Welcome to the first official Blogmas 2020 post here on An Historian About Town! Yes, I’ve had a few holiday themed posts in October and November, but today kicks off my daily Blogmas posts. And perfect timing, because ’tis the season… for holiday make up gift sets! If you are like me, you see these beautiful and fun holiday sets on Sephora and the Bay and Nordstrom and drool. But then I immediately am overwhelmed. Are they worth it? Is it different from the regular product? What isn’t normally offered? So, I turn to my beauty guru, Kayla from Kayla Collects Palettes! She is one of my good friends, and knows more about make up than anyone I know. And because she has tried so many brands and products, she is in the perfect place to recommend holiday make up gift sets. So, let’s get into Blogmas 2020 and find some make up!
As I said above, I love looking at the holiday packaging on offer with holiday make up sets. However, I’m immediately struck by the question of whether or not something is a good bargain. Am I paying more simply for different packaging? Is the amount of the product consistent? And is it actually worth it? I always run my Sephora purchases by Kayla before I check out, so I knew I wanted her thoughts this year. Onto Kayla’s picks!
Kayla Collects Palettes- Holiday 2020 Sephora Recommendations
The festive season is upon us! The 2020 Holiday season might look different this year, but there’s no reason we can’t spoil ourselves or someone we love with some beautiful gifts. The makeup industry offers hundreds if not thousands of holiday sets. I would like to buy them all, but my budget and practicality don’t allow that. So, let’s look at some makeup sets that are perfect gifts for the holiday season.
Too Faced – Cinnamon Bear Makeup Set ($39.00 USD/$49.00CAD)
I’ve been eyeing this set since I first saw photos online. I love pink and berry toned eyeshadow, so the Cinnamon Bear set was immediately interesting to me. The set contains 8 eyeshadows, a blush, a full sized Melted Matte Liquid Lipstick and an adorable Cinnamon Bear makeup bag. The value for money with this set is great. A Melted Matte Liquid Lipstick alone is $21.00 USD/$29.00 CAD. Plus, the little bag is so cute!
I bought this set recently and I’ve been loving it. The eyeshadow pans in this palette are a bit smaller than Too Faced’s larger palettes, but that doesn’t bother me too much. The lipstick is such a flattering red and it does smell like cinnamon candy. This little set will be great for travel – (assuming travel is ever a thing again). This set has a little bit of everything in this palette, so it would be a great gift for any makeup lover or someone who is just starting out with makeup.
Melt Cosmetics Beetlejuice Collection
I’m obsessed with this collection! Melt Cosmetics decided to go in a spooky direction with their holiday release. This Beetlejuice themed collection is the biggest collection Melt Cosmetics has launched to date. The collection includes everything from neon eyeshadow to wildly bright gel liners and I’m into it! I have my eye on the Waiting Room palette in particular. As I mentioned earlier, I’m a fan of berry tones so this berry and grey toned palette is so intriguing to me. It’salways nice to see a brand release something different and it can’t get more unique than a fluorescent, smokey holiday makeup. If you’re a fan of Beetlejuice or you just like to be adventurous with your makeup, this limited edition collection is definitely worth checking out.
Becca Cosmetics – Mini Barbie Ferreira Prismatica Light Essentials Kit ($35.00 USD $47.00 CAD)
I don’t know who Barbie Ferreira is…but, if you’re interested in trying some new highlighters this holiday season Becca has a great holiday set. I’ve always wanted to try Becca highlighters. I never finish full sized highlighters, so in the long run I think minis are probably a better option. The shades included are Champagne Pop (soft, golden with pinky-peach pearl), Vanilla Quartz (light-golden with pink pearl), Rose Quartz (neutral, pale pink with soft, golden pearl). I love Rose Quartz and Vanilla Quartz,Champagne pop is a bit dark for me, but it’s still gorgeous. A normal full sized Shimmering Skin Perfector is $38.00USD/$50.00CAD, but like I said, I would likely never use the 7 grams of product included in a full size. These highlights are beautiful and I’m glad to try three different shades for the price of one. In addition, this set is currently on sale for $25.00USD/$39.99CAD, so you can get it at an even better deal.
Smashbox – Always On Liquid Lipstick Set ($25.00 USD/$32.00CAD)
This is a perfect little lipstick collection. Smashbox has one of the few liquid lipstick formulas I enjoy wearing. I was happy to see this little set available. It’s always a challenge for me to finish an entire lipstick, so I like having minis. Plus, they’re easy to carry with you throughout the day. The set included four different shades, Yes Honey (light chestnut), Bang Bang (yellow red matte), Role Model (warm berry), Miss Conduct (deep warm plum). There’s a good shade variety that’s perfect for the holiday season. Each mini includes 0.03 oz and a full size Always On Liquid Lipstick contains 0.13 oz product. This set gives you or the lipstick lover in your life the chance to try four shades for the price of one. Plus, this set is also currently on sale for $12.50USD/$19.00CAD, so the deal is even better.
Sultry Eyeshadow Palette Vault ($70.00/$86.00CAD)
Well, it’s official – cool tones are back in style! It was announced recently that Anastasia Beverly Hills is re-releasing 2018’s Sultry palette in a Black Friday vault set available now. The vault set includes a Lash Brag Mascara, a liquid liner, a deluxe eye primer sample and of course the Sultry palette. The vault will retail for $70.00 USD and $86.00 CAD.
Sultry is a great cool toned palette. The formula is lovely, I’ve loved using it since I first purchased it. If you missed out on Sultry the first time around, here’s an opportunity to add a great palette to your collection along with some other awesome items. Check out the Anastasia Beverly Hills website by click here for more details.
Well, that’s my list of the holiday sets that have intrigued me the most. There are so many more, but these are the products I have either already purchased or I plan to buy in the near future. I think any of these products would make you or the makeup enthusiast in your life happy. It’s nice to have a few new, pretty, things around during the crazy time we’re living in.
If there’s any other sets you think I should be checking out, feel free to stop by my blog and let me know. I’m always adding to my collection and posting about what I buy on my blog.
Thanks for reading, history lovers,
Kayla
♠
You can find Kayla’s blog here, and her Instagram here! She regularly posts reviews of favourites and new products, and I would absolutely recommend following for her thoughts. She gives her honest opinions, which can sometimes be difficult to find in the world of make up, and is always willing to make personal recommendations!
Which holiday make up gift sets are you looking at this year?
Cheers,
The Historian
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