Holiday beauty shopping can send anyone into a tizzy with all the choices to choose from. Whether you're looking for an ultra-luxe gift to set beside the tree or a cute little something to stash in your best friend's stocking, we've rounded up 25 of the best makeup giftssure to put a smile on everyone's face. In fact, some are so good that you may want to buy two—one to gift and one to give to yourself because the holiday season is all about celebrating everyone, including you!
Shop the Best Makeup Gifts and Gift Sets
1. Jenny Patinkin Mister Assister Facial Hydration Tool
Well-hydrated skin is the cornerstone of flawless makeup, which is where this hydration helper comes into play. Using ultrasonic vibration technology that breaks water into nanoparticles so it can penetrate the skin, this fun-to-use tool makes for the perfect gift because, chances are, the person you are gifting it to doesn't have it. Plus, it leaves skin plump, hydrated, and perfectly prepped for makeup.
2. Kevyn Aucoin Sculpt and Define Contour Book Volume IV Palette
One of the best makeup gifts to give is this does-it-all palette from the legendary makeup artist icon Kevyn Aucoin. This kit is packed with all the essentials for a perfectly contoured face, including blushes, highlights, and contour powders for an effortlessly sculpted look.
3. Sisley Paris Phyto-Hydra Teint Tinted Moisturizer
Skin tints are trending, and some are just makeup, whereas others, like this one, are more like a skin booster formula. Perfect for those light makeup days, this tinted moisturizer is loaded with good-for-your-skin ingredients like white lily extract to hydrate, plant-based extracts to refine the skin's texture, and buckwheat seed and vitamin E to protect the skin from environmental aggressors. We also love how the lightweight tint glides onto the skin, leaving it with a beautiful bare-skin effect.
Related Article: An Honest Review of Sisley Paris, Tested and Approved By Our Beauty Editor
4. Tarte Stay Golden AC Cheek Set
Some of the best makeup gifts to give are the ones you wouldn't think of buying yourself. Enter this five-piece set of blushes, which gives the perfect rosy flush suitable for wearing all year round. Packed with Amazonian clay for longer wear time, these vegan portable blushes (they are small enough to fit in your purse) are a must for the makeup lover in your life.
5. By Terry Tea to Tan Sun Powder
We love makeup that does more than the basics, which is exactly what this hydrating and bronzing powder is known for. The vegan formula is rich in clean and vegan ingredients, including bio cranberry oil, bio Darjeeling black tea, and shea butter to nourish and protect the skin while leaving it with a natural, matte bronze. Besides giving the skin a natural sun-kissed effect, the powder moisturizes and smoothes it, leaving it luminous, radiant, and virtually flawless.
6. RevitaLash Cosmetics Defining Liner Eyeliner
Stocking stuffer gifts can be hard to nail down, but one of the best makeup gifts for them is this stay-put eyeliner that lets you create a variety of different looks. Perfect for accentuating and defining the eyes, this inky-black pencil eyeliner glides on and conditions the delicate skin on and around the eyes, thanks to vitamin E. It's also a crowd-pleaser thanks to its highly pigmented, creamy formula that is hypoallergenic and non-irritating, too.
7. Jenny Patinkin Luxury Vegan Makeup Brush Soap
The proper makeup tools are just as important to give and receive as the makeup itself. This solid soap breaks down makeup and oil lingering on makeup brushes and rinses away seamlessly. Perfect for cleaning your puffs and blenders, too, it never leaves your favorite makeup tools feeling stiffy, crunchy, or with a residue.
8. Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Color Balm
Suncare never takes a day off, so you might as well add some color to the mix with this hydrating lip balm that offers a pop of color and SPF protection. Each shade in the collection helps protect the skin from UV damage thanks to iron oxides, the antioxidant Lipochroman, soothing bisabolol, and hydration boosters like jojoba esters and squalene. You can even swipe the stick on your lids and cheeks, too, making this multipurpose makeup product one of the best makeup gifts.
9. Anastasia Beverly Hills Frozen and Fuller Looking Brow Trio
The secret to fuller-looking eyebrows lies in the right brow products, and this trio, from brow wizard Anastasia, contains all the essentials for perfect-looking arches. Inside, you'll find Brow Wiz, Brow Definer, and Brow Freeze Gel so you can sculpt, define, and shade your brows for all-day perfection.
Related Article: An In-Depth Beauty Editor Review of Anastasia Beverly Hills Products
10. NUDESTIX Soft and Warm Nudes Mini Kit
This limited-edition kit contains all the essentials for enhancing the eyes, cheeks, and lips with just a few swipes of these beloved sticks in warm tones. Each formula—there's an all-over blush, bronzer, and highlighter—gives the skin a nude flush of color for that lit-from-within, no-makeup look.
11. RMS Beauty A Little Lip2Cheek Kit
Pocket-sized makeup is always a fan favorite, especially for the holidays. These adorable mini pots are packed with creamy shades of multitasking formulas that can be worn anywhere on the face. Each skin-friendly shade is infused with a blend of nourishing and hydrating ingredients, including wildcrafted Buriti oil, organic shea butter, and organic cocoa seed butter to leave the skin looking and feeling soft, smooth, and plump.
