REVIEW: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 hour FULL COVERAGE foundation

As a college student, I often find myself in a constant budget dilemma.  I adore beauty products, but I don't have the constant funds to support my impulsive lifestyle.  During my high school days, I found myself buying tons of high end beauty products.  As I became more independent, I had to substitute some of those high end loves.  I searched for three years for a product which was comparable to my tarte Amazonian clay 12 hour foundation, but nothing came close.
 
PROS
-LONG lasting. As an oily skinned girl, a long lasting foundation is a must! Even without a primer, this foundation can remain on my skin for a full 8 hour day!
-Doubles up as a concealer. On days where my skin is bad, I can add more foundation to my problem areas, eliminating the need for a concealer. 
-Formulated without Parabens, Sulfates and other potentially harmful chemicals
-DOES NOT BREAK ME OUT!!!
-One tube lasts a LONG time.  One tube lasts me 6 months.
-has spf 15. 

CONS
-Limited colour selection.  My local Sephora only sells 8 shades.
-Fairly Pricey.  Sephora charges $49 CDN for 1.7oz (or $38 USD)
 
HOW TO MULTITASK THIS PRODUCT
The formulation of tarte Amazonian Clay foundation is amazing! I can easily turn this into a medium coverage foundation by mixing it with facial moisturizer (I use Olay Complete All Day Moisture Lotion SPF 15).  On days where I choose to wear eye shadow, I can also get away with using this as an eye primer!

HOW CAN THIS PRODUCT BE INCORPORATED INTO A COLLEGE BUDGET?
Based on personal experience, I give myself a budget of 300dollars a month for groceries, social outings and luxuries.  I find myself repurchasing this product once a year, because I opt against using foundation over the summer. Despite the amazing staying power of this product, sweat and foundation are a combination which never appealed to me...

 

Left: The formulation of tarte's foundation is very thick.  When I first tried it on in the store, I thought that it wouldn't be blendable, and would appear cakey on my skin...safe to say I WAS WRONG