The two makeup brands I get the most excited for every holiday season are Tarte and Too Faced.
Both brands are super cute and they always release sets that have a great amount of value, so you’re definitely getting your money’s worth on a gift. I chatted a little about what Too Faced has in store this holiday season, but I was super excited to see what Tarte had up their sleeves when I saw the items online this past fall.
In case you haven’t seen their collection, everything is tropical themed, meaning lots of flamingos and pineapples (in fact, their blockbuster set this year is a giant pineapple eyeshadow palette… swoon). Since I have a mild obsession with anything pineapple, I was instantly attracted to their Let’s Flamingle Brush Set.
This brush set (on sale at Sephora for C$33), which features five brushes, is inspired by flamingos and pineapples and has those designs in gold as the brush wands (the brushes themselves are hot pink). The set includes a swirl powder brush, a stippling brush, a large powder brush, an angled contour brush, and a fan brush (perhaps my fave since it’s in a pineapple design).
I’m such a sucker for Tarte brushes since not only are they incredibly soft and well made (and vegan!), but they always theme them to the collection that they are a part of. I have their mermaid brushes and still use those everyday (and it brings me sheer happiness just looking at them, not gonna lie).
Although these aren’t the most “appropriate” for the holiday season (maybe something better for summer), I still love them and think they would make the perfect gift for someone who loves pineapple motifs. The only downside I can think of with these is that the ones with the flamingos are a little awkward to hold as the weight isn’t really distributed evenly throughout the brush. They are a bit heavy and bulky, but if you’re looking to gift these to someone who isn’t perhaps a makeup artist, I think they would absolutely love them.
Another amazing set is the Life of the Party Clay Blush Palette & Clutch (on sale at Sephora for C$33!). Not only do you get a blush/bronzer/highlight palette in here, but it also pops out, leaving you with the most holiday-appropriate glitter clutch!
This set features five full-size face products, including three Amazonian clay long-wearing powder blushes (in the shades Pool Float, Passport, and Flamingo), an Amazonian Clay Bronzer (in the shade Tan Lines), and an Amazonian Clay Highlighter (in Sandy Cheeks). Tarte’s face products are incredibly high quality, so the fact that you’re getting five full sizes (a C$173 value) for C$33 is such a steal!
And, let’s not forget about that stunning clutch. As mentioned, you can pop out the tray that holds the powders and use the clutch as your NYE bag since it has a mirror, card holders, and room to store an iPhone Plus. Blush sets are always a good idea, and you seriously can’t go wrong with this one (especially at that price!!!).
Lastly, since lip sets are always a good idea, the Tarte Tartiest Sunshine & Smooches Lip Set (C$51) would make the perfect gift for that friend or family member who loves matte liquid lipsticks (myself included!).
This set features five full-size nudes of the brand’s Tartiest Quick Dry Matte Lip Paints. Included are the shades Bling (pink berry), Pillowtalk (white nude), Low Key (nude), Vibin (wine), and Xoxo (red).
I have some of these shades already, as well as other colours, and I can honestly tell you that these are one of my favourite matte liquid lipsticks. I find the colours to be very flattering and they dry down to the perfect matte texture. Since there’s a variety of different nudes and reds in here, I think that this set is pretty universal for pretty much any skin tone (although Pillowtalk maybe be a touch too light for a lot of people.. not for me though, that one is my faves in this set).
You can never have enough nude lipsticks or matte liquid lipsticks, so this set is truly a match made in heaven (and it’s a C$132 value; total score!).
In case you can’t tell already, I’m kinda dying over all the items from Tarte this season. When it comes to the vegan brand, you really can’t go wrong with any of their products, so the holidays are a great time to stock up, especially when they come out with the cutest collection ever.
Are any items from Tarte on your wishlist?
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Nothing screams holidays more than a little sparkle and shine. Thankfully, Marc Jacobs Beauty got the memo this season, since that’s what their holiday collection is all about.
Marc Jacobs Beauty’s holiday collection is all about gold glam, whether it’s giving you a vacation-worthy bronze look, or adding a little sparkle to the lips and eyes. This brand is one of my favourites to look out for when it comes to the holidays since there are so many luxurious goodies they come out with every year.
One of my absolute favourite items (and something I’ve already used so many times for my holiday looks) is the See-Quins Glam Glitter Eyeshadow (C$35). Available in six shades, these are loose eyeshadows that add a little sparkle to your eyes. I received the colours Glamethyst, a sparkling purple, and Gleam Girl, a champagne beige. These come housed in a pot with a stopper on it to pack the eyeshadow down since it is loose. Load up your brush and wash these on your lids to create the most beautiful sparkle. Since the formula is quite versatile, you can either add a little or a lot for a variety of custom looks.
Although the purple is stunning, I’ve been obsessed with Gleam Girl, the champagne shade since I often sport a neutral eye anyways and this just adds the right amount of glitter to make any look festive. These really remind me of the Stila Glitter and Glow Liquid Eyeshadows since they give you the same amount of stunning sparkle, but unlike those, these are not liquid.
I recommend doing your eyes before your foundation since there will be a little fall out, but it’s so worth it. If there is one holiday beauty item you pick up for yourself this season, this is it.
From your eyes to your lips, if you a gloss gal then you may want to pick up the Enamored Hi-Shine Gloss Lip Lacquer in Shine a Light. This C$35 high-shine lipgloss (swatched above) is a gold shade with pink shimmer. You can wear it alone or top it over a nude lipstick for the most glamorous lip look.