12. Eyeko Black Magic Duo
There's no better duo than jet-black mascara and eyeliner to create ultra-defined, sexy eyes. This kit contains both essentials with serious color payoff so that you can achieve mega-watt lashes and the perfectly winged-out eye. No matter your eye makeup skill level, this kit is perfect for creating a simpler look or a high-drama one that will stay put all night long with nary a budge or smudge.
13. Jane Iredale Glam & Glow Eyeshadow Stick Mini Trio
This makeup gift is so good it's hard to part with it (so buy one for yourself, too). Inside this pretty kit are all the essentials for creating festive holiday looks while making the eyes center stay. The cream-to-powder eyeshadow sticks are rich in skin-friendly ingredients like vitamin C, jojoba seed oil, and ceramides, so you know you're doing good by your skin
14. Estée Lauder Kajal Duo Brighten and Accentuate
This creamy, dual-ended eye pencil is a must for every makeup bag, especially on those days when you need to camouflage tired-looking eyes. Rim the illuminated shade to make the eyes pop and appear bright, and the darker shade for a smoked-out effect. No matter which shade you use (or both!), the liner glides on like a dream for significant impact.
15. Wander Beauty Double Date Eyeshadow Duo
The holiday season deserves makeup that sparkles and shines, so this effortless eye duo sits high on many wish lists. Swipe on the creamy-colored primer first to give the lids a light wash of color while canceling out any darkness in the lids, and then layer on the shimmery powder for added dimension. The super cute compact makes it easy to touch up your eyes wherever the night takes you.
16. MDSolarSciences Hydrating SPF 30 Sheer Lip Balm Trio
Douse the lips in hydration and color while protecting them from the sun with this sheerly colored lip trio, one of the best makeup gifts that any woman will be happy to receive. Perfect for wearing during the day, these avocado oil and shea butter-infused lip balms give a natural flush of color to the lips while adding a dose of much-needed moisture, too.
17. Estée Lauder Pure Colour Whipped Matte Liquid Lip
Slip this matte liquid lipstick into your bestie's holiday stocking and watch them smile from ear to ear. This lip color always gives a soft, hydrated look thanks to hyaluronic acid and moringa butter. For more color payoff, swipe it onto the lips or dab it on and blend it in with a brush for more of a blurred-looking lip.
18. Stila Heaven's Dew Gel Lip Oil
Everyone wants to receive the best makeup gifts this season, and shimmery lip oils never disappoint. This super-conditioning one leaves the lips with the perfect amount of shine and shimmer, thanks to its nonsticky hybrid gel formula. A blend of nourishing ingredients, such as antioxidants, jojoba oil, and hyaluronic acid, work together to soothe and plump the lips so that they glisten.
19. jane iredale Wildflower Love Story Bundle
This unique bundle is the perfect makeup gift for your friend or family member who loves to spend time creating endless makeup looks. It offers all the basics for a gorgeous pink story. Try mixing and matching the colors for an array of styles that work for day and night.
20. Koh Gen Do Perfect Finish Buffing & Fan Brush, Face Powder
A good set of makeup brushes never disappoints, which is why this set is one of our favorite gifts. Replete with the essentials for flawless face makeup, the buffing brush applies liquid, cream, powder foundations, and blush, and the powder brush uses the enclosed hyaluronic-acid-powered powder. The look is nothing short of stunning.
21. COOLA Make-Up Setting Spray SPF 30 Green Tea and Aloe
Just like a killer brush set, no good makeup look is complete without a setting spray, which locks everything in place and lasts for hours on end. This one, which is compatible with all skin types, gives a matte finish and UV protection thanks to SPF 30 and contains aloe leaf extract to help heal inflamed and irritated skin.
22. By Terry Starlight Glow Smokey Eye Set
Whether you give this as a gift to someone special or treat yourself to something luxe, this limited-edition smokey eye kit is the one to splurge on, and for good reason. It features three top sellers encased in beautiful eco-friendly packaging, making for the ultimate festive eyes with sophistication. Plus, the smudge-proof, waterproof formulas are enriched with ceramides to add a touch of moisture and lock in the look.
23. INIKA Certified Organic Liquid Mineral Foundation
If clean and organic makeup is more your gift-giving speed, then add this mineral foundation to your shopping list. It gives buildable coverage that lets your skin peek for a natural finish, and it's also infused with hyaluronic acid, vitamins, and argan and rosehip oil to hydrate the skin. Think of this antioxidant-packed foundation like skincare but with the benefits of your favorite moisturizer.
24. Chantecaille Tree Of Life Lip Veil
Some of the best makeup gifts include those with special meanings; this nourishing lip color is that product. Created to help support the Kenya-based elephant charity Space for Giants, this super creamy lip color glides effortlessly onto the lips and offers long-wear color. It's also enriched with FairWild and organic Baobab Oil, helping moisturize and soften the lips, leaving them luscious and plumper.
25. Vichy Dermafinish Setting Powder
Setting powder is a must for any makeup look, no matter how natural or glam it is. This water-resistant one extends the wear time of your makeup to up to 16 hours while leaving it looking flawless. Thanks to a blend of mineral pigments that reduce shine and camouflage skin imperfections, there's no makeup game that isn't a match for this must-have powder.
The Bottom Line
Makeup gift ideas are always a hit when it comes to holiday gifts. No matter if you're treating yourself to a little something special or buying one of our picks for a beloved friend or family member, the best makeup gifts are the ones that come from the heart and celebrate inner and outer beauty.
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