HOLIDAY BEAUTY 2019: Sephora Sets & Palettes Yes! or Yawn? ... So Far

by - October 10, 2019


In the beauty world, it feels like the holiday season is starting earlier and earlier every year. I remember back in the day when it wasn't until after Halloween that we started seeing holiday sets popping up at Sephora, but these days it seems like we start seeing them released even before Labour Day hits. I have to be honest... it takes a little bit of the magic out of it for me and I actually thought I was going to be pretty disenchanted with this year's holiday beauty releases... but so far, there are actually quite a few that have gotten me excited. Of course, there's also quite a few that I'm just... not at all interested in, so I figured I'd share both the hits and misses for me and why I would or wouldn't pick them up for myself. 

Keep reading for more!


1. SEPHORA Favorites Skincare's Next Big Thing - $40CAD
The reason that this set really hits for me is that it's really filled with products that I've never tried, many of which I've already had my eye on, from brands that could end up being the next big one in the skin care world. I also really do feel like this is a great value for what you're getting, with all of them being in sizes that I think could really give you a feel about whether or not the product is one that interests you. I definitely, definitely want to get my hands on this set.
2. BITE Beauty Creamy Color 4-Piece Mini Amuse Bouche Supercharged Lipstick Set - $28
It honestly been at least five years that I've been picking up at least one of the BITE holiday sets. I feel like they're perfectly sized for my needs since I very rarely use up a full sized lipstick, and the price is always under $30 which is also always a plus. Added bonus this year? These are the new Amuse Bouche Supercharged Lipsticks and I'm really, really interested in trying out the new formula, which definitely adds value to this set for me. 
3. Glow Recipe Glow Baby Glow Set - $37
Obviously, I'm really, really behind but I haven't actually gotten around to trying out anything from Glow Recipe yet, which makes this set containing two of the products I've most been wanting to try out - and in very generous sizes - perfect for me. Again, I find an incredible amount of value in getting to try out multiple products in smaller sizes to see if they work for me, and this time of year is always great for these types of sets that allow you to do that. 
4. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Face Palette - Ghost - $105
It recently occurred to me that I haven't bought one of the Hourglass holiday palettes in five years - which is basically ridiculous to me  - so I feel like we're well past time that I need another one and this year's palette looks absolutely perfect for my skin tone. It also really encompasses all of the different types of face powder products I could possibly want. Yes, this palette is very, very spendy, but it's definitely one that I know without question would be worth the money. 


5. Farmacy Sweet Dreams Set - $86
For very much the same reason as the other skin care sets on my wishlist, I'm dying to try out this set. The Farmacy Green Clean Cleansing Balm is one of my all time favorite skin care products and I've definitely been interested in getting my hands on more products from the brand to try out, but just haven't gotten around to it. For me, the full ounce of the Honeymoon Glow in this set is what really sells it for me. That's a pretty generous size for a value set, if you ask me. 
8. Maison Margiela REPLICA Mini Coffret Set - $105
The thing that has always drawn me to the REPLICA fragrances is that the whole vibe of them really sits in there with my tastes in scents - I'm not someone who really notices the notes of a scent, it's more about the vibe and the feeling. Because the full size bottles are quite expensive and I could never just decide on one, this is a set that offers 5 distinctly different scents, which makes it very much worth it to me. 
7. Too Faced Hot Buttered Rum Palette - $34
The only eye palette on my wishlist so far (and likely to be the only one there through the whole holiday season) I feel like this palette is curated perfectly, at a very reasonable price, and seems to be of really good quality based on what I've heard. For me, holiday eye palettes have basically lost their shine, but this one really stands out for me and I think it's a really smart release on Too Faced's part. 
6. Tarte 9 Ways To Shine Cheek Wardrobe - $45
Tarte holiday blush releases tend to be an absolute favorite of mine (the Tarte Blush Bazaar Palette from two years ago is still one that I use really, really frequently) and I love that they really did something different this year. I also really love the selection of tones and textures in this set and I know that I'd personally get a lot of use out of it. 


9. Saturday Skin Everyday Glow Set - $40
Saturday Skin is definitely one of those brands that I've had my eye on for a while, but just haven't gotten around to trying, and I feel like this really reasonably priced set would be a great place for me to start. I probably don't really need to repeat myself over and over when it comes to the skin care sets, the reasons tend to be all the same. I want to try a bunch of new things at a reasonable price point from brands I've had my eye on, and this one ticks all of those boxes. 
10. KAJA Lookin' Like A Snack Must-Haves Collection - $48
KAJA is actually a brand that hasn't supermuch intrigued me until now, but I feel like there's just something about this set that really grabs me. Partially I know it's because it's just super adorable and pleasing to look at, but I also think the selection and sizes are really good to give me a feel for what the brand has to offer. Also, I do feel like they tend to be doing something unique, which is definitely intriguing when a lot of things seem to all be very much the same these days. 


