The Roast Yourself Challenge is the latest trend, and while I am a fan of the clever and punny Ryan Higa (aka nigahiga on YouTube) who started it, this beauty junkie is sticking to the Texas Toast Yourself Challenge. What? You haven’t heard of that one? Probably because I just made it up now. 😉
Raise your cup of sweet tea, and give a toast to Texas Toast!
Grav3yardgirl x Tarte Tarteist Texas Toast Lip Paint is a collaboration between the brand that creates my favourite everyday eyeshadow palettes and a popular YouTuber, Bunny Meyer (aka grav3yardgirl), who is in her 30s and has over seven million subscribers.
The Tarte Tarteist Texas Toast Lip Paint stirred up a frenzy in the beauty community, as fans and makeup enthusiasts scrambled to get their hands on one of three items in the collection. (The collection also includes the Swamp Queen Eye & Cheek Palette with brush and another Lip Paint called Swamp Family that’s red and an online exclusive, which sold out in a flash.
Nudes aren’t usually my thing, but since it was more of a muted mauve than something that resembled a concealer, I decided to give it a try. (Spoiler: Turns out, I enjoy it and found that it works very well with the warm, smoky eye look I created using the coordinating Swamp Queen palette. By the way, in the selfie above, I’m also wearing the eye shadows, blush, and highlighter from the same collection.)
Before I get into my detailed review of Tarte Texas Toast, I’d like to say a few words about Bunny and her ever-growing YouTube channel.
Grav3yardgirl: “Give an alligator its wings!”
I don’t watch every Grav3yardgirl video, but I have seen the majority of her hard work to get a good sense of her channel.
Bunny Meyer has an entertaining, quirky personality that grabs your attention by the collar and pulls you into places that you never thought you’d go!
Although we have very different personalities and aesthetics, what I respect and admire about her is that she is a free spirit who is comfortable in her own skin. She frequently vlogs without a stitch of makeup, with her hair in a sassy bun or other fun style, and while wearing t-shirts with intentional holes. Bunny also sometimes goes all out with a full face of makeup, has her own paper-doll book, and is known for wearing red lipstick that plays up her captivating blue eyes.
But what I love about her most is that she has an inclusive mentality to bring people together and to not discriminate or have a Mean Girls attitude. Even if you’re the outcast you are welcomed, appreciated, and accepted into what Grav3yardgirl has coined her Swamp Family.
Openly speaking about dealing with anxiety and her phobia of hospitals, she courageously touches on many issues that not a lot of big YouTubers discuss.
I applaud her for this because sharing helps us all learn and grow. Her experiences may indirectly help those who are dealing with something similar.
If you just graze the surface and are too quick to judge her based on her loud voice, large teeth, and seemingly unkempt appearance (when it comes to unrealistic beauty guru standards), you may not even give her channel a chance.
But as you watch her reveal funny thoughts, her love of creepy dolls and uncommon objects, and her ‘addiction’ to sweet tea, you develop a soft spot for her. And all those things you made snap judgments on, like her teeth, quickly become endearing characteristics, and you can’t imagine her looking any other way. That’s how I feel. She owns her look!
Her channel appeals to children, teenagers, adults, and seniors, which is quite remarkable. This is because her videos run the gamut from testing out As Seen on TV products, letting you follow her along while shopping (I always laugh when she does her Earth Worm Mode), swatching makeup, opening Swamp Family mail with a large kitchen knife, and casually car vlogging while doing her Sippy Sippy.
She is a unique snowflake.
I’ve never met her, but based on the content that she’s created over the year and how entertaining I find her, I support what she stands for: inclusivity and togetherness!
Check out the rest of my post to see photos, swatches, and to hear my thoughts on the Grav3yardgirl x Tarte Tarteist Texas Toast Lip Paint!
(EDIT: Monday November 28, 2016: The Tarte Cosmetics’ website has included the two Lip Paints, Texas Toast and Swamp Family, in their Cyber Monday Deal for just $15 CAD each! One day only.)
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