Welcome to Part 2 of our fifth annual annual Glow Journal Beauty Gift Guide, in which I’ve pulled together a selection of 2021’s very best beauty gifts priced between $40 and $80.
For those who may be new here or have missed Part 1 (Stocking Fillers), I began curating these guides in 2017 based on my own need for them. I wanted to see a beauty gift guide that had been broken down by price (I had grown frustrated with scrolling through a gift guide, finding the right gift, then discovering that it didn’t sit within the price range I was hoping to purchase from), contained only original imagery rather than stock imagery (I lacked trust in gift guides that relied on stock imagery- how could I know if the writer had so much as held the product in their own hands if the photos were pulled from the web?) and actually told me something about the product beyond its name and price (I wanted to know why the writer had chosen to include each gift and who it might be suitable for). You will also find no sponsored product placement in these guides. I personally looked over the Holiday collections of each of my favourite brands, decided which products I would like to include, then reached out to each brand’s publicist one by one. There is not one single gift within these guides that I would not be thrilled to receive and proud to give to a loved one.
Please enjoy Part 2 of the annual Glow Journal Beauty Gift Guide, click here to revisit Part 1, and stay tuned for Part 3.
At risk of sounding like the gatekeeper of skincare, I have found Fenty Skin to be consistently impressive since launch. I have found myself to be unconsciously dismissive of celebrity skincare brands (skincare specifically, never colour cosmetics, which I imagine is down almost entirely to the fact that skincare is designed to create change in the skin, where makeup usually isn’t) when, really, I shouldn’t be- great skincare comes down to research and formulation, and without a reasonable budget, it’s difficult to reach great heights in those areas. You know who has budget? Rihanna. The Fat Water pore-refining toner has been my favourite release from the brand thus far, and you’ll find it in this holiday gift set alongside the Reset Brightening Overnight Recovery Gel-Cream and Pro Kiss’r Luscious Lip Balm.
Fenty Skin The Before-Bed Skincare Set, $74
I touched on both my philosophy around skincare gifting as well as my love for the brand Fresh in Part 1 of this year’s guide, and I will reiterate both points for you now. When gifting skincare, I recommend choosing a set that brings together a few of a brand’s best-sellers, as these are generally a safer option and can then serve as either an introduction to a brand or a restock of some already-loved favourites. Fresh’s Rose Deep Hydration Skincare Gift Set makes for a particularly beautiful gift as its focus is (as its name suggests) hydration. This is generally a great skin-concern to centre gifting around, as it’s something so many of us need more of. Comparatively, it’s a lot easier to gift products designed to hydrate than to remove acne or decrease the visible signs of ageing.
Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Skincare Gift Set, $76
A large call, but my favourite Go-To Skincare product out of all the Go-To Skincare products is the Fancy Face oil cleanser. It is sincerely one of my favourite oil cleansers (and cleansers in general) of all time. While I am not a major advocate for foaming cleansers (purely based on my own skin), I am a major advocate for double cleansing for both its benefits for the skin and for the ritual of it. The cleansers found in this gift set work beautifully together and are suitable for the vast majority of skin types. Go-To always put together great gifting options- it was difficult to choose a favourite but this is a winner.
Go-To Skincare Double Cleanse Set, $76
I will always include Alpha-H in any gift guide I curate, not only because they are responsible for developing what I have repeatedly said is my “Holy Grail” product across any and all categories (which is probably the sort of thing a beauty writer should not say, but continues to), but because my parents gifted me a set from Alpha-H in 2010 and I really believe it largely contributed to the love I now have for serious skincare. The brand’s holiday Glow Kit includes a Balancing Cleanser and Daily Essential Moisturiser SPF50+ alongside my beloved liquid gold, all housed within a 100% rPET bag designed by Australian artist Morgan Jamieson (not pictured), while the Midnight R&R Duo contains one of my more recent favourite Alpha-H launches, the Liquid Gold Midnight Reboot Serum, and the Liquid Gold Firming Eye Cream.
