The Best Beauty Products to Put On Your Holiday Wish List - 2014
Every year, the holiday season provides beauty addicts with endless value sets, limited edition products, and extra glitter on everything. In other words, this is what beauty junkies wait all year for! 2014 has brought us tons of great makeup collections, and this holiday the sets are bigger, better, and a greater value than ever before! In this post I’ll take you through my top picks for everything beauty related at every price point, from stocking stuffers, to gifts for all your friends, the biggest present you’ll want this year. Make out your letter to Santa now, and enjoy!
Wet n Wild Color Icon Glitter Singles - $1
The holiday season calls for glitter, and this is a really inexpensive way to gift glitter without spending a ton of money! This single eyeshadow (shown in “Vices”) is really nicely pigmented and extra sparkly. The great quality of this product means it could be used all year long, not just during the holidays.
ELF Essential 6 Piece Eyeshadow Collection - $3
This adorable compact is filled with 6 neutral eyeshadows that are sure to make any eye color pop! Surprisingly pigmented, this mini palette comes in two shades that mimic the coveted Naked palettes for less than the tax on one. Comes with a dual-ended eyeshadow applicator in a cute box.
Burt’s Bees Rejuvenating Lip Balm 2pack - $5
There’s really no one who doesn’t enjoy Burt’s Bees, and this cute gift pack contains two of their best selling products, a cool original Burt’s Bees scent. The package comes pre-bowed and both products are easy to please, and something that the recipient will use daily!
NYX Butter Gloss Set - $10
These beautiful, opaque glosses are sure to make any beauty lover smile! Three full-sized glosses in expertly matched colors in one box? Perfection. They smell as sweet as the names they possess, and the trio comes in a variety of color families (this one, called Pure Decadence, just screams FALL/WINTER to me).
Philosophy Have a Cherry Christmas Ornament - $7
This adorable ornament smells like a delicious Christmas cookie and lathers up to the most perfect body wash/bubble bath you’ve ever used! Plus it’s pocket sized (I mean, stocking-sized!) and has a built-in gift tag. Philosophy is one of the most coveted skincare and fragrance brands these days, so have a little piece of it this holiday!
Conair TravelSmart Manicure Set - $11
Who doesn’t need a great set of nail tools? This is one of the most complete manicure set’s I’ve seen, and it’s great quality to boot! The stainless steel looks sharp, but the small size makes this kit totally travel-friendly and purse sized. This gift is great for girls and guys alike!
Essie Luminously Luxe Manicure Set - $13
This adorable ornament set contains four mini-sized polishes in perfect holiday shades. From glam to glitter, any polish lover will love this gift set.
BareMinerals Beauty Queens Shimmering Eye Color Trio - $15
BareMinerals will always be one of the most innovative names in the makeup industry, and is a brand that everyone wants to try. A great way to do so is to sample these three eyeshadows in cute holiday packaging. The neutral colors will flatter anyone, and the high pigment in each pot is sure to knock ‘em dead! Considering each one is normally $18, this is a steal.
Too Faced La Belle Carousel - $49
This is definitely my top pick this season for products that you could break apart and give as multiple gifts! The Belle Carousel looks adorable in it’s original packaging, but when you open up the box you’ll find six individual pre-packaged gifts, complete with a “To: From:” on the back! These six gifts include one Better Than Sex mascara (my current favorite), two sets of cheek colors containing one blush and one bronzer each, and three different eyeshadow quads featuring different palettes of festive eye colors! The quality and pigmentation of each item is spectacular, and the sizes are very practical for everyday use or travel. Plus they’re oh-so-cute!!
The Body Shop Gliding Lotions Sleigh Set - $15
This adorable set features four universally-pleasing scents of the ever popular body lotions from The Body Shop. These perfectly travel sized bottles are ideal for throwing in a purse, and they’re something the recipient would use on a daily basis! Give the gift of natural hydration and soft, smooth skin for under $4 a pop!
ELF Essential 10pc Shimmer Gloss Set - $10
This gorgeous set of 10 lip glosses contains colors that will please any and every beauty lover on your list, young or old! Every color in the set is totally wearable, and the texture is great - shiny, but not sticky. Break the set up into 5 sets of 2, or 2 sets of 5… the price averages out to only $1 per gloss, and makes for a great gift.
Hard Candy Be Your Own Artiste Eyeshadow Palette 3 Pack - $10
Hard Candy always brings us inexpensive yet effective makeup innovations. This gift set is an incredible value, and includes three different palettes that you could break apart and give away separately! Each palette contains 5 nicely pigmented eyeshadows that will suit anyone.
Ulta Lip Glossary 30 Piece Set - $16
This gorgeous set contains 30 mini lip glosses in varying shades… the perfect product to break apart and gift to coworkers, cousins, or to stick in the stockings of ladies you love! With so many shades to choose from, you’ll give a great-sized gift to everyone without breaking the bank.
Urban Decay Black Magic Eyeliner Set - $39
Urban Decay’s 24/7 Eyeliner Pencils have a cult following because they’re so creamy, pigmented, and long wearing. This set features four double ended pencils in super-cool *neutral* shades. Because each pencil is two colors in one, you could gift each pencil individually and still be sure to please! Since one color costs $20, the value for this set is incredible, and the good news is that if you fall in love with one color, you’ll be able to find it full-sized year round!
Michael Kors Collection Mini Coffret - $40
These three new scents from Michael Kors have become wildly popular in the past few months, and these perfect-sized bottles make a great gift. Pick a scent for anyone on your list who is Sporty, Sexy, or Glam, and give them the gift of great fragrance!
