I like it in lip products the most, particularly lip glosses, but find it most annoying to deal with in powder eyeshadows, though I certainly enjoy the look of glitter and sparkle just about anywhere–eyes, cheeks, lips!
— Christine
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
I like duos and trios but more than that starts to feel a bit overkill and often runs into the problem of trying to cater toward more skin tones but then not really catering toward any particular one. But you know, if they’re good? They’re still nice overall.
— Christine
In general, as long as products released are of quality, I don’t really mind if there are lots of them… but sometimes, holiday offerings can be inconsistent with permanent or previous offerings, and this can make it more challenging to weed through the misses! A lot of the holiday palettes released look the same after a few years, so in many ways, I think a lot of the holiday releases are for new-to-beauty people and to give as gifts but less so for the more seasoned folks!
— Christine
I dig the mix of affordable and mid/high-end offerings. I think it’s nice to have more of a one-stop shop experience. They have fantastic sales/offers and a good reward program (that actually rewards one’s loyalty!). However, their website could be vastly improved, and their shipping is the worst in the industry in my experience. They often put one giant air packet on the top of products, so everything still ends up rattling around the box for 7-10 days in transit. I’ve started to put 2-day shipping on all orders (which isn’t cheap) but still find that the majority of the time I’ve ordered powder products, at least one thing arrives shattered. Their customer service has gotten better at replacing broken items, though, and doesn’t require returning a $1.00 items in order to get a replacement any more.
— Christine
Sephora’s house brand has a lot of good products, and I like that they tend to release a slew of different shades, not just “traditional” colors or textures. They reformulate a bit too often, though. As far as the retailer itself, they have such a terrible rewards system that I just sit on my points in hopes that one day they’ll be useful for something. Their shipping costs/thresholds for free shipping are pretty good at my reward level, and they usually ship well, though there’s one warehouse region that ships terribly (crumpled up paper and little else, much like Ulta!). I’ve generally had good customer service when I’ve had issues with orders. They have a vast selection products, and while they don’t have tons of sales, they have them fairly reliably so one can plan, at least.
— Christine
I like that NYX has a really robust catalog of shades, which makes them more inclusive across the entire brand, not just complexion, and they’ve been like that for a long time. The older I get, the more important I see accessibility being. Because they have so many products, and they do seem to release and discontinue formulas somewhat regularly, it can be hard to keep up, though.
— Christine
I am actually feeling more positive toward Too Faced in the last year. Previously, I found they had some weaker offerings, seemed to favor quantity over quality, but they’ve been releasing higher quality products in the last year from what I’ve been experiencing (though not all winners, of course).
— Christine
I like that they do some color and non-traditional hues and finishes because this isn’t as readily present in more mass/drugstore brands (you can certainly find it at a lower price point, but you’re looking at indie and niche brands or ones that are online-only!). I wish I enjoyed their updated eyeshadow formula more (mattes are better but shimmers seem rather inconsistent) as they used to be such a go-to rec for budget-friendly eyeshadow palettes.
— Christine
They seem to be a brand that really stays in their lane; they don’t go too far outside of their comfort zone, which is good in the sense that it seems authentic and on-brand, but at the same time, their offerings can feel rather repetitive over time. I really love that they’ve been particularly inclusive in advertising and shade ranges for a very, very long time.
— Christine
