Christmas Gift Ideas: Makeup ($40-$60)

Beauty Blender Holiday Cheer Set $49.95

It's hard to resist this 3-pack of Beauty Blenders! It comes with one in the classic hot pink, a white one and a new black one as well. The Beauty Blender is an egg-shaped sponge that has very tiny pores. This makes it great for evenly applying foundation and other cream products. A favourite amongst makeup artists and beauty lovers, this is a great gift to give someone who has a love for all things makeup. Available from Cherry Culture.

Bumble and Bumble Stylist Editions Kit $48.00

This luxurious set of four hairstyling minis is a great way to introduce someone to Bumble and Bumble. This brand has received many rave reviews and claims to thicken, tousle and texturize your hair with these products. It comes with the Bb. Shine On Finishing Spray, Surf Spray, Bb. Texture, and Bb. Thickening Hairspray. Available on Amazon.

COACH House of Coach Coffret Set $48.00

This set comes with four mini sizes of some of the best selling COACH fragrances. It comes with Legacy, Poppy, Poppy Flower and Signature Fragrances. These mini perfumes are great to give because they are miniature versions of the full size fragrances. They are portable and will look great anywhere! Available from Sephora and Amazon.

The Body Shop Deluxe Almond Hand Care Gift $55

This Almond Hand Care Gift comes with just about everything you need to have soft, moisturized hands. This gift is ideal for just about anyone who uses their hands often or has naturally dry skin in general. This would also be a great gift for a couple as it comes with a variety of products, some of which are gender-neutral.  Available from The Body Shop.

LORAC Eye Candy Full Face Collection $59.00

This is definitely one of the top things on my wish list this year. The packaging alone is enough to get anyone excited! It looks like an expensive box of chocolates and when you open it up, it looks like there are 6 chocolate bars. These 'bars' are actually small palettes filled with  eyeshadows, eyeliners and lip colours. If you're looking for an amazing gift, this is it! Available on Amazon.

Bath and Body Works Lavender Vanilla Aromatherapy Large Gift Box $45

This time of year is stressful and many often forget to take care of themselves while they stress over pleasing everyone else. Show your friends and family that you care by giving them the gift of relaxation. This kit comes with body lotion, body wash, massage oil, aloe infused socks and a candle. Scented with lavender and vanilla, this set will definitely be much appreciated. Available from Bath and Body Works.

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette $50.00

A sequel to the original Naked Palette, the Naked 2 features cooler neutral shades. It comes with a dual-ended brush and a small lipgloss. This palette (and its predecessor) have been hugely popular the past few years. It comes in a metal case and a full-size mirror. It's almost a 'perfected' version of the original Naked Palette, aside from the colours. Available from Urban Decay and Amazon.

Too Faced Shadow Bon Bons Set $42

Slightly cheaper with the same number of eyeshadows as the Naked 2 Palette, the Shadow Bon Bons Set has a totally different look. While the eyeshadows are neutral in both, this palette comes with an eyeshadow primer and a mascara and comes in box-style packaging. This would be a great gift for a teenager because it has a younger look to it. Available from Too Faced and Amazon.

Tarte Carried Away Collector's Set $54

I couldn't wait until Christmas to get this set. I bought it about a month ago and it was definitely a good deal! At the time of writing this post (Dec 5th, 2012), it is sold out on the Sephora website (check your local Sephora!). This shows how extremely popular this set it this holiday season. Named one of the best holiday makeup palettes by several beauty gurus on the internet, this set contains a little of everything. It comes with 24 full size eyeshadows, 8 lip glosses, a mascara, a brush, a blush, a setting powder and a great carrying case with room for more products. This makes it great for travel! If you're looking for a gift that will shock and amaze, this is definitely it! Available from Sephora.

Tarte The Luxe List Amazonian Clay Color Collection and Woven Clutch $44

If you can't get the Carried Away Set, this set is the next best thing from Tarte! It comes with an eyeshadow quad, a brush, a mascara, a finishing powder, a luminizing wand, an eyeliner, a lip ouster and a clutch. Available from Sephora.

Christmas Gift Ideas: Makeup ($15-$40)

Tarte Picture Perfect Curler and Deluxe Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara $16.00

Available from both Sephora and Amazon, this set is a great gift for someone who is all about lashes. The eyelash curler alone is $16.00 at Sephora, but in this set, you also get a sample of the Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara. They are packaged together in a great box and is sure to spice up any stocking or gift. 

