Tarte Shape Tape concealer

So let’s get something out of the way first: I bought this concealer LONG before the Tarte drama happened earlier this year. So before you think I bought this just now, no, I have owned this concealer for more than a year, but hadn’t really gotten around to using it intensively enough to write a full review. I like trying a product for a while, in different conditions, before I post my verdict on this space. Recently, I decided to bust this out again to truly give it a whirl. What do I think? 

Tarte Shape Tape Contour Concealer light

This concealer is incredibly hard to get if you are not in the US. They sell it on their official website which will charge you an arm and a leg for shipping, let alone the fees that your order will incur at the border. So I got this at Ulta, which is the only other place where this available. Ulta does not ship to Europe (booh!), but I got this during a trip to the US last year. It is an expensive concealer too: it retails for €26, which makes this one of the most expensive concealers I own.

The Packaging

Does that giant applicator ring a bell? If you are thinking of this looking similar to the Make Up Revolution Conceal & Define concealer, then you might be right. The MUR concealer is supposedly a dupe, but this is the original concealer that of course was hyped up. Naturally I wanted to try it because of that hype. The packaging is really nothing too special apart from that doe foot.

The Applicator

This doe foot applicator is massive and as you can see there is a little space that contains some product. Super handy! It means you don’t have to double dip to finish your application. In total this concealer comes with a generous 10 ml of product. Many concealers only come with half that product, so that does make up for the high price point a little bit.

The Swatch

Tarte’s Shape Tape is described as a blendable, full coverage, matte concealer. And that is what it is, but I wouldn’t call this blendable. It is quite thick and almost sticky and I truly need a damp sponge to ensure this applies well. With a brush this just doesn’t blend as easily and kind of pulls at my skin.

Another promise of this product is that it should barely crease and it certainly is one of the least creasing concealers on my face. I have a ton of fine lines and most concealers pull into those throughout the day. So it is great that this doesn’t, but I have other, more affordable or easily accessible concealers that do that as well.

The Application

As you can see the coverage is spot on. So is the shade match. Light is a bit dark for me in the dead of winter, but it is a shade that works well on me most of the year. I find that a little bit goes a long way, especially under my eyes. If I apply too much there, let’s say more than a few dots, this will look cakey and heavy on my under eye area. However, the concealer is easy to control and I like the overall effect his gives.

This concealer lasts well throughout the day and even with only minimal powder this barely moves. However, is this unique in my collection in that? No, I have other, both high end and drugstore options that work very similarly for me. The Make Up Revolution concealer is one of them, but this also reminds me of the Collection concealer, NYX HD concealer, Kat Von D Lock It concealer and Maybelline Age Rewind. All great concealers with similar effects that are either more affordable or easier to purchase for me.

The Conclusion

Will I repurchase the Tarte Shape Tape concealer? No I would not. While I love the product and effect this gives, I just don’t think it is as unique as everyone makes it out to be. Even if I ever run out of this, trying to get a new one would be insanely difficult or pricey for me. So I would rather stick with one of the concealers that I love equally, but that are easier for me to get my hands on.

Have you tried Tarte’s Shape Tape?