HOLIDAY 2015 Gift Guide: $30+ Beauty Gifts

by - December 01, 2015

Last year around this time, I did a wishlist for Christmas, but this year I decided to do something a little bit different. I sat down and compiled a dream list of both what I would like to get and what I'd like to gift. I absolutely love gift shopping, even more than I like gift receiving, so if I had an unlimited budget the people in my life would get beyond spoiled at this time of year. However, since I DON'T have an unlimited budget but I DO have a blog, I decided that this was the next best thing - and maybe it could give a helping hand for some people looking for ideas for the beauty lovers in their lives. I decided to split my gift guide into multiple posts. Today I'm starting with beauty gifts that are over $30. For the most part, I chose gift sets because I believe they feel the most special and are definitely the best value.

So without further adieu... Keep reading to take a look at my picks for the best over $30 beauty gifts for makeup junkies, skin care fanatics, bath & body fiends, nail lovers, and even the men in our lives!



MAKEUP GIFTS

A curated, eight-piece lip set with Bite Beauty’s bestselling products in festive packaging.
I would have picked this up for myself if I didn't already have several of the items included. This is a fantastic set for people new to BITE, or those who just want to round out their collection. I think this would be a perfect gift for the person who just absolutely loves lip products.

Influenced by the hues of urban architecture, the palette features 12 better-than-neutral shades to flatter the eyes, season after season.
I LOVE Cargo eyeshadows, which anyone who regularly reads this blog knows, and I'm dying to get my hands on this set as a staple to my collection. I love the cool toned shade selection and I think this would be quite a universal choice.

A complete set with three bestselling and long-wearing Melted Lipsticks and three long-wear Love Flush Blushes.
How gorgeous is this set? With each of the pairs being separable, this could be one big gift for any makeup lover or 3 smaller gifts for 3 friends... or 2 friends and 1 for you. These are both great products, so this is a really fantastic set.


Urban Decay UD Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette - $70CAD
A limited-edition eye shadow palette created and developed with Gwen Stefani and loaded with her 15 must-have shades.
Brand spankin' and by all accounts a winner, this palette is pretty beautiful and would likely thrill the person who likes to keep it neutral most of the time, but occasionally throw in a little pop of colour for variety.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette - $67CAD
A palette featuring three shades of Ambient Lighting Powder, the high-tech, soft-focus finishing powder that recreates the most exquisitely flattering types of light.
This is a staple in my collection and I personally think is one of the most beautiful makeup gifts that anyone could give. I would skip on the new Hourglass palette and go for this one, with bigger pans and powders for every skin tone.

Laura Mercier Eye Art Artist's Palette - $70CAD
An elegant and modern eye palette featuring a dozen eye shadows that range from cool to warm shades.
This is a truly gorgeous palette that I'd love to find under my tree. I've put my fingers in these shades more than a few times and absolutely craved being able to get them on my eyes. I think this, like the Cargo palette above, is a really universal shade selection that would thrill everyone from the casual makeup fan to the hardcore makeup lover.

BATH & BODY GIFTS 
  


L'Occitane Beauty From Provence Holiday Set - $40CAD
A five-piece skincare and body care collection to help nourish, smooth, and protect skin, just in time for the holiday season.
I feel like L'Occitane products always feel luxurious as a gift and this is a great way to include a handful of really great staples that anyone could really get use out of. Also... You can't go wrong with the Almond Shower Oil, you just can't.

Caudalie Vine Body Luxury Set $34CAD  
A three-piece collection of indulgent body products enriched with Caudalie's iconic ingredient: grapes.
This is another beautiful set that I think would make anyone feel a little bit spoiled - and for a really reasonable price. At $34, this one might end up in my Mom's stocking. Good thing she doesn't really read this blog, huh?

The almond oil in these products nourishes and illuminates the skin with the scent of fresh almonds. Again, you literally can not go wrong with L'Occitane Almond products. The smell is absolutely divine and they perform beautifully on the skin. If anyone ever wants to get a gift that I will absolutely love, it's best to just head right to L'Occitane. Just saying.

SKINCARE GIFTS

A four-piece collection of GLAMGLOW’s award-winning mud treatment masks for smooth, healthy-looking skin.
I feel like masks are a great choice for the skin care lover, because everyone can get use out of them. This is a great little set of the GLAMGLOW masks, which always manage to feel like a very luxurious gift.

