By Gina Colonette on December 12, 2012 in
'Tis the season when bundled products of perfume, cologne and beauty items line the shelves of your drugstore and makeup counters. Buying a box set of Taylor Swift's eau de parfum with the powder and lotion could be a boon to your pocketbook as well as feed your beauty adventurer and penny-pinching ways. For the holidays, box sets can save you time, money and stress. The big question is: Should you buy?
Pass on the gift boxes when...
...you're spending more money for less products or buying the items individually costs the same. Case in point, Sephora by OPI's Jewelry Top Coat Set is not a bargain at $38 for four - in fact there's no discount at all; sold individually each polish cost $9.50. Although these decorative sparkles are dainty, buying a larger nail polish set - that won't require a glittery top coat - will end up saving you more per each individual bottle. Plus, you'll have more to choose from and share.
Try this instead: Sephora by OPI Tinsel Town Eight Piece Set (*Est. $29.50) You'll save about $1.30 per polish as compared to the four piece top coat set. It also comes with a wide variety of colors including wine, nude, and black. Reviewers on Sephora.com agreed the colors are gorgeous.
...the purchase doesn't match the person. Bvlgari AQVA pour Homme Marine Gift Set (*Est $59), for example, comes with three bottles: Eau de toilette, after shave and a shampoo and shower gel. Ask yourself this: Does the guy I'm buying for shave or use after shave? If the answer is no, then you don't need this gift set-- go for a smaller set or different cologne.
Try this instead: Bvlgari AQVA pour Homme Gift Set (*Est $79). Although this version is more expensive, it comes with a larger bottle of cologne and a travel bag instead of after shave.
Don't be fooled this holiday season. Keep your eyes and ears open for sets that are anything but bargains.
