As promised, here is my most current guide to Christmas limited releases, available at SephoraSephora. For more complete instructions, see my favorites at Sephora, the permanent edition.
SephoraSephora started a Bonus point event on 14th of October. From October 14th to 24th, Rouges will receive 4x points, VIBs 3x points and Insider 2x points for all purchases made with code YAYPOINTS. We also have the Sephora Holiday Savings Event in November that we can look forward to.
For a wider range of my favorite formulas and products of all time (updated this month!): Best Blushes, Best Highlighters, Best Eyeshadows, Best Eyeshadow Palettes, Best Lipsticks, Best Lip Glosses, Best Eye Brushes, Best Face Brushes.
Pro shopping tip: Both brands and retailers will be competing heavily with each other from now through early December. It is best to buy a brand direct as they usually have 20 to 30% off (sometimes even better, especially if you are looking for more than a few products). Although not yet filled with offers for the year (most are embargoed!), You can use ours Black Friday Beauty Offers 2021 to get an idea of what to expect from brands and retailers based on last year’s sales. You can also use ours always updated makeup sales and offers Post anytime for available sales (bookmark it as it updates daily!).
The list for mid-October is surprisingly sparse, but this year felt like 1) fewer new, limited product versions were released, and 2) those that hit the market were released later than usual. I usually finish with holiday starts mostly by early November (and that’s because I’m catching up!). I have some new vacation pallets that I’ll be reviewing over the next few weeks, so I’ll come back to this post to fully update it in case any of these do well! 🙂
Pat McGrath Celestial Odyssey Mega MTHRSHP Eyeshadow PalettePat McGrath Celestial Odyssey Mega MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palette ($ 78.00 for 0.684 oz.) Is a … Read full review.
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Sephora Sephora
Pat McGrath Huetopian Dream Mothership Eyeshadow PalettePat McGrath Huetopian Dream Mothership Eyeshadow Palette ($ 125.00 for 0.47 oz.) Works best … Read full review.
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Sephora Sephora
As of last Christmas season, I’ve stopped buying kits / sets of products that I’ve already reviewed to minimize waste and save the review budget on other things. I still think mini-sets and kits are often great Christmas gifts, so here is a list of a few you can find at SephoraSephora this holiday season.
Makeup sets
Laura Mercier Mini Shimmer & Glow Caviar Stick SetLaura Mercier Mini Shimmer & Glow Caviar Stick Set ($ 29.00) includes three mini-size eyeshadow sticks in cocoa, amethyst, and copper. (Reviews)
Rare Beauty Selena’s Faves 4-piece mini-setRare Beauty Selena’s Faves 4-piece mini-set ($ 30.00) includes mini versions of Joy Liquid Rouge, Mesmerize Liquid Luminizer, Inspire Lip Souffle, and Perfect Strokes Mascara.
Tom Ford Mini Lip Color Lipstick SetTom Ford Mini Lip Color Lipstick Set ($ 80.00) includes five travel size lip colors in Paperdoll, Casablanca, Black Dahlia, Night Porter, and Scarlet Rouge. (Reviews)
YSL Lip Showroom Safe SetYSL Lip Showroom Safe Set ($ 250.00, $ 375 value) includes 10 full-size lip colors from YSL. When it comes to lip products, YSL very rarely misses!
Skin care sets
I find I am drawn to sets from brands that I generally have good success with with more than one product. If you don’t know my skin type, I have normal to dry skin that is somewhat acne prone (mostly cystic acne on the cheeks) but that hasn’t been too much of a problem for the past few months. I can sometimes peel off my cheek and nose area regardless of the season. I feel like my skin is not sensitive to most of the ingredients as I can change products regularly without my skin reacting negatively.
Laneige Midnight Minis-SetLaneige Midnight Minis-Set ($ 18.00) includes five deluxe-sized mini lip sleeping masks in five different flavors. I like the feel and texture of this balm – more for the day to me – and I know it’s a very popular product in the community, so it’s one of those sets that is high on my gift list.
