Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Eyeshadow Palette Volume III Review

I recently picked up the new Tarte Cosmetics Rainforest of the Sea Highlighting Eyeshadow Palette Volume III at Sephora during the VIB Rouge fall preview and I couldn't wait to share my review and swatches with you guys!

I was a big fan of the original Rainforest palette because of the beautiful yet travel-friendly packaging, the creamy powder formula, and the warm bronzy neutral shades. I skipped Volume II because the shades were mostly dark, smoky shades but Volume III drew me back in with its pretty summery neutrals.

The packaging is stunning...I like it even more than the original because the background is my absolute favorite color blue, and I love the gold accents with it. Inside, there are seven shimmery metallic shades and one matte transition shade that can be used with any of the colors in this palette. 

The formula feels very similar to the original...it's a powder but feels like a cream. The only difference is that these are metallic so they have quite a bit of fallout with some chunkier glitter pieces in the formula. In the description on the Sephora website, it suggests applying these with your finger and I would completely agree with that. Picking these up with a brush is difficult and they don't apply well to your lids , leaving lots of glittery fallout. However, if you really want to use a brush, spray a little setting spray on it first and get it damp...then these go on beautifully intense, like liquid metal.

You can also use your finger, like I did for these swatches:

So how does volume III compare to Volume I? Just looking at the palettes side-by-side, you can see that volume I has a slightly deeper color scheme and more matte shades. The shimmer shades also don't look as glittery in the pan as they do in Volume III.

Swatching Volume I was so much fun because I haven't taken it out since last summer and I forgot how much I loved it! I definitely plan to add it back into my rotation...the shades go on so smoothly and will create some really pretty summery looks. Volume III will also create some really gorgeous looks that will highlight and brighten my eyes. Both have extremely easy-to-wear neutral shades...it's really just the finishes that make them different.

Overall, if you're a fan of shiny, shimmery eye looks I would definitely recommend the new Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Volume III palette...as long as you're willing to work with the formula a little bit. I actually decided to buy this instead of the new Jouer Skinny Dip palette which had very similar shades (but only 5 of them and it costs $40).

What are your thoughts? Did you purchase this palette or are you passing on it?

Available now at Sephora.com