What do you get the lady (or lad) who has everything cosmetics-wise? There are plenty of options! From the least expensive luxuries (most are under $15) to the some pricier presents, there’s a special beauty gift for any list!
As I’ve mentioned before, I worked as a makeup artist for several years, but even before that, I was obsessed with cosmetics and beauty products in every way. It’s never been about the “getting pretty” aspect for me; I just really love the process itself. Playing with various colors, textures and even scents gives me such great feelings. I’ve never been good at drawing or painting, so this has always been my way of releasing my creative side.
Thus, receiving some amazing new makeup products for my birthday or the holidays has always been a huge thrill. If you know anybody else like me, they’ll totally love you for picking up one o’ these pieces of fantastic beauty items, such as the gorgeous compact All For Glamour Touch Up Kit ($39.50) by MAC above the cut, as well as this fantastic collection of Tarte deluxe primers ($9). I just got it and it’s adorably perfect for stuffing any stocking!
Gifts in the gallery:
($0 – 10)
1. E.L.F. Essential Holiday Ultimate Lash Set, $3
2. Avon Mini Purse Manicure Kit, $4.99
3. Beauty Gems 4-Piece Eyeliner Set, $5
4. Tokyo Milk Femme Fatale Collection Lip Elixirs $7
5. Stila Tiki Lip Glaze Trio, $8
6. Kat Von D Mini Lipstick Duo, $10
7. Michael Kors Leg Shine, $10
8. NYX Blusher & Bronzer Combo, $10
9. Tocca Rollerball Mini Trio, $10
($11 – 25)
10. Nail Polish Wand, $12
11. MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo, $15 (my favorite red ever; it looks amazing on everybody!)
12. NYX One Night In Morocco, $15
13. E.L.F. 11-Piece Gem Collection Brush Set, $25
14. Bonjour Limited Edition Clubbing Waterproof Essentials, $21.99
($26+)
15. Diorific Vernis, $26
16. Bobbi Brown Atomic Pink Lip & Eye Palette, $30
17. Benefit Sexy Little Stowaways, $34
18. Sephora Collector’s Edition Fragrance Sampler For Her, $75 (THIS IS AMAZING! I got it for myself last month and it’s absolutely gorgeous, so I’m getting it for my mother and possibly grandmother, too. It’s perfect for picky people or anybody who loves a variety.)
Lovelies, would you purchase any of these for the cosmetics-lovers in your life? Would you dig any of them for yourself?
guest
the turquoise brushes are very cute, especially the far right mini plump brush, which reminds me of the fuzzy momeraths from alice in wonderland. I don’t even wear eyeshadow or blush to need brushes, but I want that momerath twin brush as decor.
guest
I tend to think that stocking stuffers should be on the lower price range, but I do like mini nail polish sets, and basically any sampler sets available Sephora. It is an easy to sample many products of a certain type (such as eyeliner, or lip colors), the products are tiny but big enough to use several times so you can better determine if the product is for you. Also, I like making manicure kits–tools, base and top coats, polish remover, cotton balls and a bottle of a fun colored polish. For makeup items, I check out Urban Decay’s website for small palettes in the sale section ($10-15 range), or Too Faced’s Glamour to Go mini palettes. I found some nice buys at Nordstrom Rack before, especially Urban Decay (primer potion for $8!), NYX and Stila.
guest
Stay away from all that Beauty Gems crap! We sell all that junk only during the holidays because people eat it up. It’s crappy makeup, poorly pigmented shadows and disappointing pencils. I’ve just never understood why people go nuts on these terrible holiday palettes. What better way to show how much you love someone than with a set of chalky eye shadows she’ll never use?
I would definitely want to try anything from Tokyomilk.
sunflower / 300 posts
@blackspiders@xanga - I got one of the large sets from Sephora years ago and it was actually pretty lovely! But yeah–most large-scale palettes are more than a little disappointing.
But I’m glad you mentioned the Beauty Gems stuff. I’d only tried their little lip glosses as a gift, which were cute, but that’s about it haha. But YES–do try all Tokyomilk. I’ve never been disappointed, and the Clove Cigarette lip balm is possibly my favorite balm scent and texture ever besides Fresh’s Sugar in Rose.
@babybug329@xanga - Good tips! I never thought about making your own manicure tips. I’ve made custom MAC palettes for people as gifts but I’m not actually great with nails (which I’m mildly ashamed of, haha) so I would never have thought of that!
guest
@samescobar - Nothing to be ashamed of! Practice makes perfect! I’m still learning. Besides, not everyone can afford to get manicures regularly–surely our friends can appreciate being able to do it themselves at home. The process is simple, the hardest thing to master is having a steady hand to put the polish on.