1. ABH Carli Bybel Eyeshadow Palette - $60
It's not really that often that a new ABH palette doesn't grab me, but this one just really flopped for me as soon as I saw it. I'm sure that there are probably a lot of people who will really love this curation and there's no question that ABH has an incredible shadow formula... there's just something about this that's incredibly boring and uninteresting me, so I'm just not at all tempted.
2. Sephora Favorites Give Me More Lip Set - $50
In previous years, the Give Me More Lip Set has been one that I always really, really want, but this year the narrower selection of products in the set combined with the fact that the things that would make this set exciting to me are things that are already in my collection just kinda puts it out of contention for me. That said, the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria is one of my absolute favorites in my collection and, if you've had your eye on it but don't own it yet, almost pays for this set on its own. Honestly, I don't think this set is bad, it's just not for me. 
3. Too Faced Let It Snow Girl Set - $65
Ughhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! I hate this. I just... hate it. I hate the swivel packaging, I hate the weird curation of the eye palette, I hate that it contains yet another Better Than Sex mascara. I just hate it. Again, I'm sure there's a customer for this set, but it is just 100% not me. Because I hate it. A lot. Have I mentioned that I hate it? I hate it enough that I can't even critique it beyond saying that I HATE IT. 
4. Too Faced Gingerbread Extra Spicy Palette - $65
Unlike the last set, I don't actually hate this palette. The thing is... This would have been really, really exciting three years ago. It even would have been pretty interesting if it had come out before the original Gingerbread Spice Palette. It's the fact that it's coming out now that makes it just boring and run of the mill to me. Last year's palette, to me, just really kind of put this one to shame. Also... my kingdom for a Too Faced palette that doesn't contain the one pandering blue/teal or bright pink shade. It's becoming redundant. 


5. Tarte Winter Wonderglam Luxe Eye Palette - $65
And speaking of boring... Zzzzzz. There's a few really, really pretty shades in this palette, but for the most part this suffers from being both mostly dupeable from my own collection as well as being just a little bit too much of the same when it comes to the shades in the palette. Just not enough variation. I actually really, really love Tarte eyeshadows, but they really tend to bore my face off with their holiday releases and this one is no exception. 
6. Benefit Cheek Camper Mini Blush & Bronzer Palette - $40
Again, this palette just doesn't feel like anything special or interesting to me - especially when you compare it with the 9 pan set from Tarte that I featured in my wishlist. The shades aren't particularly impactful, these powders are kind of old and tired, and it's just not the least bit exciting to me and I feel like if you're going to get some of my money at this time of year, you need to whip up some excitement. 
7. Becca Pop Goes The Glow Champagne Pop Face & Eye Palette - $53
I feel like all of the palettes in this Anti-Haul are suffering the same thing for me and this one slots right in with the rest. There's nothing exciting about this and I feel like it's been years since anyone was really excited about Champagne Pop. The rest of the shades in this palette are... fine? I don't know, there's nothing about this that makes me the least bit interested - and, honestly, most years I am actually pretty interested in what Becca releases for holiday. 
8. Sephora Favorites Superstars Set - $58
Ugh. At least the price is lower this year? Honestly, you guys, other than a couple of newer products, I feel like this set is really exciting.. if it were like five years ago. It's just boring and most of the products in this set stopped being exciting or interesting ages ago now. Maybe it's just me and maybe there's a lot of people who will get really into this set, but I just find it boring and don't see much value there. 


Obviously so much of what people get excited about when it comes to beauty is their own tastes, but I do feel like I can't be the only one who gets really, really excited about certain things and completely bored by others, can I? Clearly what tends to excited me most, personally, are the new and exciting, the unique, and the sets that really offer value (in both cost and variety) for what you're paying. I'm struggling with how to put my thoughts together... Overall, holiday season doesn't hold the same appeal for me that it used to and I feel like there are some pet peeves with holiday releases that are really solidifying for me... but damn there are some things that I really, really want this year!

What's on your Holiday 2019 Beauty Wishlist this year and what doesn't interest you at all? Let me know in the comments! And if another huge wave of releases happens, look for another post like this sometime in the next... 2 months!

Thanks for reading!

You May Also Like

0 comments