My honest take! Let’s look at Beautycounter’s B Corp Certified Holiday Line – the really good, the not bad, and the ‘Probably Don’t Buy That.’
First up, what is the Beautycounter Holiday + Fall Collection?
Every year Beautycounter releases a limited edition line for the Fall and Holiday Season. Based in California the female founded and led B Corp Beautycounter is one of the original “clean” beauty companies. They exist to both offer safer products that are stringently tested but also to create a movement that sees laws change. With the goal that personal care products are safer for everyone, not just their customers.
The collection is a mix of fun takes on their best sellers, completely new items, and refillable travel minis. There are skincare, makeup and body products all with Beautycounter’s usual stringent policies I choose them for: safe formulation, ethical sourcing and sustainable production. Plus lots of the new Beautycounter Holiday releases are EWG verified, and it’s all Leaping Bunny and B Corporation Certified. Over the years they’ve done better on packaging moving And if you or someone shopping for you are placing a first time order, you can take 20% off all these sets with the code CLEANFORALL20 HERE!
The affiliate disclaimer bit! The links on this page are all affiliate links, cos I’m an affiliate for anything I love and the companies I believe it. You don’t pay any more and sometimes you pay less because of it, and it gives me a bit more room to write posts like this!
How I review the Beautycounter Holiday Collection
This is my 6th year reviewing the Beautycounter Holiday collection and I love giving my honest opinion on anything being marketed to anyone! I believe hugely in reducing our consumption and the need for that, but I also deeply believe in shopping better along that journey and this is why I love this collection each year. I’m not a makeup artist or an aesthetician. When I open each box I’m looking at sustainability, packaging, do I think people are going to love these pieces, how useful are they, can they be refilled, how well would they gift, are they a a good deal! So here you go…
The 14 Sets from the Beautycounter Holiday Collection for 2023
Main Squeeze Lip Jellies
These little stevia sweetened jellies only appear each year at holiday and they’re a crowd fave. The packaging on the set is really cute but I think these come into their own when. youbreak them up to gift individually maybe with a bar of chocolate or something else. Then they’re a $20 gift including something else added in.
Shop the Jellies HERE – $11 each
Hidden Gem Makeup Set
This set is an honestly beautiful refillable cream blush, with a mini mini glow priming serum. The blush in this recycled and refillable compact is one of my top Beautycounter products – you can refill it with anything. This shade is a hybrid of the regular blush in a shade between Chai and Truffle, with some glowy highlighter mixed in. It’s a gorgeous warm combo. On the primer – You don’t have to wear it under makeup, it gives a glow with no makeup put on after. It’s a tiny bottle so it’s best used as a refill for travel, work or on the go. For budget you could just buy one of the stand alone blushes and add on Band of Beauty which is their perks program and gets you a FREE full size primer, while I pay back the cost. But it also a beautiful makeup set.
Shop the cream blush and primer HERE $55
Lashes + Lips Makeup Duo
This one is cute – perfect gift for a teen/daughter or anyone! It’s a mini mascara with a mini hydrating lip sheer that adjusts to your lips with the perfect tone for you. Then it’s in a paper zipper bag to avoid plastic. Being paper it’s going to crease and not stay looking fresh, but it’s sturdy and a cute bag.
Shop the set and pouch HERE
My top pick from Beautycounter Holiday 2023: Clean Eau de Parfum Duo
Ok, THIS is the set I’m hands down THE MOST excited for! No competition. I’ve been using it for 6 weeks – my first perfume in 15 years – and adoring it! It’s just fun to get to have a fragrance again knowing it’s safe and sustainable again. I gave up wearing perfume years ago (Ralph Lauren Romance was my go to!) when it gave me headaches and I learned more about the safety of most fragrance. The woodsy fresh Miles Away is my top choice of the two but I love the brighter, warmer Sun Spill too – it’s not overly sweet like I thought it might be. And actually combining them both might be my favourite.
Sun Spill Notes
- Top: Grapefruit, Neroli
- Middle: Rose Petals, Jasmine, Coriander
- Base: Vetiver, Cedarwood
Miles Away Notes
- Top: Lemon, Bergamot
- Middle: Chamomile, Jasmine, Juniper Berry
- Base: Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Vetiver
Shop the (incredible!) ewg verified eau de parfum here
Shimmer + Glow Makeup Duo
If you love makeup and a real easy glow – this is a GREAT set to add to your makeup bag and both of these last a long time. Beautycounter are slowly bringing back their talc free, ethical mica powders and this is easy to apply and packs a punch. If you like an easy, subtle but glowy eye shadow too – this one if forgiving and really easy to apply. This is a great set to add to a personal makeup collection. the palette is paper, and the eye shadow is glass and recycled plastic which I love!
