fivetwo beauty: 2016 HOLIDAY Beauty Gift no.5

I know, I know, all I have been posting are holiday beauty gift finds.

I did debate on this, should I just do a very long post with only product names and a small description on them - which you will probably see most websites (blogs and online magazines) will have OR post them individually and give you my thoughts on them as well. Hence, I went for the latter because in addition to the product informations, didn't you also want to read what I think about these products?

On that note, let's move on to our 5th HOLIDAY Beauty Gift find which is the

Too Faced Merry Macarons

Merry Macarons

$39.00 | Ulta.com

This limited edition gift set comes with 12 gorgeous, vanilla-scented shades that's a mixed of shimmers and mattes plus a deluxe size of their bestselling Better Than Sex mascara. This kit is valued to $153.

Baby it's cold outside! Transport yourself to Too Faced's romantic New York ice-skating rink filled with the delightful vanilla scent of Merry Macarons.

Shades include (from the top Left to Right):
Coconut (matte warm beige)
Dulce De Leche (matte caramel brown)
Banana Cream (warm golden medium brown)
Almond Mocha (matte cool dark taupe)
Champagne Rose ( golden pink)
Mint Chocolate (matte warm dusty purple)
Tiramisu (matte soft fawn)
Chocolate Raspberry ( deep amethyst)
Praline (warm gold shimmer)
Honey Lavender (pale mauve)
Violet Cassis (vibrant orchid)
Cookies & Cream (matte black w/ silver sparkle)

swatches of some of the shadows:

Here's a makeup look where I used the following:

Coconut all over the lids and brow bone.

Tiramisu on my crease.

Mint Chocolate all over the lids, up to the crease.

Honey Lavender on the center of the lids.

Almond Mocha on the outer "V" and in the lower lash line.

Champagne Rose in the inner corners.

*on the lips is the NYX Lingerie in Embellishment

My Thoughts

This is a great gift set for the quality of the eyeshadows. I'm very impressed how pigmented the shadows are! Just tap off the excess from your brush before applying it on the lids or you may have some fall out. I always use an eyeshadow primer since it really makes any eyeshadow and these shadows look very vibrant.

I love how the shimmery shades has almost like a foiled effect on the lids, except for Honey Lavender which is a bit gritty. It's great as a topper on the center lids, but not when used alone I think. Oh yeah, this does have that sweet vanilla scent to it. I do prefer the chocolate scent but I can't complain.

The palette comes in a cardboard packaging which has the same pretty illustration of the box. I did wish this came in a metal tin, like their other palettes but I guess for the price they had to cut back on something. There's no mirror either in this palette.

Overall, if you don't mind the palette being encased in a cardboard packaging, it's a great gift set for the price. I have made a few fun party eye looks with this kit, and also everyday wearable looks. The shades aren't too intimidating either if you usually wear neutral shades.

Check out my other 2016 HOLIDAY Beauty Gift Ideas: