November 22, 2010

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!

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Maggie

    I kept resisting this but I finally caved when it went to the TSV price, and I’m really glad I did. I’m amazed how well the colors work together, especially on us super-duper-pale girls. My fav is definitely the blush – so freaking gorgeous!

    I didn’t even touch the Mineral Veil – it went straight into the MUA Swap Drawer 😉

    • the Muse

      ha maggie great minds. I tried it out of morbid curiosity and proceeded to toss it into the makeup grave yard. It’s scratchy as hell for some reason but i’m not an MV fan anyway. I was impressed too, the colors look incredibly uneventful but they apply dreamy ;D!

  • Lindsay

    You look super pretty in your FOTD, Muse! 🙂
    I might have to check this set out especially at that price.

    • the Muse

      aw thanks lindsay you’re too kind dear! It’s really a nice set. The shades look crazy uneventful but once applied I was kinda shocked 😀

  • Ellie

    Oooh, nice price! Less than I thought it would be. Say Muse, did you ever review the BE shimmer and shine set?

      • Ellie

        No, haven’t even seen it in real life… but I want it so bad for Christmas! The colors look so pretty in all the pictures I’ve seen. I’ll prob just go ahead and get it 🙂

        • Ellie

          Swatched it and I would have gotten it… except that the clear gloss was disappointing (I think it’s called Sprinkle). It was totally sheer and the pieces of glitter were too big. It was a no-go.

  • Promise

    It looks awesome on you, but I think I’ll pass and get the JM Love Nest and the Sephora Favorites lip collection. woot Woot!!

  • Carrie

    I got this set and I love it! The only thing that didn’t work for me was the lip color, so I gave it to a friend. I’m on auto-delivery, so I can’t wait to see the future shipments!

    • the Muse

      same here carrie. wasn’t sure at first but tried it out and adored it ;-D I didn’t love the MV or the eyeliner but the rest was gorg ;-D sorry the lipcolor didn’t do it for you but hopefully the future shipments have good shades that will work for ya ;D!

  • tini

    I saw this on the TSV and half asleep & I really wanted to order it (can’t even remember why…) but couldn’t find my card so I was like, whatevs times to sleep.

    I’m kinda glad, nothings really exciting, just nice. I only kinda want the blush but I never, ever use my BE blushes. I’m too klutzy. It looks great on you, though.

    • the Muse

      thanks tini you’re too kind you can always get the blush on e-bay. people are always breaking up the sets and selling them in pieces!

  • Ru

    Thanks for reviewing! Sad to here about the mineral veil, seems a bit shimmery too?

  • JoElla

    I caved and went on ad for this.

    Likes:
    The shadow colors. Very pretty on and want to play more with the darker color
    Blush is a pretty color
    Lip color, very pretty (after I blotted)

    Dislikes:
    First off.. nearly broke my fingers trying to open up the dang blush and HMV. I almost called NASA for instructions on how to get that bugger opened!

    Eyeliner, pretty color, but tugged the heck out of my eyes. Maybe will try warming it up with my fingers first for the next try.

    Lip color is gloopy and sticky when first applied. It reminded me of a very thick L’oral Infallible lip color, but loved it after I blotted the hell out of it.

    I haven’t tried the mascara yet, trying to be good and finish up my L’oreal Volumous Carbon first.

    I do have one big ole giant HATE~ The HMV. HATED IT! It made me orange looking, I am not even that pale. I am a light olive color and really didn’t think I would look orange using this. And the only hydrating feeling I had was, it made my upper lip feel sweaty. NOT WHAT I WANTED OR EXPECTED.

    Overall, I am happy with about 75% of the kit and glad I purchased it..

    • the Muse

      ditto Jo! ;-D AD for me too. OMG me too! I was debating is the tab a good thing or a bad thing!? I kept tugging and had a problem getting it open! amen sistah! same same on the HMV! it was awful and it felt kinda scratchy on my skin! where’s the hydrating feel!??!?!?!?!

      I’m saying 70-75% as well ;-D surprised how lovely it LOOKED on but wasn’t too crazed over how everything looked in the jars!

  • Daphne

    My mom bought this for herself & for me for Christmas – of course, I don’t pull off the look nearly as well as you 😉

    Do you have any idea when & what colors will be in the next shipment?

    This set was my first taste of BE products, so I’m still getting used to the difference in application (but hey, I suck at makeup application anyway so.. 😉 )

    I just signed up on Sephora – so hopefully I’ll get a coupon soon so I can stock up before my first trip to NYC in May! I think I’m going to buy a few of the tutorial kits..because again, I suck at make up 🙂

    I found your blog because I was look for a pic of the “Smokey V Eye” and I must say – I’ve fallen in love with your blog. Seeing the finished look is very helpful when picking out sets. I don’t really “get it” when I see the cartoon drawings or facial maps. I need to see it on a real person.

    So thank you for all you do!!

  • Jessica Diaz

    I have tried 2 of the lip glosses and they are amazing…Just bought 3 more…..