Alpha-H Glow Kit, $69.95
Alpha-H Midnight R&R Duo, $69.95
Up until this year I had only tried one product by Youth To The People. That product was the Superfood Air Whip Moisture Cream. It is stunning, I fell in love with it immediately, but I didn’t have any space in my trial calendar to try anything else from the range- until this year. Every product I’ve tried from Youth To The People has won me over in the same way the iconic air whip cream did. The brands entire ethos centres around using advanced chemistry to work superfood ingredients into skincare, and there’s a real art to the way they formulate. This gift set contains the Superfood Air Whip Moisture Cream alongside two of my other favourites from the brand (the Superfood Cleanser and 15% Vitamin C + Clean Caffeine Energy Serum), so it’s a dream for a tired complexion.
Youth To The People The Minimalist Kit, $77.22
I have peppered the phrase “cult product” throughout these guides already, and I am going to do so again right now with very good reason. Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream is nothing short of an icon, globally lauded for its reputation as a true skincare multitasker. The cream’s success saw Elizabeth Arden develop a complete range of Eight Hour products, each infused with the same near-miraculous hydrating properties as the original Eight Hour skin salve. My favourite Eight Hour incarnation is the All Over Miracle Oil, and these holidays it’s available in a limited edition set alongside the brand’s Great 8 Daily Defence Moisturiser.
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Multi-Taking Miracle Holiday Set, $60
I’ve spoken/written ad nauseum about how impressive I find the quality of both Mecca Cosmetica and Maxima’s signature lines to be, and they also have a real knack for putting together really useful gift sets. These aren’t just sets of popular products that have been haphazardly thrown together. These serve a purpose.
The Mecca Max Sleepover Ultimate Skin Set is the perfect gift for anyone who either travels often and needs a collection of skin essentials on hand, packed and ready to go (it comes in a travel case so you can actually just leave them in that so you can grab the bag and run) or anyone in your life who perhaps doesn’t have a skincare routine as yet and isn’t sure where to start.
The Mecca Cosmetica Mecca Athletica Body Set contains two of my favourite post-gym skin salves- the brand’s Skin Perfecting Body Wash (this is a DREAM if you suffer from body acne or even foliculitis, which is super common for those who get sweaty and isn’t spoken about enough) and the Ultra Firming Body Lotion.
Mecca Max The Sleepover Ultimate Skin Set, $45
Mecca Cosmetica Mecca Athletica Body Set, $65
On dreamy body products- I do not know one single person who has tried Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Bum Bum Cream (pronounced more like “boom boom”- I’ve met the founder and I get on my high horse about this one) or the Brazilian 4-Play Moisturising Shower Cream Gel and isn’t obsessed with them- the scents in particular. Brazilian Bum Bum is an incredible all over moisturiser, for those who might be taking its name literally, and Brazilian 4-Play… my god. It’s called a Cream Gel for a reason, that reason being that it really is a hybrid cream and gel. I’ve never come across a consistency like it. My favourite gift set from the brand’s Holiday offering is the Stellar Celebration set, which contains my two favourites from the brand with a pot of Bom Dia Bright Body Cream and a stick of Brazilian Kiss Lip Butter.
Sol de Janeiro Stellar Celebration Set, $62
You cannot possibly have thought I’d be talking about body product icons without spotlighting Frank Body’s Holiday offering. As mentioned in Part 1, Frank have released a collection of limited edition Marshmallow spiked products for the 2021 Holiday season. These products can be purchased individually (you’ll find them in Part 1), but you can also purchase all three together in the More Is S’More Kit. It’s a perfect set and I love it.
Frank Body More Is S’More Kit, $44.95
Another more traditionally-festive gift set from Frank is the Butt First, Sparkle Kit, and I say “traditionally festive” for no other reason than sparkles. This kit contains a bottle of Party Booty Drops (which sees rose gold shimmer added to the brand’s divine Booty Drops formula) and the Perky Body Sculpting Hydrator which is a beautiful rich, deliciously scented body cream housed within a reusable coffee cup. Genius.
Frank Body Butt First, Sparkle Kit, $44.95
Speaking of things you must have known I was going to do- here’s not one, but two SPF gifts! Both are from Mecca Cosmetica, who really do make some of the country’s most beautiful sunscreens. The kind of sunscreen that even people who say things like “I hate sunscreen,” “Sunscreen feels sticky,” and “Sunscreen breaks me out,” seem to love.
