BENEFIT | Dolly Darlings & Girl-A-Rama Review & Holiday 2016 Overview

Saturday 19 November 2016

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Benefit Holiday 2016 collection

Benefit always has some fun goodies up their sleeve for Christmas, and this year is no exception! They have six beautiful holiday sets, and today I am here with two of them. Keep reading to find out what comes in these two boxes, and for some info about their other offerings this holiday season!

benefit dolly darlings holiday set 2016


Dolly Darlings retails for $49 CAD and is availiable at Shoppers Drug Mart, the Benefit Uptown Boutique in Toronto, and Sephora. 

It contains a full sized Hoola bronzer (retail: $36 CAD), a full sized Roller Lash mascara in black (retail: $31), a full sized POREfessional (retail: $39) and a mini Gimme Brow in shade #3. This set claims a value of $115, so with the full sized products coming in at $106, the other $11 would be the value they give the mini Gimme Brow. 

Even if shade #3 isn'y your brow shade this set is an amazing value.

My rational for purchasing this set is that I actually don't own Hoola and I have always wanted to, and Roller Lash is one of my favourite mascaras. I am actually not a huge fan of POREfessional (or really any thick primers), but for me even just the mascara and bronzer make this worth it. The fact that the Gimme Brow is in my shade is just an added bonus.

Now, let's talk about that tin! I love that it isn'y super "Christmasy" because I am actually excited to display this on my vanity for the other 3 seasons of the year. It is sturdy, with a lid that fits snugly. This could be great for odds and ends, cookies (mmm cookies), or to leave at your boyfriend's place. I will not be using this for brushes as it is too tall, but if you wanted to add some filler at the bottom that would totally be an option.  Personally I am thinking about filling this with cotton rounds and displaying it on my vanity! 

Girl-a-rama retails for $45 CAD and is availiable at Shoppers Drug Mart and the Benefit Uptown Boutique in Toronto.

It contains a mini Roller Lash mascara, a mini POREfessional primer, a mini Benetint, a blush split pan of Coralista & Rockateur, a duo shadow blender in "brazen bronze", a powder brush and a custom Shadow Blender.

This set does not offer as good of a value as Dolly Darlings, however I think it has some really cool value added. I am really skeptical about the shadow duos that they have recently released, and this set gives me the chance to test one out without having to commit to the whole palette. Having swatched them I can tell you that they are buttery as anything, but I am still undecided about the sponge. I already have, and love, Rockateur, but I don't have Coralista. These two blend beautifully together, and would be great to pop in a Z-Palette for travel. Speaking of which, I don't find the set up of this set to be as convenient. I plan to depot both the shadow and the blush to add to my Z-palette. The sponge insert which showcases the products in the tin is easy to remove.

This tin is also really nice, and functional. I am planning to use it when I travel to hold my brushes. It could also be a great place to hold mini skin care products for a weekend away, or again, odds and ends. I love that it comes with a little instruction book, and I think this would be a great "intro to make-up" set for a teen for Christmas!

Other Sets

Benefit has four other sets out this year.

Girls Gone WOW! ($58 CAD) - Full sized They're Real! Mascara (black), full sized POREfessional primer, full sized Gimme Brow in shade #3, deluxe mini They're Real Tinted Mascara Primer, deluxe mini Benetit.

This set also offers a great value for ladies who love They're Real! I am more of a Roller Lash kind of girl, so this set isn't as valuable to me, but for you They're Real ladies-- This is great.

Kissy Missy ($34 CAD) - Full sized They're Real Double the Lip in "Revved-up Red" and "Pink Thrills", deluxe mini Lollitint and a deluxe mini Benetint.

I personally don't think this set is a very good value, but I also don't love their tints...A good way to try out the new ombré lips if you don't want to commit to the full set.

Girl O'Clock Rock ($59 CAD) - All of the products in this set are deluxe minis: POREfessional primer, They're Real Mascara, Benetint, Posietint, They're Real Eye Makeup Remover, It's Potent! Eye Cream, Ultra Plush Gloss in "Lollibop, Hoola bronzer, Dandelion blush, BADgal Lash Mascara, High Beam, Lollitint.

This it set up like an advent calendar, making is a unique little pre-Christmas gift. I think this would be a beautiful gift for the girl who is a little too old for a candy advent calendar (not that I'm too old for chocolate). There is a great mix of products in this set which makes it perfect for ladies who are new to the brand. 

B.right! On girl! ($52 CAD) - Full sized Total Moisture Face Cream, mini the POREfessional, mini Firm it up! Eye serum, mini Instant Comeback Facial Serum!

I like that this kit is skin care focused, and the tin is oh-so-cute. For the lady in your life looking to expand her skincare horizons, consider this. I already have my skin care system down, so I am not interested in this, but for the right person this is a great set.

Advice: Buy the Dolly Darlings set if you love Roller Lash, because that set is a steal! If you are planning on getting it in store, call ahead and ask for it to be placed on hold, just in case. I have my two favourite sets from their holiday selection, but I know everybody has their own preferences. Overall these sets are a great value, so you won't go wrong if you pick a set with products you love!

I purchased Dolly Darlings with my own money. I traded a palette of mine that wasn't getting much love in a Facebook group for Girl-a-rama.

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