E.L.F. Studio 11 Piece Brush Collection $30.00

These makeup brushes from E.L.F. are great quality for the money and include a variety of brushes. Almost every brush you could need is in this set from a powder brush, to a liner brush to a shadow brush. It also comes with a case! Best of all, the brushes in this set can be purchased individually from the E.L.F. website for just $3.00 each. If $30 is a bit much, E.L.F. often has some great sales and deals (a new one almost every week!) and sometimes these brushes go on sale.  It's also available on Amazon for a bit cheaper.

Beauty Blender Sponge + Cleanser Duo Pack $39.95

If you're a part of the beauty community on YouTube and the blogosphere, you probably already know about this little hot pink sponge. It's an egg-shaped sponge that had tiny pores which allows for a smooth and even application of foundation. The packaging is great and with the cleanser included, this is a great gift to give a makeup artist or a makeup lover in general. Available from Cherry Culture ($39.95) and Amazon ($35.00).

Too Faced Beauty Editor Darlings Set $19.00

This set from Too Faced contains a deluxe sample size of some of their best-selling products. It has a mascara, an eyeshadow primer, a lip gloss, a lip primer and a face primer. This gift is great for anyone who loves Too Faced. Even if they already have these products, giving them a sample size allows them to take their favourites on the go with ease. $19.00 at Sephora or $18.10 on Amazon.

bareMinerals Cool As Ice Lipgloss Set $25.00

A great gift for any lipgloss lover, this set comes with six lip glosses in bold and subtle shades. These are perfect to give as a set, or to split up and use as stocking stuffers. These are paraben-free and do not contain sulphates or phthalates. They come in the following colours: Hot Ticket (electric pink), Dare Devil (sparkling raspberry), Fashionably Late (sparkling opal), Socialite (sparkling pink), Gutsy (fuchsia berry), Rebel (pink mauve). Available from Sephora and Amazon.

Philosophy Home for the Holidays Set $38

This is another set that is great to split up amongst friends and family. It comes with four lip glosses and four containers of shampoo/shower gel/bubble bath. Splitting this up into four pairs can make great stocking stuffers or an addition to other gifts. This set as a whole would also be a great gift to give on its own! 

NYX Soho Glam Collection $25.00

With a little bit of everything, this set is sure to please just about any makeup lover. This is a great 'starter kit' for someone who is just getting into makeup. It comes with a great combination of neutral and bright eyeshadows. In addition to these 52 colours, it also comes with 4 blushes, 8 lip colours, a lip liner and 2 lip glosses. Available from Cherry Culture for $25.

Makeup Geek Teen Gift Set $29.99

Put together by Marlena from Makeup Geek, this set is specifically designed for teens (but that doesn't mean only teens can use it!). It comes with 4 Makeup Geek eyeshadows, 2 Makeup Geek brushes and a NYX lip gloss. This is a great little kit for teens just getting started in makeup. It's also a great kit for anyone who is a Makeup Geek fan. Again, you could split the eyeshadows up and give them individually, or give this set as a gift all on its own.

Ciaté Sequined Manicure Kit $19.00

Similar to Caviar Nails, this Sequined Manicure Kit will add texture and shine to your nails. This is a fun gift to give someone who likes to paint their nails fun colours and designs. It comes in several colour combinations and is available from Sephora.

Fresh Sugar Perfection Duo $22.50

This duo from Sephora and Amazon contains a sugar lip polish and a lip balm. This gift says luxury with its attractive packaging. This will definitely please anyone around this time of year as the lip polish will exfoliate chapped lips and the lip balm will moisturize and protect from further dehydration. 

Christmas Gift Ideas: Makeup (Under $15)

Here are some makeup Christmas gift ideas that are each under $15! These are great to give as small gifts, stocking stuffers, or to add to something you may have already purchased.

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows - ~$9.99
These were released last year and I've done several reviews on them. They're a cross between a pigment and a pressed eyeshadow and are one of the smoothest eyeshadows that you'll ever swatch in the store. They are very shimmery and perfect for the holidays!

Sephora by OPI Tinsel Town Two Piece Set (Nail Polish) $10.00 

Available at both Sephora and Amazon, this is the perfect pair of nail polishes that will look great on almost anyone. The combination of a nice light pink and a glittery nail polish will be sure to create many fun designs and looks. The packaging is also really nice and will look great as an addition to any gift (or in a stocking!).

Demeter Fragrance (various sizes, prices and scents) $6.00-$39.50

I've been seeing a lot of fragrances from Demeter recently as they were just added to the Beauty section in my local Real Canadian Superstore (grocery store). If you live in Canada and near a Superstore, check to see if they have these new and exciting fragrances. They have many different scents (like 'Snow' as pictured below!) and they all surprisingly smell exactly like what they're named for! At Superstore, they're $15 for one or 2 for $25. Even if you're not interested in buying one, definitely test them out in the store! They are available at the Demeter website or on Amazon.

