Review: Clay Play Face Shaping Palette by Tarte

So, today I want to review the Clay Play Face Shaping Palette by Tarte. I know that this palette came out a while ago, so this isn't exactly earth shattering, new information, but I just picked it up recently, so I want to talk about it.

It took me a while to pick up this palette because, when it initially came out, I wasn't that interested in it. But, after I saw YouTubers use it in videos, swatched it in the store, and read reviews online, I decided that I really wanted it in my collection. Sometimes, it takes me a while to really look at and think about the color scheme of a palette. Sometimes, I think a palette has a lot of shades I would use, and I buy it, only to find that I never reach for it, and vice-versa. It's a bit weird; anyway, the point is that it took me a while to warm up to the idea of this palette.

On that note, let me talk to you about the idea of the this palette. This palette is designed to be a perfect everything palette. You're supposed to be able to contour, bronze, do your brows, and do your eyeshadow, all with one palette, and the shades are curated to match that purpose. Tarte describes it as an "all-in-one shadow essentials library includes nine pigmented eyeshadows that can double as eyebrow colors, paired with three universal, contouring face powders." All of the shades in this palette could be face powder shades for one complexion and eyeshadow or brow shades for another complexion.

There are 12 shades in this palette, and it costs $46. $46 may seem a bit steep for only 12 shades, but you have to consider that you're getting a lot of product in terms of ounces. So, in terms of dollars per ounce, I think this product is fairly comparable with other prestige eyeshadow and face palettes. You get three large pans of powders that are supposed to be universal, contouring face powders. You get nine pans of  eyeshadow, including three eyeshadows that are in slightly larger pans.

I think the shade range in this palette is pretty complete and wide ranging. I know for a fact that this palette isn't going to work as a face palette for people with very deep and very fair skin tones. However, I think it's going to catch a lot of people with medium to deep skin tones. For me personally, all of these shades are either too dark or too warm toned to work as face powders on my skin. I'm okay with this because I don't bronze very much and I never contour. So, basically I just use this palette as an eyeshadow and brow palette (and possibly blush palette; I have a feeling that Desert and Terracotta could be really nice blushes on my skin). I also really like the shade Smoke for my eyebrows. I sort of wish that there were some more cool toned shades in this palette (in case you don't know, cool toned shadows are my jam), but that's just my preference because I have cool undertones. Basically all of these shadows are warm toned, so, if you like warm toned face/eye powders, you'll really love this palette.

I think the idea is that every complexion will be able to do something with almost every one of these powders. The idea of a face palette is nothing new, but I like that Tarte thought of these shades as multitasking powders that would work differently for different people. 

That being said, the concept of this palette doesn't really have anything to do with the actual product, if that makes sense. The idea that these powders can do all these different things is basically just marketing because you can truthfully say that about almost all face powders. You can use a product marketed as a bronzer as an eyeshadow; you can use a product marketed as an eyeshadow as a brow powder. So, in truth, you could just buy a matte brown eyeshadow palette from any old brand and use it in the same way you would use this palette. All of this is to say that, even though the concept is interesting, you shouldn't buy it because you think there's something special about these powders that makes them work as  bronzing shades and contour shades. If you want to buy it, you should buy it because of the quality of the powders.

Now, let's talk about the actual quality of the powders.

I think the formula of these powders is actually really nice. I think Tarte really put a lot of effort into crafting these powders. They are very creamy, there's hardly any kick back (if you care about such things), and they're very easy to blend. I will say that these powders are not super pigmented, however, I think this is intentional. You don't want contour and bronzing shades to be super pigmented right away. Personally, I'm not bothered by having to build shades up, but, if you prefer super pigmented powders, this palette probably isn't for you.

I also want to quickly mention the packaging of this palette. The packaging is super cute, as you can see in the picture. It's cardboard with a magnetic closure, and it has a pretty decent sized mirror (if you care about such things). Personally, I don't usually use the mirrors that come in palettes, but it's nice to know that they're there. I think the packaging on this palette is fairly sturdy; I would definitely feel comfortable traveling with it.

All and all, I think this is a really good palette. It's well thought out, has a great formula, and is very versatile. If you're looking for a very neutral, matte palette, I think this is a great option; if you're looking for a face palette, I think this is a great product, but you'll definitely want to swatch it first to make sure the shades work for your skin. Personally, I think this palette was a good addition to my collection. I find myself reaching for this palette all the time, and I'm very happy with it.

Final rating: 8/10