Of all the holiday sets and kits, lip-based ones are my favorite because they usually perform consistently with permanent counterparts/formulas and offer more for the money (whether paying less or just getting more shades for the money). The downside is that sometimes the packaging feels flimsy or the bullet can break too easily because it’s so small (for lipstick).
— Christine
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
Far more loves than hates!!
Love: The size allows for a better chance of completing the lippie before it goes bad. It is a great way to try a brand you haven’t tried before or maybe just another finish. They are small enough to carry a couple in your bag and they don’t take up much room in your storage area. In my case, they make great advent calendar gifts for my daughter. Love that usually they are a good value for the money.
Hate: There are frequently a lot of shades in the mix that I can’t use and would not look good on my daughter.
If it’s lip glosses or perhaps one of the Nars/Bite lipstick pencil sets, I’m game!
But mini lipstick sets make me nervous, as my lips (especially so my lower lip) are fuller, therefore, there’s a greater risk of them breaking during my usage. It’s happened enough times for me to know.
I love the idea of better value for money, but in reality that usually isn’t the case for me because I won’t wear most shades in a lip set because they usually include too many dark/bold colours for my liking. They’re probably great value for some people, but for me, I’m better off just getting one lipstick in a shade I know I’ll wear.
RAVES: Smaller products are cheaper and easier to use up. I think they’re a great way to get multiple colors from a favorite brand, or try out a new brand. I think holiday lip products are less prone to quality issues than holiday eyeshadows and blushes. If there is a shade I don’t like, I just give it to a friend, and I’m not out much money. I like that gloss sets are usually shimmery or sparkly.
RANTS: I agree that that lipsticks can break easily. They tend to sell out quickly. Brands usually stick to “safe” color combinations: Nudes, reds, berries, browns. I don’t need any more of those kinds of shades, so I end up skipping a lot of collections.
Rave: It’s a great way to try a brands lipsticks and the smaller size ensures that you can finish them.
Rant: They often contain shades that I would not wear and they are often unavailable in Aus.
I’ve never seen a set that had all shades that I could wear.
If only sets were sold where the customer could choose among a few different colors, then I’d be able to buy a set that was totally of use to me.
Like: Being able to try new shades in mini sizes. And going in on a set with friends so we can spend less money and pick which shades we want.
Dislike: Disappointing collections, like this year’s MAC set that mostly consists of the minis you can buy every day of the year and costs a lot more per lipstick than their 2017 holiday set. I also worry about those little lipsticks breaking, but not so much that it puts me off buying a good set.
Rave: often good value; often minis; easy to store. Rant: As a person who deselects most pink/coral, the balance of the variety is often not to my preference…and I do not have s.o. to give the balance to. Very large sets are seldom worth it, but fours/fives in a color family or unusual colors can be awesome. That applies to other than holiday, as well.