E.L.F. Essential Holiday 15-Piece Nail Polish Set $15.00

If you're shopping for a few friends or a nail polish lover, this 15-Piece Nail Polish Set from E.L.F. is a great deal. You can either purchase it as a gift for one friend, or split it up and give them as stocking stuffers to several friends. The set comes with a great combination of neutrals, brights and glittery nail polishes. This is available from the E.L.F. website. Want a smaller set? There's a set of 3 E.L.F. nail polishes available on Amazon for $3.99.

NYX 10-Color Eyeshadow Palette $10.00

NYX makes great eyeshadows that are comparable to some of the best makeup brands. These 10-Color Eyeshadow Palettes make a great gift for someone who is either always on the go, or someone who likes trying out different makeup looks. At only $10.00 from NYX or $9.75 on Amazon, these palettes are great to give on their own, or as a stocking stuffer. They come in many combinations from neutrals to brights.

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balms $2.97

These lip balms were new in Canada last year and have been really popular. These are great to give as stocking stuffers because they're bright, fun and come in a variety of colours and flavours. The one pictured below is in Peppermint and applies clear, but there are other flavours that will add some great  colour to your lips. In my opinion, they're the best drugstore tinted lip balm for your money. I think this would be a great gift for teens or tweens because of the fun packaging and the selection of colours and flavours. They're available right now on Amazon for $2.97, but are also available at WalMart and Shoppers Drug Mart for anywhere between $3-6.

Revlon Lip Butters $6.97

A little more festive and sophisticated, Revlon Lip Butters are another tinted lip balm available from the drug store. This is a great gift for someone older on your list or someone who enjoys wearing deep, rich lip colours this time of year. The one pictured below is in Red Velvet and is a classic red colour that will never go out of style. Other shades are available as well, but each Lip Butter is nourishing, smooth and just as great as a regular lip stick. They're available on Amazon for $6.97 and range anywhere between $7-$9 at most drug stores.

Tarte Bigger, Better Lashes! Set $10.00

This set is sure to be greatly appreciated by anyone on your list who is obsessed with lashes. It comes with two deluxe sample sizes of mascara. One is a primer that is applied to the lashes first to give it length and volume, while the other is applied right after and will darken the lashes, curl and condition them. This is the perfect stocking stuffer for any mascara lover! Available from Sephora.

Soap & Glory Hand Food Hand Cream (4.2 oz) $10.00

Soap & Glory is a new brand at Shoppers Drug Mart but has been a brand favourite internationally. The packaging is nice, fun and girly, but the product inside is also great! It's nourishing and has a nice scent. Hand cream is very important if you live in a part of the world that has cold and dry seasons. This is a great gift to give because it's not only useful but is also quite popular. Available at Sephora and Amazon.

Sephora Mini Glitter Liner Set $15.00

These mini glitter eyeliners from Sephora are cute, glittery and fun! These would be great to give to anyone who likes to wear glitter during the winter months (or any time of year for that matter!). With five great colours, these are sure to add sparkle to any gift. Available from Sephora.

Christmas Gift Idea #5: DIY Coffee Mug Gift Basket

I made this gift basket the other day. Click the picture to see what's inside and how to make it!

Coffee Mug Gift Basket

Christmas Gift Idea #2: Too Faced's Sweet Dreams Makeup Collection

In a recent visit to Sephora, I purchased the Sweet Dreams Makeup Collection from Too Faced. I bought it for $65CDN ($52US) and it comes with 15 eyeshadows, a bronzer, 2 Full Bloom blushes, a highlighter and their famous Shadow Insurance primer in full size. It also comes with some cards that demonstrate how to achieve certain looks with the included products.

It is a rather large palette due to the elaborate packaging. The outer faces are thick cardboard cutouts which cover the inside packaging. Magnets hold the palette closed, and there is a bottom drawer (which contain the face products) that slides in snugly.

Colours (left to right):
Top Row: In the Buff, Peach Fuzz, Copper Peony, Teddy Bear, Lovey Dovey
Middle Row: Satin Sheets, Cut the Cake, Party Girl, Nice Ash, Smolder
Bottom Row: Honeymoon, Label Whore, Nice Stems!, Cop a Teal, First Dance

Palette open and drawer pulled out.
The two blushes are called Cocoa Rose and Sweet Pink. The bronzer is called Chocolate Soleil and the highlighter is called Candlelight Glow

Unlike the Naked Palette, this palette contains a lot of bright colours. There are some neutral shades, but for the most part, they are brightly coloured and very shimmery. The face powders are a little toned down, however (I didn't swatch them because they are lightly pigmented and didn't show up too well on my skin when I tried to photograph them).