In case you haven’t tried Marc Jacobs Beauty’s Enamored Hi-Shine glosses, they pack on colour and shine thanks to its Triple Shine Complex, which is a blend of high-performance ingredients. The shine also helps your lips appear fuller and the product feels cushiony on the lips. The brand says that this gloss isn’t sticky, but I mean it’s lip gloss, and to me, all glosses are going to feel sticky. I also want to note that it has a mint flavour as well, so you’ll always feel like you have fresh breath.
If matte lips are more your thing, then you’ll want to look into the On The Dot Mini Le Marc Liquid Lip Crayon Trio (on sale for C$22). This trio of mini crayon matte lipsticks includes two bestselling shades and one exclusive shade of the Le Marc Liquid Lip Crayon.
Included in the set is Night Mauves (mauve), Plum N Get It (purple), and the exclusive shade, Red-y To Go (red). Although these are minis, these will last you awhile since the colour literally glides on the lips. I’ve never tried this formula before so when I was swatching it I was seriously impressed with the formulation of the product. A little definitely goes a long way since the colour is so bold and once it’s on it feels creamy and comfortable, unlike other matte lipsticks out there. Since it’s a crayon, it allows you to easily fill in the colour on your lips, making the application process a breeze. Best of all, since it’s on sale on Sephora right now, this would make the perfect stocking stuffer (or last minute Hanukkah gift!).
You can really never go wrong with Marc Jacobs Beauty, and just like in years past, they totally knocked it out of the park with their holiday collection this season. The collection also features a face and body brush, an all-over foil luminizer, and a gift set with minis of their best-selling lipstick and mascara. If you ask me though which item to pick up, it’s definitely the See-Quins eyeshadow since they are so beautiful and truly add major sparkle wherever you go.
Is Marc Jacobs Beauty on your wishlist this holiday season?
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Would you spend $80 a lipstick?
To me, it would have to be a pretty fantastic lipstick to drop that kind of money. But, when it comes to the holidays, it seems to be that money is no object, and if there is one season to do it, it’s definitely this one.
I was super excited to receive some holiday items from luxury cosmetic and skincare line Cle De Peau since I’ve been familiar with the brand for years now but have never had the courage to drop the money to pick up any items. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve heard amazing things about them (especially their foundations and concealers), but let’s be real here, C$95 for a highlighter is a lot of money.
Enter their holiday collection, which I feel like is the one time of the year where I could justify picking up an item from their collection. The Cle De Peau holiday collection is probably one of the cutest ones I’ve seen this year in terms of packaging since everything is Alice in Wonderland themed. Although the collection is home to an eyeshadow palette, a refining pressed powder, and – I kid you not – a C$700 moisturizer, I received the limited-edition Cashmere Lipstick and the Illuminating Stick Highlighter.
Available in two shades (Paint Me – a red, and Follow Me – a blush pink), this lipstick is housed in a limited-edition pink packaging. The lipstick (C$80) is incredibly soft and comfortable to wear and leaves a matte finish on the lips. Its best feature to me is how moisturizing the colour is, which the brand says lasts for four hours to combat dryness, roughness, scaling, and cracking for healthy-looking lips. It does have a unique tip, which fits lips contours like a breeze for an easy application.
For such a high price tag there has to be a reason why it’s so amazing right? Well, it contains flexible and light-transmission powder which move with lips to create a finish with dimensional colour that doesn’t crack. The lipstick applies matte and stays on lips but doesn’t dry down. I have Follow Me, which is the blush pink that actually is similar to my own natural lip colour, so I found that this was incredibly easy to wear and also one of those colours that go with any makeup look. The formula of the lipstick also includes oil-embracing powder and discreet light oil to bring smoothness for radiance without sheen, as well as a blend of illuminating hydro-wrap complex and premium argan tree oil to moisturize lips.
So is it worth the money? I will say that this lipstick definitely feels luxurious, everything from how the packaging feels and looks to how the lipstick applies. The colour glides on the lips and definitely leaves lips feeling hydrating. But here’s the thing. You know when you apply lip balm with wax in it and then you’re constantly applying it throughout the day as when it starts to wear off your lips feel dry? This is what this lipstick is like. It’s great while you’re wearing it but then once it starts to fade, it made my lips feel dry, so I found myself constantly reapplying it. Like I said, it is a beautiful colour that has quickly made it’s way into my purse makeup bag, but it’s definitely a splurge for a high-end lipstick.
Moving on, their Illuminating Stick Highlighter, this C$95 stick illuminator is housed in the most whimsical packaging that would make anyone on your wish list excited to get it.
The formula of this highlight is incredibly smooth to it adheres amazingly to the skin. Since it’s a stick, you can use it to really help sculpt the face and bring luminosity to the high points of the face.
This is a nice highlighter but I do have to say that it’s not the most blinding one on my collection, which is okay since that look definitely isn’t for everyone. I don’t think I would normally spend close to a hundred dollars on just one highlighter, but it’s definitely a collector’s item if you love Cle de Peau beauty (and obviously a lot of people love it since it’s sold out on Neiman Marcus, Barney’s, and Saks Fifth Avenue online). Also, the shade of the highlighter itself is quite universal, meaning that it will complement pretty much any skin tone.
I think that this holiday collection is definitely one of the most splurge-worthy and luxurious ones I have ever seen. I love the theme and the packaging, but I don’t think that these items are the way to go if you haven’t tried the brand before. If you are a Cle de Peau die-hard, then I would look into picking these up since I feel like you’ll have more appreciation for them than someone who is new to the brand.
Have you tried anything from Cle De Peau before?
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