Colour Pop Dream Sequence Super Shock Highlighter Palette ($18.00 for 0.60 oz.) is a new, limited edition palette featuring two glittery highlighters and two more pearly highlighters. All four performed well with pigmentation that was as described (more opaque with fingertip application, more buildable with brushes), were easy to apply and blend out, and stayed on for a solid 10 hours. These shades can also be purchased individually (in pots).
Fenty Beauty Holiday 2018 Match Stix by the Dozen ($129.00 for 1.20 oz.) contains 12 miniature-sized Match Stix with five shades from the permanent line and seven new shades. I reached out to the brand multiple times trying to find out whether the new shades were going to be added to the permanent range in the future or if they were limited edition and exclusive to the set, but I wasn’t able to get an answer. The packaging for the set was similar to the Mattemoiselle 10/10 set (which I was able to get confirmation about; those new shades will be added in the future) and not the limited edition, holiday sets, so here’s hoping they will be added in the future. The formula was consistent with the permanent range–medium to full coverage, fairly blendable, a drier, more powder-like finish on the skin. Some shades were drier, sheerer, or harder to blend out, which was how the permanent range was for me as well.
Each Match Stix contains 0.10 oz. of product, and a full-sized Match Stix contains 0.25 oz. and retails for $25.00 or $100.00 per ounce, which gives the set a total value of $120. It includes a roll-up case that they can be stored in. Worth nothing, the miniature Match Stix are not magnetic, whereas the full-sized ones click together for easy hunting in one’s bag (per the brand at launch).
NARS Heartbreaker Holiday 2018 Cheek Trio ($42.00 for 0.36 oz.) includes three blushes from the brand’s permanent range. Oddly, the brand’s often-released Orgasm blush fell short here; it was firm and stiff to work with, heartbreaking really… Luster was dustier in the palette than it has been in its standalone format but was easy to work with, just not quite the same in finish. Amour seemed fairly consistent with the last version I have, though.
Hourglass Vol. 4 Ambient Lighting Edit Palette ($80.00 for 0.29 oz.) is a new, limited edition holiday offering that contains four existing shades and two new, exclusive shades (Filtered Bronze Light and Luminous Glow). The powders performed consistently with other Hourglass powders, so those who enjoy these palettes will likely enjoy this one, too, if the included shades work for your skin tone.
The palette contains $10.51 worth of Ambient Lighting Powder, $5.13 worth of Ambient Lighting Bronzer, $20.27 worth of Ambient Lighting Blush, and $9.50 worth of Metallic Strobe Lighting Powder for a total value of $45.41. If you expect to use most of the powders but don’t usually finish products or often travel, it might be “worth” it to you, though typically palettes like these offer more for your money (since you are buying in “bulk” in a way) or else aren’t nearly so drastic in the difference between value and price.
NARS Laguna and Fort de France Little Fetishes ($24.00 for 0.21 oz.) contains the brand’s iconic Laguna bronzer along with more recently-released Fort de France highlighter. The bronzer performed poorly for me–very stiff and dry in the pan, which yielded product in clumps and was difficult to apply and build up. The highlighter performed well, but the bronzer was so disappointing that I’d give this set a miss myself.
A full-sized Bonzing Powder retails for $40.00 and contains 0.28 oz. or costs $142.86/oz. A full-sized Highlighting Powder retails for $38.00 and contains 0.49 oz. or costs $77.55/oz. This set contains $11.43 worth of bronzer and $10.08 worth of highlighter for a total value of $21.51.
Urban Decay Naked Cherry Highlighter & Blush Palette ($34.00 for 0.51 oz.) contains a pale peach highlighter, mid-tone pink blush, and iridescent white “topper” (aka highlighter). This palette is definitely going to work best for fairer complexions, though the blush is marketed as “universally-flattering.” The Naked Cherry collection seems like a big launch for the brand, so it struck me as odd not to create standalone cheek colors or else a light and dark version of a cheek trio to reach their very diverse customer base. The quality of the blush left a lot to be desired, so the trio was a big miss for me regardless of whether it was going to show up on my skin tone (which it did).
