This holiday season, we’ve found the gifts that feel great to get and even better to give. Shop Well-Received, our collection of editor-approved holiday gift guides.
Whether you’re on the hunt for a Secret Santa present, a budget-friendly stocking filler or a luxury treat, you’re likely to have your work cut out selecting a perfect gift for the beauty enthusiast in your life. It may seem like they own every eyeshadow palette under the sun and that their bathroom vanity is already brimming with lotions and potions but trust us — there are always standout products that even the most well-stocked beauty lover will gush over.
To help you in your quest for a gift they’re sure to treasure, we’ve put together an exhaustive list of the ultimate beauty goodies from all the best brands including Rhode, Rare Beauty, Fenty, Phlur and Glossier, and across all budgets.
Rhode Fall Lip Case, £38 & Peptide Lip Tint, £18
Hailey Bieber’s Rhode lip phone case was an instant viral fave when it launched and now it’s arguably the beauty version of a designer It bag. For an unmatchable duo, pair this limited-edition autumnal lip case with Rhode’s Peptide Lip Tint in the shade Cinnamon Roll: a seasonally appropriate, shimmery nude.
Glossier Night Out Set, £122 £103
Glossier’s gift sets never disappoint and this year it’s the Night Out Set making our wish list complete. The true star of the show here is the new You Rêve perfume, which boasts R29’s beauty team as fans. Senior writer Karina Hoshikawa described it as “a very grown-up, sexy take on fruit-forward scents”. If that doesn’t scream fancy festive gifting to you, we don’t know what will.
Glossier Mini Beauty Bag, £35
Go all out with your Glossier gift by packaging it up in one of the brand’s makeup bags. This is a miniature version of the original beauty bag, available in either Glossier’s signature baby pink or a vibrant festive red.
CurrentBody LED Light Therapy Face Mask: Series 2, £399
If CurrentBody’s LED Light Therapy Mask looks familiar, it might be because you’ve seen it touted by celebrities like Suki Waterhouse and Serena Williams. Unlike other devices, this A-list-approved mask’s flexible design ensures that the maximum amount of LED light hits the lower layers of the skin, delivering both instant and long-term results. According to the brand, 95% of users claim their skin tone and texture — including firmness and tightness — has improved after a month of use. It’s certainly pricy but we’re sure that your giftee won’t have anything like it already. Plus, they’ll appreciate having their very own at-home, salon-worthy treatment.
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Sassy Saints At-Home Nail Manicure Kit, £110 £69
Has your giftee been complaining about the price of salon manicures? Treat them to their very own dip-powder manicure kit, a process that enlists finely milled powder pigments to achieve a sturdy, acrylic- or gel-like finish (all without the need for curing under a UV lamp). With a little practice, they’ll be able to dip and set to their heart’s content and save some all-important money on their salon appointments (each pot of pigment is meant to last for 30 manicures).
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Sassy Saints Manicure Tool Kit, £25
Drunk Elephant Resort To This Day Kit, £99
If they’re going to start doing their own at-home manicures on the regular, they need their own set of tools — right?
This set of Drunk Elephant bestsellers is the ultimate antidote to dull winter skin. It boasts a pot of Protini Cream (packed with skin-strengthening proteins), the C-Firma Serum and C-Tango Eye Cream (both with brightening vitamin C) and the viral D-Bronzi Sunshine Drops for sun-kissed skin all year round.
Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Beauty Treasure Chest of Love 12 Door Beauty Advent Calendar, £170
Cue the cameras! This advent calendar is sure to cause quite the commotion (a box this pretty isn’t just Instagram fodder; it can be reused as storage and decor long after the holidays). It’s not just about what’s on the outside, though. Inside you’ll find 12 full- and travel-size Charlotte Tilbury bestsellers, including a travel-size lipstick and lip liner from the infamous Pillow Talk collection, Charlotte’s Magic Cream, the viral Beauty Light Wand and AIRBrush Flawless Setting Spray, plus much more.
Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm, £23 £18.40
The Summer Fridays Butter Balm is one of Team R29’s favourites for achieving soft, plump lips and a long-lasting shine. Every single one of these balms smells delicious; our beauty director Jacqueline Kilikita loves the limited-edition Hot Cocoa flavour (which smells just like hot chocolate) whereas I alternate between Juicy Cherry and Brown Sugar (it’s just like burnt caramel). One tube would make for a perfect stocking filler — or it could be the star of the show; Summer Fridays also has a limited-edition holiday gift set including the Pink Sugar, Sweet Mint and Cherry flavours.
Benefit Cosmetics Soup’d Up Beauty, £46 £36.80
This tongue-in-cheek gift set includes three versions of Benefit’s cult classic bestsellers: a full-size Hoola Matte Bronzer and Benetint lip and cheek stain, as well as a miniature BADgal BANG! Volumising Mascara (which, combined, would ordinarily cost you £69).
Kate Somerville Stressed Skin Saviours, £52 £39
The holiday season can take its toll on skin so why not treat your loved one to some TLC in the form of this Kate Somerville body set? It includes a full-size moisturising cleanser and soothing lotion made with goat milk and jojoba oil to calm any irritation and nourish and soften the skin.
Ghd Duet Blowdry Hair Dryer Brush, £379 £279
If your loved one lives for a big, bouncy salon blowdry, they’ll be happy as a clam opening up this ghd styling brush. It does it all in one, drying and styling the hair to save time and minimise heat damage and frizz.
