Getting Ready for Summer: Tarte Smooth Operator

It's not even spring here yet, much less summer (the Pacific NW transitions from winter into summer...spring is often reduced to a single day in April.  Sigh).  But I figured I would get into the spirit of things and start rolling out my summer products.

I have this in Agent 06, which I found via Temptalia's Foundation Matrix.  It's a nifty tool, though of course you wouldn't want to use it as a primary source - it's much better to swatch and try foundations in store.  This was only a tinted moisturizer, though, and I figured it was good enough since the same column contained most of my other foundations.  And it was the perfect match!  Another win for Temptalia. (For reference, I wear Guerlain's Lingerie de Peau in 02 Beige Clair, and I used to wear Chanel's Teint Innocence in Cameo.  I've never been matched to a MAC foundation, though I may do that at some point just to know what it would be).

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This, like most of Tarte's recent products, is stuffed with Amazonian clay - it's a good thing the Amazon River is over 4200 miles long (<-- scientific fact, that).  I'm not sure that this is anything more than a clever marketing gimmick (but then, I'm a cynic), but here is Tarte's primer on the benefits of Amazonian clay.  Whatever works, right? 

And it does.  It's not the most coverage in the world, but it is just a tinted moisturizer, so that's to be expected.  It also has SPF 20, which is good.  I always wear Clinique moisturizer underneath all makeup so I'm not relying solely on this as skincare - and I also wouldn't advise that.  It does seem to neutralize any red in my skin very nicely, and it wears very comfortably.  It also lasts all day, though I sometimes feel like my skin's yellow tones are slightly too enhanced with this one.  It does even out my skin tone though, and is great for days when I don't feel like wearing a full liquid foundation.  Its finish isn't exactly matte or dewy - more natural, I think, though it does banish dullness.  Think natural!

Still, despite all of this, I think I'm just going to use it up and not repurchase.  I liked Clinique's TM better than this one, and even though there's nothing bad about Smooth Operator, it just doesn't wow me.  Also, it runs $36 for 1.7 oz.  The tube is hefty, but I think other tinted moisturizers may be cheaper in the long run.  I do appreciate Tarte's commitment to more natural, good-for-you ingredients (and the fact that all of their products are thus paraben-free), but I don't think I'll be coming back to this one.