We don’t need to tell you that the holiday season is in full swing, so we’ll keep this intro short. The best beauty gifts are flying off the virtual shelves, so you can’t afford to wait until the very last minute to check off your list. (Resist the urge to procrastinate! Shipping deadlines are looming!) We’ve got beauty and lifestyle goodies for everyone, including your bougie bestie, teenage cousin, hard-to-please mom, and “uninterested” dad—broken down into various categories—and price points!—to help you give even Santa a run for his money. Hit start on your favorite festive playlist, sip on some hot cocoa, and get shopping.
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Beauty advent calendars are arguably the best gifts money can buy. These interactive calendars—-filled with up to 25 mini-size and full-size beauty products—are a dream for indecisive buyers and equally exciting for the recipient to open up and indulge in. Plus, your giftee can repurpose the boxes as storage—makeup, jewelry, you name it.
Best Skin-Care Gift Sets
Skin care can be a difficult category to gift, but all you need to do is tune in to some of their biggest complexion concerns. Do they often complain about their puffy undereyes? Are they prone to dryness, no matter what time of year? Are they headed off on vacation soon and need travel-size goodies to ensure their skin stays fresh and clear? See—it’s easier than you think.
Best Body-Care Gift Sets
In case you missed it, body care is booming. We pay such close attention to our faces but everything below the neck needs plenty of love, too. Whether it’s a heavenly-scented body wash that makes you look forward to showering every day or an elevated hand cream to keep your hands buttery soft no matter how often you’re washing your hands, these gifts will be well-loved and well-used.
Yes, we test and shop for lipsticks, highlighters, and eye shadow palettes all year long, but the holiday season ushers in value-stuffed, curated sets that are ready to be gifted the moment you click “add to cart.” The creamy, soft-gliding, and luminous goodies within these YSL, Armani Beauty, and Westman Atelier sets will become mainstays in their GRWM routines. And that Kulfi Beauty set with the adorable creaseless clips? Yeah, both eye makeup products won 2024 Best of Beauty Awards—no biggie.
Best Hair-Care Gifts
Smart hot tools that do the work of multiple devices? Curated hair-care sets for silky-smooth strands? A chic showerhead that filters out hair- and skin-drying minerals? Adorable claw clips that’ll fit seamlessly into their everyday “woke up too late” getting-ready routine? Yeah, we’ll call it now: These prezzies will fit seamlessly into their shower and styling routines.
Whether you’re getting a holiday gift for your 13-year-old niece or looking for the perfect Christmas present for your tween daughter, we’ve got you covered. Teens can be a tough group to shop for, but we did our research (ahem, TikTok scrolling) to pull out all the beauty stops. Peep a delicious-smelling body-care set, LED mirror, and colorful lip balm trio they won’t get enough of.
Yes, we have to show some restraint for most of the calendar year, but if you’ve got the means to splurge a little come the holidays, now is the perfect opportunity to finally help them cross off that one thing sitting pretty at the top of their wish lists. All of these will bring a twinkle to their eyes—they would to ours, too.
Allure editors test out the latest perfumes from the biggest fragrance houses and the smallest indie brands before they even make it to market, so we can get an exclusive look—or, um, sniff—at what the upcoming season’s best perfumes will be. If you think walking by a department store’s fragrance counters is intimidating, you should take a peek at our shared beauty closet. Here are some of our favorite scents of the year.
Best Lifestyle & Wellness Gifts
Beauty isn’t just skin deep. Take these wellness gifts: They’re here to help you and your loved ones sleep deeply, boost circulation, track fitness habits, and wake up more energized. “I don’t need a silky PJ set or pair of cozy slippers,” said no one ever. And as much as we love our beauty products, we need proper storage, and a heart-shaped makeup bag will brighten anyone’s day—toss in a Hello Kitty-themed hand sanitizer for good measure (and to keep cold-inducing germs at bay).
Best Nail Gifts
Nail appointments quickly add up, so why not help bestie rein in her budget and give her the tools she needs for a fabulous at-home manicure? We have all the options, including Best of Beauty-winning sun-cured stickers, adorable Hello Kitty and Friends press-ons, a classic wardrobe of reds, and all the conditioning goodies they need to keep their nails healthy and strong.
You’re probably already visiting the ‘Zon approximately 20 times a week shopping for essentials (and non-essentials), so why not browse their gifting options? This time of year, there’s no shortage of holiday bundles from our favorite brands like Peach & Lily, Caudalie, Hally Hair, and K-beauty trending brand Torriden. Skin-flooding hydration? Check. Cute New Year’s hair? Check. Emotional support water bottle? Absolutely.
Best Gifts Under $100
No matter your budget, we’ve got you covered. Whether their 2024 beauty resolution is to master the “quiet luxury” makeup trend, style their hair more often, or get better shut-eye, these gorgeous (yet practical) picks from Hourglass, Charlotte Tilbury, Revlon, and Brooklinen will make their eyes light up and skin glow like no other.
$50 is a sweet spot for gifting budgets. Whether you’re in year one of your first adult job and budgeting accordingly, shopping for your situationship person, or buying your boss or fave coworker a little something-something to show your appreciation, these gifts speak volumes (and will have them feeling good).
Best Gifts Under $25
These aren’t your ordinary stocking stuffers—because, as professional shoppers, we know you don’t have to shell out a ton of cash to gift your loved ones something they’ll use and appreciate every day. (After all, we have guides dedicated to gifts under $25.) Go ahead, buy multiples of these crowd-pleasers and cross off besties, sisters, and coworkers all at once.
We’re just getting started on our holiday shopping, and the recs are already abundant. Join us?