The Mecca Cosmetica The Great Protectors set contains a To Save Face SPF50+ Superscreen Oxybenzone Free Formula and a To Save (Sensitive) Body SPF50 Superscreen (in a very fun and beach appropriate travel case, not pictuted), while the Daily Defenders Duo includes the aforementioned To Save Face Superscreen and a pot of Original Lip De-Luscious SPF25. The latter set is particularly great value given its contents is worth $72 despite coming in at $45.
Mecca Cosmetica The Great Protectors, $65
Mecca Cosmetica Daily Defenders Duo, $45
Moving on to makeup, I have annually, in five years of producing these Gift Guides, that very few brands really capture the magic of the Christmas season quite like Charlotte Tilbury. The Old Hollywood style glamour of the brand feels festive at any time of year, and they somehow manage to kick things up a notch with each and every Holiday collection. Two really great little gift sets that I think would be suitable for anyone are the Pillow Talk Beautifying Eye Filter which includes a full size Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes mascara and a Pillow Talk Eyeliner (think about how often you use your mascara until it dries out or your eyeliner until its down to a stub. Everyone will love this gift) and the Easy Smokey Eyes to Hypnotise Duo which contains a gold and a black eyeshadow pencil that you can literally just scribble onto your eyelid and smudge it out for an easy eye look that anyone can achieve.
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Beautifying Eye Filter, $48
Charlotte Tilbury Easy Smokey Eyes To Hypnotise, $42
If you’re gifting eye makeup to someone who may have a little more experience in makeup application, I recommend the Mecca Max Party Flex Eyeshadow Palette. This is a fun palette and the eyeshadows themselves are really high quality, and with 25 pans you’re getting some serious value. The colours are bold and varied, so I would recommend this as a gift to anyone who loves to play with colour or even an editorial makeup artist (either a pro or an artist in training) who will get some decent use out of the brighter shades. The finishes span across mattes, satins, shimmers and glitters so you’re getting a lot of variety here. There are definitely a lot of wearable, everyday shades in here for those who do prefer a soft glam look, so there’s something for everyone, however if you were shopping for someone who does err towards a more neutral palette, I’d opt for something with slightly less colour just to ensure none of the pans are being wasted.
Mecca Max Party Flex Eyeshadow Palette, $40
I am fairly confident that the fear so many once held around cream cheek products (we’re talking blush and bronzer- everyone seemed to adapt to cream highlighter much faster than they did blush and bronzer) has mostly vanished, however I do know a few people close to me who are reluctant to move from powder to cream. These Mecca Max sets will change that. The Mecca Max Off Duty sticks are incredible quality, genuinely comparable to their high-end competitors- so much so that I reach for at least one every day. The Off Duty Beauty Trios that Mecca Max have released for the holidays are amazing value, with each set containing a cream highlighter, blush, and contour or bronzer shade. The sets come in two hues, Sunrise and Sunset, the former for lighter skin tones and the latter for deeper complexions (although don’t let me tell you which colours to buy, you do you).
Mecca Max Off Duty Beauty Trios in Sunset Skin and Sunrise Skin, $46
I’ll happily say that I find MAC to be right up there with Charlotte Tilbury in terms of delivering serious festive beauty spirit. As mentioned in Part 1, MAC’s 2021 Holiday collection feels a bit carnival/house of mirrors-esque in the best possible way, and I found it difficult to choose my favourite gifting options from what is an objectively strong collection. MAC’s Extra Dimension Skinfinishes are amongst my favourite powder highlighting formulas, so I couldn’t go past the limited edition Step Bright Up Extra Dimension Skinfinish Palette (pictured here in Medium/Deep) which contains three highlighter hues. I also love the Tiny Tricks Mini Lipstick Trio contains, as its name suggests, three mini lipsticks in either neutrals or reds depending on which set you choose, but what I must make note of is the packaging. This trio is housed in what appears to be a deck of cards, and the lipsticks rise up as you open the lid. It’s a bit of an optical illusion, and I love it.
MAC Step Bright Up Extra Dimension Skinfinish Palette, $79
MAC Tiny Tricks Mini Lipstick Trio, $50
There are so few words for how much I love Mecca Cosmetica’s signature Lip De-Luscious formula. It has featured multiple times already across this year’s Guides, as it does every year, and this limited edition Lip Tint Trio is probably one of my favourite gifts of the season. The tinted formula feels just as beautiful as the original, the colour payoff is a true tint or stain, and the three shades included in the set (a nude, a soft pink and a plum) are universally flattering. Gift this as one set, or divide it up amongst your KK recipients.
