I swear it was just October 1st, I blinked, and now Christmas is popping up everywhere. I have almost all of my shopping done, but not a thing wrapped! #typical. If you still have gifts to give, then this post is for you! Instead of doing a regular gift guide roundup, I'd share some beauty holiday gift sets from different places and different price points.
First up is e.l.f. (eyes lips face)--an affordable brand I've featured many times on here. You've heard of them, right? You can get this brand online, Target, and some drugstores. I tested out 15 of their holiday sets, and here are my faves (as well as ones to skip). These range from $5-$20.
$5
e.l.f. lip parade kit--3 lip kiss balms for $5--these give a hint of shine and make great Secret Santa gifts or stocking stuffers (or you can give each one separately)
e.l.f. matte about shimmer kit--Love the primer and shadow duo in this one. I say keep it for yourself!
Radiant Eyes Kit--For the girl that loves sparkle, these are fun to play around with.
Defined eyes--Nice beginner brushes for yourself or others
Maybe:
Desk to Dinner--3 shadow sets and a brush to go from everyday eyes to dramatic. I didn't really like these, but again, fun to play with.
I say skip:
Lined & Lovely Glowing Star--both of these were quality issues.
$10-$20
Get Glowing--Worth it for the highlighting kit and brush--the whipped highlighter isn't that great
Pout Out Loud--Lip exfoliator, moisturizing lip color, lipstick remover, and liner with sharpener. Great deal.
All About Eyes Kit--For $10 you get a pigmented clay shadows palette, liner (it's okay), and eyelid primer.
Maybe:
Luxe Brush Kit--some of the brushes are hit and miss
Brush It Up Kit--I liked this set of brushes much better
Little Brow Book Kit--Not sure I'd want this as a gift (like girl, you trying to tell me something about my brows?), but great for yourself or if requested.
48 Color beauty Clutch Kit--Again, the quality is okay here, but the two brushes are worth it. Nice beginner or travel set.
I'd Say Skip:
Most of the shadow sets--the quality of these was hit and miss. If you have a tween/teen in your life, they're fun, but I found many of the shadows too powdery for $15 for a gift...maybe if they were $10? Might be fun to keep for Halloween looks, where you'd want a lot of shades or fun for yourself.
Blended Beauty: 3 makeup sponges for $15--I say go for Real Techniques or ULTA sponges instead.
Do you use e.l.f. products?
What are your faves?
Darling sets as the price point of elf cannot be beat! Have a great day beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteThese are all great gift sets, and perfect for the upcoming holiday season!
ReplyDeletexo, Whitney and Blaire
Peaches In A Pod
You can't beat the price point on these! I love the lip sets!
ReplyDeleteJill
Doused In Pink
These kits are very nice, I like price too :-)
ReplyDeleteThey always have so man sets each year! I really like the idea of the prep and play one.
ReplyDeleteI always love looking at the sets that they roll out every year - your review is really helpful!
ReplyDeleteCourtney ~ Sartorial Sidelines
This is so helpful!
ReplyDeleteok i'm a sucker for kits and these are the perfect price point! especially to just throw in as an extra in a gift. love it. thanks for sharing what is worth it and what is not!
ReplyDeletexoxo cheshire kat
Most of the time I skip drugstore holiday kits just because there's always hit and miss items within the kits, but elf sometimes does release some really great products at such a great price point you can't beat it!
ReplyDeleteI love Elf cosmetics! All these sets look great!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.kathrineeldridge.com
This is great! I know just the person on my list that would love any of these! Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteThat sparkle eye kit looks fun, especially for festive parties!
ReplyDeleteCarrie
curlycraftymom.com
I just bought the ELF fingernail polish for my niece for Christmas :)
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm using a elf powder brush and there lip scrub.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amysfashionblog.com/blog-home/
Totally agree, it was just October 1st, how can it already be time for Christmas?! These are all great gift sets. I love the 3 lip balms for $5, what a great deal!
ReplyDeletexo, Rachel
A Blonde's Moment
These ELF sets are so cute- and make awesome gifts!
ReplyDelete-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on each. I agree some products are a hit or miss. I used to buy a bunch of sets and break them up an dmake little gift bags for family/friends. That highlighting palette and brush is the stand out for me!
ReplyDeleteLOVE this brand! Great post, thanks for sharing! <3 - http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
ReplyDeleteI love the ELF lip exfoliator so much! It's amazing! This would be a good excuse to try out their lipsticks if I got an extra one of those too!
ReplyDeleteelf is a great price point, but there are definitely some hits and some misses with their items. Good to know which of their holiday sets are worth picking up!
ReplyDeleteI'm seriously amazed how cheap these ELF kits are, and I do like some of the stuff I've gotten from the line. Thanks for pointing those that should be skipped though, Elle:) Saves us the headache!
ReplyDeleteThese sets are sure affordable! Thanks for your assessment on which ones are worth it and which ones to skip!
ReplyDeleteThese elf sets are great ideas for beautiful lovers!
ReplyDeleteWow, these price points are unbelievable! Perfect stocking stuffers for the ladies in my life!
ReplyDeleteI'm always tempted by these kits, but I worry about quality. Awesome review!
ReplyDeletePinned this! Love that they have sets...great for makeup beginners and seasoned makeup lovers too.
ReplyDeletexo, Lily
Beauty With Lily
OMG this is amazing!! Thank you! So many inexpensive but awesome gifts I can get my family, my friends and me of course! :)
ReplyDelete~Sara
It's absolutely incredible what great product elf has for such a minor cost. I have a review scheduled for tomorrow but I'm gong to look into those gift sets you recommended.
ReplyDeleteSo many great gift sets at such amazing prices!
ReplyDelete<3 Shannon
Upbeat Soles
So, I haven't started my shopping yet... so these are great ideas! I have a teenager in my life to shop for and I think she would especially love some of these!
ReplyDeleteThese are really great makeup gift sets for makeup lovers!
ReplyDeleteI adore holiday gift sets!
ReplyDeleteWow, such a nice idea. loved this sets.
ReplyDeletehttp://tipsoye.com/
I got a set last year from Target and really liked it! I'll probably grab another this year too! You can't beat the price!
ReplyDeleteELF is my go to for sticking stuffers and gifts for my friends. Shhh but I love buying several of these, opening them, and making my own little "gift sets" out of the products I think would best go together. (;
ReplyDeleteI user their brow kit (and love it). I used to spend about $30 on a different product so nice to have the savings. I also use a few items for traveling or for extras to keep in my purse.
ReplyDeleteGreat line for tweens/teens though.
The level of excitement I felt when I read this post title was unreal. I see this in stores year after year, but I've always been a little hesitant, especially of the palettes. I'm a fan of elf brushes and I LOVE their exfoliator. Their eye shadows, liners, and mascaras have never wowed me though. Their brow pencil is my favorite, I love it even more than my higher end ones. Excellent post!
ReplyDelete