These are the presents beauty buffs are sure to appreciate
If you've got a beauty lover on your holiday gift list, we've identified an extensive selection of presents — ranging from hair tools to skin care to makeup and more — that will surely be a hit. Our list includes bestselling beauty products that continue to be highly regarded year after year, as well as new launches that are worth trying. We've also included must-try products carefully vetted by the BestReviews Testing Lab.
We've got items at every price point, so you can find a delightful gift regardless of your budget. And if you spot something that piques your interest, don't feel guilty snatching one up for yourself. After all that shopping for others, you deserve it.
Best hairstyling tools
If you're looking to spoil someone with a high-end hair dryer, the Shark SpeedStyle is a great bet. In our tests, we loved the lightweight design and four styling attachments that allow you to create various hairstyles with a single tool. It has similar anti-damage technology to the Dyson Supersonic, but it's less than half the price.
For anyone who's been eyeing the Dyson Airwrap but is put off by the $600 price tag, Shark's version (dubbed the FlexStyle) works equally well for about half the price. This set comes with two curling attachments, two brush attachments, a diffuser and a concentrator nozzle. Use it to dry, straighten, volumize or curl your hair.
We love this high-quality hair tool because it lets you create a large variety of hairstyles — all without heat damage. With five attachments included, you can style your hair into loose, voluminous curls, a big blowout or a sleek and straight style. The flyaway tamer attachment will smooth any frizz at the end. This item is surely at the top of any beauty lover's list, and it's worth the splurge for people who give themselves curly hairstyles or blowouts frequently.
Heatless curlers are a great addition to anyone's hairstyling arsenal because they let you create curls without adding any heat (since heat can be damaging to hair). This satin-lined curler by Kitch is super soft, so you can wear it in damp hair while you sleep and wake up with a gorgeous curly hairstyle that looks like it's fresh from the salon. Plus, the adorable multicolor pastel pattern adds a fun touch.
In our tests, we found this an excellent choice for a budget-friendly hair tool. Despite the low price tag, the 1,875-watt hair dryer delivers a powerful airflow with three heat settings and two speed settings. It's suitable for all hair types, and even includes a concentrated air attachment that's great for creating blowouts and sleek styles and a diffuser (best for use on coily, curly or wavy hair).
This is not your ordinary hair straightener. It dries and straightens strands while they're still wet, which shaves serious time off a hairstyling routine. Despite this, like all Dyson hair tools, the Airstraight promises it won't damage hair. Our tester loved that it was super easy to use thanks to a clear display and simple instructions. It's best for use on wavy, curly or coily hair.
If you're looking for a high-quality hot-air brush with a low price tag, this is absolutely the model to buy. In our tests, we loved that this new version of Revlon's beloved heated brush includes a new medium-heat setting, bringing the total temperature settings to four from three in the previous version. The new model also has a slimmer brush head, which we found easier to maneuver than the previous larger version. The product quickly dried our hair and added volume, leaving us with a shiny, straight blowout.
Best facial tools
If you're interested in facial toning devices but don't know where to begin, this mini starter kit is an excellent choice. The easy-to-use device helps tone the muscles in your face in just five minutes, leaving you with a more sculpted and contoured look instantly. It also helps reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles in your face and neck. It includes a priming gel that you apply to your face before activating the device.
People who are comfortable with a more extensive beauty routine may be interested in this four-piece kit, which includes the NuFace Trinity+ facial toning device, a hydrating gel to use while toning, a firming and brightening cream and a brush for applying the products to your face. The whole routine helps give your face a tighter, more lifted and contoured look while helping to plump up fine lines and wrinkles.
If you want to get the most benefits from your skin care ingredients, consider this device, which transforms small capsules packed with skin-loving ingredients into a powerful mist. This lets the skin care ingredients — such as collagen and retinol — penetrate the skin 20 times deeper than traditional topical applications. Plus, you can connect it to the Droplette app to check and track your skin's progress.
Facial steaming helps hydrate your complexion and unclog pores. This luxe device by Dr. Dennis Gross gives you a spa-like steam facial in just nine minutes. It infuses skin with hydration while clarifying the complexion and helping decongest pores. Use the softening and detoxifying product before you apply your regular skin care regimen.
When chilled in the fridge for at least 10 minutes, these ergonomically shaped globes use cold temperatures to help constrict blood vessels in the skin and promote circulation and oxygenation. The result is a reduction in skin's redness and inflammation, giving an appearance that's firmer, brighter and more lifted. The handblown glass globes are a worthy splurge for anyone who appreciates a cold face massage.
Best skin care
These individually wrapped under-eye patches make an excellent stocking stuffer — whether you divide up the pack between your recipients or give the whole box to one lucky individual. The oil-free eye gels help eliminate the appearance of under-eye puffiness, dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles.
