Holiday Beauty Buys
The holiday season is upon us which for most of us means holiday shopping and faint ideas on what to buy our loved ones. I have managed to make 3 trips into Sephora stores in the past week during other scheduled mall trips as well as browse and place orders online so here are a few of my top Beauty picks:
Philosophy 3-in-1 Set: Home for the Holidays $30
This has got to be my favorite Philosophy gift set. If you are unfamiliar with Philosophy they specialize in bath and body care and are most famous for their 3-in-1 shampoo, shower gel, and bath bubbles. The scents are pretty spot on as well. This set features the delicious double rich hot cocoa, cinnamon buns, and spiced apple cider. This gift would be a hit with all age groups.
Sephora Blockbuster Palette $48
The lowdown on this palette: 64 eye shadows, 32 lip colors, seven cheek colors, one translucent shimmer powder, four double-ended shadow applicators, two blush brushes, and two lip brushes. Wow!! That’s like paying 43 cents per item in this palette which is unheard of for good quality makeup. I have seen this palette and it is small enough to throw in a travel bag and bring with you where ever you may go. Its all Sephora branded makeup and tools which have pretty good staying power and the tools last for years.
Too Faced: Jewelry Box $39.50
Another item that caught my eye in my recent shopping trips is the Too Faced palette named: The Jewelry Box. This set includes lip gloss, eye shadow, blush, shimmer powder, bronzer, foundation powder, eye liner, and makeup applicators. While this palette is not a large as the Sephora palette, I think its a great deal as well. I am a huge fan of Too Faced. The staying power of their products, pigments in the makeup, and the quality are just fabulous for the price.
Bliss Snow Suit Bath and Body Set $26
Bliss is becoming one of my new favorite skincare lines. I joined the Sephora Beauty Insiders club (free) in July and as my birthday gift I picked up a 1.7 fl oz sample of Bliss’s Naked Body Butter (so scandelous sounding). I absolutely fell in love with this product. I have never felt my skin feel so soft and smooth as I have after using this product. It is also very breathable and does not clog your pores. Sometimes when I put on my Victoria’s Secret lotion and try to sleep at night I end up sweating and feeling all clogged up. Not so with Bliss’s Body Butter. I will admit the $35 a tube price is a tad high but I think this gift set is perfect - body butter and bath gel for $26. The scent’s not too shabby either.
She Uemura Perfect Eyes Set $58
If you have read any magazine this year I’m sure you have read or seen the Shu Uemura eye lash curler. The claim is that it gives your lashes the perfect curl for just $18. I admit I was skeptical 2 years ago when I first heard this claim. I thought heating my revlon curler with my hair dryer to temperatures so high I could (and did) burn my eye lids was good enough to get a curl. But you see I’m a curious girl when it comes to beauty items. I tried the Sephora heated mini eyelash curler (don’t bother), heating the revlon curler, trying maybelline’s curler (painful loss of eyelashes) so I figured why not. Well I’m a believer. The curler is shaped more “flat” than the drugstore brands and I don’t have to move the curler to the edge and middle to get a good curl going. Also, I am a fan of She Uemura’s mascara. They use calligraphy ink in their mascara which gives a pretty black color without clumping or looking raccoonish.
Stila: The Gift of Glaze $28
Stila is my all time favorite makeup brand for most of my makeup items. Stila rocks with their Gift of Glaze this year featuring 6 lip glazes in a variety of colors. One note if you are not familar with lip glaze the color in the tube is usually brighter or darker than it will appear on you so don’t let a bright color turn you off. You can also mix the colors to create your own. This gift set is on the top of my list this year as it includes 2 new shades (nutmeg spice and candy cane) and a few of my other favorites (grapefruit - light pink, vanilla).
Up next: Stocking Stuffers under $15!
