I think I’d been waiting a good four months for QVC to finally get my shade back in stock, but now the Tarte Shape Tape Contour Concealer is finally mine! The hype surrounding this product on YouTube is insane. Watch any tutorial from Nikkie, Tati or Jaclyn and this little tube is bound to pop up at some point. I picked up the lightest shade available called ‘fair’ (apologies if it’s out of stock again) which also came with a blending sponge.
To be honest, I wasn’t too bothered about the sponge but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of it. Just like my Beauty Blender, it’s activated by water which makes it double in size. It not as bouncy at my Beauty Blender and a little larger which makes it difficult to get into harder to reach places, such as around my nose and into the contours of my eyes. It reminds me of my RT Miracle Sponge so I can’t see myself purchasing it again (fingers crossed QVC will start selling the concealer individually) however, it’s a perfectly nice sponge that doesn’t soak up too much product and is handy for seamlessly blending larger areas.
The actual concealer is where the magic happens. Tarte isn’t kidding when they call this formula full-coverage. At first, I was really surprised at how huge the actual wand is. This is something that’s not really obvious by watching online tutorials so I was a little thrown. Here’s a size comparison next to my Urban Decay Naked Concealer…
When I first applied this vegan-friendly concealer I was way too heavy handed, which left me caked in product. There’s no need to copy those large undereye triangles favoured by many beauty influencers. A little goes a long way and you’ll be blending for days. If I could change one thing about this concealer, it would be the applicator as it gets overloaded with product. The wand is tapered and sponge covered but, in my opinion, far too big. The concealer itself is perfection. It’s long wearing, sets quickly which discourages any creasing and instantly covers dark circles, discoloration and blemishes without even trying. It draws light into your face beautifully; if you’re a fan of the Nars Creamy Concealer or the Urban Decay Naked Concealer, but are looking for more coverage then you’ll love Shape Tape. Plus, each tube contains 10ml compared to UD’s 5ml and Nar’s 6ml.
Unfortunately, there are 14 shades available on Tarte’s official website which caters to different undertones but currently only 6 shades on QVC, and as I said the fairest shades are usually sold out. You can buy directly from Tarte were the concealer retails for £19, but unless you spend over £39 in total and receive free shipping, you’re looking at an estimated £5.72 in shipping fees AND £4.89 in estimated tax on top of that to get it delivered to the UK. Let’s hope QVC expand their shade range and start selling Shape Tape individually soon.
Despite this, I completely understand why Shape Tape is such a cult product and I’m so happy to have finally embraced the hype. My undereye area looks dull and lifeless when I skip this concealer, it really is a game changer.
The Tarte Shape Tape Contour Concealer with Quickie Blending Sponge retails at £28 and is available at QVC here.
Have you tried the Tarte Shape Tape yet?
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