Sephora Favorites Fragrance Sampler - $65
Have you ever tried to buy fragrance for someone? If you have, you’ll know that it’s damn near impossible, because fragrance is a very personal thing. Certain people love certain scents, and everything smells differently on each person, so what you like might not be something that the next person likes! That’s what makes this sampler kit so ingenious. Inside the box there are samples of all of Sephora’s most popular fragrances for you to try - enough for a week’s worth of use each. Once you’ve decided which scent you like most, you bring the enclosed voucher into the store and get a full-sized bottle for no additional cost! You’re giving the gift of fragrance without actually having to pick one.. how perfect!
Ultra Chi Travel Tool Kit - $99
This gorgeous set contains the three most important hair tools you’ll ever own - a blow drier, flat iron, and curling iron, from one of the best haircare brands you’ll find! The sizes are smaller than average, which makes them portable (so convenient), but no worries! You still get all the power and results that a full-sized Chi iron would give, for a fraction of the cost.
Origins Super Stars Set - $61
This set features six of the best-selling products from luxury skincare brand Origins. These items are great for all skin types and help prevent aging, add hydration, and refine the pores. The set contains every aspect of skincare, from cleanser to eye cream, which makes it a great beginner’s set for skin care!
Clarisonic Mia2 Cleansing Kit - $149
This set contains the #1 bestselling cleansing tool of all time… the Clarisonic Mia2. This device cleanses the skin by gently exfoliating with sonic technology, which removes impurities 6x better than manual cleansing. This set also features an additional brush head ($30 value), charger, travel case, and cleanser ($25 value), and will change your life, I swear!
Too Faced Everything Nice Gift Set - $54
This set is what’s on MY wish list this year! Too Faced constantly brings out high quality sets that are practical and could be used on a daily basis. Last year’s holiday set is something that I still use every day! This set contains a glittery pink makeup bag, a travel size of the Better Than Sex mascara, and a palette that’s filled to the brim with product! It contains 20 eyeshadows in varying shades of neutral and wearable colors, two blushes, one bronzer, one highlighter, and three brushes for application! These items are definitely nice, and sure to please you or anyone special on your list!
Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot Box ‘o Blushes- $36
Benefit for years has been one of the best selling brands in terms of blush and bronzer. They always come out with the most flattering shades, always in the cutest packaging. This holiday set contains all of Benefit’s best-selling shades (six to be exact… plus a brush, plus their Watt’s Up highlighter! Hurry to get this it’s going fast!
Buy now from Benefit’s website
Burt’s Bees Holiday Grab Bag - $25
Eleven of the best selling Burt’s Bees products in one cute gift bag? I think so! Who wouldn’t love this set full of everything from lip balm to shampoo to makeup wipes? Almost all of the products in this set are full sized, and they only come out with this kit once a year!
BH Cosmetics Acrylic Makeup Storage - $17
Any makeup lover would love a storage solution like this, which doubles as an artsy display of their favorite products! Acrylic pieces like this one look like glass and go with any type of decor. This container can hold tons of makeup, and the curved design makes a sophisticated statement. Normally these storage containers cost over $50, but this top quality item is much less and will be sure to please!
Buy now from BH Cosmetics site
NYX Smokey Look Collection - $21
This is easily one of the best makeup collections you could ever get in one box, and it doesn’t even cost an arm and a leg! This gorgeous box unfolds to reveal six cheek colors (including contour and highlight shades), tons of beautiful eyeshadows, concealers, eyeliner, lipsticks, and glitter liners. You can create any look with this set, and it folds up to a perfect compact that doesn’t take up a ton of space.
Wet n Wild Fergie The Demure Dutchess Kit - $10
This eye makeup set from Wet n Wild contains three great products that will make any makeup lover happy.. a mascara, set of falsies, and an eyeshadow palette. This gift set is perfectly packaged and is a great value for the products you get!
ELF Essential 18 Piece Eyeshadow Set with Brush - $8
Yes, you did see that price correctly - only $8! This beautiful neutral eyeshadow palette puts the Naked palettes to shame, and even includes an eyeshadow brush! How handy! This will flatter any skin tone, eye color, and occasion.
Philosophy Pink Marshmallow Buttercream Gift Set - $26
If you haven’t been able to smell this new scent yet, let me tell you - it is edible in the best possible way. Never before have I had a fragrance make my mouth water as much as this! It is sweet like candy, but isn’t so strong as to make you sick. Instead, it reminds you of the best holiday sweets you’ve ever eaten, and allows you to slather those sweets all over your body to make you irresistible to everyone you pass by! This set contains a travel-sized shower gel, body lotion, and lip gloss… you’ll be addicted at first whiff!
BH Cosmetics Pink-a-Dot Brush Set - $20
This incredibly adorable brush set not only makes you want to squeal with joy at the cuteness, but is also practical and very high quality. The cup-like container keeps your brushes clean and safe, while the soft synthetic bristles apply liquid and powder products like professional grade brushes do! Plus the pink polka dots are super cute.
Fekkai Holiday Rose Fraiche Gift Set - $28
Salon-worthy brand Fekkai often releases great gift sets, and this is definitely one of the best! The beautiful scent of this, Rose Fraiche, brings to mind classical rose gardens - it is neither too dated or too modern; simply lovely. This set includes a shampoo, conditioner, and hair fragrance mist, for a fraction of the traditional retail cost.