Shop the talc free highlighter + Lid glow shadow HERE
Mini Beyond Gloss Vault
These are a best seller and always sell out early but aren’t actually personal fave. The gloss vault is always one of the best sellers and a first to sell out but I’d take the jellies any day. They come out to $12 each when you break them up for gifting alone and they last well – so that’s what makes this a great one in my opinion!
Shop the glosses – a great break apart gift – HERE $12 each
One of my FAVES: Polish + Plump Facial Trio
I LOVE this one. And it actually feels like great value for money. It’s a trio, all in glass, of (a) cleansing balm for cleansing and deep hydration, (b) AHA mask for spa like exfoliation, and (c) the new ceramide water cream for instant plumping. This is one of my top sets personally from the line up.
Shop the trio HERE
Keep Cool Facial Trio
This one surprised me! The 2 glass wands are filled with water which I hadn’t seen and didn’t expect. But I’m a HUGE fan of facial massage and what it does so I love it. You can put the wands in the freezer for cooling de-puffing effect that relaxes me so much. The Countertime Tripeptide Radiance Serum is a treat favourite for me – pricey, but visibly works like magic and technically “improves skin barrier function, increase skin radiance, and decreases the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles” but really gives my skin radiance immediately and help with fine lines and even-ness over time. This set 100% gets’ the thumbs up from me – and it’s cheaper than the serum alone, so that just makes sense!
Shop the wand duo and radiance serum
Countermatch Carry-On Set
A travel sized and (mostly) refillable version of the very popular Countermatch line. It’s the line for “middle of the road” skin and sensitive skin. This smaller set has been much asked for over the last few years for people who love the full line for every day. I have the Countertime version and I love the size (about 3 weeks worth) and the carry case. My only comment here is that it’s all refillable besides the cleanser which I think is an interesting choice. But the full size cleanser would also fit in the bag with everything else for future travel. I also think it’s the perfect size for a gym goer who wants to do their skin routine at the gym or on the go.
Shop the countermatch travel set HERE
Brighter Days Skincare Set (My bottom pick from Beautycounter Holiday 2023!)
A mini AHA exfoliating toner and a mini vitamin C oil. I love this oil for gua sha, facial massage, and honestly notice no difference using the toner (but we’re all different!) So my hot take: this is probably one to skip unless you love the toner and the oil and want a refillable travel set!
Shop the brightening DUO HERE
Goodnight + Glow Duo: Facial and Body Overnight Resurfacing Peel
A gentle facial overnight peel, and a twin one for the body. The overnight resurfacing peel is a top best seller, and one of my personal faves for helping dull skin overnight. The body one I’ve used and it’s effective too – although less of a bestseller I think just because it’s a less familiar concept. But nevetheless, a great duo for gifting a universally loved skin brightening set packaged in glass and paper or to invest in for yourself if resurfacing is something that feels perfect for you.
Shop the overnight peel duo HERE
Sugar + Silk Body Set (Perfect for gifting!)
The sugarbuff Body polish in this is MASSIVE. Along with the body oil these are two items from the Beautycounter core line packaged in a lower priced and very giftable duo for holiday. I use the body buff polish post shaving and actually on my scalp too to cleanse and remove any build up it once a month. If you are some one (or have someone to shop for) who would love a spa like vibe but at home – this is a fab set. In previous years these have been moved from plastic to post consumer recycled plastic, that’s not noted on these ones so I’m unsure of the packaging but I’ve asked the brand for an answer on it!
Shop the spa at home set HERE
Good Scents Hand Cream Trio
For the second year these are (finally) not in plastic and they’re a best seller I’ll now recommend! They’re high end feeling in the delicate metal tubes and a perfect staple to gift or keep in your bag. I love to break up the set and add it to bottles of wine or bars of chocolate for smaller gifts at under $20 for the full gift.
Shop the HANd cream trio HERE
Triple Quench Body Butter Trio
These are a crowd favourite and honestly just not one of my favourites, I’m not a body butter person. But they’re in pretty shimmery tubs and each one if a thick and luxurious body butter in Lavender + Sage, Coriander + Cucumber, and Jasmine + Citrus. In previous years these have been moved from plastic to post consumer recycled plastic, that’s not noted on these ones so I’m unsure of the packaging but I’ve asked the brand for an answer on it!
Shop the body butter trio HERE
In general I think it’s a great collection with lots of requested and loved items and the usual standards for sourcing and safety. The perfumes, AHA/Ceramide Cream/Cleansing Balm trio, and the Radiance Serum set are probably my top choices. The hand creams, glosses and jellies are all really useful to break up for smaller lower priced gifts. The yellow brightening set are my bottom choice, and the I think some of the packaging that in the last few years has been recycled plastic is not any more, I’m guessing in an effort to keep the cost down. You can see the full Holiday collection HERE and my Beautycounter favourites outside of the holiday collection HERE .
