Now that our jack-o-lanterns have rotted and our costumes have been stuffed into the back of our closets, it’s time to focus on the ACTUAL best time of the year: Thanksgiving and the holidays. The beginning of November to the end of December are (in my honest opinion) the hands-down best time of the year. The air gets colder, the leaves get crunchier, the food gets better and the general atmosphere gets happier.
Thanksgiving, at this point, generally goes hand-in-hand with Black Friday, the one day of the year that is about as close to the Purge as we’ll get, unless something drastically changes. In anticipation of this major shopping season, many cosmetic companies gear up in the summer-time and release “holiday sets,” of either individual, limited-edition makeup or bundles of their makeup for cheaper than buying the makeup separately.
For all my makeup junkies, or those curious about relatively cheaper makeup, here’s everything you need to know about six of the holiday sets coming to an Ulta, Sephora or website near you, in order of least to most expensive:
1. Urban Decay’s Naked 4some: $185 at a $216 value, saving $31.
Urban Decay broke the Internet with the release of their Naked palette, and have continued to just get better the more they release them. This limited-edition vault is a great way for anyone to catch up with the palettes they’ve missed, for slightly cheaper than buying all four separately. This vault includes:
-The original Naked palette (focuses mainly on bronze neutrals)
-Naked2 palette (taupe neutrals)
-Naked3 palette (rose neutrals)
-Naked Heat palette (scorched neutrals)
-Comes in a display tower, perfect for displaying your palettes on your vanity
This set can be found at Sephora, Ulta and the Urban Decay website.
2. Sephora’s Favorites Superstars Everyday Must Haves: $75 at a $225 value, saving $150.
One of my favorite things about Sephora is their makeup collection sets (their Give Me Some Nude Lip set is a personal favorite). These sets, which are a great way to test out a lot of makeup before buying the whole thing, include miniature or full-size samples of different makeup, including best-selling lipsticks, mascaras or other makeup items. This set includes:
-Miniature Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Medium Brown
-An Original Beautyblender
-Miniature Benefit Hoola Bronzer
-Miniature Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Golden Pink
-Miniature Kat Von D Beauty Lock-It Setting Powder
-Miniature MAKE UP FOR EVER Ultra HD Microfinishing Loose Powder
-Miniature Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon in Blacquer
-Miniature NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella
-Miniature Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer
-Miniature Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara in black
-Miniature Too-Faced Melted Matte Liquified Long Wear Matte Lipstick in Sell Out
-Miniature Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
-Miniature Yves Saint Laurent Touche Èclat Radiant Touch in 2 Luminous Ivory
This set is exclusive to Sephora.
3. NYX’s Professional Makeup Lip Lingerie Vault: $65 at a $105 value; saving $40.
NYX is, honestly, one of the best drugstore makeup brands that I have ever tried. There are, of course, some hits and misses, but their best products are their lip products. The Lip Lingerie line is a comfortable, long-wearing, cruelty-free line of liquid lipsticks in a range of nude colors for all skin tones. This set is perfect to give to one makeup lover, or divide into smaller groups for a lot of gifts. The vault includes:
-30 (24 old, six new) mini Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipsticks in the shades:
-Old: Satin Ribbon, Embellishment, Lace Detail, Ruffle Trim, Beauty Mark, Push-Up, Bedtime Flirt, Corset, Teddy, Baby Doll, Exotic, Honeymoon, Cabaret Show, French Maid, Silk indulgent, Dusk to Dawn, Cashmere Silk, Scandalous, Delicate Lust, After Hours, Confident, Seduction, Bustier and Cheekies.
-New: Tainted, Lie To Me, Mesmerizing, Mi Amor, Oui Ready and Raw Emotion.
This set is exclusive to Ulta.
4. Tarte Cosmetic’s Treasure Box Collector’s Set: $59 at a $433 value; saving $374.
One of my all-time favorites, Tarte Cosmetics’ holiday sets are always on point. This box set of high-end, cruelty-free makeup includes:
-24 Amazonian Clay eyeshadows in a range of colors from neutral mattes to vibrant shimmers
-Two Amazonian Clay blushes in Perk (light pink) and Wish (vibrant pink)
-Two Amazonian clay bronzers in Navigate (matte brown) and Excursion (shimmery brown)
-Amazonian clay highlighter in Wanderlust (light champagne)
-Full-size of their vegan Sex Kitten liquid liner
-Miniature of their Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara
-Miniature of their Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in Grand (deep rose)
This set can be found at Sephora or on Tarte’s website.
5. Too Faced’s Best Year Ever makeup collection: $49 at a $285 value; saving $236.
Everyone’s favorite problematic makeup brand has an uncontested monopoly over making irresistibly cute holiday sets. This limited-edition one includes:
-Three eyeshadow palettes in Super Fun Night, I Believe in Pink and Natural Beauty
-Deluxe Better Than Sex Mascara
-A limited-edition makeup bag
This set can be found at Ulta, Sephora or on the Too Faced website.
6. Ulta’s Be Gorgeous 76 Piece Collection: currently $20, usually $25, at a $200 value; saving $175-$180.
Similar to Sephora, Ulta releases ridiculously large collections of Ulta-brand best sellers. These sets are perfect for an aspiring makeup artist, or someone who wants to sample a lot of makeup for cheap. This set includes:
-42 (!!!) eyeshadows in a very wide range of colors
-Six mini Gel Eyeliners in black, purple, bronze, brown, navy and charcoal
-Four mini Color Correcting Concealers in yellow, lavender, green and pink
-Three Brow Powders in taupe, medium brown and deep brown
-Three Glitter Top Coats in silver, bronze and rose gold
-Two Eyeshadow Primers in champagne and nude matte
-Two Bronzers in shimmer and matte
-Two Blushes in coral and nude pink
-Two Highlighters in gold and peach
-Two Matte Lip Creams in Stirring (matte plum) and Courageous (medium brown)
-Two Color Rush Lip Glosses in Brigitte (blue pink) and Elizabeth (shimmery medium pink)
-Cream Highlighter in Pink
-Brow Wax
This set is exclusive to Ulta.
Get your game plan together and grab these holiday sets on Black Friday, or any other day because these prices and values are amazing!