I personally prefer collections to kits, because then I can pick and choose which items I want to buy. I do like it when vendors (usually indie vendors) price entire collections as a unit, with perhaps a slight discount if you purchase the whole thing. I don't often purchase entire collections at once, but when I do, it's nice to have a single-click option. (Dear Meow Cosmetics: I would -=so=- love to have a single-click option to puchase sample sets of your collections, especially when they're just released!) When putting this list together, there was one kit in the lot and the rest were all collections! I think this stems from my already-sizable collection of makeup. I prefer not to be forced into buying items that I already have, just to get the one or two items from a kit that I don't.

Photos that show how the product actually performs...! See how I create my swatches

<h3>The SheSpace's Cinderella Dumped Her Fella</h3>

<p>One of my absolute favorite collections from this indie vendor. It was released three times…each time with slightly lower quality than the first. The final release was toward the very end of the shop's tenure, when shadow quality all along the lineup was decreasing. But for those of us fortunate enough to have gotten these shades during its initial release, we have a colorful collection and a reminder of just why we crushed so hard on TSS. The colors range from neutral to mid-saturation to deep jeweltones. The finishes likewise cover the spectrum. I am very lucky to have gotten these shadows.</p>

<h3>Milani's Shadow Eyez Holiday Romance</h3>

<p>I've already talked about how I love Milani's shadow pencil quality. This collection contains three shades that I truly wish were part of the permanent lineup: Snowy White, Midnight Romance, and Charming Black. The other colors are likewise attractive, but those three are ones that I reach for over and over again. There are near-dupes in my other two favorite vendors' collections, but as any collector of anything can attest: dupes are wonderful, but when an item is your favorite, you gotta have that favorite - not dupes, not even the best-quality substitutes.</p>

<h3>My Pretty Zombie's Blue Period Trio</h3>

<p>I most often use these three shadows as liners. They're very saturated, and while I could use them as all-over colors, I really love the effects I get when I use them as liners. I get definition with a blue base shade rather than black.</p>

<h3>Revlon's Colorburst Balmstains</h3>

<p>I love these!...the originals, not the mattes and lacquers. The original lineup are actually color stains, not just “lip crayons”. The color won't stay all day without touchups, but it will last for 3-4 hours with no primer. (For me, that's big news.) The double bonus, that these are drugstore items and so fairly easily available and not over USD$10 a piece, is another huge bonus.</p>

<h3>Meow Cosmetics' Taboo and Panache Blushes</h3>

<p>There are so many collections from Meow that I could point to and say, this. Try this! Meow does great blushes, and has several collections; yet blushes are not something that beauty blogs or even beauty magazines talk about much. Perhaps it's because eyeshadows and their effects are often so much easier to see, they're more fun to show off. But if you've been looking for some lovely indie blushes, try Meow's Taboo blush collection. You can buy samples of all of them, see which one(s) work for you before committing to fullsize. The quality is very good, the duotone shimmer is subtle but visible, there's a faint glow to these blushes. If you want something that's got more soft color and not so much highlighting, give the Panache collection a try. The colors in those two collections are clear, don't fade, apply very well, and at the same time - won't easily be accidentally over-applied.</p>

<h3>CND Vinylux's Gilded Dreams</h3>

<p>From Christmas 2014, two metallic foils and one sheer effects-layer. This collection got me to try out the Vinylux lineup. The combination of color and finish caught my eye: the pink wasn't a baby or candied pink, there were very faint leanings toward mauve; the gold had a very faint pink duotone effect; and the blue was best for layering and colorchanging, but also looked good on its own. It's been over a year since the collection's release and these shades, which were prominently listed as limited-edition, are still available through many outlets. (Trust me: if you like foils and have been thinking of trying Vinylux, these are a great way to try the line and see if it works for you.It did for me. And now I own…well, let's just say “many bottles” and leave it at that, shall we?)</p>

<h3>elf's Studio Brush Kit</h3>

<p>Ten makeup brushes from elf's Studio line, in a nice zippered brush case. I love elf's eye brushes! (Not so much the face brushes, but I've seen people commenting on how they do like them and get use out of them.) It's a better deal financially when you can purchase this kit at a discount - which does happen from time to time. Purchased at the discount or full price, this is a great way to get someone a wide assortment of everyday-use makeup brushes, in their own carrying/storage apparatus. I've recommended it to others countless times, and will continue to do so. Even when I eventually stopped carrying four of the face brushes and replaced them with others from my collection, the remaining brushes and the carrying case are really great: sturdy, great for travelling, good quality.</p>

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<p>In terms of kits versus collections, I do have many BE kits. Very many. So many. But while I have purchased about two dozen BE kits in my life (or about three kits per year since I started buying BE), most of the kits I own are color-pieces that I already owned. The majority of the kit-exclusive items that I got, I picked up on Ebay. It is a wretched hive of scum and villainy, but if you're cautious you can get some good items and save yourself a bit of money.</p>

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