What are your favorite beauty gifts to give/receive? Share your ideas!
I love sample sets or trios – like Jack Black’s Lip Balm Trios, Smashbox Wish Pencils, etc.
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Since most of the women in my family, or my life are not really into makeup like I am, I like to give them essentials – A high end starter kit of sorts with an all over lid color, a complementing lip color, blush, mascara and eyeliner.
I would like to receive an actual beauty related gift because it would actually require some thought, but I usually just get a gift card or money.
Hmm. Probably eyeshadow palettes, I suppose? But to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of receiving makeup — I’m really particular about things, especially what goes on my face!
As for giving, though, I agree with the sets. It’s always nice to have a little variety! (And if they’re all the same item… well, small sizes of products you already love are infinitely better than the regular size, simply due to the mini-ness, of course.)
Yesterday I tried blue lips… just for fun 🙂
sorry, that was for another post – this http://www.temptalia.com/what-was-the-craziest-makeup-look-you-have-ever-done-just-for-fun
I don’t have a specific product but I’m going to mention though that I love anything the boy gets me that’s beauty-related..not because I get a gift, but more because I picture him lost through the process of picking something out for me and imagining that is too cute.
I like to receive a nose job to enhance my beauty. Maybe I should ask for that as a Christmas gift.
To give – I like sets as well. Sephora Favorites Collection boxes are a winner.
To receive – Sephora gift cards! lol
gift cards
I love Jack Black trios too! Too bad Sephora didn’t have any this Holiday Season. =( BUT.. at checkout on Friday, I noticed they had a new Jack Black duo set for $10!! That’s a really good deal considering they’re full size and you’ll be saving $4.
Here’s a link if you’re interested:
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P275907&categoryId=C16350
I didn’t buy it since Lavender’s not my favorite -I did see a trio set at CVS Beauty 360 for $19.50 though so I’m going there instead. It includes new flavors this time around. =)
Well, the boyfriend usually gets me makeup for our gifts. He lets me pick it out though—we just know what we usually spend on each other, and I pick out products adding up to about that amount. Especially if there’s a LE launch around the holiday time, and I want more than I am willing to buy on my own.
That said, palettes are nice, so long as they’re useful ones. I don’t expect people to do a lot of research, but I’d usually advise sticking to Smashbox, UD, MUFE, so that I’ll actually be able to USE it. I HATE returning gifts, even if I’m given the receipt to.
Worst gifts to recieve? Fragrances. I mean, a sampler with a variety of brands and scents is nice, since there’s a chance some of them will work… but sets of a specific fragrance generally are HORRIBLE to get. I have a lot of fragrance sensitivities, so about 7 or 8 out of 10 fragrances I try make me queasy, headachey, dizzy…. And out of the ones that work, I’m still VERY picky on the smell. Most woody or musky smells are terrible! Again, I feel horrible asking for a gift receipt, or having the products sit there unused. It’s the thought that counts, and I appreciate it…. but I’d like to be able to show that appreciation by actually WEARING that gift!
I’m the same way! It’s really hard because everyone knows I’m into nice smelling things (I have a giant perfume oil collection), but I’ve gotten rather scent-sensitive the past few years. As in, random people’s perfumes trigger migraines, and I had to switch to organic shampoo sensitive. So someone will get me like bath products or lotion, and if I’m unlucky, they’ll be all synthetic smelling and I can’t use them.
eyeshadow sets or blush sets because I find them easy to work with even if a shade is not flattering by layering or trying different combos while lip set are hard to get to look good on you if the shade is wrong
A Crazy makeup set of eyeshadows eyeliners or nail polishes – just because even if the person doesn’t know my skintone and buys something odd, I’d still be able to make it work 😛
I love sample sets such as Urban Decay Jackpot 24/7 liners and OPI gift sets!
I agree that sets are the most fun because you get to try out a bunch of things. The Sephora kits that have either a mixture of different brands or the essentials from a single brand make great gifts. It easier that way because the colors are often universally flattering.
i actually hate receiving beauty gifts because people get me either something that doesn’t look right on my skin tone, something that won’t let me get past its smell, or something i would just never use :/ i feel like a huge jerk about it, too, but i have no intention of using one of rite aid’s holiday palettes, nor am i going to use perfume that makes me gag.
i feel that beauty products should really only be given as gifts if the gifter is positive that it’s something that the other person can use.
i think giving beauty items as gifts is a terrible idea because everyone has different taste in color, scent, etc. beauty products are very personal and so the best beaty-related gift is just a gift card! that way the receiver can pick out what they really like and really goes well with their skin tone, eyes, etc. i personally LOVE when i get a MAC or Macys gift card.
I love the little gift sets from The Body Shop 🙂
No one of my family like makeup, I prefer to give a bottle of the usual perfume she/he wears
And how I buy the makeup things I like, I prefer a gift card and then I go to the shop and buy what I want, sincerely makes me more illusion than put a pokerface and say “oh, so pretty, I like it” when it´s not true and throw them away
I like gift cards. My aunt bought me a 96 color palette last year for Christmas. While I appreciate the thought, I dont like people picking out my makeup for me ( unless they have already talked to me to see what I like ) and the palette was basically chalk . No bueno
I tend to avoid giving my friends makeup because they tend to be particular/ill-matched at times. If I’m on the receiving end, however, nail polish is usually a safe bet. I’ll get around to wearing it all eventually!
To give – The women in my family and friends are not into make up, at all so I like to give to them bath and shower products they would usually not buy themselves. For example Lush bath bombs or shower gels. My niece was hell over heels over the Lush shower jelly I gave her last year, and my mom always appreciates organic made soaps since she used to make herbal products herself a couple of years ago.
To receive – I’d like to get gift cards but my family doesn’t get it and my friends are as broke as I am.
I buy lip glosses for my niece.
I love giving LUSH holiday gifts. I love receiving LUSH gifts or nail polish gift sets.
I think a gift cad to sephora or Nordstrom would be best. I have a very particular taste in what I’ll like to spend money on and I hate when I receive something that I find over priced. With a gift card I can choose what best suits me!
I’m a big believer in going by someone’s wish list, so I don’t have a favorite beauty gift to give per se. Beauty products are so personal; I’d rather have someone tell me what they want and know that it’s something they would enjoy and use. Either that, or just find out what their favorite products are and gift them as backups.
I’ve never really received a good beauty gift. Every year for Christmas my mother in law re-packages all her Estee Lauder freebies and used perfumes in nice boxes and gives them to me lol. I’ve learned how to thank her and keep a straight face at the same time!
I tend to be a little picky on shades for eyeshadow or blush so I usually buy what I want by myself as regards make-up itself.
My BFF or people really close to me, do know my taste, so they always get me the right beauty treat, though.
But I also love to to give and receive skincare or bodycare products. I like to try different brands and formulations.
Which reminds me..I didn’t even make a list for this year’s Christmas presents yet! *facepalm*
pigments (for me)… or palettes (for my friends, my mom, my brother’s girlfriend, my cousins)….
sample sets, lipstick sets or palettes, but mostly giftcards 🙂