If there is one brand that I’m always excited for when it comes to holiday sets, it’s Benefit. And, just like in past years, they have a sweet assortment of options to choose from.
Many of their sets this year come housed in a tin reminiscent of those little Christmas villages you see that always pop up around the holiday times. But, in true Benefit fashion, they are sweet shop themed. I received three of the sets, all of which are great value for what you receive.
My favourite set, Pretty Parfait houses some of my Benefit faves, including The POREfessional (deluxe sample), They’re Real! mascara (full size), Stay Don’t Stray eyeshadow primer in light/medium (full size) and Gimme Brow in light/medium (full size). So you get three full-size products for $46, which would cost you normally $98. Total score.
If you would rather a set which is more “makeup you can see” (I find Pretty Parfait to be more undercover makeup – necessities you don’t see, aside from the mascara), then Sugarglam Fairies is a great set. You get a full size of They’re Real! mascara, full size of The POREfessional, full size of Hoola bronzer (one of my faves), and a medium size of their iconic Benetint.
This set retails for $54, with a $114 value. Although the contents in both Sugarglam Fairies and Pretty Parfait are worth the money, lets not forget about the cute tins. Store your Benefit goodies, or just keep them as a decoration on your dresser.
Finally, for those who love lip products, 3 Scoops O’ Sexy is right up your alley. This particular gift is great because you can gift it as is, or split up its contents and voila! three gifts in one. For C$50 (at a value of $101) you get three of Benefit’s new balms and three medium sizes of their corresponding tints. Included is Lollibalm & Lollitint, Posie Balm & Posie Tint, and Benebalm & Benetint. I haven’t tried their balms yet, but I have all three of these tints and are great for that “just out of the cold”/”I’m blushing” look. Best of all, each set it individually packaged, so one for you, and two for me!
Benefit also has a number of other holiday sets available, including their uber-popluar advent calendar, and a cheek palette (what????). Make sure you check out both Sephora and Shoppers Drug Mart to see the sets yourself. They would make the sweetest gifts!
Is Benefit on your holiday list this year?
Please note, product sent by PR, all opinions are my own.
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So two weekends ago I was given the fabulous opportunity to go to Toronto to #shiftashade with Clairol Nice ‘n Easy. I have been obsessed with my hair colour for a while now (a natural-looking ombre), but it’s always nice to get a refresh now that the weather is getting colder (as they say, lighter in the summer, darker in the winter). Plus, I’ve had the mentality that its only hair, it grows back, its changeable, no big deal.
So this takes me to two Sundays ago when I arrived at Hair on the Avenue, the cutest salon located at 112 Avenue Road in Toronto’s Yorkville area. I was greeted by the Clairol team and then whisked upstairs for my “before” photo before meeting with Clairol consulting colourist Luis Pacheco. He took a look at my hair and basically said the same thing everyone else in Toronto was saying (I got in the Saturday before and went shopping), that I had really pretty hair. Since we both loved my colour, we just decided to make it darker on top, subtly changing the colour, but still keeping it ombre.
The colour they used was 6N from the Clairol Nice ‘n Easy line, which was applied to my roots and the taken down halfway, leaving the blond as is. After about 30 minutes of chilling, Instagramming, Snapchatting, and catching up with other bloggers, they washed the colour out then I was whisked upstairs for a makeup refresh and a blowout before doing the “after” photos.
While my hair was still in its towel drying, makeup pro Robert Weir freshened up my makeup, doing a cat eye look. After was blowout time and we went with loose, sleek waves.
The result on the colour was very subtle. The top part of my hair is slightly darker with red undertones. I absolutely love the result and happy that we kept the look of my hair the same, but with a slight change to it. It wasn’t as dramatic as some of the other looks (make sure to check out Elaine’s from Toronto Beauty Reviews), but dramatic wasn’t what I was going for. I loved my hair going in, and I absolutely love it now even more after we did the #shiftashade.
Huge thanks go out to the MSL Group, Hair on the Avenue, and especially Clairol and Proctor & Gamble. I had such a blast with this one and it was such a crazy experience (everyone at home in Winnipeg was like “wait, so you’re going to Toronto to get your hair coloured?), especially getting the before and after shots done. I also want to mention that I haven’t used home hair colour in many years (since high school when “blonde” turned out as orange), but I was very impressed with the colour and the whole process. My hair looked so shiny and fresh after the colour that I couldn’t stop staring at it. It’s been almost two weeks and I’m still obsessed with it. We were also given the Clairol CC cream to use on a weekly basis as a deep conditioning treatment.
If you would like to try Clairol Nice n’ Easy yourself, click here for a $2 off coupon.
*Some photos in this post courtesy of the MSL Group.
Disclosure: I am a #BeautyUnited blogger. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events. The opinions on this blog are my own.
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My face has been taking a beating this past month.
I usually have pretty good skin, but between the weather getting colder, the socializing (apparently I’ve been popular these past months), and the stress of everyday life (work has been really busy #deadlines), I’ve been breaking out. My Clarisonic has just not been cutting it, I need something more. Well lucky for me, with the holidays coming up, tons of brands have been releasing holiday sets that let you try out the lines without breaking the bank.
One of the skincare lines I’ve been dying to try out has been First Aid Beauty. The skincare line has a five-piece set that includes essentials to keep skin healthy, glowing, and youthful. Included in the C$60 kit (with a value of C$125), is the FAB Face Cleanser, the FAB Facial Radiance Pads to exfoliate, tone and brighten, the FAB Ultra Repair Cream, the FAB Ultra Repair Lip Therapy, and the FAB Eye Duty Triple Remedy for erasing dark circles.
First Aid Beauty products have gotten tons of hype because of their ability to improve skin. I’m super excited to try out this set because I have heard nothing but good things about the brand and this kit includes everything you need for a full skincare routine.
Another brand that gets tons of hype for their skincare products is Ole Henriksen. Known for their creams and serums, the Unwrap Your Radiance Collection contains radiance-boosting anti-age products to keep your skin looking fresh and youthful. The brand’s formulas balance potent actives, soothing botanicals, and intoxicating scents to reveal a healthy, younger-looking complexion. Basically what every girl needs once the weather starts getting colder.
Valued at C$135, this C$60 set includes the African Red Tea Foam Cleanser, the Truth Serum Collagen Booster, the Pure Truth Activating Oil, the Sheer Transformation Brightening Moisturizer, the Invigorating Night Gel, and 10 Clean Truth Cleansing Cloths.
Although these aren’t full-size products, you get a really good introduction to the brand. Their products are quite pricey when bought alone, so this set gives you a nice starter to the brand to see what works and if its worth it to purchase the full size version of the product.
I’m in desperate need for a new skincare routine and it’s going to be tough to decide which set I want to try first since I’ve heard wonderful things about both these brands. I am a huge Clinique 3-Step System girl, but I’m always down for trying new things, especially when those brands are so beloved from so many people.
Finally, lip balm is an absolute must once we head into November. Fresh’s Sugar lip balms have quite the cult following and this set is something right up my alley.
The Fresh Sweet Nudes set is a holiday collection of four nude lip balms and a pot of their Sugar Lip Polish. The jujube-smelling set is perfect as a gift, or split them up and give them to all your besties (I mean, really, do you need four lip balms…. actually, yeah you probably do #girlproblems). Find the set at Sephora for $42.
Part of the excitement of the holidays for me is definitely the sets that brands come out with this time of the year. Stock up on all your faves because you usually get the most bang for your buck, plus you get the chance to try new products.
What’s your favourite skincare line?
Please note, products sent by PR, all opinions are my own.
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