tarte Create Your Own Beauty Kit Review – November 2019

tarte recently had a Create Your Own Beauty Kit sale that let you pick 7 items of your choice: 6 full-size makeup items (in your choice of shade), plus a makeup bag for $63!

Your choices were limited to select offerings, and one per category, but there were a ton of items and shade options to choose from!

 This box is no longer available for sale.

My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

About this Create Your Own Beauty Kit

The Box: tarte Create Your Own Custom Beauty Kit

The Cost: $63.00 + free US shipping

The Products: A makeup bag, foundation, and 5 other beauty products of your choice!

Ships to: The US for free

tarte Create Your Own Custom Beauty Kit November 2019 Review

Here's the list of what items I picked this time around.

Black & Gold Fabric Bag - Estimated Value $10 (based on similar items)

I really like the chic look of this makeup bag! The top is a black and gold knit and has a faux leather bottom third. It's lined inside, too. I wasn't sure if it would be very big but it easily held everything that came in my kit and had room for a little more - that means it can easily carry everything you need for a full-face look.

Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 - Retail Value $36

This tinted moisturizer has been a long-time love of mine, but I haven't repurchased in quite a while. I've been experimenting with other brands, but now I'm reminded just how much I love this. It's light coverage that's just enough to even out my complexion, it's hydrating which is perfect for my dry skin, and I love that it has SPF. This is their fairest shade and it is a more neutral undertone that matches my complexion well.

Amazonian Clay Waterproof 12-Hour Concealer - Retail Value $25

This concealer is heavy duty. The formula is thick and I find it easier to work with if I apply to my fingertip and let it warm up for a moment. This can really cover a multitude of sins. It works well to conceal dark circles from new-baby-sleeplessness or breakouts.

tarteist Lash Paint Mascara - Retail Value $23

I've never tried this mascara from tarte before, so I snagged it to try. I really like mascaras that have a spiky silicone wand because it helps me feel like I can really get in between my lashes to separate and lengthen them while applying. This mascara works well! It doesn't clump at all, and I had no issues with it smudging or flaking.

tarteist Metallic Shadow in Whiskey- Retail Value $14 (currently on sale for $10)

I'm usually the last person to go for individual eye shadows, but a blogger I follow wears this shade every single day and it looks gorgeous on her. I've been wearing only one shadow color instead of doing a whole multi-shade look lately to simplify getting ready. This "Whiskey" shade is a really pretty bronze. The formula is very pigmented and it applies and blends out easily. I did notice a small bit of fallout while applying so just be sure to tap off excess before putting to your lid. You can see it swatched below.

tarte Color Splash Lipstick in Surf's Up - Retail Value $21

After years of faithfully using matte liquid lipsticks, I've ventured back into cream lipsticks. Especially for wintertime, when my dry skin is extra dry, having my lips look hydrated and not matte like the rest of my thirsty face just looks better to me. This shade, "Surf's Up," is a mauve and would look great on anyone. It's hydrating, pigmented, and easy to wear. You can see it swatched below, too.

tarte Mermaid Skin Hyaluronic H2O Serum - Retail Value $42

As you may have gathered after all my talk about my dry skin so far, I love skincare that really helps with that. I haven't used a whole lot of skincare from tarte before so I was excited to check this out. The first thing I loved about it was the large size and the pretty packaging. Then I tried it on, and I was a little underwhelmed. I use a lot of oils so I'm used to my skin feeling dewy and soft after soaking up an oil. This product is more of a water/gel consistency that absorbs right away, and I can't tell if it's too lightweight to help or if it just leaves zero residue and I'm just not used to it. Personally, I think it needs a moisturizer over it. I've been using it for a couple days but I'm looking forward to using it longer and seeing if the vitamin B5, marine plant extracts, and hyaluronic acid help change my skin for the better through the winter.

Here are swatches of the concealer, eye shadow, and lipstick.

And here I am wearing everything.

The Verdict: These tarte Create Your Own Kits are not to be missed! They're one of my all-time favorite beauty box releases of the year (they release twice - usually in May and November). It’s refreshing to have them offer your choice of each category rather than having it be a total mystery like typical subscription boxes, and that I can choose to use the discount to try new-to-me tarte products so I'm not risking paying full-price, or take the opportunity to stock up on my favorites. And they're all full-size! The value is fantastic for the products you get. This box cost me $63 including free shipping, and my items add up to a retail value of about $161, or ~$171 if you include the bag. I am absolutely happy with that!

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you order today? No, tarte only offers these Create Your Own Kits twice a year! (Last year and this year, they released in May and November, so I would expect the next one in May 2020.)

Value Breakdown: At $63 for this box, here’s what you are paying approximately per item:

• Bag: $3.68
• BB Tinted Moisturizer: $13.26
• Concealer: $9.21
• Mascara: $8.47
• Eye shadow: $5.16
• Lipstick: $7.74
• Serum: $15.47

Alternatively, the $63 breaks down into $9 per item.

Check out all of our tarte Create Your Own Beauty Kit reviews and the Beauty Subscription Box Directory for more makeup boxes!

What do you think about the tarte Build Your Own Beauty Kit this time around? What did you get?