Tarte Cheek Stain in Awakening Review, Photos & Swatches

This Spring, a fresh new shade has been added to the Tarte Cheek Stain ($30 USD / $36 CAD) line up! This blushing nude shade in Awakening is the perfect shade for a natural-looking flush. Skin glows with the water-based gel formula- it contains an ingredient that actually helps skin retain moisture too! Skin feels soft, looks fresh and the sheer color lasts all day.

The addition of this shade rounds up nine total shades in the product range; I think this color is really one of the best.  These blushes are much more sheer than a typical cream blush- the stick is hard and you really have to build the color, but it’s for the best. Cheek stains that go on opaque aren’t easy to blend and can look patchy… this formula gives you play time to blend it out and build the color exactly where you want it.

Tarte Cheek Stain in Awakening

Note the size

Tarte Cheek Stain in Awakening

The oil-free formula won’t clog pores and the luminescent finish gives your skin a healthy glow. It is antioxidant-rich to give restorative, anti-aging benefits to skin with each use as well… which is a total bonus.

You can glide the blush on directly from the large tube and blend it out with your fingers, or swirl a brush onto the product and then apply it to your cheeks (my preferred method). It feels super lightweight on the skin- you won’t even know that you’re wearing anything! It doesn’t try out the skin and it really does last for hours and hours.

My only issue with the product is the packaging. You can push up the product, but theres no way to really push it back down, besides pushing on the solid itself. It would be much better to have a twist-up mechanism (perhaps similar to a deodorant stick). This is why I prefer to just use a brush to pick up some product and apply it to the cheeks that way- no messing with the odd mechanism!

Tarte Cheek Stain in Awakening

Tarte Cheek Stain in Awakening, Swatched

Bare skin (left) / Wearing the Tarte Cheek Stain in Awakening (right)