Mecca Cosmetica Lip Tint Trio, $45
Another beautiful lippie gift that you can bestow upon one lucky recipient or several still lucky but maybe slightly-less-lucky recipients is the Fenty Beauty Glossy Posse Fantasy 4Sum Set, which comes with four Gloss Bomb shades (Fenty’s Gloss Bombs are one of the best lip gloss formulas ever)- one full size and three minis.
Fenty Beauty Glossy Posse Fantasy 4Sum Set, $60
These next two gifting options essentially sum up my entire philosophy around beauty gifting, which is one that I learnt from reading the work of beauty journalist Sali Hughes. Sali has written about the concept of purchasing the smallest possible gift with your full budget, as this will usually equate to a more considered, high quality gift than the alternative. Think one luxury lipstick, as opposed to a bumper bath salt hamper and a 100 pan chalky eyeshadow palette. A small, luxe item is also something people aren’t all that likely to purchase for themselves, which makes the gift that bit more special. YSL’s lipstick formulas are amongst my favourites (I am picky), and their 2021 Holiday collection is particularly beautiful. My choices from their Holiday lipstick offering are the Rouge Volupte Shine Collector in 80 Golden and Rouge Pur Couture Collector in 1966 Golden.
YSL Beauty Rouge Volupte Shine Collector in 80 Golden, $59
YSL Beauty Rouge Pur Couture Collector in 1966 Golden, $59
I really do love gifting luxury lip colours for all of the reasons mentioned above. When I receive them myself, I am always so appreciative. Charlotte Tilbury releases so many limited edition products each Christmas, I honestly do not understand how they manage to do it. Where many (or rather, most) brands will put together limited edition sets of existing products, Charlotte Tilbury releases brand new products, new formulas, new colours, sets, you name it. One such product is named Limitless Lucky Lips, which is a slimline, long lasting, richly pigmented, matte finish lipstick. I’ve also included the Pillow Talk Magic Kisses Set in here, because it includes the infamous Pillow Talk Lip Liner which is a product I have worn more or less every day for over 6 years, and a tube of Chalotte’s Magic Lip Oil which is truly heavenly for dry, chapped lips.
Charlotte Tilbury Limitless Lucky Lips in Everlasting Blossom, Love Flame and Red Wishes, $49 each
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Magic Kisses Set, $56
More lips! Lip balms really are always a great gift as nobody ever has enough. You can have one in your handbag, one in your car and one at your desk, and you still won’t be able to find one when you really need it. The NARS Pleasure Seeker Afterglow Lip Balm Set is a wonderful gift as the formula itself is hydrating and comfortable to wear, but this particular set contains a few different sheer coverage tints to give the lips a little lick of colour while the balms work their conditioning magic. I’ve also included the Unwrapped Audacious Lipstick because it’s limited edition and the formula is beautiful and creamy. It has come up significantly darker in this image than it truly is, so check the link below for a more accurate look.
NARS Pleasure Seeker Afterglow Lip Balm Set, $56
NARS Unwrapped Audacious Lipstick, $48
I love giving makeup brush sets as gifts because new brushes always feel really luxe. I really, really love Morphe’s brushes (and their eyeshadows, but this isn’t about that). They’re incredibly well-priced and I find the quality stands up to that of a lot of my more expensive makeup brushes. This brush set contains seven brushes, three of which are complexion brushes (foundation, blush/contour and concealer) and the remaining four are for eyes (although I’ll often use a concealer brush for the eyes), so this set covers multiple bases. It also comes with a metallic pink travel case (not pictured), so it’s a great set for anyone who travels frequently or anyone new to makeup looking to build up their brush collection.
Morphe The Best Of Blends 7-Piece Brush Set, $45
Another beautiful brush set is the Swept Away set from Mecca Cosmetica’s signature line. This is slightly more expensive for less brushes than the aforementioned, however I do think the quality is reflective of the price in this case- these feel (and perform) like truly high-end brushes. This set also comes housed within a pink travel case and contains a Powder Brush, Tapered Contour Highlight Brush, Eyeshadow Blending Brush, Flat Eyeshadow Brush and a Smudge Brush. One of the many reasons brush sets make such great beauty gifts is because so few of us clean our brushes as often as we should, which means they need replacing significantly sooner, and brushes are one of those things I rarely have at the top of my Urgent Purchases list. This is a wonderful gift for literally anyone who wears makeup.
