Bare Escentuals The Perfect Gift Collection Review, Swatches, Photos
I gotta admit that I thought the Bare Escentuals The Perfect Gift Collection was an ickle boring but part of it’s appeal was 1. it’s packaging and 2. its auto delivery status on QVC.
Basically Bare Escentuals packaged this up on an auto delivery which offered new seasonal colors every few months. Fabulous gift in my humblest which is why I ordered some as just that but I couldn’t go without getting one for myself because they came in a hat box. Gush! Totally slayed me. Couldn’t resist that kinda packaging. I know, I know I shouldn’t give into the packaging demons but I couldn’t resist plus hey it was a mere $36 dollars for several full size BE products. Not a bad deal all around.
But the colors…well they are a bit meh but wait until you see them in action!
Jump!
A lovely little gift set from Bare Escentuals featuring several full size products packaged in a darling hat box!
The set is pretty nice because it contains several worldwide launch items that won’t be available until Spring 2010.
You get:
- Bare Escentuals Tinted Hydrating Mineral Veil
- Bare Escentuals Creme de la Creme Eye Color in Mocha Cream
- Bare Escentuals Magnifique Eyecolor in Smokey Plum
- Bare Escentuals Avant-Garden Blush in Bright Carnation
- Bare Escentuals Black Coffee Big & Bright Eyeliner in Brown-Black
- Bare Escentuals Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascara in Black
- Bare Escentuals Pretty Amazing Lipcolor in Brick Rose Rouge
First off I gotta say the entire Mocha Cream Eye Color, well, WTH!? This is so not Mocha Cream. The shade is a soft shade of olive green not sure where Mocha comes into play here. The other color you get is Smokey Plum. Now I will say that the formula of BE’s Eyecolors is considerably different compared to their lovely Glimmers. Mocha Cream comes across with a faint hint of shimmer but Smokey Plum feels utterly matte to me. As you can see the contrast between the two seems utterly strange and mismatched however, for some reason, they work together well. BE suggests using Mocha Cream as a color wash all over the eye and using Smokey Plum on the lid and blended into the crease. The formula on Smokey Plum proves a little bit of a pain to work with but a blending brush seems to get the job done well.
The Avant Garden Blush is simply gorgeous and seems to really go well with the eye look on a whole as it gives a warm pink glow to cheeks. I took note that the new blush and mineral veil has a sifter and an easy to open tab now. I’m not sure how long BE has been doing this since it’s been a while in between my blush purchases from the brand. I both like the idea and dislike it. It’s great because it does keep things from getting to messy but I also dislike it because it actually seems to make a bigger mess since you can close off the sifter now by twisting it but some powder remains after use and gets stuck between the groves of the sifter…I dunno, just seems more messy now than it was with the original design.
Bare Escentuals Pretty Amazing Lipcolor in Brick Rose Rouge is a warm dusky rose. Fans of Chanel Allure Extrait de Gloss will see the similarities here. This is an extra thick, full coverage lip cream. It’s not particularly hydrating and tends to go a tad dry on my lips so it’s best topped with gloss however the coverage is incredible as the product is super pigmented. The applicator is just as great as it bends and fits the contours of your lips in an incredibly suave way during application as it seems to contour and move with your lips as you apply. Very interesting product!
Bare Escentuals Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascara is a pretty decent mascara. It builds very well which is one reason to love it however it does lack bells and whistles and is pretty much a straight end, bushy brush, traditional mascara that does a good job with lenght and volume.
The bad for me was without a doubt the Hydrating Mineral Veil. I do not particularly love Mineral Veil to begin with and didn’t think much of this version. I’m not noticing the tint to be honest and it just makes my skin tired and stressed looking. I also fail to see the hydrating effect as when I apply it feels very chalky and not smooth and silky. I thought the hydrating effect would be like the MAC Magically Cooling Powder but nope, texture and formula do not have a wet and/or dewy feel. The powder feels scratchy to me.
I also wasn’t particularly keen on the Bare Escentuals Black Coffee Big & Bright Eyeliner. You really have to tug to get this in place correctly. I like a smoother eyeliner that glides on, really not into struggling with eyeliner to get it in place and I felt like that was exactly what I was doing when I used this.
- Fans of Bare Escentuals!
- Those wanting more for less (the set is under $40 and includes 7 full size Bare Mineral products).
- Anyone wanting a lovely little gift for a BE fan.
- Anyone who likes a more grown up, work friendly look that’s elegant.
- Anyone who loves vibrant shades of colors.
- Anyone who wants a festive, shimmery Holiday look.
I definitely had a few dislikes with the set but I’m placing a Muse Approval on it because I loved the end results. The set comes together to create a very polished look that’s work friendly or great for an evening out. I think my picture below pretty much gives you a feel for the look I mean. I really loved the blush, I enjoyed the lipcolor as well, and thought the packaging of the pots with the floral design was pretty darling. The set makes a great gift for BE lovers or should appeal to those who generally love the brand. If you aren’t in the realms of bolder, vibrant makeup and prefer a more sophisticated, grown up look, I think this should fit the bill perfectly.
I loved the overall look and definitely felt it was a deal. The set is currently $39.95 and includes all full size items so it’s quite a nice deal.
Available from QVC.
Did you get this set?
Try it?
What did you think?
Do share!