Review: TARTE Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Sunscreen

I’ve been needing to find a new foundation for about– oh, maybe a year or two. Yes. I actually loathe trying new foundations so much that I will put it off for as long as possible. Just to let you know: I’ve been using Nars Sheer Glow and Sheer Matte, and if I am perfectly honest with you– neither has ever really sat well on my skin. I know some people swear by Sheer Glow and I totally believe that it works for them. However, I have a terrible time blending it, it oxidizes throughout the day, and I have to actually mix two separate shades together to get the right color.

TARTE Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Sunscreen

Two months ago, on a whim– I snatched up a new foundation at Ulta. Now, up until this point I had never even thought about trying a Tarte foundation. I don’t particularly like the look of the packaging (an opinion I regret allowing to guide me in hindsight and that would make my kindergarten teacher shake her head in shame) but the top of the box read: light neutral, and that was good enough for me. Because, yes, I have a neutral skin tone, meaning that I am equal parts pink and yellow, which makes finding foundation shades an absolute screaming nightmare at times.

So, I didn’t even look at all of the things that this foundation claims to do because in my mind I figure that it can’t be any worse than what I’d previously put myself through. But let me state that this a buildable, full coverage foundation with broad spectrum SPF 15. It is also formulated without all of this yucky stuff: parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfates, gluten (and Tarte is a cruelty free brand).

Conclusion: It isn’t perfect. But it is really, really close. I get nine instead twelve hours out of it but the color matches flawlessly, the foundation sets beautifully and actually looks natural considering its ability to cover. After eight weeks, I am only about halfway through the tube and use roughly a little more than a pea-sized amount each day. I really wasn’t sure about using a squeeze-tube thing but it turns out that it is actually easier and less messy for me to use than a bottle– even with a pump. All in all, I’m ready to have a long lasting relationship with this foundation.

And I am also planning to venture out and explore the Tarte brand a bit more because I really need to know if the rest of their products are this awesome. If you have any recommendations for me, please leave them in the comments! I am thinking of trying the Maracuja Oil next, so especially make sure to let me know your thoughts if you’ve tried it.

TARTE Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation box