The best beauty gifts for Christmas, recommended by a beauty editor
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At Christmas, it’s far better to give something your recipient can use and enjoy all year, rather than leave sitting in a box untouched. The best beauty gifts fit that description to a tee. Whether it’s make-up, skincare, hair-care, a winter fragrance or a gift set, the best beauty gifts for Christmas are guaranteed to be used and enjoyed.
But which to buy? Telegraph’s beauty editor at large Annabel Jones has the inside scoop on this year’s hottest beauty buys. You can read her 2023 gift guide further down. But if you’d like to know which beauty gifts appear most frequently on wish lists, we’ve compiled a guide to those, too. Here’s a quick look at the top five:
Best Christmas beauty gift overall - Elemis The Jetsetters Edit
Best value Christmas gift - Molton Brown Festive Bauble
Best Clarins gift set - Clarins Double Serum Collection
Best beauty tool gift for Christmas - G.Tox Ultimate Dry Brush
Best brushes make-up set - Jones Road The Mini Brush Kit
Most desired beauty gifts of 2023
1. Elemis The Jetsetters Edit
Best beauty gift overall
We like: it comes with a smart travel bag
A well priced Elemis gift set with all the bestsellers in carry-on friendly sizes, plus a green and pink patterned travel bag. Perfect for a frequent traveller or someone wanting to dip their toe into the luxury brand.
£65
Price at
Elemis
2. Molton Brown Merry Berries & Mimosa Festive Bauble
Best value beauty gift for Christmas
We like: it’s the perfect stocking filler
Great for a stocking filler, table present or secret Santa gift, this Molton Brown bauble is filled with a festive smelling body wash. It’s also available in mandarin and spice, pink pepper, black pepper or elderflower on Sephora.
£13.50
Price at
Sephora
3. Clarins Double Serum Collection
Best Clarins gift set
We like: featuring tried and true classics
For mature skin, a Clarins gift set including three anti-ageing bestsellers: a Double Serum (50ml), Beauty Flash Balm (15ml) and Lip Comfort Oil (1.4ml). Plus a seasonal gift pouch printed with Clarins’ initial.
£87
Price at
Clarins
4. Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Set
Best Charlotte Tilbury gift set
We like: you can create a whole make-up look with this one set
Charlotte Tilbury herself describes Pillow Talk as “everyone’s perfect shade”, making it the perfect universal beauty gift. This gift set includes a lipstick, lip liner, collagen lip gloss and highlighter-blush.
£43
Price at
Charlotte Tilbury
5. Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Skincare Set
Best Estee Lauder gift set
We like: the mixture of travel and full-sizes
A four step night-time routine to cleanse, repair, revitalise and brighten, this cost-effective Estee Lauder set is gentle enough for sensitive skin but still effective - a favourite in any beauty editor’s arsenal. It includes a full-size of the cult Advanced Night Repair Serum.
£89
Price at
Estee Lauder
Telegraph Beauty Editor at Large Annabel Jones’ beauty picks for 2023
1. G.Tox Ultimate Dry Brush
Best beauty tool gift for Christmas
We like: the ergonomic handle
Annabel says: “Ergonomically shaped to get to those hard to reach areas, this is without a doubt the best dry body brush we’ve tried. Perfect for the person in your life who knows her way around the organic aisle.”
£22
Price at
Net-a-porter
2. L’Oreal Rosy Ritual Gift Set
Best drugstore Christmas beauty gift
We like: the addition of the satin sleep mask
Annabel says: “A day and night cream duo that’s been specifically formulated to give midlife skin a radiant glow. If it’s good enough for Helen Mirren…”
£19.99
Price at
Amazon
3. The Day & Night CBD Drops Set
Best CBD beauty gift for Christmas
We like: it’s a natural solution to good sleep
Annabel says: “For the sleep-deprived, these high-quality CBD Power Drops for day and Sleep Drops for night are a godsend for new mums and dads or anyone going through the meno-slash-mano-pause.”
£66
Price at
OTO Wellbeing
4. The Rhode Kit
Best Christmas beauty gift for teens
We like: every product is unscented for sensitive skin
Annabel says: “You’ll be in your teen’s good books if you wrap up this unscented (a non-negotiable for Gen-Z) foursome of ‘glazing’ products in her stocking.”
£92
Price at
Rhode Skin
5. Larry King The Social Edit
Best haircare beauty gift for Christmas
We like: it’s perfect for party season
Annabel says: “For healthy hair that smells of fresh spring garden air, this edit of King’s stunning refillable glass bottles of shampoo and conditioner, with the iconic Flyway Kit and Volumising Hair Mist, will make the house-proud smile.”
£130
Price at
Harvey Nichols
6. No 7 Future Renew Collection 4 Piece Set
Best skincare gift for Christmas
We like: the vast savings
Annabel says: “Mum will thank you for snapping up the skincare sensation of the year - and she needn’t know you saved £41 on the full set.”
£45
Price at
Boots
7. Le Gloss Set Holiday Essentials
Best make-up Christmas gift
We like: it includes exclusive products you can’t buy elsewhere on the website
Annabel says: “Five cleanly formulated essentials for looking perennially put together, including our beauty team’s favourite mascara, Clean Lash Lengthening Tubing Mascara in Perfect Black.”
£88
Price at
Merit Beauty
8. Jones Road The Mini Brush Kit
Best brushes make-up set
We like: the limited edition travel bag
Annabel says: “Made in Italy and cruelty free, makeup aficionados and beginners alike will be thankful for these professional-grade brushes that fit in any handbag.”
£57
Price at
Jones Road Beauty
9. Treasure Tin in Cherub
Best Christmas beauty gift for a friend
We like: the beautiful keepsake tin can be re-used for trinkets
Annabel says: “A keepsake tin with the iconic Lip Dew and Sunset Blush duo, this is the perfect friendship gift.”
£39
Price at
Space NK
10. Prada Monochrome Soft Matte Lipstick in Quartz
Best lipstick Christmas gift
We like: you can buy a refill for cheaper, when needed
Annabel says: “From the exquisite refillable packaging to the ultra flattering shades and engraved bullet, it’s hard to imagine anything more chic for the price.”
£37
Price at
Harrods
11. Pink Daily Pill Box Water Bottle
Best wellness gift for Christmas
We like: it’s so handy for travel
Annabel says: “This Barbie-pink water bottle with built-in pill box is actually big enough to discreetly house your beauty supplements so you never forget.”
£13.95
Price at
Victoria Health
12. Discovery Set of Eau de parfum 3X5ML
Best fragrance gift for Christmas
We like: the chance to try travel sizes before committing to a full-size
Annabel says: “Give the gift of cool with this discovery set of Le Labo classics: Another 13, Santal 33 and The Noir 29.”
£50
Price at
Selfridges
13. Marshmallow Sponge Set of Four
Best beauty blender gift
We like: they double in size when dampened
Annabel says: “The softest makeup sponges on the planet, these make the perfect stocking filler for makeup lovers.”
£24.95
Price at
Sephora
