In case you missed it, the holidays are here. While this doesn’t mean you’re late on shopping for everyone on your list (yet), the best beauty gifts are already flying off the virtual shelves. Are you surprised though? TikTok makes it near-impossible to snag popular products the first time they go viral, and nowadays everyone — your teenage cousin and your seemingly uninterested (but high-key very interested) dad included — has some kind of beauty routine.
That makes both our, and your, jobs easier; the best beauty gifts of 2023 are a-plenty, but how to choose the perfect one(s) for your lucky giftees? We’ve broken them down into various categories — and price points! — to help you give even Santa a run for his money.
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Need more gift-spiration? Check out our ultimate holiday gift guide for 2023.
Beauty advent calendars are arguably the best gifts money can buy. These interactive calendars — filled with up to 25 mini-size and full-size beauty products — are a dream for indecisive buyers and equally exciting for the recipient to open up and indulge in. There’s no denying these literal treasure troves don’t come cheap, the savings are shocking once you add up the retail value of each product. If you’re unsure of where to start, here are four of our faves.
Best Skin-Care Gift Sets
Skin care can be a difficult category to gift — at least, it may seem that way at first. The truth is, everyone is always seeking ways to do just a little bit more with their routine; all you really need to know are some of their concerns, which we hope you’ve been listening out for. Do they have perpetually dry skin? Are they prone to hormonal breakouts? Is a dreamy vacation in their future? See, it’s easier than you think.
Yes, we test and shop for lipsticks, highlighters, and eye shadow palettes all year long, but the holiday season brings value-filled curations that are begging to be gifted, whether that’s to a friend or yourself. These sets are bound to make them fall in love with new products — and what better way to do so than with a kit approved by The Beauty Experts?
Best Hair-Care Gifts
Smart hot tools that do the work of multiple devices? Adorable claw clips that’ll fit seamlessly into their everyday “woke up too late” getting-ready routine? Curated hair-care sets for silky-smooth strands? Yeah, we’ll call it now: These prezzies will be put to damn good use.
Best Everything Shower Gifts
Newsflash: There is in fact a proper order for everything you do in the shower. With more than 95 million views, the everything shower trend officially took over TikTok earlier this year. We’re betting more than a few people on your list were inspired to take lengthier showers this year.
Whether you’re getting a holiday gift for your 16-year-old niece or looking for the perfect Christmas present for your tween daughter, we’ve got you covered. Teens can be a tough group to shop for, but we did our research (ahem, TikTok scrolling) to pull out all the beauty stops.
Yes, we have to show some restraint for most of the calendar year, but if you’ve got the means to splurge a little come the holidays, now is the perfect opportunity to finally help them cross off that one thing sitting pretty at the top of their wish lists. Your loved ones deserve the very best eye (…and lip…and hair) candy.
Allure editors receive the latest perfumes from the biggest fragrance houses and the smallest indie brands all before they make it to market, so we can get an exclusive look — or sniff — at what the upcoming season’s best perfumes will be. If you think walking by a department store’s fragrance counters is intimidating, you should get a look at our shared beauty closet. Here are some of our favorites of the year.
You’re probably already on amazon.com approximately 20 times a week shopping for essentials (and non-essentials), so why not browse their gifting options? This time of year, there’s no shortage of holiday bundles from our favorite brands (just the K-beauty selection alone is mesmerizing) — and at all price points, too.
Best Gifts Under $100
No matter your budget, we’ve got you covered. These gorgeous picks from Merit, Estée Lauder, La Mer — not a drill: you can score La Mer for less than $100 — and Isamaya Beauty will make their eyes light up and skin glow like no other.
Best Gifts Under $50
$50 is a sweet spot in terms of gifting budgets. Whether you’re in year one of your first adult job and budgeting accordingly, shopping for your “situationship” person, or buying your boss or fave coworker a little something to show your appreciation, these gifts speak volumes (and will have them feeling good).
Best Gifts Under $25
These aren’t your ordinary stocking stuffers — because, as professional shoppers, we know you don’t have to shell out a ton of cash to gift your loved ones something they’ll use and appreciate every day. (After all, we have guides dedicated to gifts under $25.) Go ahead, buy multiples of these crowd-pleasers and cross off besties, sisters, and coworkers all at once.
More holiday shopping inspo right this way: