Like magical gator wings, the Tarte Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen Eye & Cheek Palette has been flying off shelves, as it is easily one of the most sought-after makeup launches this summer.

The palette contains:

• Nine eyeshadows
• A bronzer
• A blush
• A highlighter
• An eye-makeup brush

A powerhouse collaboration between YouTube personality, Bunny Meyer (aka Grav3yardgirl) and Tarte combine for makeup madness (in a good way)!

(Previously, I reviewed and swatched the Tarte Tarteist Texas Toast Lip Paint. Check out that blog post for my thoughts on Grav3yardgirl. I wrote quite a lot about her there, so I won’t be repeating it here.)

Those in the United States could find the Tarte Grav3ywardgirl Swamp Queen palette in some ULTA and Macy’s stores. My fellow Canadians were only able to track it down on Sephora’s website, however it’s now out of stock.

If you’re a Swamp Family member or a beauty junkie looking to add Tarte Swamp Queen to your makeup collection, don’t worry. You still have a shot of getting your hands on it, as it will officially debut in Sephora stores tomorrow (July 8)!

I decided to review the Tarte Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen Eye & Cheek Palette in-depth today in case it helps you decide whether or not this is something worth splurging on.

See the rest of this post for photos of the palette, close-ups of each colour, swatches of everything, and my thoughts on the formula and packaging.

EDIT (Monday November 28, 2016): The Tarte Cosmetics’ website has the Swamp Queen palette on sale for their Cyber Monday deal for just $30 CAD! One day only.

The Tarte Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen Eye & Cheek Palette includes the following:

Eyeshadows

• #SFS
• Natural Peaches
• Dogman
• Big Baby
• Sassy Bun
• Sippy Sippy
• Haunting
• Uncommon
• Mancat

Bronzer: Sweet Tea

Blush: Does This Thing Really Work?

Highlighter: Gator Wings

Tarte Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen Eye & Cheek Palette Pictures

 

 

Tarte Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen Eye & Cheek Palette Close-Ups

Sweet Tea

Does This Thing Really Work?

Gator Wings

#SFS

Natural Peaches

Dogman

Big Baby

Sassy Bun

Sippy Sippy

Haunting

Uncommon

Mancat

Tarte Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen Eye & Cheek Palette Swatches

Note: I applied the face makeup (Sweet Tea bronzer, Does This Thing Really Work? blush, and Gator Wings highlighter) over my foundation, which is Estee Lauder Double Wear. This is because I never use these face products on my bare skin, so putting them over my foundation is more accurate in terms of pigmentation and finish.

Note: All eyeshadows are swatched over the NYX High Definition Eye Shadow Base primer. I always use a primer when I wear eyeshadows because it helps to intensify the colour, last a long time, and prevent creasing. If you don’t use a primer, the pigmentation may not be as saturated as in my swatches.

Tarte Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen Eye & Cheek Palette Ingredients

#SFS
Mica, Talc, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Silica, Boron Nitride, Zinc Stearate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Vanillin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hexylene Glycol, Vanilla Plantifolia Fruit Extract, Kaolin, Carmine (CI 75470), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Manganese Violet (CI 77742)

Natural Peaches
Talc, Mica, Silica, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Boron Nitride, Zinc Stearate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Vanillin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hexylene Glycol, Vanilla Plantifolia Fruit Extract, Kaolin, Carmine (CI 75470), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)

Dogman
Mica, Talc, Silica, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Boron Nitride, Zinc Stearate, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Vanillin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vanilla Plantifolia Fruit Extract, Kaolin, Tin Oxide, Carmine (CI 75470), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

Big Baby
Talc, Mica, Boron Nitride, Silica, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Zinc Stearate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Vanillin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hexylene Glycol, Vanilla Plantifolia Fruit Extract, Kaolin, Carmine (CI 75470), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

Sassy Bun
Mica, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Silica, Boron Nitride, Zinc Stearate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Talc, Phenoxyethanol, Vanillin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hexylene Glycol, Tin Oxide, Vanilla Plantifolia Fruit Extract, Kaolin, Carmine (CI 75470), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77499), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140)

Sippy Sippy
Talc, Mica, Silica, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Boron Nitride, Zinc Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Vanillin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hexylene Glycol, Vanilla Plantifolia Fruit Extract, Kaolin, Carmine (CI 75470), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Ultramarines (CI 77007)

