Byrdie / Kevin Liang
In This Article
Beauty Gift Sets Makeup Gifts Skincare Gifts Fragrance Gifts Beauty Tools Stocking Stuffers Byrdie Tested Winners
Gifting season is officially upon us. I know; it feels like just yesterday we were stocking up on sunscreen and sweatproof makeup in preparation for summer. But it’s come and gone, and the holidays are right around the corner. And while I fully believe the holiday season should be about giving first and foremost, let’s be honest: We all love being on the receiving end of a really good present.
But when buying gifts for makeup lovers or skincare aficionados, it can be hard to narrow down the options since they’re practically endless. So, I’ve created a comprehensive list of my personal favorite, tried-and-true products that would make excellent Hanukkah or Christmas gifts (or any festive occasion you celebrate!). From skincare gift sets and makeup must-haves to splurge-worthy hair tools and luxury perfumes, I’m sharing a variety of top-tier beauty products (at varying price points) to give someone this holiday season.
Best Beauty Gift Sets
Gift sets offer variety and value, and there are some great options this year. Between a trio of my favorite cleansing balm, a duo of my most-reached-for lip balm, and so much more, there’s something for every type of beauty lover on this list.
Merit Lipstick Set $58 at Sephora View on Meritbeauty.com $58 at Kohls.com Soft Services Skin Essentials Set View on Softservices.com Nécessaire Body Wash $45 at Sephora View on Necessaire.com Elemis Pro-Collagen Best Selling Trio $42 at Ulta Ole Henriksen Hydrating Peptide Set $30 at Sephora View on Olehenriksen.com $30 at Kohls.com Olaplex Hair Styling Value Set $42 at Sephora $42 at Kohls.com View on Olaplex.com Dae Hairstyling Trio Value Set $48 at Sephora $48 at Kohls.com View on Daehair.com Lancôme Mascara Gift Set $67 at Sephora $67 at Ulta $67 at Macy’s Salt & Stone Full-Size Body Care Set $85 at Nordstrom BK Beauty Travel Brush Set with Pouch $125 $113 at Amazon View on Bkbeauty.com Fenty Skin Lip Oil Trio $52 at Sephora $59 at Kohls.com View on Fentybeauty.com Oribe OribeObsessed Hair Set $55 at Sephora $55 at Nordstrom $55 at Dermstore Patrick Ta Major Volume Plumping Gloss Duo $39 at Sephora View on Patrickta.com Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin 4-Ever Flushed Lip and Cheek Set $35 at Sephora View on Danessamyricksbeauty.com
Best Makeup Gifts
Between a luxe face palette, several Byrdie-approved eyeshadow palettes, and a cream blush I (and pretty much every beauty creator on TikTok is obsessing over), you truly can’t go wrong with these makeup goodies.
Hourglass Face Palette $90 at Sephora $90 at Ulta $90 at Nordstrom Makeup By Mario Ethereal Eyes Eyeshadow Palette: Moonlight $68 at Sephora View on Makeupbymario.com Dior Glow Face Palette $48 at Sephora $48 at Dior.com Natasha Denona Eyeshadow Palette $69 at Sephora $69 at Ulta $69 at Kohls.com Rhode Pocket Blush View on Rhodeskin.com Pat McGrath Labs Mothership X Eyeshadow Palette $128 at Sephora $128 at Ulta $128 at Nordstrom
Best Skincare Gifts
It can be tricky to buy skincare for someone else because we all have different needs, but a hydrating body cream, a dewy facial moistuizer, and popular bronzing drops are pretty much foolproof.
Glossier Body Butter $45 at Sephora $45 at Glossier.com Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream $72 at Amazon $23 at Sephora View on Tatcha.com Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops $38 at Amazon $38 at Sephora $38 at Ulta Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel $20 at Amazon $20 at Sephora $153 at Nordstrom Kate McLeod Grounding Stone $61 at Amazon $45 $12 at Sephora View on Everythingbutwater.com Santal Bloom Nourishing Body Oil $22 at Amazon View on Saltair.com
Best Fragrance Gifts
Cozy, warm fragrances are perfect for this time of year. Between a luxe perfume sampler set, some of my favorite fall and winter candles, and beloved fragrances, your loved ones (and their homes) are bound to smell fantastic.
