Recently Most Wanted, the blog from VoucherCodes.co.uk asked me to compared two Christmas gift sets. I'm all about great non generic gift sets at Christmas so I decided to pop on over to ASOS & Feel Unique to purchase Bare Minerals Main Attraction Collection (£22.10 - here) and Benefit How To Look The Best At Everything Make-up Kit (£24.50 - here).
I chose both makeup sets as they are definitely perfect current gifts to give this Christmas plus they are also of a similar price tag and both offer a selection of products to give you a feel for each brand.
I also felt that both sets were ideal for Christmas parties or even getting ready on Christmas morning. With the Bare Mineral Main Attraction being perfect for eyes and lips and the Benefit makeup kit being ideal for creating a flawless base.
I also felt that both sets were ideal for Christmas parties or even getting ready on Christmas morning. With the Bare Mineral Main Attraction being perfect for eyes and lips and the Benefit makeup kit being ideal for creating a flawless base.
Benefit How To Look The Best At Everything - £24.50
Flawless Complexion Makeup Kit - Light (available in light, medium and dark)
What does it contain?
Light make-up kit contains... the POREfessional PRO balm to minimise the appearance of pores, hello flawless oxygen wow “cheers to me” champagne brightening makeup, boi-ing 01 & 02 industrial-strength concealer, “hello flawless!” “me vain?” champagne custom powder cover-up and a mini powder brush.
Good Value?
All the products in this set are deluxe miniatures... however you receive two shades of the Boi-ing concealer which are 1.5g each and a full size Boi-ing concealer is 3g for £16.50. Also the Hello Flawless powder sample is a generous 4g when the full size powder is 7g for £24.50. So the set really does offer good value for money. Ideal for anyone wanting to try out some of Benefit's bestselling face products without spending on just one product.
bareMinerals Limited Edition Main Attraction - £26.00
5-Piece Center Stage Collection
What does it contain?
Stay Golden Eyecolor (glazed gold), Round The Clock Waterproof Eyeliner in 3AM (shimmering black), Natural Lipgloss in Sprinkles, Instant Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover (47ml) and a Mini Contour Shadow Brush.
Good Value?
With 3 full size products in the set (eyecolor, eyeliner and lipgloss) which retail for £14 each this is without a doubt amazing value for money. Great for established lovers of bareMinerals or someone new to the brand without breaking the bank!
When it comes to Benefit makeup kits they truly are the complete package - with detailed packaging that can be re-used and well thought out miniatures that compliment each other. The Benefit How To Look The Best At Everything is the ideal makeup kit to create the ultimate base as it covers primer, foundation, under eye and spot concealer and a face powder and brush to set everything with. Also the deal sealer is the kit is available in Light, Medium and Dark.
The packaging comes with handy built-in tips and tricks (in the lid) on how to use all 5 products, which open out revealing a handy mirror. The tray also can be removed once you are finished with the products so that you can store trinkets or even a few miniature makeup products. The Book design of the packaging is without a doubt unique and something all ages will appreciate.
the POREfessional primer - After cleansing and moisturising the skin this is a lovely product to smooth on to any areas where you have enlarged pores, black heads, spots or fine lines. This just diffuses them problem areas and makes the skin feel silky smooth. Also this product can be used alone on those non-makeup days!
Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW foundation - A great foundation for hiding redness and brightening up the skin without being a radiant foundation... I would say this is a semi-matte medium coverage foundation. However I was a bit disappointed to see that the shade was a little too dark for me and on closer investigation on the website discovered that there are two lighter foundation shades before this... not so great for a 'light' kit. So for pale more pink toned complexions this warmer foundation may be a tad too dark (tip: mix with a little moisturiser or white foundation to achieve the shade you need).
Boi-ing Concealer in shades 01 and 02 - So pleased to see two shades of the industrial strength concealer in the kit. The lightest shade ideal for concealing and brightening the under eye area and the slightly dark shade being great for blemishes. The smooth consistency of the concealer makes it perfect for under the eyes but also anyone that is prone to breakouts and wants to mask the oiliness that spots can sometimes have. I'm sure these two shades will cater for most light skin tones. I also love the travel packaging so you can drop it in your bag for on-the-go touch ups.
Hello Flawless Custom Powder Cover-up - This is a bit of a sneaky multi-use product that can be used as a light foundation, concealer, or powder, which is why in the full sized product it comes with a sponge and a brush. However in this kit it is intended to be used as a powder after foundation and concealer. This really does finish of your base if you quickly sweep this down the T-zone and outwards. Again, this isn't the lightest shade Benefit do however I found this a lot lighter than the Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW Foundation.
bareMinerals are known for quality products and in recent years their value gift sets and palette that make wonderful glitzy gifts. This set is 100% for the party season and is all about eyes and sparkly lips. The packaging may not boast about it but three of the five products are full size and the value of the set is £54!
Stay Golden Eye Colour - I haven't really met anyone that loves loose eyeshadow with sifters - they are messy and create fall-out on to the cheek... however this is different! Maybe it's the Mini Contour Shadow Brush but this loose eyeshadow had no fall out for me when pressed onto my eyelid. I was also expecting an average gold loose eyeshadow but I couldn't have been more wrong, this is a deep old gold eyeshadow that illuminates the eyes beautifully when the light catches the shimmer. A really amazing shade, perfect for the holiday party season.
Round the Clock Waterproof Eyeliner in 3am - A creamy dark black eyeliner pencil with subtle gold shimmer running through it. This smudges into the upper lash line effortlessly for a smokey eye (perfect for subtle glitzy daytime makeup) and doesn't budge from the bottom waterline (ideal for full-on party eyes). As this is such a creamy eyeliner I worried about it smudging but the waterproof formula doesn't move all day!
Natural Lipgloss in Sprinkles - A perfect top coat for nude or red lipstick at Christmas time, or can be worn alone for a more daytime look. Again just a hint of sparkle running through the gloss that catches the light and makes the lips look very glossy.
Instant Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover - With such waterproof makeup a strong makeup remover is needed! This is a mini of one of bareMinerals bestselling products and I can definitely see why. Just shake to mix the dual-action formula and sweep over the eyes with a cotton pad to remove all traces of waterproof mascara and eyeliner. Very effective, yet gentle on the eyes.
Conclusion...
Benefit How To Look The Best At Everything Makeup Kit - The packaging instantly screams Christmas gift and any Benefit lover will be pleased with this - especially as you can select the kit right for them with the 3 shade options (clever thinking Benefit!). All the products work perfectly together to create a flawless base however I would say the main purpose of this set it to let the recipient of the gift see which products she/he likes the most.
Best for: teens/20's that are into their foundation and concealers.
bareMinerals Main Attraction Collection - This is one glitzy gift set that is actually very wearable for both day and night. The products are without a doubt high quality and the full sized products will last a long time. Also I feel anyone that tries out the bareMinerals Instant Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover will be wanting to purchase the full size bottle!
Best for: 20+ that like sparkly makeup!
Even though I love the packaging of the Benefit kit and the Bio-ing concealers, I have to say the bareMinerals Main Attraction set is my favourite as the products are just such good quality and perfect for a Christmas Day makeup look or Christmas parties!
Which set do you like the look of the most?
Fee xo.
