Tatcha Holiday 2018 Lip Sets Review + Swatches

Tatcha always has the prettiest Holiday Gift Sets and today I have a review of three lip sets. They have a number of skincare bundles which are always priced at a good value but the lip sets are the ones that caught my eye. Today 11/15 is the last day of their Friends and Family Event, you can get 20% off sitewide with code FRIENDS18 at checkout. I’m thrilled the lip sets have not yet sold out as every year they usually do. The three sets I hauled:

• Kyoto Kisses Mini Silk Lipstick Trio ($60)
• Japanese Blossoms Mini Silk Lipstick Trio ($60)
• Blushing Lips Duo ($68)

I’ve reviewed their lipsticks over the years including Kyoto Red, Sunrise: A Plum Blossom, and Twilight: A Cherry Blossom. The packaging, presentation and formula of every color is exquisite. The full size options are on the expensive side but they are truly special. Sometime last year they launched a purple berry color Beautyberry in a Trio Set with lipstick, liner and balm form which many of you asked me to review. I don’t typically wear blue-based colors and thought it would be too blue so I passed until now because it’s available in one of the mini sets!

There are two mini lipstick sets, they come in small bullets 1.3 g/0.04 oz each, made in Japan. The lipstick pigment and color appears to be the same as the full size options I tried and review, but to me the formula in the trios seem to be a tiny bit glossier in finish (except for the red). The difference is not too noticeable, could just be me. The Mini Silk Lipstick Trios come packaged in a beautiful box and there is a holder inside which I really appreciate. It holds them in place perfectly so when shipped there shouldn’t be any rolling around in the box. Both sets are beautiful. I can’t pick a favorite.

Japanese Blossoms Mini Silk Lipstick Trio has Sunrise: A Plum Blossom (medium rose pink), Twilight: A cherry blossom (pale soft pink) and Beautyberry (a cool plum berry). In the tube Beautyberry looks like it has the slightest hint of iridescent shimmer, on my lips I don’t see the shimmer as much. Given the fact that most blue-based lipsticks make me look sallow because of my skintone I was really pleasantly surprised to find Beautyberry wearable for my olive complexion. I don’t know that I love it enough to buy the full size options though.

Lip swatches on bare lips, foundation I’m wearing for skintone reference is the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 6.5:

Kyoto Kisses has Sunrise: A Plum Blossom (medium rose pink), a new shade Peony Blossom (sheer glossy pink coral), and Kyoto Red (bold bright matte red). I think the new Peony Blossom is their best shade yet, but I’m really partial to peachy pink coral shades. The peach and pink shades have sheer to medium coverage with one swipe, but you can layer for full coverage. Lip swatches below show they covered my entire lip well. Kyoto Red is one of the most intense bold reds I’ve ever tried. It’s a matte although in my swatches you might see a tiny bit of shine because of the flash I use.

Lip swatches on bare lips:

All swatched side by side:

I’ve saved my favorite for last which is the Blushing Lips Duo. It has a full size Kissu Lip Mask (9 g/ 0.32 oz, made in Japan) and a full size Peony Blossom Silk Lipstick (3.4 g/0.1 oz).

The Kissu Lip Mask was available individually but kept selling out and I never managed to check out in time to buy it. I’m really happy I got it in this set because it’s such a pretty smooth lip balm. I like it MUCH more than their regular Camellia Lip Balm and that is one I still consider to be very good. The Kissu Lip Mask has a soft cushiony feel, it’s hydrating and smooth. No sticky or tacky feel. It’s clear but the color has a slight pink tint in the pot. There’s a small gold applicator you can use to apply which is cute, but I wish the cap had a holder like the Water Cream or Silk Cream because I always lose applicators!

Peony Silk Blossom Lipstick is such a pretty natural coral pink. It’s medium in coverage but you can layer for more. It has a soft sheen like the other silk lipsticks. Lasting power is average for a glossy lipstick but these fade nicely since there is some shine to it. If this came in a lip liner or balm I would totally jump to buy it as well. Scroll up to see the swatch of this on the lips (it’s also in the mini in the Kyoto Kisses Set).

All the lips swatched side by side:

Because the sale event is happening and also because I haven’t written about Tatcha in a while, I wanted to highlight my top 5 picks of the moment. I’ve used them for many years since the brand’s early days (I just looked at my order history and it was back in 2013 when I first started using their skincare!). There hasn’t been a product I didn’t like. Their skincare is nice and I like that they have lots of options for either sensitive or dry skin. My top 5:

• Kissu Lip Mask is now a favorite! I hope it’s permanent
• Luminous Dewy Skin Mist is one of the nicest hydrating face mists, during the hot humid times of the year in Florida it’s a little too heavy for me, but right now we’re going into dry season and it’s perfect, when I lived in San Diego I used it a lot all year round
• Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil is a classic staple
• The Silk Canvas Primer is one of my favorite primers when I wear a primer, review here
• The Water Cream is my go-to light moisturizer, also reviewed here

LOVE love love that they carry travel sizes you can buy. They are perfect for travel or on-the-go. If you’re new to the brand I highly recommend you try one of their starter sets because it’s the best way to try the minis. I also really loved their Rice Enzyme Powders for cleansers and soft gentle exfoliation. This year they reformulated them though and I’m still working my way through the older ones and have not tried the new ones yet.

I think all three sets I hauled are excellent. If I had to pick one it would be the Blushing Lips Duo because I like the lip mask. I use it as a regular lip balm, but I did leave it on overnight last night and it left lips feeling soft and smooth. I do think I prefer the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask more but they’ve got a different texture and finish. Plus I can never have enough lip balms.

You can find these Tatcha holiday sets online at Tatcha. Their Friend and Family Sale Event ends today 11/15 with code FRIENDS18 at checkout for 20% off sitewide.

You can also find Tatcha products at other retailers like Sephora, Barney’s New York and QVC. Each retailer has their own gift set selection for the holidays as well in case you want to check out more options!

P.S. Side note – I’m going to be adding a few things to my blog sale page @stylednotes in case you’re interested in shopping my closet!