Do you give or receive a lot of beauty-related gifts?

I don’t receive them, since the last thing I need are MORE beauty products. I always gift my grandmother Chanel No. 5 products, like body wash or soap. My mom, who isn’t into beauty and would never, ever spend the money on it herself, I get her La Mer Moisturizer because she really loves it (and she has tried some alternatives but the La Mer texture/dry down works well for her).

— Christine

22 Comments

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Adrienne Avatar

I give a lot of them. I have several people on my holiday list, including my husband, that enjoy skincare or makeup gifts! I enjoy picking out things people will like that they probably would not think to get for themselves. But I’m so specific about what I want to receive and worried that items will sell out that I rarely ask for any beauty stuff that I can’t live without in case no one gets it for me.

Lauren Avatar

Yes, my friends and I will give each other makeup sometimes, usually lipstick or eyeshadow, or even a fragrance. We all know each other so well that we can safely shop for one another lol. Even clothes. When I was in the hospital this year, a wonderful friend got me a gorgeous Lisa Eldridge lipstick cos she knew having a pretty thing in the room with me would cheer me up!

Alice Avatar

Both!

Usually each year I get a gift card or 2 to Sephora or Ulta from friends, and my mom almost always gets me something off my ulta/sephora wishlist for my birthday.

I get my bff mascara, eyeliner or eye shadow, and a mini UD setting spray & eye primer set as part of her Hanukkah gifts. Also usually get at least a couple of my other friends makeup of some sort for birthdays/xmas. This year for Thanksgiving we’re visiting friends in California and I’m bringing a UD naked 2 basics palette for a hostess gift.

Andrea Avatar

Does it count if I gift them to myself? I appreciate my effort the most! ahah!… I often give skincare sets and perfume to family and friends. Out of all my friends there’s only one who actually gets makeup every now and then. We’ve been friends for ages and she’s the only one who gets fancy makeup because I know I can get her sth that she’ll love and actually wear. I often give her things that I have & love but in “her” colour.
It’s a family thing to gift perfume to people who do us tremendous favours, specially when they haven’t been requested i.e. people who go out of their way to help just because it’s what they do.
I have a cousin who mostly gives me luscious body cream! I can’t remember anyone ever giving me makeup (can I add “thank heavens” to that?). Ocasionally I get perfume, but fortunately most people stick to chocolate (bless their hearts)!

Ana Maria Avatar

I don’t receive beauty products as gifts, unless it’s a gift with purchase. I actually have a no physical gifts policy; if I need a physical object, I buy it myself when I need it, otherwise I prefer to keep my belongings minimal, and gifts create clutter.

I do gift to others beauty products, as some women in my life are totally opposite to me and love to receive things and have multiple beauty products.
To my best friend back in Europe I always bring body care products (she’s not into makeup). To my grandmother I usually gift fancy hand creams and apple scented soaps (she is obsessed with finding a specific scent she remembers from a discontinued FA soap from the 80-90s).
I also gift skincare and body care products to coworkers (female), I avoid makeup and fragrances since those are personal from my point of view.
My mom is usually the receiver of most beauty gifts. First and foremost, I always have to gift her Marc Jacobs liner in Blaquer and travel sizes of Victoria Secret perfumes. She loves switching her perfumes, so she always requests minis and travel sizes, she doesn’t like big bottles. I also always try to get from my travels showers gels that are unique to that region / country. My mom actually ended up with any beauty related product I don’t actually want / need (some folks never get my no gift policy); she loves all the perfume samples and Sephora birthday gifts I don’t enjoy. Unfortunately since I haven’t gone back to Europe since the pandemic started, I didn’t gifted her anything in a long while.
Men in my life are absolutely picky with their routines, just like me, and won’t take them as gifts.

Lune Avatar

It is certain that a relative will gift me whatever holiday makeup or bath set, so companies know they don’t need to bother with quality lol. A few of my makeup favorites have come from mom’s presents, though, so it evens out.

I usually throw a lip balm, nail polish, something into a gift kit when shopping for a girl.

Nina Avatar

I used to, because everyone who is/was inclined to giving a gift would get me makeup. One year for my birthday and Christmas I got 6 Nars Orgasm blushes! That’s when I put the kabosh on any makeup. And I gave all 6 away because i never liked the color or texture. Six women were happy! Sorry, sometimes ya gotta re-gift. 🖤

Genevieve Avatar

I both give and receive beauty related gifts for both birthdays and Christmas.
On my part, I generally pick out the eyeshadow palette, lipstick or perfumes for both of my sons and husband to give me for my birthday and as Christmas presents – and they are happy to give me these.
My twin sister nearly always gives me a big bottle of Clinique’s Aronmatics for either Christmas or our birthday because she knows that I love this perfume.
On the giving side, for me, I always get my daughter in law, Anika, a great big beauty bag for Christmas. In it I put a whole slew of cleansers, moisturisers, SPF products, a couple of mascaras, some lipsticks (that she has nominated), sometimes a small eyeshadow palette in the colours she wears (last year it was Smashbox’s Petal Metal). For her birthday – it’s a bit more of the same, except that I add in a perfume (her choice or something new). Last year I go her Philosophy’s Amazing Grace scent and she absolutely loved it.
For my twin sister – sometimes I get her a bit of a makeup/skincare bag – CeraVe’s Moisturising cream and The Ordinary’s Argon Oil with some lipsticks (her choice) and eyeshadows. I had a terrible time trying to find a matte taupe plum single last year for her.
For my friends – occasionally I will get them Natio bath and body sets or something related like that.

After having two sons, it’s so nice to have a daughter in law who loves makeup and things like that.

Nikki Avatar

I give beauty-related gifts if they’re requested by my beauty-loving aunt or cousin. I usually request a few pieces of makeup as well as Sephora and Ulta gift cards, and I usually receive one or both gift cards and a few of the makeup pieces.

Jess Avatar

Never. My husband is a terrible gift giver.
He’s given me things like candles from Walmart and a Frying pan and sometimes nothing at all. I also have adult daughters who never buy me gifts on the holidays but they expect them from me. My dad did try one year. He gave me a gift card to Sephora but the balance was $0 so I dont know what happened there and I never told him about it.

I was in a good mood and now this question has me feeling 😕 lol

Mariele Avatar

Nah, not really. My mom, aunt, and I tend to go to Bath & Body Works 1-2x a year and buy candles during their sales, and I normally buy body sprays and lotions for them, too. They bought me a few scents this time, too, so it evened out pretty well… but normally, I’m the one buying skincare and perfume for them. =) They trust that I will buy the things that I want, especially since I’m so into beauty, and the most they know about releases is what is on display at Ulta.

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