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What type of beauty gifts are good to give to others?
If you don’t know the person that well, I’d stick to low to mid-end in price point and things that are more universal, like hand cream, lip balm, candles, etc. (But try to figure out if someone is sensitive to fragrance or not!) If they like makeup, I love lipstick sets (most consistent in quality, good value usually), smaller quads/palettes, or Sephora Favorites sets (great way to try a bunch of stuff).
— Christine
Because I really don’t have much of a clue in this department (at ALL, surprisingly!) your answer above DOES make perfect sense. Stay low-to-mid range cost wise, be careful about fragrance in products, but if you know that they love makeup, these are some wonderful suggestions you’ve given, Christine. Especially, those Sephora Favorites.
If you don’t know the person very well, then a gift card is always best. Otherwise, lip balms, body products also work.
Something they requested. If they don’t request something, a gift card, unless you know them and their tastes really, really well. If you have to get them a physical item, think about whether they’ve ever admired something you’ve worn, and get them that.
Steer away from those huge no-name or store-brand train cases or sets the shops love to put out at the holidays. They may seem impressive for the money, but most of them aren’t very good quality. They are also too overwhelming for a lot people to use.
I completely agree about the train cases. I’ve been given a couple over the years and they never get used!
I think those are good for young teens who are just beginning to play in makeup, with parental consent of course. They need to play with color but really don’t leave the house. The quality is often horrible.
I think that gift sets make wonderful gifts especially when you don’t know the person’s taste. I like the Sephora lipstick sets, the perfume sets and the lotion sets. I have given the gift sets to one person and I have broken the sets up and given pieces from the set to different people, especially when I do know their taste.
First of all: I really like the new look of the website, looks great!
As for the question, I think that unless you know the person very well it’s really difficult to gift lipsticks, eyeshadows and other make-up products. Things like lip balms, hand creams, bath and body products are definitely safer.
For the younger women on my list (daughters of friends, young women still in school), I usually spring from some of those nice holiday sets from Philosophy that usually include a shower wash, a body lotion, a lip gloss/balm. Those always seem to be well received (it’s nice to have something more than bog-standard body wash to take with you to the showers). For good friends of mine, whose tastes I more or less know, it’s gift sets from Caudalie (the ones with the Huile Divine included) or from L’Occitane – again more geared to body care and pampering. Those things are always welcome in the cold, drying Canadian winter and they’re just so “spoiling”. A few years ago, I got a Caudalie set for my best friend because she was going travelling and the smaller sizes were perfect. It was such a nice set that I was hoping “someone” would get one for me too!
Gift cards to Sephora? I think unless you know a person pretty well, buying beauty products is dangerous. Then again, I broke my own rule getting my SIL Naked 1 and Naked 2 over the past 2 Christmases (I resolved to not give her any more beauty items this year), and I got my MIL Meteorites and the matching brush last year and those all went over very well. You just have to have a really good idea of what the person likes and would use. Don’t guess!
I’ve always been a fan of well-reviewed eye shadow palettes, something a little more high-end if it’s for a close friend or family member. My last makeup gift purchase for a friend was an Armani Eye tint in copper, a Guerlain lippie in a neutral pink, and a Chanel les beige blush stick.
If it’s something on the less high-end side, I like to go for little baskets- cotton discs, a good eye makeup remover, a good lip balm, hand creme, etc. Things that most women would want/use/need.
i often like to gift my friends some products that they haven’t tried before. For many of my girlfriends that i know they struggle with their hair, i buy a hair product set from sephora . i think some sets are fun to try 🙂
For my close friends, i like to buy them a skincare mask set that is worth it .
It depends person to person. For closer family or friends I can observe what are they into and what could suit them.
As a safe choice for people I don’t know that well I’ve given a red INGLOT/ESSIE nailpolish. I’m not a red nailpolish person myself (I tend to go beige or dark wine), but when I recently got one as a gift I quite enjoy it.
Sephora gift cards. Perfume sets. Hand lotion. Spa sets with nail files, foot creme, nail polish and cozy socks. Unless I know the person, like my daughter, I don’t buy makeup for anyone since makeup is personal. I could swatch it and love it, think it would look great on you and you could completely disagree or even hate it. I know I have loathed many cult, well liked products. So makeup I stay away from unless told specifically I want that!
I’m always giving away Fresh Lip Balms. They are outside what the normal person would spend on a balm but not too pricey for a gift so it’s wallet friendly for you and seems really luxe for them!
Great suggestions, Christine, particularly about price point!
My safest bet would be winter-centric things because everyone’s skin gets shredded in winter (at least where I am). Good unscented creams with nice packaging and balms.
I also agree with Rachel R. about trying to stick to things requested. If a person has never expressed any interest in beauty products, then I’d stay away from getting them any makeup because it might appear prescriptive.
I like to give brushes because then you don’t have to worry about it being a good color match or a scent they like. Everyone needs good makeup brushes and especially around the holidays you can find cute sets in pretty colors.
But I have also been known to give a small eye shadow palette… Or if we were shopping for makeup together and there was something they liked but decided was too extravagant for their budget, I might sneak back and buy it 🙂
I won’t give out a beauty gift unless it’s something I knew that person was wanting or has mentioned or have seen them use. Otherwise it’s gift cards. Lipstick is about the only beauty Item I’d give because lipstick is fun.
Make-up and skin care (even more) are a personal thing. Each may have issues and preferences you might not know. I only buy beauty products as gifts for my mother, mostly body lotions, body wash, perfumes; but I know her tastes in those. To a friend I would at most buy a very basic and neutral eye shadow palette; or something I would really know she wants and the shade she has.
