With Christmas just around the corner, there’s plenty of holiday gift sets on the market now. I took it upon myself to pick up some of these gift sets at Sephora (some can also be found on the brand’s website) so I could save you the hassle from testing them yourselves. This way you’ll have a better idea if a holiday gift set is worth the money!

Some of these are must-haves in my books, while others I would pass up on even though they are limited edition. Consider my list below before making your purchases this holiday season.

1. Dior Natural Glow Essentials Gift Set

This set contains two full-size lip products—the Dior lip maximizer and the Dior lip glow, both in the shade 001 pink. The velvet blue makeup pouch is essentially a bonus in this set given the two lip products add up to the cost of the whole kit.

I would highly recommend this set if you love these two lippies or you’ve been eyeing these products for a while! I also love the pouch and the luxe feel of it. It is so classic and elegant, it’s perfect to carry your daily makeup essentials. Take my word, you don’t want to miss out on this exquisite Dior holiday set!

2. Dior 5 Eyeshadow Palette Couture Case

Sometimes not all holiday sets can be winners, and this Dior eyeshadow palette was unfortunately a hard pass for me. Don’t get me wrong, the packaging is beautiful and I always appreciate an artistic and well thought out design. The suede feel and gold hardware is stunning however, the eyeshadows were not at par with the price.

From the swatches you can see the two shimmers did not have much color pay off, which was disappointing because I love a statement shimmer on my eyes. The remaining three shades are matte finishes, but they also didn’t perform as well as some other formulas that are hot on the market right now. If the mattes were a bit more creamy and didn’t take so much work to blend, I would give this product a thumbs up.

3. Laneige Midnight Minis Lip Sleeping Mask Set

These Laneige lip sleeping masks have lived in my skincare routine for several years now, which probably tells you they are a must have for me. I apply this lip mask every night before bed and every morning I find my lips smooth and hydrated to perfection.

I would say my favorite part about this year’s holiday set is that there’s an applicator included! This little bonus piece makes the application process even more luxe and hassle free! Moreover, you get FIVE mini lip masks to try out so you can decide which scent you prefer, and then go purchase it in a larger tub later.

With all these pluses, I haven’t even gotten to the price yet and that is probably the paramount reason why I would suggest this at the top of your shopping list! You just can’t go wrong with a $25 set and the versatile selection it offers!

4. Laura Mercier Cheek to Cheek Tinted Moisturizer Blush Duo

If you’ve been keeping up with your beauty news, you know these tinted moisturizer blushes have been getting some hype. I was quite curious myself about the formula given it is described as a tinted moisturizer, and I’ve always associated that with some sort of a foundation base.

When I applied the Southbound shade to my cheeks, I was quite taken aback by the finish because it wasn’t dewy as I expected but not matte either. It kind of falls in between as a satin but appears like a natural flush from within. I was pleased with these and since one retails for $36 CAD, getting two for $46 CAD is quite the steal! So don’t miss out on these if you’ve pondering over them as well.

5. NARS Behave Backstage Cheek Set

First I just want to mention that I had been contemplating for months about whether or not I should pick up this blush shade. I kept putting off buying it because I don’t need another blush in my collection (who I am kidding though?! We can always use more blush!) And then NARS released this awesome holiday set and I just HAD to get my hands on it!

This blush shade is especially stunning for light to medium skin tones, like myself. The powder blush gives the most subtle flush to the cheeks without looking overdone. It’s perfect for those natural days where you don’t want to think too much about your makeup. The cream and liquid finishes are also fairly natural, with the multiple stick leaning towards a more dewy finish, whereas the liquid blush is more matte! I love that you can blend the liquid blush into your cheeks comfortably and not worry about it drying too quick, and then it stays put! For reference, this one is thinner in consistency in comparison to the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer blushes.

I was quite surprised by this set and how versatile each blush is even though they are all the same shade. This is one of my favorite picks of the season, and I can bet you it will be gone quick!

6. Givenchy Mini Le Rouge Couture Lipstick Set

The final holiday set (at least for this review), and I’m sorry to say I was very disappointed with this one. I was really looking forward to trying out these Givenchy lipsticks but as soon as I opened the set, the sizing threw off right away. Given how much you are paying, the miniature size of these lipsticks doesn’t justify the cost for me.

Moving forward, I decided to swatch the lipsticks, just to give them a fair chance at the very least. Another disappointment. The color pay off was quite poor in comparison to some other luxury brands. Perhaps I will have to give them another try but for now, I wouldn’t suggest these in your shopping cart.