Keeping up with a skin care routine while you're on the go is easy with this travel-friendly kit. It includes a cleansing oil, cleansing cream, toning mist, brightening serum, hydrating face cream, collagen peel and eye cream — and all of the products are conveniently numbered so you can be sure you're using them correctly.
Another great gift for skin care enthusiasts: a starter kit which gives you a full skin care routine from a single brand. This lineup by Beekman 1802 includes four skin care products — a jelly cleanser, a ceremide serum, an eye serum and a probiotic moisturizer — plus a hair clip and a travel bag.
These TikTok-viral under-eye patches are beloved for their ability to calm and hydrate puffy under-eyes. They're formulated with glycerin, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and caffeine to give you a refreshed look even when you're running empty.
This five-step skin care kit is based around snail mucin as the key ingredient. It works to clear, calm and hydrate skin. It includes a cleanser, a wash-off jelly mask, a blemish-reducing toner, a serum and an oil-free moisturizer.
This luxe face moisturizer is formulated with an all-natural retinol alternative to give you anti-aging benefits without any of retinol's side effects. Other key ingredients include brightening vitamin C and hydrating hyaluronic acid. It can be used day and night to soften the look of fine lines and wrinkles over time.
This leave-on face mask is worn overnight to exfoliate, brighten and hydrate your skin while you slumber. It's formulated with papaya enzymes and retinol to exfoliate and renew skin texture. Meanwhile, vitamin C works to brighten skin tone.
This luxe moisturizer is a new take on a bestselling, celeb-loved favorite product. We love that this product is formulated with niacinamide, which helps brighten and balance skin tone and refine pores' look. It also has Waterlocking Fusion Technology, which the brand says traps moisture immediately and retains it for up to 100 hours of hydration. It feels cool and gel-like on the face, a refreshing feeling for dry winter skin.
This body cream from Rihanna's skin care line (which we're big fans of, by the way!) is the perfect holiday gift because it's infused with a limited-edition holiday-inspired cinnamon scent. It's formulated with seven nourishing luxe oils, conditioning shea butter and antioxidant-rich mango butter. Plus, there's a hint of shimmer to up the festive fun.
Winter is an excellent time to swap your lipstick for a more hydrating tinted lip balm (since the dry winter air can often lead to chapped and cracked lips). This hydrating stick by ILIA is one of our favorites in the category. We love that the clean balm comes in eight gorgeous hues. It's formulated with antioxidant rosehip seed oil, which replenishes moisture. Meanwhile, shea butter conditions lips and locks in moisture. It glides on buttery smooth and the color is buildable, so you can customize the look.
This hyaluronic-acid-packed nighttime moisturizer delivers hydration to dry skin. It also contains vitamin C, which helps brighten the look of skin and decrease dullness, and squalane, which adds further hydration without clogging pores. Our tester especially loved that this product is plant-based and cruelty-free.
If you have a budding beauty lover on your list, consider these fun character-themed sheet masks. They make great stocking stuffers and can be used for an at-home spa day with your kiddos. The various masks address different skin concerns including a vitamin E-packed mask that addresses skin health, a hydrating mask and a tea-tree-and-charcoal-based clarifying mask.
If you know someone headed to a warm location for their winter vacation, consider giving them this luxurious but lightweight sunscreen for their getaway. It's made from Chardonnay grapeseed oil that leaves a subtle shine while hydrating and protecting your skin. It's water-resistant up to 80 minutes.
Along with hydration, this cupuacu butter- and coconut oil-packed body cream has firming benefits for your skin thanks to the inclusion of caffeine-loaded guarana. It's also infused with Brazil-nut oil, which helps support the skin's natural ability to protect itself while giving it a healthy-looking glow. Another bonus: the delicious pistachio, salted-caramel and vanilla scent.
Best makeup
This adorably packaged kit makes a perfect stocking stuffer or White Elephant surprise. It contains a volumizing mascara and a four-pan eyeshadow palette that can create a variety of looks including a gold-hued smoky eye. The gold packaging adds to the luxe appeal.
Don't know what to get the makeup lover in your life? This 12-piece set from Sephora is a solid bet since it includes bestselling products from a variety of top brands. Some standouts in the kit: a full-size Glossier Boy Brow Volumizing Eyebrow Gel-Pomade in clear, a MAKEUP BY MARIO Soft Pop Plumping Blush Veil in a pale pink hue and a deluxe-size Olaplex No. 7 Bonding Frizz Reduction & Heat Protectant Hair Oil.
We love MERIT's lineup of easy-to-use makeup essentials, and this teeny blush balm is one of our favorites. It's more compact than many blush sticks, making it super easy to travel with or to toss in your purse for on-the-go touch-ups. It comes in eight gorgeous hues, all delivering a sheer but buildable wash of color.
