Natural Selection — Choosing The 100% Natural Tata Harper Volumizing Lip & Cheek Tint Will Feel Intuitive
When it comes to the blush, most of the time (stage performances, festivals, and runway shows notwithstanding), we tend to covet a believable, just-pinched, post-workout, postcoital rosiness — not a Boy-George-during-the-Culture-Club-era flash of scarlet or magenta. Cream and gel formulations are more likely to deliver this believable flush since they’re not as likely to cake up as their powder-based brethren. When seeking a subtle cheek color, however, it’s important to consider all the coveted criteria: whether the texture is appealing, whether the color blends into skin easily, whether it boasts a buildable intensity, whether the colors are flat and dated or dynamic and sophisticated, whether they have a matte or shimmering finish, whether they contain too much or too little glitter, whether they offer durable wear, and so on. If you also worry about the potentially harmful ingredients in your cosmetics, you might also seek all-natural formulations infused with moisturizing, soothing, or firming botanical extract — and who better to show us the way than Tata Harper? After all, the brand not only specializes in 100% natural skincare products, but it goes a step further by cultivating many of the herbs used in its proprietary formulas at its 1200-acre family farm in Vermont.
The new Tata Harper Volumizing Lip & Cheek Tint ($35 at TataHarperSkincare.com), then, delivers the desired pop of color thanks to natural pigments but it also features anti-aging ingredients that hydrate and nourish the skin, minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and make the skin appear more plump and youthful. Each Tata Harper Lip & Cheek Tint, then, includes: coconut extract, a top-notch emollient and humectant that hydrates the skin and prevents moisture loss; Spanish lavender extract, which soothes the skin and improves circulation, thereby increasing the flow of of oxygen to skin cells, strengthening them and yielding a more radiant complexion; green tea oil, which calms many topical irritations and contains tannins that make the skin appear firm and taut, along with antioxidants that protect dermal cells from free radicals; açai extract, which is rife with vitamins A, C, and E, which promote cellular turnover and boost the production of collagen and elastin; linoleic acid-rich sunflower seed oil, which helps to strengthen the skin barrier and prevent moisture loss; and Sacha Inchi oil, which contains antioxidants like vitamins A and E, along with linoleic acids like Omega-6 and Omega-3 (the Peruvian superfood’s unique combination of these fatty acids make it ideal for women of all skin types since it helps to strike an ideal moisture balance within the dermis).
The multi-tasking cream color, which can be applied to lips and/or cheeks, is available in six shades: Very Naughty, a classic berry red; Very Nice, a matte, pinky nude; Very Charming, a perky petal pink; Very Sweet, a shimmering golden peach; Very Vicacious, a coral pink; and Very Popular, a warm rose hue.
Personally, I like the product best as a cheek tint because it feels weightless and delivers just the right touch of glossy color while also giving the skin an alluring vitality. In other words, it’s a pick-me-up for your cheeks! To use, you simply have to unscrew the golden cap atop each 0.15 oz. pot, run your finger over the surface of the color therein and then apply it to the desired area. I like to apply the color in dots, so to speak, that run from the apples of my cheeks to my hairline in an angular line, then blending the color using circular motions. I then dab a bit more color onto the apples of my cheeks for a perkier, more youthful look.
As a lip tint, this product also delivers a nice veil of color, but it’s messier to apply than a standard tinted balm in a lipstick bullet form. If you wish to use it as a lip tint, I recommend gliding your index finger over the surface of each potted color, then pressing it onto lips in a dabbing motion, repeating as needed, rather than gliding the color from one side to the next as if mimicking the motion of windshield wipers. Otherwise, if you want to build the lip color and remain within the contours of your mouth, try relying on a lip brush.
Over the past month, I’ve been using two shades, Very Sweet and Very Naughty,and you’ll find swatches of both below.
The Very Naughty shade is a joyful, holiday-ready, holly red shade with a glossy sheen. It’s pretty bold when first applied, but it looks significantly more subtle when worked into the skin. The Very Sweet shade, meanwhile, is a total charmer, a peachy color reminiscent of pink sand beaches and conch shell interiors. The color has golden undertones that make it inviting, while a subtle shimmery finish gives cheeks a dewy look.
Here’s a couple of photos in which I’m wearing the Tata Harper Lip & Cheek Tint in Very Sweet, so you can see how it livens up the complexion and yet has a completely believable feel.
