Alright, who’s ready for Christmas… or as they say in very PC circles these days, the “Holiday season”? It used to be called Christmas collections not very long ago but it’s now known as Holiday collections. Call it what we want, the end of year makeup and beauty collections are usually one that everyone looks out for because you get some very good value sets and also some very pretty products.
Bling! Sparkle! It’s all found in the Chris… I mean Holiday makeup collections 
Sephora Makeup Trio Pouches RM92, Ornament Lip Gloss RM16
I was recently given a preview of some of the Holiday Collections that will be carried by various Sephora-exclusive brands and since I know that most of you are also waiting for news of their availability and what to get, I thought I’d give you a quick overview and preview of what will be available from the various makeup brands, and also what I would look out for.
To make it easier for you, I’ve also separated them out into 3 price categories (do note that because I’m in Malaysia, this information is accurate for Sephora Malaysia stores and prices are listed in RM)
- Below RM100
- RM100-199
- RM200 and above
This will, I hope, make it easier for you to decide how to budget for your Sephora purchases come early November 2014 when everything bursts into stores nationwide 
So, brace yourself for a very photo-intensive post and please tell me what your picks will be! 
Let me preface this by saying that I had A LOT to take in but I chose to focus on makeup and I chose not to feature nails (because while I know some of you are interested, I’m not) and skincare (because they just aren’t very pretty to look at are they? 
) I’ve included a selection of products so this isn’t everything you’ll get in store, just a pretty decent sampling of the more interesting items.
Alright? here we go.
SEPHORA HOLIDAY COLLECTIONS BELOW RM100
Let’s kick off with some of what Sephora themselves have to offer. Most of their products are very reasonably priced, and the Holiday collections are no different.
They have a limited edition Holiday scent which you will be able to purchase in a Sephora Holiday Bath Set (RM86) or individually.
- Sephora Holiday Bath Gel – RM49
- Sephora Holiday Hand Wash – RM26
- Sephora Holiday Body Lotion – RM40
- Sephora Bath Capsules Set – RM62
The bath capsules set is adorable! And if you have a few friends to whom you’d like to gift items, they would make a nice addition to the stocking if you break it up.
Stila has teamed up with Baublebar, a brand of accessories in the USA so each of their gift sets this year will feature a bauble be it a bangle or hair band with sparkly rhinestones as you can expect to find in the Stila Glow & Behold set (RM75). You will receive a Convertible Cheek & Lip colour, Lip Glaze and Smudge stick waterproof eyeliner, 3 of Stila’s bestsellers together with a rhinestone headband.
But I think many of you will like this one. The Urban Decay Naked Illuminating Powder in Aura (RM99) which is a warm golden pink shimmer powder. The powder is fine milled and gives skin a lovely shimmer and glow. If you swatch it with your fingers, it is highly shimmery and if I might say so, a little scary. But as was demonstrated to me, if you use the included fan brush to lightly swipe and then apply on your skin, the brush will disperse the shimmer better and you don’t get the full on BLING! effect. Just a lovely diffused glow. Pretty!
If even that feels a little rich for your tastes, then NYX Cosmetics might be one to look at. They have a whole range of new items becoming available in store come November 2014 with prices started from just RM22 for their single eyeshadows. There are also some lip sets for the Holiday season which start from just RM49 and if eyeshadow palettes are your thing, here are some to look out for.
The NYX Adorable and Sex Bomb Eyeshadow Palette which are the ones on the bottom left are just RM36 which should fit most budgets.
If you’re looking for affordable stocking fillers under RM100 then I think most of these items especially those from NYX Cosmetics and Sephora will fit the bill. If you know someone who likes nail items, then Ciate has some cute trinkets for just RM40 each. And for people who love bath and body items, head for Soap and Glory for some nice and affordable sets that start from just RM49. You might however, want to get that Urban Decay Naked Illuminating Powder for yourself eh? 
SEPHORA HOLIDAY COLLECTIONS FROM RM100-199
Moving on then, if you feel a little more flush (or if gifting, a little more generous hehe 
) then here are some items between RM100-199 that you might want to look at. For the most part, I can safely tell you that if this is within your budget, then there will be A LOT from this price category to tempt you!
I have my eye on the Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics (RM103) which is the top palette that you see in the picture below. It also contains 6 matte shades like Naked Basics 1 but the shades are cooler in tone and also a little deeper. I’m told that this complements the Naked 2 eyeshadow palette, so if you are like me and prefer Naked 2 to Naked 1 then you too might find yourself gravitating towards this palette.
Not included, but a new brush launched by Urban Decay to complement their Naked Basics eyeshadow palettes is the Urban Decay Naked Basics Double Ended Brush (RM63). One end is a fluffy brush for base colour and blending and the other is a denser, shorter bristled brush for smudging and more intense colours.
If you like colour but don’t have the cash to splurge on the Vice 3 eyeshadow palette then how about springing for the Urban Decay Shadow Box (RM120) instead? There are 12 eyeshadow colours in this handy palette which is useful if you aren’t sure about playing with colour, yet want to start experimenting. This Shadow Box will replace the Ammo Palette which will be discontinued eventually.