If I don’t know the person well, I opt for a Sephora gift card along with a small stocking-stuffer like lip balm, bath gel, hand cream, etc. Nowadays, with all the travel size beauty products, it is so easy to find something cute and appropriate. I guess I’m just old school because I always include an actual goodie with the gift card. I think it sends the message that I thought about the person and what they’d like. If I know the person well, then there’s no problem 🙂 I get them something I know they’ll enjoy. Easy.
Ulta and Sephora gift cards!!!! 😀
I do little sets and palettes, or maybe a luxury lipstick (Chanel or Dior) they would not buy themselves. Love Sephora’s three pan shimmer brick compact by Bobbi Brown this year. Luxury bath and body stuff is good too. I’m an email subscriber to AHAVA (great brand, best hand cream) and they do lots of BOGO email sales. Plus I get the Ebates cash too. Also like Lauder’s skin care sets for my older daughter, who loves DayWear creams.
I have done Sephora gift cards or a mini of something cute with a Sephora gift card or Argan Oil ( which I no longer buy there now that I know I can go to the Vitamin Shoppe) or a nail polish together with a manicure gift certificate. I never do anything scented too heavy. Once I did a Spa gift bag with a not-so-serous magazine and a candle and some bath salts and some alcohol. It went over well because I put it together myself.
Personally, I love nothing more than a gift card to Sephora or Nordstrom. The people in my life know that I love makeup but I own a lot of it and am very particular about what I buy. I don’t feel that a gift card is too impersonal because I know the person will be able to choose something they really love. Maybe one can pair it with something else the person requested (a nice hand cream, a lipstick, even nice chocolate, etc). I don’t like being surprised by random beauty products because likely I own it already or don’t like it.
I like gift sets that are delux sizes with a voucher for a full size one of their choosing. All the Sephora favorites sets are perfect too. Or something small & attach a gift card with it. So many options for this one.
If I know the person fairly well, I also know the beauty products they like and what they use. So hand, foot creams are always useful. Natio, made in Australia, do these beautiful combos – Hand Spa, Foot Spa, Sensitive body washes and creams. I also love the Crabtree and Evelyn range as well as L’Occitane.
For young girls I buy a nice basket and add a variety of nail polish colors, base coat and top coat. This year I will give gel polish and top coat. I also add a small bag of cotton balls and small fingernail polish remover and nail file. For secret santas I give a nice gift set of shower gels, body creams and splashes. For family and close friends I give them something they admire on me or said they wished they had. Usually it’s my Becca shimmer highlighter poured in opal and a Dior blackout mascara in black. I also tend to buy something I hope would be bought for me and that’s something I wouldn’t buy for myself or totally use up fast. Happy Holidays.
Candles are great, I adore them, and not too pricey since I like Voluspa to Diptych, and certainly don’t expect anyone other than family to buy pricey! I love eyeshadow palettes that I haven’t bought, or a new lipstick any goodie is so appreciated. It’s only my brother or mother who would buy make up for me, and they both know my colours so well.
A long time ago I worked in a place where the boss gave one of the female employees a fancy hair care set. I still remember the awful silence that followed when she unwrapped the gift. (She did have kind of unruly, sometimes dirty hair.) Since witnessing that, and a few other mis-steps along the way, I will only buy beauty and any kind of personal care items for my immediate family and closest friends. Even a candle choice backfired a couple years ago when I gave my sister-in-law a Bath & Body Works three wick Christmas candle. It had such an intense scent and throw that she needed to open her house up to get the scent to dissipate, letting all the heat out on a freezing day.
Before purchasing any such gift just be sure to think it through- is what I’m saying 😉
depends…if you dont know them well the a gift card or simple skincare item like a mask or moisturizer works. but if they like makeup then try the sephora holiday sets where there is an assortment of items for them to try.
I like beauty store gift cards for myself and most. But I buy special beauty gifts for close family and friends whose taste I know.
I find it very difficult to give cosmetics to friends as gifts. I know what my daughter and granddaughter will like but with fragrance sensitivies and strong preferences to makeup types, choosing for others is impossible. I do like to save deluxe sized samples from beauty boxes and GWP to make grab bags from which my friends can choose. I have a few man friends who adore higher end hand cream and skin care because they just don’t know where to start. The advantage of grab bags is that it removes the feeling of obligation than a return gift must be purshased. Its just fun.
I like to give products that I know the recipient wouldn’t splurge on for her/himself, such as luxurious body products, or Tom Ford lipsticks 🙂
Just like with all gifts, if I don’t know the person, I do a gift card. If I do, then I assemble a bag with stuff I really think they will love! Giving is so much fun, and gives you a chance to show people that you really pay attention to them.
For my sister, who has almost no money and is in love with designer stuff, I knew she covets a Chloe bag. Since I can’t afford 3 grand to buy her a bag, I bought her Chloe perfume, along with a cool compact and some other non-beauty stuff.
For my cousin who just turned 40 and is still single, I made a bag for her that says “still young and cool.” I got her the UD Naked Basics collection, Benefit Hoola bronzer, Buxom lip color in “Princess” (her nickname), and a Bare Minerals Happy Birthday kit, with black mascara and liner, and pink lip gloss. Some earrings, a pink portable charger, and 40 bucks cash, all in a pretty bag, and we’re good!
Makeup, lotions for body, perfumes and clothing
Gift cards so they can have fun shopping and choosing what they want.
Love this topic! Appreciate so much just nearing Christmas! Is a challenge in the beauty world to find something specific for someone unless you truly know their taste on makeup, brands or even colors. Gift cards are alaways welcome I guess at work for a few coworkers but for someone close I love as family or close friend I’d love to find out what they like and get them that. A good care package from Body Shop I think would be great. Or any place of their choice. Brushes if they love makeup, cream sets, feet/nail lotions. I myself welcome it all!