Last month, I sprung for a special Valentine's edition trial set (Be Mine Again: Limited Edition Natural Skincare Try-Me Kit) from Tata Harper, an upscale brand out of Vermont. Samples of her Oil Cleanser, Purifying Cleanser, Beautifying Facial Oil, Concentrated Brightening Serum, Moisturizing Mask, Fortifying Body Lotion, Love Potion Perfume and five samples of her Volumizing Lip and Cheek Tint came tucked inside a red velvet pouch. Oh, and a square of Lake Champlain dark chocolate that was really good.
The Volumizing Lip and Cheek Tints were what motivated the purchase, I was wooed by the chance to play with generously sized samples of all the shades. Very Popular is quite sheer and shimmery, but the other shades are quite opaque. On lips, they have a vaguely fruit flavor and don't last for ages, but the brighter ones impart a bit of a stain. They blend comfortably over the apples of cheeks and look quite natural.
My favorite of the shades, Very Vivacious, is a wildly flattering pinked coral. It's a Spring wake up for my pallid winter complexion and I'd recommend it for anyone. Especially for those who balk at experimenting with coral and want a color that would compliment virtually any outfit.
From left: Very Nice, Very Vivacious, Very Sweet, Very Charming, Very Naughty.
Tata Harper, herself, is a Columbian born mother of three who's original vocation was as an industrial engineer. After a close family member was diagnosed with cancer, her family sat down with a doctor who advised caution with not only what they ate, and how they cleaned their homes, but with what personal care products they used. When she discovered the lack of non-toxic alternatives for her high-end skincare, she built her own green skincare line from the ground up. When possible, plants are grown and harvested on her 12,000 acre Vermont farm (all organic!) to make her products. Everything else is imported from far flung locales like the Amazon, Israel and Europe. And the production isn't outsourced, the formulas and manufacturing all take place in her onsite lab, where one would imagine her industrial engineering expertise has come in helpful. Besides the Lip and Cheek Tints, the star products for me out of this kit were her Love Potion fragrance – at once a very mature floral and weighty aromatherapy cocktail – and her Rejuvenating Cleanser, which felt fabulous and non-drying.
Tata Harper / $25 (No longer available)
