I’m officially in full blown holiday mode! The temps have dropped (finally!), our tree is up (we started decorating it a few nights ago!), and I just started shopping for gifts. I’m a girl who loves all things holiday, especially the gift giving so I like to start early. I think finding the perfect item for everyone on your list is very fulfilling and honestly really fun. It’s such a great feeling knowing you got someone special a present they’re truly excited about.
As a glam lover myself, I tend to gravitate toward beauty gifts for friends and family, it’s just kinda my thing :). I love browsing sites like Ulta to find all the best sets. Why do I love holiday sets so much you might ask? Everything is always packaged to the nines (hello sparkles) and you usually get way more bang for you buck! Who doesn’t love that?! Ulta’s gift sets are also a perfect opportunity to indulge in a little personal “treat yourself” moment by restocking things you already love or trying products you’ve had your eye on.
I wanted this post to be as helpful as possible, so I had the idea to break my picks up into two different categories. I’ve divided things into two experience levels: the beauty beginner and the makeup obsessed gal. If you’re not quite as into beauty as I am (or even if you are), I’m hoping my notes on each product will help you narrow down exactly what to buy for each person on your list!
This way, no matter what your experience level is with beauty, you can find the perfect gift for the lady in your life, or a new product to try for yourself.
Beauty Beginner.
These are great for *all* levels of beauty girl! I have each of these and use them daily, but they’re all so easy to use, non-intimidating and total staples. They would make a great buy for anyone starting out!
These are glossy goodness! Super hydrating and easy to use. Perfect for the girl on the go. Throw it in your bag to add a wash of color to your lips.
My favorite lash primer ever!! I use this religiously (daily). It makes your eyelashes so much longer and it’s super easy step to add to really amp up your lash game! It also comes with a mascara too.
In love with this set! I recently picked it up and have worn is consistently. The formula is really hydrating and the colors are so wearable! They’re all really neutral and perfect for everyday use.
The perfect palette for every girl! I love these colors for every season and they’re really flattering on all eye colors. The palette comes with a brush too, so it’s great for an all-in-one.
The Beauty Blender is my number one go-to tool! I use it to blend in my concealer, foundation and even the powder to set under my eyes! It’s also great for cream bronzer, blush, etc. If the gal in your life doesn’t have a Beauty Blender, this is a must! Again, the gift set version is awesome because you get more bang for your buck! It also comes with Beauty Blender Cleanser – I use this to clean my Beauty Blender and all my makeup brushes.
Beauty Lover.
These are a perfect little set for the glam girl in your life! They are super sparkly eyeshadows, that are really easy to use (not messy at all) and perfect for creating more dramatic eyes. If you like a lighter, more natural glam instead of applying directly from the applicator, you can apply them to your finger and then your eyes. This just adds a little sparkle and brings light in, while still keeping things on the subtle side.
The perfect gift for the brow lover in your life (or yourself!) – Benefit makes my favorite brow products! I don’t typically fill in my brows because they are really naturally full, but I recently trimmed them a little too short in one spot (opps!), so I’ve been filling in that area with this pencil, it’s so easy to use and looks really natural! I also love that the kit comes with all of Benefits brow products, so you can try them all out and see which one works best for you. They’re tinted brow gel is also amazing for those low key, no time kinda days!
I’m a big Peter Thomas Roth fan and thought this mask set was so cute! Again, it’s a great chance to be able lot try a bunch of different masks or you could break the set up and use them to bundle into other gifts or even has stocking stuffers!
I love a good contour kit! These powders blend super easily and smell like chocolate…who wouldn’t love that?!
This is my favorite finishing step. Once my makeup is done, I spray my whole face with this setting spray and it locks everything in, helping it to last all day or night! Bonus, it helps any powder you may have used sink into your skin and look really natural! I used this on my wedding day, that’s how much of a necessity it is to my routine, a total MUST-HAVE. Since the set comes with two, you could keep one and gift one!
Thank you to Ulta for collaborating with me on this post. As always, all opinions are my own.