A nude-toned beauty look is timeless, and this gift set from Lisa Rinna's makeup line helps you achieve that classic style. It includes an eyeshadow stick, mascara, a four-pan eyeshadow palette, a lip liner, a lipstick, a lip gloss and a two-sided applicator blush.
We love that blush sticks can help you simplify your beauty routine because they can be applied with your fingers (thus eliminating the need for a blush brush) and used in multiple areas of the face, including cheeks, lips and eyes. These affordable minis, available in seven chic shades, make excellent stocking stuffers.
This creamy, blendable stick provides a bold swipe of color that can be applied to lips, eyes and cheeks. It's infused with hyaluronic acid, squalane, vitamin C and vitamin E to provide skin benefits. It comes in nine shades ranging from a warm rose to a punchy black, and it can be applied with fingers or a makeup brush.
Can a beauty lover ever have enough eyeliners? The answer is no. This version, which comes in six shades, including a classic black and a shimmery silver, is both waterproof and smudge-proof, so you can wear it without worrying about getting rings around your eyes.
More of the best beauty gifts
Boar bristles give this high-end brush function and versatility. It works for any hair type and promises to make quick work of knots.
This body powder gift set includes three full-size, talc-free scented dusting powders and a reusable, soft body powder puff. It's perfect for people who love full-body pampering.
This trio of perfume oils is great for anyone who's on the hunt for their new signature scent. It even comes with a convenient pouch for easy storage.
This Christmasy nail polish duo from a salon-favorite brand combines a classic red with a sparkly polish. They can be worn alone or together, but they're sure to create a showstopping manicure either way.
Give your nails a New Year's Eve-inspired manicure with this trio of polishes. The gift set includes a versatile white, a shimmering gold and a sparkling gold.
Drybar makes some of our favorite hair products, and this three-piece set includes travel sizes of its bestselling products. Prep your hair with Hot Toddy before heat styling. Then, use the Detox Dry Shampoo between washes to extend the life of your blowout. The Seltzer Spritz flexible hold hairspray seals the finished look with a soft, touchable hold.
If you haven't explored shampoo bars yet, here's why they're worth a try: The solid version of a traditionally liquid product is more environmentally friendly (thanks to reduced packaging) and more travel-friendly (since it doesn't count against the TSA's 3-1-1 rule of traveling with liquids). This three-piece set from Ethique is great for people who wat to test out a few shampoo bars.
Every beauty lover needs a heavy-duty vanity case since they can pack a whole host of products every time they travel. Etoile's vegan leather cosmetic bag features a spacious main compartment with a removable divider for organizing products. There's also a separate top compartment that's great for small items like lipsticks and eyeliners. Plus, it includes a travel mirror.
This luxurious body cream is a big step above your basic drugstore find. It's formulated with shea butter and collagen-boosting marine extracts to help promote hydrated and silky skin for up to 24 hours. It's gentle enough for sensitive skin and doesn't feel greasy when you wear it.
Sol de Janeiro is one of our most loved body care brands, and this five-piece set has an array of its top products including the cult-favorite Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. All of the products smell like vacation in a bottle.
Another item one can never have enough of: mirror compacts. They're perfect for tossing in a bag and using for touch-ups, especially with various magnifications, such as this one. Of course, this Chanel mirror duo is no ordinary compact. The Chanel brand is synonymous with luxury, so any beauty lover or fashionista will appreciate adding this fancy-looking compact to their collection.
That perpetually messy beauty lover on your list is sure to appreciate this vanity organizer, which neatly houses all their perfumes, lip products, brushes, nail polishes and more. It has three drawers, perfect for stowing compacts and powders, and adjustable dividers, which make it easy to customize it to the needs of a specific product lineup.
As opposed to cotton pillowcases that can draw moisture from skin, silk pillowcases can help retain moisture on skin, lashes and hair while you sleep. This helps prevent bedhead, as well as creases on your face. Silk is cool to the touch, especially nice for people who run hot while they sleep. This Slip silk pillowcase comes in 19 beautiful colors, in queen or king sizes.
This perfume went viral on TikTok, where users created tearful videos claiming it evoked fond memories of deceased loved ones. The delicate scent contains top notes of skin musk, bergamot nectar and jasmine. Middle notes include fresh cyclamen, neroli blossom and orange flower, while the base wafts of sandalwood Australia oil, blonde wood and white musk.
You won't want to use an ordinary makeup brush again after you try the Elite Oval 6. Liquids, powders and creams all work wonderfully with this tool, which can be used on most areas of the face. Using circular motions and a little bit of product, this brush delivers stunning results.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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