If you like makeup sets then the Too Faced Everything Nice Set (RM195) is one to look at, although coming in at the slightly higher end of this price category. You get 20 eye colours, 2 blushes, 2 bronzers, 3 mini makeup brushes, a mini Better than Sex mascara and it all comes in a glittery pink pouch.
If you’re feeling generous and know of someone who might be interested in playing with makeup, this set will pretty much take care of everything she needs to get started 
There’s also a Too Faced La Belle Carousel (RM165) which features 5 slim mini palettes, fit together. In there are eyeshadows, blush and their bestselling Better than Sex Mascara and the best part is that Too Faced made this set for gifting as a whole, or to be broken up into individual gifts!
The back of each cardboard case comes pre-labelled with a To and From so you can just break it up and gift it individually. Handy for stocking stuffers 
Other Too Faced sets (they have so many cute things!) are the Too Faced Beauty Wishes and Sweet Kisses Set (RM115) which is the set on the left and the Too Faced Christmas Party Must Haves (RM69) which is the set on the right.
That bronzer in the Christmas Party Much Haves set (which if you notice should go under my first price category of under RM100) smells deliciously of chocolate because it contains cocoa powder. How surreal is that? 
And now we come to the item I have my eye on; the Tarte Pin Up Girl Blush Palette (RM159). Tarte Cosmetics’ theme this year is Sweet Dreams and they have put up a collection built around the romanticism of Paris and travel. The item I’m thinking of picking up is their blush palette, because I missed the one from last year.
Housed in a golden clutch, the Pin Up Girl Blush Palette comes with 2 hair pins that you can remove and use. If I get this, I have no idea what I’d do with them since I don’t pin anything on my hair but if you like using pins then this is a pretty bonus to have.
Open up the palette and in there are 5 brand new blush shades in their Amazonian clay formula for long lasting and vibrant colour.
I like the look of the colours and I have a thing for blush (let’s not even go there!) so this is one item I have put on my “to get” list.
More affordable items from Tarte are the Tarte Kiss & Belle Lipsurgence Kit (RM119) andTarte Sweet Dreams Best Sellers (RM75). The Kiss & Belle Lipsurgence Kit comes with mini sized Lipsurgence lip crayons and 2 glosses. The colours are pretty and brand new, and come in their matte, gloss and balm formula. Again, another very good set for breaking up into individual gifts for a few people.
In the blurry foreground is the Sweet Dreams Best Sellers set which again, you will notice should have gone into the first price category. It features Tarte’s popular bestselling items, their Aura Cheek Stain, Maracuja face oil and eye cream in mini sizes.
From house brand Sephora comes the Sephora Color Festival Blockbuster (RM159) which is a huge set of makeup containing all you ever need to put on colour on your face. It swivels out as you see below, but it also cleverly collapses down into a fairly small set and it comes with a nice large mirror. Another good gifting idea for someone to try their hand out with colour and makeup because there are enough colours and textures in there to get a good feel of everything 
If large makeup sets scare you (they do intimidate me!) then the Sephora Makeup Party Box Palette (RM129) offers something smaller. You get a smaller selection of colours and products but is also a good way to get your feet wet in the world of makeup.
From Marc Jacobs Beauty is The Sky-Liner (RM168) a set of 7 mini sized eyeliner pencils which are pretty popular among fans of the brand. I like mini sets of liners like these because it means you get to play with colour and we know that liners can last a long time anyway, so it’s always nice to have smaller sized ones. I haven’t tried them myself but they do seem very popular so I guess that’s why they’re in this gift set!
Sephora will also be carrying some exclusive Hello Kitty beauty merchandise in celebration of the kitty’s 40th Anniversary. While I’m not a fan of Hello Kitty, I know of many people who are, so if you know of someone who is, then these special limited edition items will be one for them to add to their collections. They however, do not come cheap!
The Hello Kitty 40th Anniversary Nail Kawaii Set (RM199) is a kit of everything to dress up your nails from nail stickers to stamps to decorating stickers.
Or perhaps you know of a Hello Kitty fan who might like wearing eyeshadow by her faourite kitty, then the Hello Kitty Pop Up Party Eyeshadow Palette (RM195) might make the perfect gift. I didn’t think much of the colours or the textures just from looking at them but never discount the fanaticism of fans 
On the left you can see the Hello Kitty An Apple A Day Lip Gloss Trio (RM75) which is a trio of lip glosses in a mini apple case that comes packaged in the pyramid that you see on the left.
Or maybe some bling might be in order with the Hello Kitty Ruby Rollergirl EDP (RM99)which you see on the left of the picture below, or maybe the blinged up Hello Kitty Mirror(Price unavailable currently) on the right. Again, not my thing but if it’s yours or someone you know and if you’re feeling generous then you know what to get them!
For the most part, I found that it is easy to get gift sets and value sets in the RM100-199 price category. There are more sets available by Stila which I didn’t have pictures of and also Bare Minerals. All in all, a good price category to shop within and get some very nice items.
