Holly Jolly Holiday Beauty Gifts for the One You Love

The holidays are here again. It’s a magical season wherever you are in the world, but here in the Northern Hemisphere, we’re lucky enough to get snowfall around the holidays as well. Fires crackle in fireplaces, coffee makers bubble away, lights twinkle from every window and wrapping paper crinkles as you fold it around gifts for your loved ones. If you’re planning on gifting this year, instead of giving your loved ones something impractical that they may not want, why not give a gift that they can use? The end of the year is the time when all the beauty trends from the year are cataloged and the ones for the coming year are predicted, so what better time could there be to purchase beauty sets and products as gifts?

If you’re in the dark about which beauty products or sets might suit the person you’re buying for, have no fear! We’ve got the scoop on the most loved items of the year and the items that will most likely take pride of place going into 2023. You can’t go wrong with our list of must-haves.

Cleansing and Hydrating Products

There is no greater duo in the skincare world than a cleanser and a hydrating moisturizer. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, you may think that because the air is not currently hot and dry and there’s lots of rain or snow in the air, you may not need to moisturize as much. This is NOT TRUE, and to save your skin from dryness, irritation, and redness, you’ll need to keep up with your moisturizer as part of any good skin care routine. A creamy, rich moisturizer is what you need to get you through the winter months, but you also need to cleanse well to remove any excess product that has not sunk into your skin and any makeup and dirt accumulated over the day. Your cleanser should be alcohol-free and aim to remove makeup completely. The key is a soft but strong cleanser that leaves your skin’s natural oils intact. Maintain your skin barrier with regular cleansing and intense moisturizing, and your skin stays healthy and happy all winter.

Manicure Set

Taking care of your nails is a constant, ongoing job! Not everyone can or likes to go to a salon to have their nails done, so giving a nail care set is a very practical and thoughtful thing to do. Whether the person you’re gifting likes painted nails or simply well-maintained ones, a simple kit featuring some color polish, a clear base coat, a nail file, a cuticle stick, and oil will go a long way. There’s no harm in having a few basic polishes on hand, even if you don’t regularly use them, and the tools will keep your nails in good condition, polished or plain. It’s a cost-effective gift and not too over the top, which is always a good idea.

Travel Beauty Kit

Many people travel at this time of year, and carry-on restrictions about beauty product sizes can be a pain. Why not give a travel-sized, “on-the-go” beauty set to someone who you know has a trip coming up? It might be nice to include a little pouch with the gift for all the beauty essentials you’ve purchased. Some under-eye mask strips never go amiss: they’re handy for curing those long flight bags, after all! A stick highlighter will have the face looking dewy and fresh in no time, a mascara will have those beautiful eyes looking wide open and awake, and a lip balm or moisturizing oil will deal with any dry in-flight air cracks or irritation.

Including mini hair and body products in this little kit is also a nice idea. This will be especially handy if the person traveling has layovers. If the items are small enough to fit into a carry-on, they won’t have to rifle through a carefully packed suitcase to get to the products they need to have themselves feeling fresh and clean for the next leg of their journey.

Lip and Cheek Stains

Multi-use beauty products are all the rage at the moment, and with good reason. Using one product that can do two things is far more practical than having two products take up more space in your beauty bag. Lip and cheek duos are the most readily available and can offer a cold and pale complexion a little boost and natural rosiness that may be missing in the winter months. Make sure this product has a moisturizing agent included.

Wrap Up

Any of these little beauty sets would be well received as a thoughtful and practical gift if you’re giving gifts this holiday season.