Review: Tarte BB Tinted Treatment

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I just returned from my trip to Puerto Rico. When I'm in a hot, tropical location, I tend to avoid using makeup and powder. A lot of times, I just go makeup-less. (Have you SEEN what SPF does to eyeliner and eye shadows? What a mess.)

However, since I do have uneven skin and sunspots, it's nice to throw on something light to look decent in photos. So I turned to Tarte's BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen.


You see a lot of ads where it's implied that you just need a dab of BB Cream, and all the freckles and blemishes disappear like magic. I wanted to test it out on my newly sun-kissed visage (read: I acquired a load of freckles!)

Naked face with Mark's LipClick in Hot Stuff
Watch what happens to my freckles and the big sunspot on my right cheek

First Layer

I used this treatment in color Light. The product went on very smoothly. It had that silicone velvet feel to it. You might feel that with this texture, the cream is just sitting on top of your face.  But as you blend, the product seems to absorb and stay put. The BB cream softened up some of the redness around my nose and mouth. You may not be able to tell in the photo, but my pores were less visible. It evened out my skin tone and lightened up the looks of my freckles and sun spot. With just one layer, you could still definitely those blemishes. Since this BB cream boasts of buildable coverage, I wanted to see just how much of the stuff I needed to get a smooth, even finish.

Multiple Layers

This result took about 4-5 layers total. And when I say layers, I am talking about 4-5 dots of the tinted treatment that were the size of half a chocolate chip.  That is about the weirdest form of measurement I have ever described but it's very accurate. Half a standard chocolate chip! 

As I was squirting, dabbing, and blending, I will admit a fear came over me that I'd end up using the entire 1 ounce tube.  But honestly, it didn't end up being a lot at all. Of course, ideally, one layer would do the trick. But having worked with these silky, sheer formulas before, I haven't encountered a BB cream/primer that has that kind of coverage with one application.  I feel that that's what you're trading in for the light formula.  I did stand in the same spot, but the sun may have moved.  But I see some brightening action, don't you?

Tarte Cosmetics products are a fave of mine.  Their use of "high performance naturals", packaging from recycled goods, and healthy formulas without parabens, synthetic fragrance, and pthalates make me feel good about using Tarte.  

I will be trying other BB creams out of curiosity, but I'm pretty sure I'd come back to this Tarte one. I love that it has SPF 30, is oil-free, and has age-defying properties! 

In addition, on the Sephora website, "this product is powered by tripleB complex, a proprietary blend of natural diamond dust, plants, and lipoamino acids that diffuses light and minimizes the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and pores while improving the appearance of skin luminosity." And if you're a lover of studies, "after four weeks, 94% of women said pores appeared less visible. 91% of women said fine lines appeared minimized."

I recommend it!