Haunting
Talc, Mica, Silica, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Boron Nitride, Zinc Stearate, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Vanillin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hexylene Glycol, Vanilla Plantifolia Fruit Extract, Kaolin, Tin Oxide, Carmine (CI 75470), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163)

Uncommon
Mica, Talc, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Silica, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Boron Nitride, Zinc Stearate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Vanillin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hexylene Glycol, Tin Oxide, Vanilla Plantifolia Fruit Extract, Kaolin, Carmine (CI 75470), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510)

Mancat
Talc, Silica, Boron Nitride, Zinc Stearate, Mica, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Vanillin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hexylene Glycol, Vanilla Plantifolia Fruit Extract, Kaolin, Carmine (CI 75470), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

Gator Wings
Mica, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Talc, Zinc Stearate, Boron Nitride, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Vanillin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hexylene Glycol, Vanilla Plantifolia Fruit Extract, Kaolin, Silica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491)

Does This Thing Really Work?
Mica, Talc, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Silica, Boron Nitride, Zinc Stearate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Phenoxyethanol, Vanillin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hexylene Glycol, Vanilla Plantifolia Fruit Extract, Tin Oxide, Kaolin, Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850)

Sweet Tea
Mica, Talc, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Boron Nitride, Zinc Stearate, Silica, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Vanillin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hexylene Glycol, Vanilla Plantifolia Fruit Extract, Kaolin, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)

Claims: TRUSTED

• Neutral-matte & bold eyeshadows (Yes)
• Colours to create day to night looks (Yes)

Key Notes

• Name: Tarte Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen Eye & Cheek Palette
• Collection: Grav3yardgirl x Tarte Collection
• Products Available in the Collection: Texas Toast Tarteist Lip Paint, Swamp Family Tarteist Lip Paint & Swamp Queen Eye & Cheek Palette
• Amount: 
  • Nine eyeshadows x 0.035 oz.
  • One highlighter x 0.11 oz.
  • One blush x 0.11 oz.
  • One bronzer x 0.11 oz.
• Retail Price: $59 CAD
• Disclosure: I purchased this product.
• Where to Buy: Tarte website (currently sold out, but they may restock it), Sephora stores (starting July 8), Sephora website (currently sold out, but they may restock it), ULTA stores & Macy’s stores
• Limited Edition: Yes!

Tarte Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen Eye & Cheek Palette Review

Bronzer

Sweet Tea is a warm, terracotta bronzer that has very fine, sparse gold glitter.

I found it to be quite pigmented, so I used a light hand and a duo-fibre brush when applying it to avoid looking clownish. This is the kind of bronzer that’s easy to overdo, if you’re not careful. And if you have a fair complexion like I do, it’s even easier to put on too much.

I prefer matte bronzers, that is if I even use a bronzer, so I wasn’t crazy about the little glitter. However, on my face, I didn’t notice the glitter showing up too much.

Also, I prefer bronzers that aren’t quite as orange as this. This one’s very orange, so if you have a pale complexion, it could look odd.

Blush

Does This Thing Really Work? is a medium pink shimmery blush with gold flecks. I think it’s quite a universal shade, as it looks very natural and flattering.

The flecks can sometimes catch the light and emphasize that you are wearing glitter, but for the most part, when you blend out the blush, it has a nice sheen.

Again, this was very pigmented, so tread carefully, or you could wind up looking crazy!

I gently tapped my blush brush into the pan just once and then lightly applied it to the apples of my cheeks, blending upwards toward my hairline.

Highlighter

Gator Wings is a gorgeous champagne gold that creates an intense highlight on your cheekbones. I love the colour, however, the glitter it contains is on the chunkier side than what I’m used to.

My go-to highlighter is theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer, which is still my favourite. It’s also an intense highlighter, except the powder is much more finely milled than Gator Wings, so Mary-Lou Manizer goes on smoother and you don’t see any chunks.

I always apply highlighter with my fan brush because it helps me avoid packing on too much product. With this (and with the Mary-Lou Manizer) a little goes a very long way.

Eyeshadows

#SFS 

SFS stands for Swamp Family Strong.

This colour has a peachy undertone with a shimmer that appeared like a sheen on my skin. I liked how smoothly it applied and how it created a subtle wash of colour.