A five-piece collection that’s the perfect party survival kit for your complexion.
Speaking of luxurious... Who can't use a set that's meant to both get you ready for and help you recover from a party? I think anyone would love to try this set from the brand that my personal skin care guru, Caroline Hirons, can't say enough good things about.

A set of six innovative masks that contain an array of skin benefits: pore-clearing, cleansing, antiaging, radiance-boosting, hydrating, and brightening.
Again with the masks. This is a great little collection of masks that I think a lot of people would love to try. I think the Sephora Favorites sets are always a good bet because they tend to have something for everyone.


FOR THE NAIL LOVER...
Set of six nail lacquers for depth and dimension.
How pretty is this set? I always feel like BUTTER LONDON feels like the kind of nail polish that you give to someone as a gift or treat yourself with, so I think this set is a great choice for the polish lover in your life.

A lip and nail duo featuring a mini Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick with its exact Formula X Nail shade match in cult-favorite shades.
How could I resist adding in a set that matches your nails to your lips with a combination of Formula X and Kat Von D? Answer: I couldn't. This is another set that you could keep all together or split up for multiple people.

Like a statement necklace or a spiked heel, your mani can say a lot about your mood. Luckily, this limited-edition set of six mini polishes has got you covered, whether you’re feeling friendly, flirty, or a little edge.
I included this set here even though it's under $30 because it seemed like such a good fit with the other two. I looked at this set and I wanted it in my life, so that seemed like a good sign that other people would really enjoy this too. Great shades curated to feel like something a little special.

FRAGRANCE GIFTS
When it comes to fragrance, I feel like it's such a personal thing that it can be hard to choose a scent for someone unless you really know what they like. The answer to that is a collect of scents in smaller sizes that they can take their pick from!

This extraordinary collection of signature fragrances was meticulously formulated by master perfumers. Each fragrance captures the beauty of the botanical artwork that adorns its striking packaging.
NEST fragrances are absolutely beautiful with a sort of delicate complexity that I absolutely love. I feel like most people would enjoy several of these scents, which makes it a great collection to gift.

Find your perfect fragrance with this portable set of six mini rollerballs. This unique assortment features pure, long-lasting scents for every mood or moment. 
LAVANILA made me like the scent of vanilla again after getting overloaded with it for several years and being subjected to a lot of overly sweet, almost artificial vanilla scents. These are delicate and beautiful without being too much, which makes this is a beautiful set for anyone who likes (or liked, really) and nice vanilla scent.  

Stand out with unique scents and special fragrances from five of Sephora’s favorite discovery boutique brands. Encounter rare, rich, and exotic ingredients in unique combinations that evoke treasured memories and emotions, old-world elegance, and fierce, edgy chic. 
This is a great set for someone like me who likes to perfume to go with a mood, because it offers a good selection of different moods from different brands. I personally love the TokyoMilk Dark, CLEAN, and NEST fragrances in this set and I think a lot of people would enjoy them as well.

GROOMING GIFTS FOR HIM

The starter kit includes all four elements of The Perfect Shave®.
I got my boyfriend a kit from The Art Of Shaving last year, and even though he's not much of a skin care kind of a guy, he absolutely loves these products. If you've got a guy who's a man's man, this is a perfect way to ease him into taking care of his skin in a luxurious way.

Our unique shave system featured in 3oz, airline-approved bottles. Includes clear zipper bag. Hot Towel Pre-Shave Treatment, Hydroplane Shave Cream, Shaved Ice After-Shave Balm.
How fantastic is this set? I feel like this is the set for the kind of guy who's already a little into taking care of his appearance or the guy who's just dipping his toe in. It's masculine in a modern way, and I think a lot of men are really into that.

Get heavy duty with bodycare -- for your hands and nails. This collection of intensive moisturisers is our ultimate care package for very dry skin. It comes in a collectible aluminium box.
The very first Christmas my boyfriend and I were together, I picked him up a Hemp gift set from The Body Shop and he absolutely loved it. If you want to get your guy (or another man in your life) a set that is sure to get use, I would go for this one because it's a no brainer.


So there you have it! These are my picks for gifts over $30. There were a few significantly more expensive gifts that I thought about including, but I wanted to keep it a little more affordable and I feel like people are more likely to be shopping around the $50 mark than around, say, the $300 mark.

Anyway, come back tomorrow to check out Part 2 of my Holiday 2015 gift guide, where I'll be featuring some great beauty gifts under $30!

Thanks for reading and I hope I helped with someone's shopping!

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