The holiday season is upon us, which means it’s time for my favorite thing: gift giving. Shopping for your mom, sister, girlfriend, or best friend but stuck on ideas? This beauty gift guide has everything you need to please anyone on your list who likes to pamper themselves.
The great thing about the holiday season is that many beloved makeup and bath products are packaged in cute gift sets, which make for easy purchases. Links for each item are embedded in the pictures or in their descriptions throughout the list. Happy gifting!
Lips
There are lots of cute gifts for your lips out this season. For lip balms, try the EOS limited edition 3-pack featured below. Find it at Target or online. You might also find it at Kohl’s or your local grocery store. Another option is a Vaseline lip therapy trio, found at Target, which includes all three Vaseline lip therapy pots in a holiday package.
For tinted lip balm, snag a few different shades of Wet n Wild Megaslicks Balm Stain Moisturizing lip colors. They won’t break your wallet, have great pigment, go on super smoothly, and are actually moisturizing. You really can’t beat them! Find them at your local drugstore or Target.
Another great lip product that is all-encompassing is the Sephora Favorites “Give Me Some Lip” gift set. It features lip-gloss, lipstick, and lip stains from high-end makeup brands in deluxe size samples and some full sized products. At $25, it’s a bit pricier, but a great deal you won’t find elsewhere. For a full list of what it includes or to get a closer look at the colors, click on the picture below.
Eyes
There are eye shadow gift sets a-plenty this season for any makeup wearer on your list. Try e.l.f. cosmetics, which has a variety of eye shadow gift sets perfect for any eye color or skin tone. You can find them at stores like Marshalls or TJ Maxx, at Target, or directly on their website. I recommend the e.l.f. Essential Beauty Book Eye Sets, which come with neutral eye shadow shades, their awesome eyelid primer, a mini eyeliner, and a shadow brush. They have several different color sets, so check their site if you don’t like the one pictured here.
An ever-popular (but definitely more pricey) option is any of the Urban Decay Naked eye shadow palettes, which feature a wide range of neutral tones as well. Find them at Ulta, Sephora, or online. For a more complete eye set, try the Too Faced Complete Matte Eye Collection, which includes an eye shadow palette, anti-crease eye shadow primer, eyeliner, and mascara. You can find it online here.
Don’t forget to snag a cute brush set too! Forever 21 has a variety in trendy styles, usually near their check out. The e.l.f. cosmetics line also features nice, affordable makeup brushes. You can find quality sets at makeup stores like Ulta or Sephora, but be prepared to pay a little more there.
For an all-encompassing makeup set, try the NYX Soho Glam Makeup collection, which includes eye shadows, blush, lip liners, and lip gloss. The Sephora Favorites Draw the Line gift set includes a variety of liquid, gel, and pencil eyeliners, which could be the perfect accompaniment to one of the less expensive eye shadow sets mentioned above.
Body
There are lots of great body wash and lotion sets that are perfect for this gift-giving season. For a gift that contains some variety, try the Burt’s Bees Tips and Toes kit. Target has a lot of other Burt’s Bees gift sets to choose from, too. They all feature lotions, lip balms, and other skin care products. I’m also a huge fan of the Body Shop’s body butters, which are in a few different gift sets this season. Try the lip balm and body butter combo pictured below (the polar bear packaging is almost too cute to pass up).
You can also find a Body Butter Seasonal Trio at Ulta, which includes Frosted Cranberry, Vanilla, and Glazed Apple body butters from the Body Shop. Also out for this season are gift sets that include a beauty bag, travel sized body wash, and travel sized body butter. Snag them at the Body Shop. You might also find their gift sets at your local TJ Maxx or Marshalls for half the price if you’re gifting for many people and have a limited budget.
Another great option is the H20 Blockbuster Bestsellers Bag, which you can find online here. It includes a variety of great H20 products such as a facial cleanser, shampoo, shower and bath gel, various body washes, hand and nail cream, and many other great products. The variety is hard to beat, and H20 products are seriously moisturizing and always smell great.
Hands and Nails
Give the gift of an at-home manicure with a few easy gift sets. The Pacifica hand cream trio includes three super moisturizing hand lotions that offer great hydration in the winter. Find it at Ulta or the Pacifica Beauty website. The Body Shop also has some great hand creams, as does the Bath and Body Works C.O. Bigelow line.
For nail care, try the Ulta Holiday Implement set. It includes a double-sided file, tweezers, a nail clipper, a nail cleaning tool, a cuticle nipper, and cuticle scissors. They have smaller, holiday themed sets as well with varying products for nail care. Forever 21 has cute nail file sets and cuticle trimmer sets, too. They also have a mini mani & pedi set that is pretty inexpensive and would be a nice addition to a nail polish gift set.
For nail polish lovers, there are tons of great sets to be found. I recommend checking TJ Maxx or Marshalls before you head to your favorite makeup retailer; I found a Ciaté advent calendar featuring 24 mini polishes at mine for $25, though stock varies largely between stores. I’ve seen Butter London and OPI sets as well. The Essie Luminously Luxe Manicure gift set (pictured below) includes four shades perfect for the holiday season.
You can also put together your own polish set with a few favorite shades packaged in a cute makeup bag—that way you can mix and match different brands and have complete power over what’s included.
Hair
Hair products are a little harder to buy for others, but with a little effort they still make great gifts. The Batiste Dry Shampoo Wild Trio Pack works for all hair types and each bottle features a different, cute pattern. TJ Maxx has a variety of hair products including Big Sexy Hair generally for half off. You can also find straighteners and curling irons in a variety of cute patterns.
Another great set out for the holiday season is the Bumble and bumble surf set, which includes shampoo, conditioner, and surf spray that adds volume and helps create a base for a variety of hair styles. Find it at Sephora in store or online here.
Put together an easy gift set of your own with your recipients favorite styling product, a cute brush, and a set of hair ties or headbands. Mix and match some of the products below for an easy, thoughtful gift that can be tailored to any hair type.
Another great gift option that combines all of the above categories is a gift subscription to one of the many beauty boxes out there today. I recommend Julep Maven, which includes makeup, beauty, and nail products. You can purchase two, four, or six gift boxes, and the best part is that their boxes are customizable, so your recipient gets some say in what they receive in each box! Another great option is Birchbox, which features smaller deluxe and full sized beauty samples for $10 per month. You can purchase a few different combinations there as well, including three months, six months, and a full year. You also select the recipients first box theme when you purchase a gift subscription.
Have a tried-and-true beauty gift idea? Share it in the comment section below!
