REVIEW┊ Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil

So did that convince you to buy this product? Anyone? Well, I'm here to tell you that this product has helped my skin look more radiant and hydrated without the grease face that most of us dread!

Fall and winter are rapidly approaching for those of us in the northern Hemisphere. I got this in a Tarte kit a couple years ago, along with their Maracuja Creaseless Concealer and the Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder. At the time, my skin was tremendously oily and irritated so I put this oil away, promptly forgetting about it. As I am graduating next year, I've been doing an inventory check lately to give things away or use more things up. This popped up in one of those purges and my skin was dry and flakey, no matter how much moisturizer or heavy cream I used. I decided that my skin was in desperate need of something to help hold the moisture in and since oil repels water, I thought that water wouldn't be able to escape if I had this on (not sure if that's sound science, but bear with me). Since the beginning of March, I have been using this mostly every day and have noticed a major improvement in the plumpness of my skin!

⇥AT A GLANCE⇤

Maracuja oil, or passion fruit seed oil, is derived from Passiflora edulis,  a species of passion fruit that is native to Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. It is rich in Vitamin C, beta carotene, and iron but I don't know how much of that translates into this product, as nutritional content varies with each species. Tarte does not specify which variety is used in the oil. Nevertheless, the ingredients list is very simple; it contains just passiflora edulis and tocopherol. 

⇥THE BREAKDOWN⇤

Each vial contains 1.7 fl oz for $46 USD ($27.06 USD for 1 oz). There is also a rollerball version available on Sephora's website that retails for $17 USD for 0.6 oz ($28.33 for 1 oz). 

⇥THE GOOD⇤

First and foremost, I think it does a great job at keeping my skin moisturized and hydrated. 2-3 drops is the recommended amount and they're not kidding when they say that. I tried 5 drops once and my face did feel a little heavy. It isn't sticky or heavy feeling at all when you use the recommended amount. There's a nice sheen that it provides upon application that doesn't look too shiny.  I was afraid that it would clog my skin since it is an oil, but I have not had a problem with it at all. Using this underneath a light moisturizer leaves me with a comfortable feeling right before bed while keeping my skin hydrated and avoiding that tight feeling from not enough moisture. 

There's not a scent that I can discern. It's not completely scent-free but I think that's the natural smell of the oil, not some added fragrance. It's not strong nor does it linger, so for those who are sensitive to fragrance, I think it would be alright. 

⇥THE BAD⇤

This is pretty much my only gripe about this. I'm not too sure how clear it in the picture below but there's a crack running along the bottom of the crack. I'm not sure how that crack developed but I don't remember dropping it on the floor or anything. My guess is that it cracked somehow as I as trying to press the top down to get more oil in the dropper. Basically, the dropper sucks and I can't fill up the entire thing. I know I don't need all that oil but it's more convenient to dispense three drops at once than to do it one at a time, refilling the dropper after each drop. The dropper portion even came out of the cap once--I had to forcibly stick it back in so that I could use the darn thing again. If I don't press the top gold button with too much force, the dropper portion won't pop out again but it's just a slight hassle to dispense my drops separately. I'm not sure if the larger bottle will have this problem but be careful with the cap, people!

Also, it's a bit expensive for a passion fruit oil. Looking at some websites online, the prices are considerably more affordable but some customers gripe about the smell. Apparently, it has quite a strong scent when it's unfiltered so I'm not sure how Tarte was able to mask the smell without diluting and filtering the oil. $46USD is a lot to pay for an oil so I would recommend checking your local health food stores or aromatherapy stores to see if they carry this oil in its generic form.

Some claims that Tarte makes:

"Essential fatty acids repair and rebuild skin, and promote skin recovery by reducing redness, irritation, and inflammation. The nutrient-rich oil instantly hydrates sensitive, dry, and acne prone skin, leaving skin even toned and smooth without a greasy feel. Vitamin C brightens dull skin for a radiant, dewy, and luminous complexion."

I can attest to the hydrating dry skin claim. I don't have sensitive skin so I cannot speak about how it will react to those skin types. I do have acne prone skin and it doesn't make them worse BUT I don't think it helps reduce red, irritation, or irritation. The red marks from acne are still there so I don't think it does anything to fade acne scars, even though it claims to have a lot of Vitamin C, which is proven to fade my acne marks, the 36% Vitamin C found in the fruit may not translate to a full 36% in the oil, if that makes sense.

                                         

⇥BOTTOM LINE⇤

I really like this oil. It's the first oil I've ever tried for my face and I'm glad that it works well for me. I think it's a great layering and hydrating addition to my skincare regimen as a combination skin type person (oily t zone, normal/dry cheeks and forehead), especially with fall and winter coming soon. However, I cannot justify the exorbitant price tag for something like this. I also have the Josie Maran Argan Oil, which I haven't done price comparisons for yet, so I'm not going to be repurchasing a larger size. I do like that they offer a smaller size to trial the product for those who are interested but aren't ready to commit.  

⇥WHERE TO BUY⇤

AMAZON:Full Size (passion fruit oil)

SEPHORA: Full Size or Rollerball
TARTE: Full Size
QVC: Full Size + Carrying Case
ULTA: Full Size⏐ Rollerball Version **ULTA's 21 Days of Beauty Steals is starting today and on Week 3 (Saturday, September 27 2014) the 1.7 oz version is selling for $25USD instead of $46 USD ($14.71 USD) so that's a pretty good time to grab it if you're interested!** Also, there's a free gift if you spend $25 USD on Tarte products so it's a good time to try out the new deluxe Gifted Mascara and Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder. 

Do you use any facial oils in your skincare routine? Let me know down below! 

XOXO,

MWAH ♥

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Disclosure Statement: All products mentioned were purchased with my own money. I am not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned above and was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own. Links are not affiliate links and are provided for the readers' convenience. I cannot guarantee that the product(s) will work for you. I do not approve or endorse the products or information available on these sites. Proceed at your own risk.