Farmacy Garden Party Green clean trioFarmacy Garden Party Green clean trio ($ 42.00, $ 66 value) contains three 1.7 oz. Cleansing balm in new, limited fragrances. The original Green Clean has been a must have for a couple of years – we’ve probably gone through at least a half dozen tubs! – so this is one of the sets that I will personally enjoy. Also a nice gesture: for every purchase of tis trio, Farmacy donates five meals to families in need.
Holy Leaf of the Sephora Collection!Holy Leaf of the Sephora Collection! ($ 48.00, $ 87 value) contains 20 of Sephora’s best-selling skin care sheet masks (which are said to be in recyclable packaging). If you’re someone who routinely uses skin care masks, I would say that full size jar masks are a better choice, but if you’re someone who rarely makes masks in a jar, sheet masks may be a better alternative. I’ve been a fan of the various Sephora sheet masks since they came out.
Dermalogica Our best Cleanse & Glow Holiday KitDermalogica Our best Cleanse & Glow Holiday Kit (Value 95.00 USD, Value 143 USD) includes the pre-cleaning, the special cleaning gel and the daily microfoliant. I’ve been very lucky with Dermalogica products and am currently working my way through a bottle of Precleanse! For light cleaning (e.g. in the morning) I prefer gel-based cleaning agents. Since I use a lot of chemical peels, the gentleness of the Daily Microfoliant fits in well with my routine.
First Aid Beauty Your future looks fantasticFirst Aid Beauty Your future looks fantastic ($ 49.00, $ 112 value) is a tempting set for me personally this year as we go through a whole range of beauty first aid products in my household. My husband routinely uses the KP Bump Eraser Budy Scrub and Ultra Repair while we were both using the cleaner (I crank the cleaners … all the time).
Fresh Rose deep hydration setFresh Rose deep hydration set ($ 68.00, valued at $ 101) includes five of Fresh’s rose-based products. I like the feel of their lip balm but I find it is worn very short so I wouldn’t buy it but I love the other four products. There’s something about the scent of Fresh’s rose line that really relaxes me (although the actual perfume range is NOT the same!). I’ve bought a few sets of Fresh’s Rose in the past, so I’ll likely skip this particular set as I have at least one spare jar of the face cream and one I’m currently using.
Dr. Jart + 10 must-haves for masksDr. Jart + 10 must-haves for masks ($ 67.00, $ 96 value) is another kit I’ll pick up during the holiday season to provide for the coming year. I’m not the most consistent mask user, which is why I’ve found that sheet masks sometimes go better with my lifestyle, as glass masks expire long before I get close to them.
Fresh Cleanse & Mask DuoFresh Cleanse & Mask Duo ($ 19.50, $ 28 value) is a perfect gift to give (or receive) that is indulgent without breaking the bank. It contains the brand’s Soy Face Cleanser and Rose Face Mask, both products that I love to use.
First Aid Beauty FAB AID Ultra Repair Cream Home & Away KitFirst Aid Beauty FAB AID Ultra Repair Cream Home & Away Kit ($ 46.00, $ 60 value) includes 8 oz. and 2 ounces. Jars of the brand’s best-selling Ultra Repair Cream (this is my husband’s cream; I like it too, but I don’t commit myself).
Forvr Mood Mini Candle Gift SetForvr Mood Mini Candle Gift Set ($ 50.00) contains four 2.5 oz. Candles in four of the brand’s core fragrances. I haven’t bought a lot of candles in the past few years because I don’t like lighting them (I forget to put them out), but I’ve bought several of the Forever Mood minis in the last year because they always get lit without a nice throw have to.
La Mer Creme de la Mer DuetLa Mer Creme de la Mer Duet ($ 350.00, worth $ 440) is a duo that I’m looking for any Christmas season because my mom loves the original moisturizer, so I give it every year. Every time I can save a little on this product, I jump (already bought this one!).