I swatched the colours on their own, and then over a primer. The first two are In the Buff, then Peach Fuzz, Copper Peony, Teddy Bear, Lovey Dovey

Colours (left to right, without primer, with a primer): Satin Sheets, Cut the Cake, Party Girl

Colours (left to right, without primer, with a primer): Nice Ash, Smolder

Colours (left to right, without primer, with a primer): Honeymoon, Label Whore*, Nice Stems!
*this eyeshadow is a duo-chrome meaning that its colour appears different depending on how the light hits it. This colour is a red-brown but appears green-blue in certain lighting.

Colours (left to right, without primer, with a primer): Cop a Teal, First Dance

This palette contains eyeshadows of different finishes. In the Buff, Teddy Bear, Smolder and First Dance are all matte finish, while Cut the Cake is a satin finish. Peach Fuzz is matte with  a lot of fine orange glitter, Nice Ash is metallic and the rest are all very shimmery. They last a long time over the Shadow Insurance Primer and blend really well. Peach Fuzz has some fallout, but that's because of the glitter.

The bronzer in Chocolate Soleil is matte and buildable (meaning it is not too pigmented, but can be built up depending on how dark you want it). It also smells like chocolate!!

The blush in Cocoa Rose is matte and buildable as well, but the blush in Sweet Pink is bright and shimmery. The highlighter in Candlelight Glow is also shimmery and gives a soft glow to where ever you apply it.

Though I forgot to photograph the Shadow Insurance Primer, it does come with one in full size (which on its own is $25). I think that's what sold me on this palette because I needed a new primer and wanted to try Too Faced's Shadow Insurance. I thought that was too much to pay for just the primer, so I figured buying this Makeup Collection was cheaper in the long run since I was also looking at the Chocolate Soleil and some of the eyeshadows as well.

This was my first Too Faced purchase, and I'm glad I bought the set rather than the individual items because it is a cheaper way of trying out the brand, and it comes with a nice range of eyeshadows.

I think this would be a nice gift to give someone who enjoys bright colours and anything to do with fantasy. The packaging is colourful and glittery and not so bulky that it would be hard to store.

Summary:
Product: Too Faced's Sweet Dreams Makeup Collection (Sephora)
Price: $65CDN/$52US
Grade: A+

Read about other gift ideas here:

Top 10 Gift Ideas for Women

Top 10 Gift Ideas for Teenage Girls

Top 10 Gift Ideas for Men

Top 10 Gift Ideas for Teenage Boys

Where to Purchase Affordable Makeup

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Christmas Gift Idea #1: Urban Decay's Naked Palette

For the past year or so, Urban Decay's Naked Palette has been nearly sold out worldwide! Due to its popularity, it is now part of Urban Decay's permanent line, and I have been noticing that it has been in stock at Sephora. I was able to purchase one not too long ago, and I think it is a great gift to give almost anyone that enjoys makeup.

Available at Sephora for $58CDN, $48US. Comes with an eyeshadow brush and a mini Primer Potion (not pictured in this post), along with the 12 eyeshadows

Colours from left to right: Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

Colours (left to right): Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse

Colours (left to right): Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

These eyeshadows are all very good quality, and there isn't one shade that doesn't live up to Urban Decay's standard. Naked and Buck are matte finish, while the rest have varying degrees of shimmer and sparkle (Sidecar having the most glitter). They are all very pigmented and wear well.

I think this is a great gift to give someone if they like neutral shades. Someone who likes bright colours may not get a lot of use out of it, however.

This palette is a great 'everyday palette' because it contains a lot of colours that are 'safe' (colours that you can wear to work, school, an interview, etc).

The Primer Potion (which isn't pictured because I forgot to photograph it) is a small sized version of Urban Decay's original Primer Potion. It was one of the first primers, and also one of the best! A primer is used to help eyeshadows adhere to eyelids, and also to help it stay crease-free throughout the day. It also makes colours more intense! Click here to view the Primer Potion at Sephora.

I recommend this palette for anyone who likes makeup as it is certainly suitable for any age group! The wide range of shades and finishes means that you can achieve many looks just with these 12 eyeshadows.

Although a bit pricey, there is another palette available from NYX which is similar to the Naked Palette, comes with more shades and lip colours and is half the price. I haven't purchased it, but I have heard great things about it. You can view it by clicking here.

Summary:
Product: Urban Decay's Naked Palette (Sephora, Ulta)
Price: $58CDN/$44US
Grade: A


Read about other gift ideas below:

Top 10 Gift Ideas for Teenage Girls
Top 10 Gift Ideas for Women
Where to Purchase Affordable Makeup

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