Snif Scented Candle $46 at Amazon View on Ulta View on Snif.co PHLUR Eau de Parfum $29 at Sephora View on Phlur.com View on Kohls.com The 7 Virtues Eau de Parfum $32 at Sephora $94 at Kohls.com Maison Margiela By the Fireplace $80 at Amazon $35 at Sephora $85 at Nordstrom NEST New York Holiday Candle $50 at Amazon $20 at Sephora $50 at Nordstrom D.S. & Durga Fragrance Box Set $275 at Nordstrom View on Bergdorfgoodman.com $275 at Revolve
Best Beauty Tools
If you’re looking to splurge on someone special, opting for a beauty tool is a great option. These are some of my (and my fellow Byrdie editors’) favorite hair tools and skincare gadgets.
Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler Complete Long $599 at Sephora $600 at Ulta $600 at Nordstrom Shark SpeedStyle RapidGloss Hair Dryer $200 $151 at Amazon $199 at Sephora $200 at Ulta T3 SinglePass StyleMax 1″ Flat Iron $150 at Sephora $150 at Ulta $150 at Nordstrom Therabody Depuffing Wand $149 at Sephora View on Therabody.com WTHN Face Cupping Kit $40 at Nordstrom View on Wthn.com View on Bloomingdales HigherDOSE Brush for Exfoliating & Circulation $68 at Amazon $69 at Sephora View on Myshopify.com
Best Stocking Stuffers
If you’re looking for smaller beauty gifts that make perfect stocking stuffers, there are so many great options. Some of my favorites include a viral lip and cheek stain, a lip scrub that comes in tons of fun flavors, an eyebrow gel that keeps stubborn brow hairs locked in all day, and so much more.
Milk Makeup Cooling Water Jelly Tint Lip + Cheek Blush Stain $25 at Amazon $24 at Sephora $24 at Kohls.com Charlotte Tilbury Volumizing and Curling Mascara $29 at Sephora $29 at Ulta $15 at Nordstrom Poppy & Pout Lip Scrub $15 at Amazon $15 at Ulta View on Poppyandpout.com Fwee Lip & Cheek Blurry Pudding Pot $20 at Amazon Boka Fluoride-Free Toothpaste $45 $36 at Amazon View on Boka.com View on CVS EADEM Peptide Lip Balm $24 at Sephora View on Eadem.co Living Proof Dry Shampoo Vanilla Scent $30 at Sephora $30 at Ulta $30 at Nordstrom Dior Lip Glow Oil $49 $40 at Amazon $40 at Sephora $40 at Ulta Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze Gel $26 $13 at Sephora $26 at Ulta $13 at Nordstrom e.l.f. Cosmetics Halo Glow Liquid Filter $14 at Amazon $14 at Target $14 at Ulta Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask in Candy Cane Swirl $25 at Amazon $25 $24 at Sephora $25 at Kohls.com Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump Gloss $26 at Sephora $26 at Target $26 at Macy’s
Byrdie Tested Winners
At Byrdie, we're constantly testing products at home and in our New York lab on people with different skin types, skin tones, hair types, and more. Here are some tested winners that are editor-favorites and also make great holiday gifts:
- Tower 28 BeachPlease Lip + Cheek Dewy Cream Blush: The best cream blush we can’t get enough of.
- Nécessaire The Body Lotion: Our best overall body lotion.
- Youth To The People Superfood Gentle Antioxidant Refillable Cleanser: Our top recommended face wash.
- La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer: Our favorite daily facial moisturizer.
- Ulike Air+ IPL Hair Removal Device: Our favorite at-home hair removal device.
- Nars Laguna Bronzer: Our best overall bronzer pick.