SEPHORA HOLIDAY COLLECTIONS RM200 AND ABOVE
Ah, you must be feeling very flush! Or maybe that year end bonus has just come in? 
Or if you are feeling very generous in the gifting department then this will be the category for you!
Most of the more premium makeup brands will fall into this price category, like this Make Up For Ever Studio Case (RM250). It is a kit with 12 of the brand new Artisan eyeshadows that have amazing pigment, and in different formula but in smaller sizes. It comes in a box made to look like a traincase. You can remove the top layer that houses the eyeshadows and reuse the box.
If makeup brush sets are something you want to look for then consider the Make Up For Ever Brush Set (RM275) which you can see below on the left. You get a set of 4 of the brand new Artisan brushes for eyes and face in a zip around case. On right is the Make Up For Ever Makeup Station (RM1000+) which is for anyone who has a nice big budget!
You will get in a reusable traincase, 12 full sized eyeshadows, blush, eyeliners, lip liners, HD powders, primers, fake lashes, brushes… basically everything you ever need to do your face. EVERYTHING! While the Sephora and Too Faced kits I showed you above are good for those starting out with makeup on a budget, this one is for someone with a large budget. Lots of very nice items in here that I can imagine will make any makeup lover very happy 
From Marc Jacobs Beauty comes the Style Eye-Con No. 7 Plush Shadow in a new colour, The Parisienne (RM219) The colours offer a lot of options for a smokey eye which is usually the eye makeup of the season.
And if you like the Kiss Pop lip crayon that Marc Jacobs launched for Fall 2014 then how about owning them all in the Marc Jacobs Beauty Kiss Pop Collector’s Collection (RM850)? It will come housed in a sturdy wooden box with a lacquered top. Definitely one for the collectors although if you club together with friends and break up the set, it works out fairly affordable. Well, barely 
One of the most awaited eyeshadow palettes has to be this one – Urban Decay Vice 3 Eyeshadow Palette (RM200). This is the third installment in the Vice series and the slimmer packaging contains 20 eyeshadows with impressive texture and pigment. I predict this one to fly off the shelves so if this is one you are watching out for, do not hesitate!
I’m not that taken by the Vice 3 palette, for some reason, but I instead have my eye on the Tarte Bon Voyage Blockbuster Set (RM210). In a good quality golden and opulent looking makeup travel bag comes a palette of 20 eyeshadows and a sample of their Maracuja face oil, Aura Cheek Tint, Mascara, Lipsurgence lip crayons and an Amazonian Clay finishing powder.
Truth be told though, I only have my eye on the eyeshadow palette which grabs at me with all its neutral toned glory! I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this, but I like Tarte eyeshadows. I have just never reviewed them because the palettes I have are all discontinued which is something I noticed with Tarte. They come up with some amazing palettes but they’re always limited edition and by the time I get round to it, it’s gone.
So take my word for it. Tarte has lovely eyeshadows albeit not as vibrant or as strong in colour as say, Urban Decay, but they are for the most part smooth and easy to use. Because I just want the eyeshadows and not any of the other items in this Bon Voyage set, I’m a little loathe to pay for the whole set and be saddled with the other items that I’m not so keen on 
Oh well, we’ll see I guess.
And another one for those feeling flush or just generous is the Stila 20th Anniversary Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner Collection (RM735). Stila celebrates their 20th anniversary this year and they’ve put 18 of their popular Smudge Stick eyeliners in an elegant gold roll together with a golden bracelet by Baublebar.
Of the skincare available on view, my eye was drawn to the Peter Thomas Roth Skintant Mask Magic 3 piece mask set which has 3 smaller sized tubs of their popular masks in one box. The one I was interested in was the new Pumpkin Enzyme Mask which is also available in a large sized tub. The Pumpkin Enzyme Mask is a wash off mask and has some scrubby bits so it actually feels quite nice and smells quite delicious!
I don’t have the price of this one unfortunately, but I’m told it’s about RM200+ so I’ve included it in this category. I have shared my thoughts on the Rose Stemcell and the Cucumber gel mask so if you’re keen to try, then this would be a good time to where you get 3 for the price of 1 albeit slightly smaller tubs.
I don’t have pictures of the Urban Decay Naked Vault (RM888) because I didn’t see it on display but it will be available and will contain all 3 Naked palettes, 3 double ended 24/7 eyeliner pencils, 3 Naked Flushed cheek palettes and 3 Naked glosses. Whew! Talk about a Naked collection 
So that my friends, is a very quick whirlwind tour of some of the items you can expect to be available in Sephora for the Holiday season. They will be rolling out in all Sephora stores starting from the first week of November 2014 so you have time to sit back and plot your purchases and strategy 
Which Holiday Collection item featured here have you got your eye on?
I’m eyeing the UD Naked 2 Basics, Tarte Pin Up Girl blush palette and the Tarte Bon Voyage Blockbuster eyeshadow palette. Quite restrained and modest I think? 
How about you? Which items are you planning to pick up or for someone to gift you with?