Clinique Party Eyes Holiday Makeup set review

Christmas time means Christmas gift sets and I get far too excited about the thoughts of the limited edition palettes, brush kits and beauty advent calendars that come out around this time of year.

The Clinique Party Eyes Holiday Makeup set is no exception. A Selfridges exclusive, it contains everything an eye make-up junkie like myself could wish for.

Top row swatches

Bottom row swatches and eye liners

There's a palette of 8 eye shadows, a full-size High Impact Extreme mascara, two good sized Cream Shapers for eyes (eye liners) in black and purple and a two piece brush set for easy application.

It's been a while since I used Clinique makeup, and after trying this kit, I'm not really sure why I've left it so long! The eye liners are super creamy, and apply really easily without any dragging. They wear pretty well, giving at least 8 hours of wear before needing a top-up and also smudge nicely for a smokey eye look. They are around two thirds the size of the full-size liners, so will last you months, and are worth almost £12 each.

Eye shadows

The 8 eye shadows are a mixture of shimmery shades, and have enough choice in colours for you to create multiple looks. I'm usually a brown/gold fan when it comes to eye colours, however I've been really drawn to the navy shade in this palette which works really well with a hint of the silver for an alternative smokey eye. The quality of the shadows is really good - they last well with or without a primer, and while some are a little more sheer than others, they blend together beautifully without too much effort.

There are also four cards within the kit which give examples of looks you can achieve with the products, which is a really nice touch and great for inspiration.

Mascara

The mascara is actually a full size, which I was surprised by, as very often these kits only contain mini versions. I've said before I'm a fan of big lashes and I'm very loyal to my favourite YSL False Lash Effect, however this gives good volume and separation, and a really true black colour to lashes. The brush is a plastic bristle brush which took me a little getting used to, but if you're a fan of these (similar to Benefit's They're Real brush), then I think you'll love it. The full size mascara retails at £17, so this is a really good addition to the kit.

There are two brushes included in the set, which are reasonable quality. I wouldn't use them daily, but they work well within the kit, and provide an easy solution if you don't want to take bags of stuff with you for travelling.

This isn't something you'd pop in your bag - the size is a little longer than one of the Urban Decay Naked palettes, however it would be perfect if you're going away over Christmas, as you'd only need to take some base makeup and a lipstick with you in addition to this.

Merry Christmas!

I think this would make a lovely gift for Christmas. I know that my Mum uses a lot of Clinique makeup and I'm sure she'd love to see this under the tree. It's a really good introduction to the brand if you've not used their makeup before and everything within it is a really good size.

The Party Eyes Holiday Set costs £40 (bargain!) and can be found exclusively from Selfridges. I've also been eyeing up their Chubby Stick Christmas set, which looks amazing! Have a look at the full range of Clinique at Selfridges - I'm sure there'll be something that catches your eye.

*PR sample