Sephora is my candy store. I see those brilliantly packaged containers of sparkling powders and shimmering glosses, and I lose (most) control of my budget.
The holidays are my favorite time for cosmetics because gift sets abound in appealing packaging and shades. I thought I'd do a test: Is what's in the package what you're paying for? Or is it smoky eyes in mirrors?
According to sephora.com, Urban Decay Cosmetics' Book of Shadows, Vol. II ($48) is a top seller. It contains 16 shadows, eight of which are exclusive to this particular set, and the other eight are existing shades. Each is 0.03 ounces.
This is a good deal. If you're buying just one shade of Urban Decay, you would spend $16 for 0.05 ounces. You get about 70 percent more for your money buying the set, and because it includes eggplant, champagne, gunmetal, bright blue, deep teal, matte black, violet, gold and bronze shades, it's certainly more bang for your buck.
Then again, not everyone loves the colors of the rainbow in glitter on her eyelids. If you're buying for someone else -- or for yourself, for that matter -- you should still think about which colors you'll actually wear.
There are some gift sets that are just impractical, such as the LashStash Mascara Deluxe Sampler.
Do you really need to have 10 mini bottles of different types of mascara? Maybe not. But, if you have 10 mascara-loving friends, it might work as a good value gift.
When you see those dollar value signs next to the lower retail price, you can believe it (to some extent).
The real value comes from cost per wear, though, so make sure the color -- not the packaging -- is good for you.
MAKEUP FANS: What's the best makeup gift set you've found? What percentage of the set do you usually end up using? Share your thoughts at the Shopgirl blog at blogs.augusta.com.
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