Tarte’s Holiday Cheek Trio Gets You 9 Blushes For $35

Welcome to Extra Gifted, our hub for all of 2019’s superlatively superior presents worthy of a moment in the spotlight. We’ll unveil a new pick every holiday, so watch this space for the best of the best in giftitude to suit every price point and person on your list (even if that person is you).

Calling all blush lovers, we’ve got the ultimate gift for you — and just in time for the last wave of holiday parties on your Google Calendar.

Tarte may be best known for iconic products like Shape Tape concealer and its collection of Tartelette palettes, but the natural beauty brand really did the most this holiday season, with blockbuster palettes and sparkly things galore. However, our top gift pick has to be the 9 Ways To Shine Cheek Wardrobe, which checks all the boxes in our book; the packaging is gorgeous and luxe as can be, the shades are mesmerizingly pretty, and best yet — it’s an amazing value for the price.

Here are the deets: The wardrobe includes three stacked blush trios, for a total of nine cheek shades — a major steal considering the $35 price tag. The packaging features three gorgeous metallic finishes — gold, rose gold, and gunmetal — and each wheel has a curated highlighter, blush, and bronzer shade to make your skin gleam and glow. Shade names like Peppermint Mocha, Frosty, and Mistletoe add a fun, festive element to your beauty stash, and the interlocking design makes them ideal for travel if you’re looking to make the most of an already-crowded makeup bag. However, the best part of this gift is that it’s a beauty choose-your-own-adventure; the trio can either be a hero present for your makeup-obsessed bestie, or you can share the love three ways by splitting them as individual stocking stuffers. (Albeit a great stocking stuffer at that, since the recipient is still getting three complementary shades in one beautiful package.) Who’s ready to get cheeky this season?

At BeautyLeeBar, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by me. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to on our site, BeautyLeeBar may earn commission.

BETTER TOGETHER: LANCÔME TEINT IDOLE FOUNDATION AND OIL-IN-GEL CLEANSER

We all want our makeup to help us achieve flawless, imperfection-free skin. That’s why we’re constantly searching for the best foundations on the market and practicing the best application methods for our base products. But a common mistake is assuming an even, smooth complexion starts with makeup when it really starts with your skincare. It’s important to have not only a great foundation in your stash but also a top-rated cleanser — and Lancôme has a solution for both. 

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The Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Long Wear Foundation is one of the best long-wear foundations on the market. With 50 medium- to full-coverage shades available, it’s earned a spot in many beauty lovers’ makeup routines, including our editors. It offers long-lasting, velvety-smooth coverage for hours after application without the risk of transferring, melting or smudging. Thanks to its oil-free liquid formula, even those with oily skin can benefit from its skin-blurring effects. When it comes time to remove it after a long day of wear, look no further than the Lancôme Absolue Nurturing & Brightening Oil-in-Gel Cleanser with Grand Rose Extracts to get the job done. 

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The unique transforming oil, gel, and milky cleanser melts away makeup with ease. It contains a rich blend of oils that simultaneously lift away dirt and reveal refreshed skin. As you work it into your complexion, you can visibly see even waterproof makeup products wipe away. What’s left behind is silky, hydrated skin that feels soft to the touch — and ready for your next round of makeup application.

When you treat your skin on both ends of your beauty routine — during the skin-care phase and the makeup phase — you’ll be able to see a real difference in your complexion.

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YES, YOU NEED A FOUNDATION BALM IN YOUR LIFE — MORE ON THAT AHEAD

We all have our alliances when it comes to face makeup products. You’re either a foundation kind of beauty person or you’re a lighter CC or BB cream stan (I’m the latter). But we’re here to throw another curve ball into the mix of base products. Introducing foundation balms. We know what you’re thinking: How does this differ from my other foundation products

All About the Texture and Coverage of a Foundation Balm

Think of a foundation balm as a cross between a cream and powder foundation. It applies like a cream or a mousse but sets to a semi-matte finish. As someone who usually prefers lightweight CC or BB creams with a natural finish, I’m obsessed with this formulation. Lujan describes its feel as cushiony and luxurious, being both smooth and comfortable without the heaviness that can come with cream foundations. 

When it comes to the coverage, foundation balms are pretty customizable. When first applied, a little goes a long way and can be blended and smoothed over a larger area of skin. “Foundation balms have an excellent level of coverage that can be applied as a full-coverage foundation or sheer with your moisturizer or beauty oil to create a skin tint,” says Lujan.

How to Apply a Foundation Balm

STEP 1: A foundation balm works best when applied over well-prepared skin. Well-prepared skin starts with a good cleansing and hydrating routine, followed by a good moisturizer application.

