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I love travel-sized sets of products that already last awhile, like blush, single eyeshadows, etc. I also love the influx in shimmer/sparkle! I also like when luxury-priced brands release more “affordable” options during the holiday season.
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I love the value setts on products I already use, especially when they are on sale after the holidays
Holiday sets at Sephora are the best time to get Beauty Blenders!
Lots of sparkle for sure, and skincare bundles (e.g. Tatcha, where with my usual water cream I would get the deep cleanse and eye cream). I also like large format eyeshadow palettes that come out at this time, where you can try more shades in smaller pans or not-so-fancy packaging (e.g. the PMG pictured here and the Naughty palette from BH Cosmetics which got me hooked on the brand).
I’m a sucker for lip care sets that have cute holiday packaging, like their container is a reusable tree ornament or something. I won’t buy it just for that – I have to like, need and want the products – but that’ll make me more likely to pick up a set than not.
I love products that are holiday scented without being spiced, floral or piney, like baked goods or sweets.
My favorite holiday releases tend to be bundles of already existing products.
I also like when more luxury-priced brands offer mini bundles or sets with a better price point, a good reason to either try or stock up on products, or split them for gifts. But a good set / bundle is great no matter the price point. Some brands have them year round, but others come with them just for the holidays.
I also love travel-sized releases. I love special packaging too, though nothing that’s seasonal since I won’t finish anything by the end of winter.
I love TooFaced’s liquid lip sets. I love the idea of mini lipsticks (mine always break before they’re 1/3 used – but surely one exists that lasts down to the bottom!). I love sampling some permanent range items in fun packaging or fragrances or colors. I love cute makeup when it’s well-thought out and of good quality (can’t think of any thing off the top of my head, but I know there has to be some!). I like that we tend to get those frosty whitish highlights at this time too (a la Mac last year) as those suit my skin tone the best. I love a statement red lip and deep jewel green eyeshadows (not that there are many of those floating around). And I love the immediate post-holiday sales to score all of those releases.
It’s not exactly festive xmas-y holiday….but I love Melt’s releases – the Muerte/Vida and Beetlejuice collections. They. Were. So. Good. Well planned, well-curated (ok, those Beetlejuice palettes maybe needed some editing), quality, great promo photos, etc… I have one palette from each release and missing out on the Muerte palette still haunts me. I’m excited to see what they have this year.
Because cosmetics are on the first floor at stores I loved walking in at the holidays when all the sparkling lights and decorations were hung over all the counters…no matter the weather or how I felt I always felt a sparkle and calm and comfort walking in and browsing. For some reason I always gravitated to the Lauder counter because they had several offers in beautiful boxes with makeup and a perfume and it was a wonder to look at them and I’d smile. I never bought any of them only because I’m not a Lauder person but gee wiz I loved looking at their particular displays. Merry Merry Twinkle Twinkle and here’s to you Youth Dew Perfume from afar you are a holiday scent and I wish I could wear you but your patchouli note and my chemistry don’t mix but you’re a beaut!
I, too, like travel-sized sets! They let me try products I’m interested in but may not be ready to splurge on for a full-sized version. Also I rarely ever use anything up so sets like this are better for me, personally.
My favourite kind of holiday releases (not that we get them here in Aus!) are either fabulous skincare sets, without toners in them, or a stunning eyeshadow palette release with my kind of shades.
I like the value sets the most. In perfume I really love the perfume with a bonus lotion or smaller roller. I realize looking at the Pat McGrath palette for holiday.. it is difficult for me to deal with palettes when I feel the colors are “out of order” .. sounds crazy I know but I really prefer to see a palette go from light to dark and color groups together. It is to stressful for me to figure out a look if things look over whelming or if there are way to many choices like the Metropolis/ PMG Holiday… although I love the rich glittery shades that come out for the holidays! Since we are still wearing masks.. I bet the eye products will be amazing! (Hopefully)
I’m a sucker for packaging, and I like when brands put out special scents/flavors/colors etc. I also love minis!
I loved, loved the Pat McGrath Celestial Divinity palette. Best of 2020 for sure.
I like perfume sets to gift others at Christmas and big bottles of perfume I already know and love for me. Skincare sets that come in a pretty bag titillate my heart too. Holiday releases are big business in the UK and I always got amazing deals, but in Portugal you don’t really get makeup releases during the actual holidays. It’s mostly perfume and skincare and they’re not “new” per se but repackaged.
A lot of people talk about the sales “after” the holidays but those are fairly recent in Portugal as far as makeup goes. Makeup, skincare & perfume never ever went on sale anywhere. In fact, 30 years ago people would travel to Spain as it was, and still is, so much cheaper. My parents used to go once a year to stock up on chocolate, skincare, fancy shampoo and perfume (I blame my mom for my lipstick obsession ahah!). Here’s a recent example: I was eyeing up an UD palette months ago in Spain for around 20ish euros (on sale) and, in the same department store, in Portugal it’s 35ish.
It’s interesting because I’ve lived in a few different countries and I feel like within the Anglosphere, beauty holiday releases are a much bigger business than anywhere else but the rest of the world is catching up. I can’t wait for Covid to be over(ish?) so that I can travel far away and see *shiny* new things!
Indie holiday palettes and collections. From mainstream, well done palettes. I love a good lip set, too.
I am KICKING myself for not buying this Pat McGrath 18 pan!!!!
I am KICKING myself for not buying this Pat McGrath 18 pan!!!! I love little sampler sets of classic prestige at holiday time since I never use anything up.
I like holiday releases that introduce a spectacular and unique color scheme (eyeshadow) in beautiful and heavy packaging. I don’t care for nor purchase entire collections, so I don’t need lipsticks, blushes, etc., but then that’s just me.