How much pretty did Clinique squeeze into their new 13-piece holiday palette for eyes, lips and cheeks? Well, judging by the name they gave it, I’d say around “A Season’s Worth.”

The cool tones and neutral shades in the new $37 palette have a distinctly festive feel that reminds me of caroling and getting snuggles from Tabs. They’re the kinds of colors I can see myself wearing with scarves, boots and mittens wrapped around mugs of piping hot cocoa, yet they seem timeless enough to make the transition from winter to spring, and maybe even summer.

More than 20 years ago (egad!) I followed Clinique through a gateway that led to the World of Makeup! There, I found wonders like MAC and NARS, and yet even with such tantalizing temptations teasing my senses, I regularly return to my roots with Clinique.

I’ve never strayed for long from their easy, classic approach to color, even though their makeup, in particular their eyeshadows and blushes, hasn’t always been what I’d call cutting edge.

The reason? Because they make things easy. Sometimes I just think it’s quicker to go with Clinique’s sheer-to-medium pigment than with something richer from someone else. That, and when I wear Clinique, I know that I won’t have to worry about looking overdone.

To fill a Season’s Worth of Pretty, the palette comes with five Butter Shine Lipsticks, four Color Surge Eye Shadow Soft Shimmers, one Colour Surge Eye Shadow Super Shimmer and three Blushing Blush Powder Blushes — most of them cool and neutral colors, but I also see a smattering of warm shades. On my NC42 tan, several of the blushes and eyeshadows apply with sheer-to-medium intensity, which usually says to me that they’ll pop even brighter on gals with lighter skin.

With an iPhone for scale…

With a husky tabby for scale…

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’tis the season for sets of tiny perfume bottles (YAY!), but not all of them are created equal. This year Clinique has one of the cutest and most practical sets in town.

Each of the five travel-size 0.24-fl. oz. bottles in the new Complete Happiness Set ($37 for the set) fit easily into most makeup bags, and all of them have — wait for it — a spray top spritzer!

I know it’s a weird thing to get fired up about, but I collect mini perfume bottles like these, and most of them just have an open mouth on the bottle. I’ve had a couple of those pop open in my makeup bags over the years, spilling perfume everywhere, so a small touch like an atomizer top makes these from Clinique that much more practical.

But what about the scents? Well, I’m glad you asked.

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Cool! Even Tracy Reese likes Clinique.

The chic designer hand picked eight of her favorite Clinique makeup and skin care products for the new Tracy Reese for Clinique Gift with Purchase, available now through November 20 online and at Nordstrom stores (while supplies last).

Now might be a good time to resupply. Just spend $25 or more on any of your favorites from Clinique, and receive the Colour Surge Eyeshadow Trio, Different Lipstick in Raspberry Glace, Quickliner for Eyes in Black/Brown, two makeup bags (designed by Tracy herself) and travel-size versions of Clinique’s Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser, the Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer in SPF 20, and one High Impact Mascara in Black (grand total: a $75 value).

Swatches from the left: Color Surge Eye Shadow Trio (first, second and third), Quickliner for Eyes in Black/Brown, High Impact Mascara, and Different Lipstick in Raspberry Glace

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Broccoli, carrot, blueberry, spinach.

Clinique whipped up a downright delicious-sounding blend of fruit- and veggie-derived antioxidant extracts to make their new line of 12 cream-to-powder eyeshadows (starts off as a cream and dries to a powder), and it’s enough to make me wonder if the company collaborated with Whole Foods or raided a farmers’ market.

According to Clinique, the special sauce they used for these new Lid Smoothie Antioxidant 8-Hour Eye Colours ($19.50 each) combines antioxidants with cucumber, aloe vera and caffeine. The recipe is supposed to make tired eyes look revitalized and refreshed.

These are also supposed to be water resistant and, as the name implies, last a whopping eight hours.

If nothing else, I think these do feel refreshing — not thanks to the recipe, per se, but thanks to the applicator itself. It’s metal and shaped like the tip of an angled lipgloss. Because it’s made of something that looks and feels like a silvery metal (aluminum, perhaps?), it feels cool and refreshing against my skin. It may only be a packaging gimmick, but it’s still one that I like.

That said, when it comes to actually applying these on a regular basis, I’d trade the cool tip for a brush. Because of the control a brush affords me, I prefer to apply these shadows to the back of my hand first, then quickly pick them up with an eyeshadow brush and apply to my lids from there (the directions suggest blending with a finger before the formula sets).

Clinique Lid Smoothies from the left to the right: Currant Affair, Born Freesia, Cute-cumber, Bit O-Honey, Pinko Biloba

Clinique designed the Lid Smoothies to be worn alone or layered beneath powder eyeshadows, and I think they did a fantastic job getting the texture just right. They apply evenly, smoothly and layer without caking, making them great for girls in a rush.

Swatches from the left to the right: Pinko Biloba, Bit O’Honey, Cute-cumber, Born Freesia and Currant Affair

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