Phlur Vanilla Skin Body Mist, £24 £19.20
So your giftee wants a new perfume but your bank account doesn’t quite stretch to eau de parfum prices? No stress, thanks to Phlur’s body mists, which have made quite a splash in the fragrance world. Unlike the body mists of our youth, these don’t drench you in sickly sweetness and then waft into nothingness. They’re developed like — and act similarly to — a longer-lasting perfume, with complex layers of notes that last a good while on the skin. The undoubted universal favourite scent of the Phlur lineup (especially for this time of year) is Vanilla Skin. Alongside vanilla, it features notes of pink pepper, lilies and sandalwood, which creates an addictive though wearable scent.
Officine Universelle Buly Huile Antique Mexican Tuberose, £50
Officine Universelle Buly has become the go-to destination for beautifully packaged, otherworldly, one-of-a-kind beauty products. Just look at how stunning these body oil bottles are — we guarantee that your giftee will be in awe when opening one of these up, and it’ll certainly earn pride of place on their vanity.
If you truly want to wow your loved one, Officine Universelle Buly also offers several beauty trinkets and tools that can be personalised, from a vintage-inspired lip balm palette to a boar bristle hairbrush engraved with their name. You won’t have to worry about wrapping these up, either, because the brand envelops each one in a velvet care bag or pouch (which is also handy for beauty lovers who travel a lot).
Rare Beauty Mini Blush & Luminize Trio, £36
In Selena Gomez we trust. With this gift set your loved one can try out three of Rare’s bestselling shades in miniature form, which will probably last them until the next holiday (a little goes a very long way).
NARS Pure Luxury Light Reflecting Cheek & Eye Palette, £60 £45
Gift them the ultimate all-in-one party season palette from NARS. Five luminous pressed pigments can be worked interchangeably across the eyes and face for a lit-from-within look.
Caudalie The Nourishing Body Gift Set, £20
You’re about to win your gang’s Secret Santa gift exchange with this one. We can’t say no to Caudalie’s indulgent body care set, especially when it includes one of the brand’s bestselling body oils — essential at this time of year when the cold weather and central heating is stripping our skin of moisture. A super indulgent mixture of argan and grape oils, it absorbs into the skin instantly.
Fenty Beauty Glossy Posse Volume 7.0 Full-Size Gloss Bomb Trio, £40 £30
Fenty Beauty is one celebrity-owned brand that’s actually worth its flowers. Our pick of the bunch is this trio of full-size Gloss Bomb lip glosses that cover all potential gloss needs, from everyday glam to dramatic evening looks.
Olaplex In Good Repair Hair Kit, £45
Olaplex makes it onto our best beauty gifts list pretty much every year. We could wax lyrical about the transformative powers of this range but for now we’ll just urge you to add to your cart when gift shopping. This set includes all the Olaplex bestsellers (yes, even the No.3 Hair Perfector).
Q&A Hydrating Heroes Gift Set, £15.95 £10
There are no cringe jokes in this cracker, just brilliant budget-friendly skincare that’s also vegan and both fragrance- and alcohol-free, making it great for those with sensitive skin.
Saie Mini Glowy Super Gel Duo, £20
For dewy makeup enthusiasts, Saie’s Super Gel is a must (I use it every day as a primer and a highlighter). Per the name, Super Gel has an ultra lightweight gel consistency that blends seamlessly, leaving skin with a natural-looking luminescence that’s hard to come by in winter. It’s formulated without glitter, which means the glow it leaves behind is subtle and believable.
Milk Makeup Cooling Water Jelly Tint, £22 £17.60
Talk about a viral sensation. These sheer lip and cheek tints have dominated #BeautyTok ever since they launched. Slip one of these into their stocking for a guaranteed festive win.
Ouai Texturising Hair Spray, £12
If an undetectable dry shampoo and a featherweight hairspray had a baby, it would be OUAI’s Texturising Hair Spray. It boosts volume and adds tousle and texture to the hair, all without the crunchy feeling.
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Icons Set, £58
Give the gift of glass skin with Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Icons set, which features the TikTok-viral Niacinamide Dew Drops Serum — the fast track to a dewy complexion.
Gisou Honey Gloss Hydration Heroes, £68
If your giftee is already set in the skincare department, consider some haircare treats instead. This set from Gisou includes everything they could need to battle winter temperatures, minimise flyaways, nourish brittle strands and leave their hair smelling gorgeous: a hair oil, hair mask and hair perfume, all infused with honey (plus one of Gisou’s honey-infused lip oils for good measure).
Tatcha Dewy Skin Trio, £184
Tatcha’s purple pots and tubes are ubiquitous in beauty circles. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a beauty editor without one or two rolling around in their bathroom drawer. Skincare buffs worth their weight in serum will be pleasantly surprised to open one of the brand’s gift sets this holiday season. Dewy Skin & Lips is such a treat; it includes a full-size pot of Tatcha’s bestselling Dewy Skin Cream, which transforms dry, flaky skin, making it soft, plump and, of course, dewy.
K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Molecular Repair Hair Oil, £65 £45.50
Team R29 can attest to how transformative this repairing hair oil is. Not only does it reduce the appearance of frizz in seconds — all without weighing hair down — but it encourages faster drying time and revives styles and natural curl patterns.
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