Tarte Rainforest After Dark Palette Swatches and Review

Ever since passing on Aqualillies palette, I’ve been feeling like I missed out big time, which is why I was determined to not let this one slip away. tarte Rainforest After Dark palette was released as a Limited Edition piece of Fall 2014 Collection, and contains quite possibly some of the prettiest seasonal shades I’ve seen yet.

Talk about gorgeous packaging design! Love that golden snake <3

To be honest with you, I don’t purchase palettes often, because I very rarely end up using all of the colors, and some pans remain untouched while others reveal visible bottoms. Not the case with Rainforest After Dark! When I first saw the palette, I fell in love with every single shade inside, and I knew I had to get it for sure.

One look at these gorgeous colors was all I needed to rush and buy it.

Here’s how tarte describes this palette:

“Inspired by the deep orchid hues of the Rainforest at dusk, this palette has everything you need to create sultry, sophisticated looks to take you from day to night. Each pigmented, flattering shade is infused with colored clay, which naturally color-corrects as it helps control oil for longer, truer wear. This next generation ingredient from the mountainous regions of Brazil brightens, evens and soothes skin while the velvety formula glides on and delivers rich color without settling into fine lines or wrinkles.”

Wait, you mean to tell me I can get six gorgeous eye shadows, a bronzer, a highlighter and a full-sized blush for just $38, and they also have skin caring properties, so wearing these pretties is better than not wearing any makeup at all? Sold!

There is a plastic sheet overlay with color names. Unfortunately, that’s the only name indicator, and once the sheet is thrown away I guess we’ll have to either remember the names or look them up online.

The pans contain the following shades:

• bare to explore – matte pink beige
• make a mauve – plum mauve shimmer
• plum away with me – dark plum shimmer
• up to no gold – gold metallic shimmer – BIG time shimmer!
• tan-gled up in you – matte tan
• don’t turn a-brown – matte dark brown
• unleashed – matte nude rose blush
• champagne – highlighter with medium-sized shimmer
• park ave princess – matte bronzer – a beauty blogger favorite!

It’s hard to find a starting point, especially when you love everything about the product. I’ll start from the top, I guess.

Two top pans contain bronzer and highlighter, both of which are absolutely amazing. The bronzer looks great on fair to medium complexions, while the highlighter would look gorgeous on just about any skin tone. The formula for both is buttery smooth and finely milled; they blend like a dream, and stay put all day.

T to B: Unleashed, Park Ave Princess, Champagne

Same goes for the blush, and we got a full-sized one here! tarte is famous for their blushes, and IMO I think this is what they do best. Just like the rest of their singles, unleashed has the same long-lasting formula, and offers medium pigmentation, making it easy to build up and blend for that healthy flush. I used a kabuki brush with swirling motions for best results. This color is definitely a daytime shade, but you can mix it with the bronzer for a more dramatic pop of color – it looks great that way, too!

T to B: Don’t Turn a-Brown, Tan-Gled Up in You, Up To No Gold

And finally, the eye shadows. tarte eye shadows have mostly been hits for me, but I did discover some misses in the past. I’m happy to report that all pans in this palette are definite hits, and the golden shade tops them all. These might be some of the best eye shadows I own, and my collection has both drugstore and luxury items, so I have a variety of products to compare with.

T to B: Plum Away With Me, Make a Mauve, Bare to Explore

The shimmers are rich and shiny, and the mattes are soft and non-chalky, just like proper mattes should be. I experienced no fallout whatsoever from any of the shades, and they all wore well throughout the day, even on my oily lids. I actually use tarte eyelid primer [it’s my hg!], so that might have contributed to longer wear and better performance.

Do you need it? Yes and no. It’s a great palette for a starter kit, if you don’t already own similar colors [I actually didn’t have any HG plums before this].

THE VERDICT
93%, A – points deducted for the blush formula, which is not super pigmented, and lack of shade names anywhere on the body of the palette.

Personally, I think that Rainforest After Dark is at the top of my list of tarte palettes, or any palettes for that matter, in terms of color balance. The shades look really well together, but they aren’t just your average super boring neutrals. These are bold golds and plums, with nudes and browns mixed in – endless inspiration for a multitude of looks! A palette is only as good as the value and use you get out of it, and this one is a total steal.

PRICE & AVAILABILITY
$38 USD. Available at Tarte, Sephora, Ulta, Macy’s.