Natural Peaches 

This makes me think of Bunny when she sings that in her YouTube videos! 🙂

It’s a matte pale orange that I found to lean on the chalky side.

Dogman 

Named after Bunny’s boyfriend, it’s my favourite colour in the collection because it’s a very warm, rustic orange/red. I like deepening my eye looks with this one and creating smokey eyes.

It had sparse gold glitter that I wasn’t fond of, though. When you blend the shadow, the glitter can fall on your face, and you don’t notice much left on your eyelid. I would’ve loved this colour even more if it was a matte.

Big Baby 

You can always use a light-cream matte. From the moment I saw it, I knew that I’d use for nearly any eye look. It wasn’t chalky, and went on smoothly.

After applying an eyeshadow primer, I like to lay down a colour like this that’s close to my skin tone. It makes blending the other colours on top way easier. This colour is pretty standard, but very versatile and needed in this palette to help you build the foundation for your eye looks.

Sassy Bun 

Hehe, the name calls to mind all the wild hairdos that Bunny has sported over the years. Lots of them seem to defy gravity, which impresses me. My hair would not cooperate like hers does.

This shade is a metallic gold/copper that I love because it’s intense, and the formula is creamy.

Sippy Sippy

Whenever Bunny drinks her sweet tea, she always does her popular “Sippy Sippy” with head flung back and a content lip smack afterwards.

It’s a chocolate brown with chunky gold flecks. I can always use a dark brown like this to darken up the outer v and create smokey looks, so I was glad to see it included. However, I really disliked the glitter because they instantly fell all over my cheeks when I applied it to my eyelid.

I always tap my brush off before applying eyeshadow, and even doing this technique still allowed the glitter to go everywhere. Not a fan of the glitter, but the chocolate brown itself is my cup of tea.

Haunting

Unfortunately, I couldn’t test out this shade on my eyelid. My eyes are very sensitive, and I knew before purchasing the Tarte Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen palette that Haunting contains an ingredient that I’m allergic to.

I was able to swatch it on my arm, but I didn’t dare put it on my eyes because I know that the ingredient (which is common in a lot of eyeshadows) makes my eyelids swell and turn red for days. Didn’t want to risk it.

From what I noticed based solely on my arm swatch is that it applied very smoothly and has a bit of delicate sheen. I really liked how it’s a neutral, yet it has slight purple undertones.

Uncommon

Bunny named this as a tribute to her favourite store, “UncommonGoods” that sells old, rare, and strange collectibles.

It’s a gorgeous metallic taupe with maybe a hint of mauve.

Mancat

This shade is named after one of Bunny’s cats that passed away, I believe.

This shade is a dusty chocolate-plum that I love using to darken up an eye look. As you can tell based on my review of the eyeshadows, I prefer dark, smokey eye looks. However, even if you like lighter looks, you can still achieve them with this palette. Just go easy on the shades, Dogman, Sippy Sippy, and Mancat, or skip them altogether.

Overall Impression of the Eyeshadows

Aside from the chunky glitter, all of them are suitable for everyday wear. You can mix and match a lot of the shades to create different looks, yet the arrangement of the colours is great because you can literally go across the rows, using the first shade all over the lids, the second colour in the crease, and the third one to deepen up the outer corner. That takes the guesswork out, which is handy when you’re rushing in the morning to get ready.

I think Bunny did a really good job at creating this palette because I get a strong autumnal vibe from it, and, in case you don’t know, the fall is my favourite season for colours, textures, beauty products, fashion, etc.! 🙂

The formula on these eyeshadows is on the powdery side, even if not all of them wind up looking that way on the skin. When you tap your brush into the pan, you’ll see a lot of dust kick up, so it can get messy.

Make sure that you tap off the excess from your brush before applying the shadow to your eyelid. Even then, you may need to do some clean-up. (I recommend doing your eye makeup first before foundation if you use this palette. At least that way, you can wipe off the fallout much easier.)

Brush

Although the palette is made in the United States, the brush is made in China. (Most makeup brushes are made in China.)

There’s a compartment in the palette to cradle the brush, so this palette is very travel-friendly. You have everything you need in one place.

The brush has a wooden handle and “tarte” engraved on the ferrule.

