We ain't painting by numbers here [with the Be Your Own Tarteist eye and cheek palette by Tarte]...

I'm not usually into celebrity/YouTuber collaborations with cosmetic brands when picking out makeup items as I know what colours and formulas I do and don't like, so they don't usually have any sway over me. However I love the Tarte brand and have been using their products for years, and I've seen quite a few of Bunny's [Grav3yardgirl] videos and know that she tends to wear the same kind of makeup I go for in her day-to-day looks, so I was very keen to pick up the Grav3yardgirl/Tarte collaboration palette; Swamp Queen . 

Alas; I found that disaster struck when I recieved my order, which arrived a week after I'd placed a Sephora.com order on the minute the collection became available to buy. So now I have a powdery mess, that I barely use as the smashed powders won't repress, so it is just too messy for me to bother with...  

But it seems that my habit of leaving the TV in my bedroom on whilst I'm in the bathroom getting ready for bed provided a possible solution a few weeks ago; the Be Your Own Tarteist eye and cheek palette was created for QVC, and I was excited by it as I find the colour selections chosen for it similar to the selections to those in Swamp Queen.  

As the Swamp Queen palette proved to be so popular that it sold out everywhere within weeks [the stock numbers were high enough that it was meant to be around for 3/4 months], I wanted everyone else who missed out on it to know about this other option...

You get a pink blush and six eyeshadows. The blush has a matte finish and is highly pigmented, but tapping excess of the brush softens the shade enough for me to be able to wear them on my fair skin.

I know the blush in Swamp Queen is shimmery unlike this one, but the rosy tone is similar to it.

Three of the eyeshadows are matte and three are shimmery, and I think that the shades picked for the palette are perfect for me and my neutral/cool colouring. As I said above I think that the shades are a bit reminiscent to the Swamp Queen shades; like that palette we get a peach-based nude shade, a shimmery champagne, two sepia-warm bronze/brown tones, and two dusky purple shades here.

Eyeshadow shades; [l-r]  Champagne Wishes (champagne gold), Bouquets Of Orchids (orchids), As Good As They Plum (plum), Neutral Beauty (peachy beige), Pretty Penny (golden copper) & Beyond Bronze (bronze)

I've found some of the shadows in most of the other Tarte palettes I've owned over the last half-dozen years a bit hit or miss in terms of quality, but everything in this palette is very good; you just need to remember that Tarte shades are meant to be muted and soft, as they're designed for 'everyday' use - you know, for wearing to work/school, and you need to keep your makeup on the quieter and professional side, but still want to add a subtle hint of colour.

The shades are very easy to wear; every shade in here is something that I'll wear regularly, as they are the Tarte-standard of being tame enough for more sedate daytime looks, but are also easy to dress up for evening/me-time too. The shadows are easy to blend and build up with little to no fallout, no heavy shimmer/glitter that doesn't adhere to skin and goes everywhere, plus everything is crease/fade resistant.


My only real niggle with the palette is that I would have liked the shade Bouquets Of Orchids to have been a bit less muted, because [as you'll see below] the beige undertone blends into my fair skintone a bit too well. I know Tarte don't produce vivid eyeshadows outside of a few special releases, and I do still really like the shade and have worn it loads of times. But yeah, I would have appreciated it being a touch brighter. Thinking about it some more, if Bouquets Of Orchids had been shimmery [and Beyond Bronze matte in it's place], then this palette would have been my idea of perfect.

Also; the shade names of the products are printed on a clear plastic insert that slips and slides everywhere so I'll inevitably lose it, rather than on the actual palette. This niggle doesn't effect the actual products in any way so I don't mean to make a big deal about it, but it's something that winds me up because I like to know exactly what I'm wearing. Some of Tarte's palettes do have the shade names printed on the actual palette itself, so I don't know why they don't do it all the time...

And now it's time for a few demo looks... 

Apply Neutral Beauty as a base, lid to brow
Apply As Good As They Plum into crease
Apply Bouquet Of Orchids along crease shade, and blend upwards
Apply Champagne wishes to lids

Smudge As Good As They Plum under outer third of lower lash line, and Bouquet Of Orchids under inner 2 thirds.

I'm wearing the Sensational blush, and Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara
Eyeliner and lipgloss supplied with the palette
I'm wearing Mally Ultimate Performance foundation 
I used Champagne Wishes as a highlight on my cheeks

Apply Neutral Beauty as a base, lid to brow. 

Apply Beyond Bronze into crease in banana shape.

Apply light dusting of Pretty Penny in outer corner for faint 'shadow' effect, creating added depth.

Apply Neutral Beauty under the eyes with a fluffy brush for brightening effect.

I'm wearing the Sensational blush, and Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara

Eyeliner and lipgloss supplied with the palette

I'm wearing Mally Ultimate Performance foundation

Apply Pretty Penny into crease, and blend upwards
Deepen outer crease line with faint line of Beyond Bronze
Blend Neutral Beauty from crease to brow
Apply Bouquet Of Orchids to lids

Smudge Pretty Penny under outer half of lower lash line, and Bouquet Of Orchids under inner half.

Eyeliner and lipgloss supplied with the palette
I'm wearing the Sensational blush, and Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara
JanesDream Replenishing BB Cream [review on the way] 

In the UK QVC currently sell the Be Your Own Tarteist palette in a set for £48 [Miracles from the Amazon Essentials Collection]. Sounds pricy, but as well as the palette, you get:
[all full-sized products] 
Gifted Amazonian clay smart mascara -  Sorry; I don't want to open this until I'm ready to use it, as it retails for £21.
LipSurgence lip gloss (Flush) - I'm wearing it layered over lip liner in looks 1 & 2, and alone in look 3.
Amazonian Clay waterproof eyeliner (Bronze)
Etch & Sketch double-ended eyeliner brush
Limited-edition makeup bag

Plus you get a trial sized bottle of Maracuja Oil (15ml) too.