Hello friends! Today I thought it'd be fun to do a little bit of online window shopping with you all. Sephora has launched a TON of new favorites kits, which inspired me to peruse all of their available value sets and come up with a list of 10 badass options all under $50. As a beauty blogger the hours I spend browsing through Sephora's website could easily be considered justifiable research. But in reality I'd probably waste just as much time looking at pretty bottles and compacts even if I didn't have an audience to share my musings with (#iamaddictedtobeautyproducts).
ANYWAY...these little sampler sets are by far one of my favorite ways to shop beauty. Much akin to my fondness for tapas, I'd rather have a little bit of a lot of different things than one big dish...err bottle...tube?...you get the picture. I love variety and the surprises that come with it. Sometimes you fall in love with a product you would have otherwise never thought to try. Other times a product that seemed amazing turns out to kind of suck, leaving you totally relieved that you didn't buy the full size.
Sampler sets are also a great way to stave off beauty boredom. We've all been there. You've been using the same shampoo for the last 6 months, and while it started off amazing, you've gotten to that point where washing your hair is like listening to a ridiculously overplayed song on the radio. You feel too guilty to abandon a half used bottle of perfectly good product, but you're just so over it that the entire process makes you rage. How is there still so much left? Will it ever end? YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND. On the flip side, opting for a mini size gives you a much greater likelihood of actually using the entire thing up before it hits My Heart Will Go On status.
So whether you're looking for travel-sized versions of products you love, or are feeling a bit adventurous and just looking to experiment, these value sets will likely be money well spent. They're also adorable. Just sayin'.
1. Jurlique Beloved Bestsellers ($37) $58 value
I've had my heart set on trying Jurlique's Rosewater Balancing Mist since the moment I became aware of its existence. I know, I know, my general feelings on facial sprays are sort of mixed, but the hype around this cult classic product is so real that I can't help but be intrigued. Unfortunately a full-sized bottle is hella expensive ($35 for 3.3 oz), which has kept me from pulling the trigger. In this little set, though, you get a 1 oz travel-sized bottle of the mist, as well as a 0.5 oz bottle of the Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum (half of the full size) and a 0.33 oz bottle of the Skin Balancing Face Oil (about 1/5 of the full size) for a few dollars more than the price of the mist alone. Used together these three products look like they'd be amazing for rebalancing oily skin and fighting signs of aging. Sounds like it'd be right up my alley!
2. Sephora Lashstash to Go ($28) $57 value
Want the best deal in mascara ever? Look no further than these Lashstash kits. Sephora releases updated versions of this set once or twice a year with the latest formulas, and this most recent one looks awesome. Now I have enough mascara minis stockpiled to last me for the next 5 years (thank you subscription boxes), so I probably won't be running out to pick this up. But if I had the beauty collection of a normal person, this would probably be one of the first things on my wish list. In this set you get mini versions of the Marc Jacobs O!Mega Lash in Blacquer, the Milk Makeup Ubame Mascara in Black, the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara in Black, the Tarte Tarteist Lash Paint in Black, and the Ciaté London Triple Shot Mascara in Black. If you follow the recommended guidelines for chucking your mascara after three months of use, you've still got over a year's worth of product in this set, which is truly a steal for $28. But wait...it gets better! Much like Sephora's perfume samplers, the Lashstash set now has a voucher for a full-sized version of any of these 5 mascaras! Honestly, if you're considering picking up the full size of any of these mascaras anyway, you might as well just spend a few extra dollars and get this set instead.
Caudalie is a beautifully luxurious skincare brand that often falls way outside my price range. Fortunately, sets like this let me get my fix without breaking the bank. Every year Caudalie releases an updated take on their favorites, and 2016's offering is pretty impressive. You get a 1.0 oz version of their Beauty Elixir and Micellar Cleaning Water, a 0.5 oz version of the Instant Detox Mask, a 0.34 oz Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet (a personal fave of mine), and a 0.24 oz Premier Cru eye cream. Caudalie's products are gentle and friendly to most skin types (including sensitive), making it an ideal gift to give. Or receive (no judgment passed).