The bristles feel and look like they are synthetic. They’re very dense and stiff. They are dome-shaped and meant to help you pack on the colour for maximum impact.

While it certainly does the job of laying down colour, I found that it wasn’t ideal for blending out the transition shade and softening harsh lines. For blending, I recommend using a fluffy brush, such as  the MAC 217 Brush or the Sigma E35 Tapered Blending Brush. (Both of those brushes, I bought a long time ago, and they have lasted me for many years and still look new.)

Even though I wasn’t impressed with the brush, I appreciate how Bunny thought to include it, as not everyone has a brush collection. This means that you can buy the palette and use it right away out of the gate without having to make another purchase.

Packaging

I love the packaging because it really reminds me of Bunny (aka Grav3yardgirl)!

It has Old World sensibilities with the whimsy of a winged gator.

The backgrop features a print that mimics wood grain for an old-timey feel, and the font for “Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen” across the front has western flair.

Looking at the side of the palette, you’ll see metallic gold, which adds some bling to a design that would otherwise appear toned down. Lovely accent!

The palette is extremely sturdy and doesn’t feel cheaply made. Also, the lid has a secure magnetic closure.

Mirror

There’s a huge mirror on the underside of the lid, so you can easily see your entire face. What I like about this is that the binding allows you to fold the mirror all the way back. This is important to me because when I do my makeup, obviously I have to take off my glasses. Since I am very nearsighted, that means my face has to be very close to the mirror in order to see what I’m doing. A lot of palette mirrors only open slightly on an angle, and I can’t use them because I can’t get close enough without my face touching the shadows. (Yes, the first-world problems of a person with prescription lenses!)

Stamped onto the mirror is “tarte” at the bottom, and I love how at the top, it says “BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. LOVE YOURSELF. EMBRACE YOUR INDIVIDUALITY”. These are positive, self-affirming messages that I fully support. It was sweet that Bunny decided to include that feature.

Fragrance

When you open the palette, the first thing you’ll notice is the sweet vanilla scent that seems to have a touch of milk chocolate. It’s very noticeable, but it’s not so strong that it’ll hit you like a ton of bricks. It’s very soft and pleasant.

When you apply the makeup to your eyes and/or face, the scent doesn’t linger, so you won’t have to worry about it interfering with a perfume that you plan to wear.

If you are extremely sensitive to scents or have allergies, I wouldn’t recommend this.

Ingredients

The Tarte Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen Eye & Cheek Palette doesn’t contain parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfate, or gluten. It is also dermatologist tested and cruelty-free.

Scroll further up this page to see the complete ingredient list for each of the colours.

Limited Edition

Due to the high demand for this limited-edition item, I suggest that if you are at all interested in buying it, don’t dilly dally because it has already been selling out everywhere and there are no announcements that Tarte will restock the items. Once they’re gone, they will probably be gone for good.

Value

At $59 CAD, this is a splurge item.

I think that since the colours included are very versatile, you get a large mirror, and there’s a brush that comes with it, you certainly get your money’s worth.

Pros Great everyday eyeshadow colours (versatile) Bronzer, blush & highlighter are very pigmented (a little goes a long way) Sturdy packaging Cool Old World, wood-grain design Comes with a brush Large mirror Cute quote on the mirror Magnetic closure Travel-friendly (Has everything you need in one place) Cute names with Bunny-specific references (Great for fans and collectors) Pleasant, mild, sweet-vanilla-with-milk-chocolate fragrance No parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfate, or gluten Dermatologist tested Cruelty-free

Cons Bronzer is very orange (could be hard for those with pale skin to pull off) Highlighter & some eyeshadows have gold chunky glitter that can land on the rest of your face and require clean-up Brush has very stiff, dense bristles that aren’t the best for blending Has fragrance (If you’re sensitive or have allergies, this isn’t the best for you.) A splurge item at $59 CAD Limited edition (Can be hard to get your hands on, due to the overwhelming demand.)

Final Verdict: 8/10

Although there were some elements of the Tarte Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen Eye & Cheek Palette with Brush that I wasn’t fond of, overall, I very much enjoyed using it, and it has a lot of great everyday shades. I will get a lot of use out of them, and I think it was worth the investment.

Have you picked up the Tarte Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen palette? Are you a Swamp Family member? Which colour(s) from this palette appeal to you the most?