I’ve been relying on Tarte Shape Tape Concealer to cover up my dark circles for the past couple of years now. Since I first purchased this concealer the shade range has increased considerably and I have acquired four shades while trying to find my best shade match. So despite the tonnes of reviews this product already has, I figured it would be useful for me to share my shade swatches and give you my thoughts along the way.
Tarte shape tape contour concealer is described as a full-coverage matte concealer with a creamy, easy-to-blend formula that won’t flake or crease. It is also described by Tarte as having a nourishing and illuminating formula. I have to say that I agree with this entire description based on my experiences.
Being based in the UK means I can’t swatch this in store so I’ve had to place a few orders on the tarte website over the years. From time to time they send offers by email which apply to shape tape, either a percentage off or free worldwide shipping. Shipping to the UK is usually free over a £40 spend and shape tape currently retails for £23, so I either wait for free shipping if I only want to buy one tube, or wait until it’s on offer if I want to stock up or try multiple shades. There is a lot of product (10ml) in the tube and a little bit goes a long way, therefore I think this concealer is quite economical despite seeming a little pricy to begin with.
Swatches
In the picture below I have swatched my four shades of Tarte Shape Tape Concealer under natural light. This concealer does oxidise, and I let this happen to the swatches before taking pictures so you can see what the final shades look like. For reference, I have approximately an NC15 skin tone with neutral undertones.
Going from L-R the shades are: Fair, Fair Neutral, Fair-Light Neutral, Light Sand.
Light Sand was the first shade I bought. It has a nice brightening effect under my eyes and is a good depth for me. Fair-Light Neutral has actually become my favourite for everyday as I find the slight orange tone is best for correcting and concealing my dark circles. It looks a bit dark for me when I swatch it on my arm or hand, but on my face it just works. The shades Fair and Fair Neutral end up being slightly lighter than my skin tone and therefore are very brightening, and good if you want to do the full-glam triangle concealer trick. I don’t reach for these in the day time as they look a bit too stark for my personal preference.
My Thoughts…
So a little back story – genetics have cursed me with fairly dark circles around my eyes. This is only made worse by a lack of sleep, so I really need to wear a full coverage concealer on the daily if I want to look alive. I also have lots of fine lines around the eye area (genetics again) and often find creasing to be an issue. Full-coverage creaseproof concealers are an absolute necessity for me.
Now this is where shape tape comes in. The coverage is epic. I have yet to find anything better. I also find the thick consistency contributes to the coverage and staying power of this concealer. I have to blend quickly (usually with my finger) as it sets very fast, but once it dries down it is bulletproof. This ticks another box for me because I have dry skin and I HATE setting my under-eyes with powder. I only ever use tiny amounts of product as it blends out well while still maintaining the coverage, and this stops it from looking too thick or stark on a day-to-day basis. I wouldn’t wear this alone though as you can clearly see the product against bare skin. I tend to apply this before my foundation otherwise I get shifting and texture appearing. If needed I will add a little more concealer once my base is complete using my finger to lightly dab as to not disrupt my foundation.
I have seen many reviews from people who do not get on with this product at all, many finding this too drying for their skin. It definitely looks matte on me and something this full coverage is bound to be visible on the skin, but it never looks dry or cakey or particularly flat. The Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer looked super dry on my under-eyes when I tried that one – not a fan. My skin isn’t extremely dry and I use a lot of emollient skin care before applying my makeup, so perhaps this contributes to why shape tape works for me and not others. I imagine if you don’t have very dark circles to conceal and have very dry and mature skin then this may not work for you – at least not on a daily basis. But if you are really struggling to find something that covers discolouration and stays put all day, I urge you to give this a go.
Have you tried this concealer? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below!
This is not a sponsored post. All products mentioned in this post have been purchased by me.
Like!! Thank you for publishing this awesome article.