PRO TIP: Apply your moisturizer with your foundation balm brush. The residual moisturizer in the brush will ensure a seamless application of foundation.

STEP 2:  Load your brush by dabbing it into your foundation balm. A light dab will give you more sheer coverage. If you swirl it in the product to load your brush, you will get immediate full coverage.

STEP 3: Apply the foundation in the areas that need more coverage first,” advises Lujan. “Bounce the brush on the skin to deposit coverage and then buff outward and down in circular motions with light pressure.”

Our Favorite Foundation Balms

Giorgio Armani Power Fabric Foundation Balm

This full-coverage foundation balm gives you a natural-matte finish that stays shine-free and feels hydrating all day. When applied, it provides you with a blurred finish for smooth, flawless skin. 

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Kevyn Aucoin Beauty Foundation Balm 

You can get as little or as much coverage as you desire with this foundation balm. It contains skin-loving ingredients; hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and skin barrier-reinforcing avocado oil that nourish and hydrate your complexion while you wear it for a better look and feel. The foundation is currently available in 20 shades and is available is 3 undertones.

As for the finish, it’s advertised as silky and flawless, though Kevyn Aucoin notes online that anyone after a dewy glow can apply the brand’s Neo-Elixir Weightless Beauty Oil before the complexion product to achieve a glossier finish. (And in case you’re curious, Sephora has classified the balm as a matte cream foundation.)

While the foundation is intriguing all on its own, the formula’s versatility may be even more noteworthy. In the product description, Kevyn Aucoin lists that the Foundation Balm can be used as an eyeshadow base, contour, or applied over your arms and legs, crediting the formula’s powder-like finish as the key reason why. Using it just as a foundation is simple, too: Just “swirl” the foundation with the Foundation Balm Brush (which comes included) and stroke the product over your skin. It’s that easy.

You can shop Kevyn Aucoin’s new Foundation Balm on the brand’s website; the brand also notes on its Instagram that it’s available at Sephora, Space NK, and Bluemercury.

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This $6 Mascara Will Give You The Sexiest Lashes

One thing we love about mascara is that we get to buy a new one every few months – it’s the perfect opportunity to get our beauty fix and try a new formula! We discovered our latest mascara obsession thanks to a subscriber insanely long, fluttery lashes, who revealed that she swore by the Covergirl Super Sizer Mascara. She loves it so much that every time she travels back to the US, she stocks up on it. Naturally, we had to try it out, and we were not disappointed. Here’s everything you need to know about this amazing $6 mascara!

What it is: A volumizing mascara designed to give full, fanned out lashes.

The brush: Let’s be honest, a mascara wand is as important if not more important than the formula when it comes to mascara, and this wand is pretty unique, to say the least! The rubber wand is made with little bristles that go from short to long at the top of the wand, aka the opposite to most mascara wands, and it feels more like a comb than a brush. When you first pull the brush out of the tube, it almost looks like there are no bristles as they’re so coated with formula.

What we liked: We love how this made our lashes look long, fluttery but also intense, however, we will say it takes a little getting used to – we’re going to give you all our tips! The mascara added a lot of drama to our lashes and depending on the look we wanted to go for, we found that – with a bit of practice – we could achieve natural, fluffy-looking lashes, or more dramatic, defined lashes.

Another huge bonus is that we had absolutely no flaking or smudging throughout the day – and we wore this from 9am till 11pm! We also like the fanned out the effect this gives to our lashes, but you will need to wiggle the brush around and pull your lashes outward to get a super fanned effect.

Tips for using: When you first use this mascara, a lot of product comes off on your lashes – it’s not one of those you need to build up – so it’s really important that you twist the brush when you apply to comb the product through. It also means that you probably won’t need to dip the brush back in the tube between eyes, so what we like to do is apply to one eye and comb through, then do the next eye, then once there’s less product on the brush, comb through the lashes again. This gives us super full, defined lashes that look sexy and fluttery. For a more intense look you can build it up with a second coat, but do it while the lashes are still wet.

Who it’s good for: We recommend this for people with medium to long lashes who want to add volume and definition and a little curl. If you have short lashes, this will add length and volume but it’s not the most lengthening mascara we’ve tried.

Considering the Covergirl Super Sizer Mascara costs $6, it’s a no-brainer for us. We loved the look we could achieve and how well it wore throughout the day. If you’re more of a wack-it-on-and-go kinda gal, then this may not be for you because it does take a little time to perfect.

Have you guys tried this mascara? Let us know in the comments below.