathering.
Tuesday
Routine
Primer: None
Concealer: Tarte Shape Tape
Powder: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Powder
Tools: Morphe Sponge
Thoughts
In order to really get a feel for this foundation, I didn’t use a primer today. I also decided not to set my smile lines, just to see exactly what would happen if I didn’t take precautionary measures. After using two pumps, the foundation was really cakey in my t-zone, especially around my nose. Throughout the day, I didn’t notice anything weird happening, but when I got home after about 9 hours with no touch-ups, my t-zone was super shiny, which was not ideal.
Wednesday
Routine
Primer: FAB Coconut Smoothie Moisturizing Primer
Concealer: Tarte Shape Tape
Powder: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Powder
Tools: Morphe M439 Deluxe Buffer Brush
Thoughts
On the third day of testing, I decided to try applying the foundation with a brush. I know that brush application increases the coverage, but in order to be consistent, I still used two pumps. Big mistake. It was so cakey and emphasized all of the texture around my nose and between my eyebrows. I realize this is probably because I used too much, but it’s good to note that it doesn’t build well and gets too thick really quickly. However, I didn’t have too much shine today, so I was happy about that.
Thursday
Routine
Primer: FAB Coconut Smoothie Moisturizing Primer
Concealer: Tarte Shape Tape
Powder: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Powder
Spray: Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist
Tools: Morphe Sponge
Thoughts
After the lesson I learned on Wednesday, I decided to lower the amount I was putting on my face and add something I thought might lessen the emphasis on my texture. Today I used 1 ½ pumps and sprayed my beauty sponge with Tatcha’s dewy skin mist. Lessening the amount of product was a good call, but the skin mist didn’t have any effect on the wear or look of the product, besides making my skin glowy (and, sadly, shiny earlier than if I hadn’t used it).
Friday
Routine
Primer: FAB Coconut Smoothie Primer
Concealer: Tarte Shape Tape
Powder: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Powder
Tools: Morphe Sponge
# of Pumps: 1 ½
Final Thoughts
After wearing the Tarte Face Tape foundation for a full week, here’s what I thought. Less is definitely more with this foundation. They weren’t lying when they said it was full coverage; I think I could have used only one pump for my entire face and it would have looked even better. It works well with their Shape Tape concealer, as promised, and was hydrating despite the matte finish. Sadly, it builds up really quickly and can get cakey fast. I wasn’t able to test whether it was waterproof and sweatproof, but I can say that it’s not transfer-proof. After giving my boyfriend a hug there was definitely a big ol’ foundation mark on his shoulder, so still, be careful around clothing. Overall, I think it worked well and looked nice, but it took a little finessing and figuring out a routine to get it there. But, everyone’s skin is different so just because it worked for me (I have normal to combo skin), doesn’t mean it will perform the same on someone else.
If you loved the Shape Tape concealer and love full coverage, then I say it’s worth a shot! Head on over to Ulta.com to find your shade and pick up a bottle for $39.
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