We love these beautifying buys (Picture: Credited below)
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The best gifts to open on Christmas morning are those that you might not normally splurge on yourself.
When you’ve had your eye on something but couldn’t justify the price, it makes removing the wrapping paper to reveal that very item even more exciting.
Beauty products slot perfectly in this category, as shadows and serums tend to be what people cut back on when money’s tight – and that means you can make someone’s day with a handpicked present that boosts their bathroom cabinet collection.
Luxury makeup tends to be a winner (although you don’t need to spend lots – a fancy lipstick is more than enough to impress) along with skincare and hair tools.
There’s also fragrance, with the gift of a signature scent guaranteed to place you firmly on anybody’s nice list. You may even get a kiss under the mistletoe if you’re lucky.
Struggling to decide what to get the beauty fan in your life? These are our favourite buys, with options for a range of budgets.
Augustinus Bader The Essentials Kit
This limited edition kit includes the brand’s hero celeb-approved products (Picture: Augustinus Bader)
From the skincare brand that’s a favourite of Margot Robbie, Victoria Beckham, and Kim Kardashian comes the Essential Kit, featuring Augustinus Bader’s best-selling, award-winning products in one streamlined set.
It comes with a 15ml The Rich Cream – which is proven to make your skin feel 92% firmer in just four weeks – as well as a 15ml The Cream and a 100ml Body Cream, all packaged up in a signature bag.
Buy for £180 at Augustinus Bader.
Olaplex Ultimate Essentials Kit
There’s a reason Olaplex is such a fan favourite (Picture: Look Fantastic)
The only problem with this set of travel-sized products is that, once they’ve tried Olaplex, they’ll be hooked.
The bond building hair treatments, shampoo, and conditioners are best for damaged or bleached hair, but pretty much every hair texture will find their strands get smoother and stronger looking after use.
Buy for £21 (was £28) at Look Fantastic.
Nip+Fab Exfoliate and Hydrate Gift Set
The products in here would set you back £126.70 if bought separately (Picture: Nip and Fab)
Cult cosmetics brand Nip+Fab has released a range of full skincare routine sets, so you can present your giftee with everything they’ll need for a covetable complexion.
Each kit retails for £50 for five full-size products – usually worth far more when bought separately – and there are five varieties to choose from.
We love the Exfoliate and Hydrate option, which features glycolic and hyaluronic acids to reveal bright, moisturised skin.
Lancome La Vie Est Belle Eau De Parfum Set
Spray liberally to mask the aroma of sprouts cooking (Picture: Lancome)
You can’t go wrong with a designer fragrance, and this Lancôme option is up there with one of the most popular scents of the last decade.
With a powerful trail, it strikes a perfect balance between gourmand notes of vanilla and deep of patchouli to add depth and warmth.
This set includes a 30ml La Vie Est Belle perfume, a body lotion and a shower gel.
Fenty Beauty Glow Mini Duo Gloss Bomb
The glosses are in the shade Fenty Glow, a versatile rosy nude colour (Picture: Boots)
Matte lips are out and gloss is in, which isn’t such a bad thing with these comfortable, non-sticky options from Rihanna’s Fenty brand.
The set includes handbag-sized versions of the original Gloss Bomb and the Heat edition, which has no shimmer but contains something called ‘Plump Job Complex’ to give the appearance of a fuller pout.
Dyson Airwrap Complete Multi Hair Styler
One tong to rule them all… with the help of a few attachment heads that are included in this set (Picture: John Lewis)
Admittedly a splurge, but we’d wager that the Dyson Airwrap is on quite a few people’s lists this Christmas.
The tool dries and styles at the same time, using Enhanced Coanda technology to curl, shape, and smooth hair – without extreme heat and the ensuing split ends that goes with it.
Buy for £479.99 at John Lewis.
Evolve Beauty The Feel Good Facial
Evolve Organic Beauty products are certified Cosmos organic and natural, vegan, cruelty free, plastic negative and carbon neutral (Picture: Evolve Organic Beauty)
This five-piece vegan, organic and natural skincare set includes everything they’ll need to perform a full facial ritual, from deeply cleansing the skin to a relaxing facial massage.
Inside the box there’s an Evolve Organic Beauty Gentle Cleansing Melt, Radiant Glow 2-In-1 Mask Scrub, Hyaluronic Serum, Hyaluronic Eye Complex, and Daily Renew Facial Cream.
The products are worth £70, so you can bag a bargain and save time on wrapping with this gift box.
Sol de Janeiro Hair Harmony
The bottles also look pretty in the bathroom (Picture: Feel Unique)
The Cheirosa 62 scent of this stuff alone makes it a gift they’ll love; a pistachio, salted caramel, jasmine, and sandalwood blend that lingers in the hair and releases bursts of fragrance with every swish.
These sulfate-free, paraben-free minis contain Brazillian Patauá, Buriti and Pequi oils that add shine and nourishment deep into the follicle.
StylPro Original Make Up Brush Cleaner and Dryer
It’s recommended to wash makeup brushes once a week (Picture: Look Fantastic)
While perfecting a signature makeup look may feel like time well spent, washing brushes seems to take a lifetime. But it is a necessary chore, and nowadays there are some handy gadgets to make life easier.
For the beauty guru in your life, get this StylPro device that washes and dries makeup brushes in just 30 seconds. It’s actually quite fun to use, and the dishwasher safe bowl means they won’t even need to worry about extra cleaning afterwards.
It arrives with eight silicone collars built to fit all standard style natural/synthetic makeup brushes and 10ml StylPro Makeup Brush Cleanser sachets.
Buy for £29.99 at Look Fantastic.
Sephora Favorites The Luxury Beauty Case
Now that’s good value (Picture: Sephora)
Beloved US cosmetics retailer Sephora recently opened its doors to UK customers, and this curated beauty case of favourites exemplifies the brand’s worldwide reputation.
In here they’ll find hero products from NARS, Hourglass, NEOM, Elemis, and a number of others – like an advent calendar you don’t have to wait all month to open.
Yves Saint Laurent Volupte Plump-in-Colour Lipstick
A stocking filler with serious style (Picture: Escentual)
We mentioned fancy lipsticks, and they don’t come much fancier than this YSL option that features a black heart design and offers a silky sheen finish with the same colour pay-off as the Rouge Volupte Shine formula.
Perfect for the winter months, this formula also boasts 65% natural oils, to soothe and moisturise lips. This orange-tinted shade is also a modern take on the classic festive red lip.
Buy for £19.50 (was £30) at Escentual.
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SHOPPING: No matter your budget, there’s something for under every beauty fan’s tree.
