Tarte Quench Lip Rescue Swatch & Review (Opal)

There have been many exciting releases for spring 2016, but among the most anticipated stands Tarte’s Rainforest Under the Sea collection. This collection may be one of Tarte Cosmetic’s largest releases which includes an eyeshadow palette, a highlighter palette, many lipsticks (quench & drench), serum based foundation and concealer, an assortment of skincare and multiple brushes.

Official Release Date: February 29th (in-store March 14th) 2016.

Among the collection, I chose two items:

• Quench Lip Rescue in Opal
• Lip Brush (dual-ended brush with a cap on one end and a spring mechanism on the other)

The Quench Lip Rescue 

According to Sephora:

What it is:
A moisturizing lip balm in an array of sheer color shades.

What it does:
Save lips from the signs of aging while delivering intense hydration and soft, subtle color. This tinted lip balm is infused with an antioxidant and vitamin-rich lip quencher that’s powered by a blend of essential extracts and oils to help restore the appearance of your lips’ softness, moisture, and elasticity that’s reduced over time while providing a protective antioxidant barrier against daily aggressors. The tinted, everyday formula gently melts into skin to smooth over the look of lip lines, leaving a radiant, dewy finish.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
– Parabens
– Phthalates

What else you need to know:
This product is vegan friendly and dermatologist tested.

whereas the Drench Lip Splash Lipsticks are marketed as a matte lipstick with more intense colour pay-off.

There are 4 shades in this lip balm collection: Opal, Nude, Rose, and Berry.

Packaging

Nestled in a lightweight paper tube with an intricate flower and under-sea coral design superimposed on a pastel blue background, the Tarte Quench Lip Rescue Lip Balm is for sure to be noticed by others (of note, the colour and design varies depending which shade you choose but they all have an undersea design and embossing) . It’s pretty to look at and convenient to use. The cap interior is lined with plastic which is useful if you’re clumsy like me and don’t have the hand-eye coordination to properly close the tube (yep…).

Application

Creamy and emollient without any pull on the lips. As you apply the product onto your lips you will feel a soothing sensation similar to lip treatments used to “plump” the lips to appear fuller. There is a pleasant peppermint fragrance which is noticeable after the cap is popped off, during application and up to an hour after.

Opal is a milky pastel pink which can vary in opacity depending on how many layers you apply. Beware of applying too much as it slips and slides (it is a lip balm afterall). You can definitely notice the moisturizing effects of this lip balm which linger even after the balm has faded.

Arm Swatch, one swipe under artificial lighting

Lip Swatch below (left = before, right = after) under natural sunlight

It’s my absolute first time doing a lip swatch…. so do bare with me that they’re not very good! I will improve though so any tips and comments are much appreciated 🙂

Longevity

It’s a lip balm. It doesn’t last and performs a disappearing magic act after 1-2 hours without eating or immediately after a meal. It will transfer. It will get caught in your hair on windy days. Think of it as an extremely hydrating lip gloss.

Overall, I am satisfied with this purchase. Retailing at 23$ CAD  / 19$ USD, it’s quite a luxury lip product but it performs as stated: a smooth application with noticeable hydration and a glossy effect. Given its’ sheer-medium coverage, it is generally forgiving if it spreads and you can definitely apply it without a mirror and be worry-free of drawing out of the lines. Would I purchase the other shades? Maybe. Not sure. I was interested in Opal because it would lighten my lips… the other shades would do the opposite. But as for formula it would be a yes.

The only caveat… if your lips are sensitive to minty products or if you don’t enjoy tingling sensations / strong scents, I would avoid this product.

Available at Sephora and tartecosmetics.com

Have you tried this? What other products in Tarte’s Rainforest Under the Sea collection are you eyeing?

Kelly (takaraboxx)