Mecca Cosmetica Swept Away Brush Set, $70
I’ve rarely featured nail products in past Gift Guides, which I imagine is largely due to the fact that pre-global pandemic I was getting SNS nails done at a salon and, therefore, was not wearing nail polish or really doing anything to my nails at home. My, how times have changed. Hermès is, quite literally, as luxurious as it gets, so their new Les Mains Hermès range fits in seamlessly with my aforementioned beauty gifting philosophy- you’ll end up with a high quality, more considered (and likely greater appreciated) gift if you find something small for your budget, rather than something jumbo. My gifting picks from the collection are the nail enamels, the base and top coats and the nail and cuticle oil.
Hermès Les Mains Hermes Nail Enamel, $70
Hermès Les Mains Hermes Base & Top Coats, $70 each
Hermès Les Mains Hermes Nourishing Oil, $75
Fragrance is a notoriously difficult category to gift from, and I find personal fragrance (as opposed to home) to be the most difficult category of all when it comes to gifting. This in mind, I’ve collated a few tips over the years. The first, and perhaps the most obvious, tip is to opt for a fragrance discovery or sample set. Most personal fragrance brands do these- a collection of travel sized scents across a variety of fragrance families. These make a great gift as they can serve as either an introduction to a new brand and a discovery of a new signature scent, or they make great on-the-go scents for those or travel or like to splash on some fragrance in between appointments. One of my favourite scent sets this year is the Fresh Fragrance Discovery Kit, which contains three rollerball perfumes- Hesperides Grapefruit, Fresh Life and Rose Morning.
Fresh Fragrance Discovery Set, $76
Jo Malone’s Christmas baubles and crackers are amongst my favourite things ever. No just in beauty, not just in terms of Christmas gifting- ever. This is the sort of gift that will delight literally anyone. Its contents is gorgeous, it’s a heritage brand that people hold so much love for, and it has been packaged so beautifully and thoughtfully. This year’s Jo Malone Silver Christmas Cracker contains miniature versions of the brand’s English Oak & Hazelnut Cologne, Grapefruit Body & Hand Wash and Wood Sage & Sea Salt Body Crème.
Jo Malone Silver Christmas Cracker, $78
Every year as I look through Glasshouse Fragrance’s Holiday collection I physically catch myself “oohing” and “ahhing.” Everything they create feels like a real keepsake, and this year’s festive offering is absolutely no exception (on the subject of keepsakes, one of our readers contacted me the other day saying she’ll often bulk buy her favourite Glasshouse Holiday fragrance each year so that she doesn’t have to be without it for the 11 months that follow!). I, unsurprisingly, struggled to choose just one favourite from this year’s collection, so I’ve narrowed it down to a few gifts starting with the brand’s limited edition White Christmas Candle (Cedar Leaf & Fruity Clove) and the Christmas Candle Mini Trio (for the same reasons why I love a fragrance discovery set).
Glasshouse Fragrances White Christmas Candle, $54.95
Glasshouse Fragrances Christmas Candle Mini Trio, $59.95
The perfect gift. A wild call in a list of 115 festive beauty gifts, however I really do think this one is so special. Glasshouse Fragrance’s A Tahaa Affair Spinning Carousel is an example of how attention to detail can transform a regular household item into something really beautiful and festive. A Tahaa Affair is one of the fragrance house’s most popular scents and it’s one that has some really serious, devoted fans, so if you know anyone who loves to burn this particular fragrance, get them this and don’t think twice about it. It comes housed in a beautiful big red box, and I felt like a child unwrapping a gift under the Christmas tree ahead of this shoot despite knowing exactly what was inside. You can also purchase the carousel accessory itself separately to add a festive touch to any of your favourite Glasshouse Fragrances, which I think is such a lovely idea.
Glasshouse Fragrances A Tahaa Affair Spinning Carousel, $79.95
Sincere and special thanks to the teams at Max Media Lab, MCMPR, AMPR, Mecca Brands, Frank Body, TMCPR, Estée Lauder Companies, L’Oréal Australia, Hermès and Sarah Humphries Agency.
