Tarte Sea Hydroflex Serum Foundation and Surfer Curl Mascara

While occasionally bloggers and I will complain that the beauty market is so oversaturated, it does have its benefits too. I feel like this year I really got to dive in and explore a lot of brands that I was curious about, and solidified my love or dislike for others. This year was a lot of sunscreen testing and a whole lot more makeup than I usually do. But when you start to visit the Sephora site as often as I’ve been doing, it gets the best of you! Today, I’m sharing a purchase I made back in June of the Tarte Sea Hydroflex Serum Foundation and Surfer Curl Mascara.

Tarte primarily makes makeup but also has some skincare. The brand is cruelty-free and has lots of vegan options available. They are also gluten-free. **The foundation and mascara are vegan, by the way!

A Weightless, Vegan Foundation

The Tarte Sea Hydroflex Serum Foundation comes in two sizes and I am So happy about that because, really, I have too many options at home already so a smaller, travel-sized option is welcome! I do hope more brands catch onto this because it’s convinced me to try more things when I know I don’t have to spend on the full sized-product.

It comes in 32 shades with cool, warm, and neutral undertones and the travel size is available in 6 shades, one of them being my color, 32N-medium neutral. 

Applying The Foundation

The texture is of a serum, very much like Kosas Skin Tint oil but with less of an oily feel. Kosas isn’t oily, but when I compare it to this, it feels like it ever so slightly. I like how the product dispenses out of the little squeezy bottle because it’s easy to control, and spread on my face with my hands. I have tried using two different foundation brushes, and feel like the product ends up inside the brush bristles and less on my face, so basically, a waste. Hands do the job perfectly, and if I feel it needs any more refinement I pat and roll my beauty blender sponge all over to press it into the skin. 

The finish is a “natural finish” which is growing on me. I’ve been on a big dewy kick and even “dewified” some of my more natural finish products by wearing more oils underneath, but this one looks good on the skin with me wearing my serums and sunscreen underneath. That said, if you have very dry skin, and need oil, just know it will play nicely together and didn’t break my makeup up. 

How It Looks

The color is spot on for me. I’m very happy with how well it blends with my own skin tone and becomes MY skin. I would agree this is a medium coverage product. It evens out my skin and makes blemishes look less noticeable, and never looks cakey because of its serum consistency. If you are into weightless coverage, this is one to look into. 

The formula is intended to be hydrating on its own and includes hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and a vegan-collagen synthesis promoter to help create a smooth canvas. 

Would I buy it again? Yes, but probably won’t need to for a while. The smaller size has been perfect for me since I rotate through so many products, but I am very happy with how this looks on the skin.

Where to buy:

Full-Sized (Sephora)   •    Mini Sized (Sephora)    •    Full sized (Tarte)   •    Mini sized (Tarte)

A Volumizing Mascara

I’m going, to be honest, I have no idea why I have this mascara. Usually, I don’t bother with anything that blatantly says it’s volumizing because it usually looks like garbage on my lashes. I prefer lengthening over anything else. Some volumizing is okay, but I can’t be the only one who thinks most volumizing mascara make spider lashes, can I?!

So I got a travel size of Tarte’s Surfer Curl mascara and while I am not in LOVE, I was impressed with how clean my lashes looked even though the wand comes out looking extremely messy in my eyes. The wand is supposed to lift and curl while coating the lashes. Perhaps there is some added curl, but nothing I noticed immediately. 

The Key Ingredients

The formula contains marine plants to condition (which I am guessing is the ​​sargassum pacificum thallus extract which comes from brown algae), vitamin E, and castor oil to further moisturize and condition the lashes for healthy growth. 

Surfer Curl mascara claims to be smudge-proof and sweat-proof. It has lasted through the day with no flaking or drying. I have not tested how sweat-proof this is. I don’t think anything can withstand the amount I sweat while working out, and not really a place I’m concerned about wearing makeup. BUT, it does hold up well in AZ Summer heat!

Would I buy it again? Hmm. Probably not. I have no many other options that I LOVE that I really don’t have a reason to repurchase. But I’m glad I got to give it a try! 

Where to buy:  

I can only find the duo set online at Sephora. If I see them sold separately, I will update links!

Duo set (Full-sized & mini) – Sephora