4. Peter Thomas Roth Skin Saver Kit ($38) $104 value
I have yet to try much from PTR, but from what I've heard around the blog-o-sphere, they make some quality skincare. This set contains four generously sized deluxe samples of some really innovative products, as well as a single pair of their 24K Gold Eye Masks. Sephora's website says these products are great for all skin types, and that they're designed to refine, protect, and hydrate. The Anti-Aging Cleansing Gel has glycolic acid to help exfoliate the skin and break down impurities and debris, and the Cucumber Gel Mask sounds incredibly soothing. If you're suffering from dull skin and dry patches, this might be right up your alley.
5. Tarte Skin Squad ($22) $68 Value
Ya'll know my love for Tarte is strong, and when I saw this set I couldn't believe it was only $22! You get mini versions of 6 products (a total of a $68 value) and the chance to try a bunch of their new Rainforest of the Sea skincare line. Since it does contain their BB Tinted Primer (which you may have seen in my April Favorites) there are two color choices available (light and medium). I really love that Tarte included equal parts skincare and makeup in this set, and feel like it would be a perfect introduction to the brand.
6. Bite Beauty Spring Fling ($39 on sale for $29) $52 value
If you haven't had a chance to try the new Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks and aren't afraid of a good classic red lip, you might just need this set in your life. In it you get three mini lipsticks, an almost full-sized Line and Define Primer, a super cute little mirror and a lipstick print adorned pencil bag. Originally this set retailed for $39 (which is a little steep in my book), but is currently on sale for $29. Truly, though, the Amuse Bouche Lipsticks are insanely pigmented, rich, and long-wearing. They might just be my new favorite formula of all time!
7. Sephora Favorites Chic it Easy ($49) $143 value
If you aren't lucky enough to live in France, but are itching to channel your inner Parisian, let this set take you on a mini vacation. Inside you get deluxe sized versions of Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine Perfume, Caudalie Beauty Elixir, Formula X Nail Polish in the shade Pyrotechnic, Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk, the Laura Mericer Tinted Moisturizer in Nude, MUFE Aqua XL Eye Pencil in M-10, as well as FULL SIZED versions of the NARS Lipstick in Jungle Red and YSL's Touche Eclat in No 2. Luminous Ivory. Seriously, that Touche Eclat pen alone is worth $42. If you were remotely considering giving it a try, you might as well just pick up this entire set!
8. Clarins Party Girl Prescription ($25) $47 value
Clarins is another cult-favorite brand that's been on my beauty to-try list for eons, and this little sampler set might be a lovely way to introduce myself to some of their most popular products. Inside you get a 1.0 oz Instant Eye Make-up Remover, a 0.5 oz Multi-Active Day Sunscreen, a 0.3 oz Shaping Facial Lift Total V Contouring Serum, and a 0.09 oz Instant Lip Comfort Oil in Honey. Unfortunately the day cream uses chemical sunscreens (predictable, but still disappointing) which means it might break me out, but everything else sounds pretty fab. From what I've heard the Lip Comfort Oil is supposed to be gloriously hydrating for the lips, and this might be a great way to go about trying it!
9. Sephora Favorites The Ultimate Travel Bag ($42) $118 value
And then there was the Big Mama of sampler sets. The Ultimate Travel Bag really is exactly as its name suggests. You get deluxe samples of 14 (!) different products for under $50. Many of these are raved about products, and most of them I haven't had a chance to try, making this my number one choice of everything I've shared here today. Some products of note? You get to try the L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil, which has the most dreamy, moisturizing texture and smells PHENOM, the Sunday Riley Luna Oil (this stuff is $125 a bottle and apparently works miracles...yeah), LAVANILA's Healthy Deodorant in Pure Vanilla (something I've wanted to try forever), AND Jurlique's Rosewater Balancing Mist (we come full circle!).
10. Sephora Favorites Summer Crush ($40) $102 value
And to round things up there is also this adorable set of summer appropriate minis to keep you looking fab through the heat. You get 5 deluxe samples, 2 full-sized products, and a sample of Beauty Blender's take on blotting sheets, the blotterazzi. I already own many of the products in this set, making it a little less appealing to me personally, but I could totally see other people falling in love. Stila's Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner is the stuff dreams are made of, UD's All Nighter is the setting spray that made setting sprays a thing, and Fresh's Sugar Rose Lip Treatment is a cult classic that will change the way you look at Chapstick forever.
Are you as obsessed with sampler sets as I am? Which one of these appeals the most to you?
