Skin & Tonics : Skincare Guides & Product Reviews

Hey, remember that time you bought your friend a designer bathing suit for Christmas? No? That never happened? Is that because buying anyone a bathing suit for Christmas is the worst gift idea ever? Well, according to the Vogue magazine gift guide,  a $325 Christmas bathing suit is an amazing idea.

At the top of everyone’s wish list.

Or how about a nice, sensible, designer slingshot? Gwyneth Paltrow thinks it’s a great gift option!

For the woman who has everything.

Don’t worry – if slingshots aren’t your thing, Vogue still has some fun ideas. What about a fuzzy, striped, $1800 Marc Jacobs throw pillow?

$1800. If this pillow was on The Price is Right, I would never make it to the Showcase Showdown.

As much as I love fashion magazines and the occasional celebrity lifestyle blog, I generally find their gift guides to be pretty useless. Looking at all these silly lists inspired me to use my tens of hours of internet research to create my own fun, beauty-themed, holiday gift guide, chock full of things I’d actually be excited to receive. Today’s holiday gift guide is comprised of amazing gifts priced at $50 or less:

1. Butter LONDON Boxing Day Fash Pack – Neutral Nail Lacquer Set ($35)

Butter LONDON nail lacquers are pretty universally loved, but at $10 a pop, they’re also an indulgence as far as nail polishes go. Aside from the fact that this Butter LONDON Boxing Day Fash Pack contains 5, gorgeous neutral shades that are guaranteed to look great an everyone, it’s also a steal at only $35.

The Butter LONDON Boxing Day Fash Pack is available at Nordstrom.com.

2. Penhaligon’s 5-piece Fragrance Discovery Set ($50)

I confess, I’ve only smelled one Penhaglion fragrance before and it wasn’t even mine. My friend Jill brought her last, precious drops with her to dinner once just so I could have a sniff, and it was lovely. I don’t know what any of the perfumes in this gift set smell like, but I don’t even care because the packaging for these perfumes is so spectacular. They could all smell like Fritos and motor oil for all I know – but I bet they don’t.

This gorgeous set is available on QVC.com for $50.

3. Delicate Roses Freshly Picked Collection ($44)

My friend at work got me hooked on Jurlique, after letting me try some of her luxury hand sanitizer (yes, that’s a thing, and it’s awesome). I recently picked up some of the Rose Hand Cream (while ordering luxury hand sanitizer, obviously), and now I’m in love. Jurlique Hand Cream ain’t cheap, but the Delicate Roses Freshly Picked Collection includes the hand cream, a lip balm, and a facial mist. The hand cream on its own would set you back $25, so this is a pretty fantastic deal at $44.

The Jurlique Delicate Roses Freshly Picked Collection is available on Beauty.com.

4. Kiehl’s Since 1851 Greatest Hits Collection ($45)

Kiehl’s Since 1851 makes a fantastic skincare product. They’re certainly luxury items though, which is what makes this Greatest Hits Collection so awesome. It contains 7 of their best selling products, including items for body, face, and hair. I’m a HUGE fan of the Crème de Corps body moisturizer – it might even be my favorite lotion of all time.

The Kiehl’s Since 1851 Greatest Hits Collection is available at Nordstrom.com for $45.

5. Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Sequin Shimmer Brick Eye Palette ($48.50)

I’ve been hemming and hawing over this palette for weeks now. It’s really only a matter of time before I pick it up. Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Sequin Shimmer Brick Eye Palette contains 10 shimmering, neutral, eye shades that are designed to be layered over eyeshadow, or worn alone as a highlighter. This is the perfect gift for someone who you know loves makeup, but aren’t sure what kind of colors they’re into these days.

The Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Sequin Shimmer Brick Eye Palette is available on BobbiBrown.com for $48.50. Right now, you can also pick up a cute mini-palette for yourself for free by entering code PRETTYTOGO at checkout.

6. NEST Eau de Parfum Coffret ($38)

I have already gifted one of these to my best friend for her birthday, and I’ve bought one for myself. They’re gorgeous, the scents are unique, and the set is a fantastic way to let someone explore the wonderful world of NEST fragrances.

The NEST Eau de Parfum Coffret is available at Sephora.com for $38.

7. Tarte Special Edition Holiday 4-pc Amazonian Clay Blush Set ($29)

Tarte makes my favorite powdered blush formula ever. They’re easy to blend, last all day, and the colors are gorgeous. Their only pitfall is the price – they’re $26 individually. This set, however, contains four travel-sized shades for $29. They come in a box so delightful, you won’t even have to wrap it. Just slap a gold bow on that thing and you win Christmas. DONE!

The Tarte Special Edition Holiday 4-pc Amazonian Clay Blush Set is available at QVC.com.

8. Molton Brown London The Bathing Treasures Collection ($50)

Have you ever wondered what a $30 body wash feels like? Me too! I’m constantly seeing Molton Brown Body Washes in magazines, and they’re always in exciting sounding fragrances such as Black Peppercorn or Coco & Sandalwood. I’ve yet to take the plunge, but The Bathing Treasures Collection is destined to be my gateway to Molton Brown shower nirvana. It contains 12 miniature Molton Brown body washes in Pink Pepperpod, Gingerlily, Orange & Bergamot, Eucalyptus, Coco & Sandalwood, Japanese Orange, Samphire, Suma Ginseng, Black Peppercorn, Ylang Ylang, Templetree, and Silverbirch. It’s basically a luxury body wash buffet that fits in a box. It’s an impressive to give someone, but also a great gift to split up to give 12 of your coworkers.

The Molton Brown London The Bathing Treasures Collection is available at Nordstrom for $50.

9. Laura Mercier Line & Define Mini Longwear Crème Eye Pencil Collection ($45)

I keep telling people that Laura Mercier Crème Eye Pencils are the best pencil eyeliners on the planet, because they are. This eyeliner goes on smooth, the color is always rich, and the formula doesn’t budge for anything – except an oil based makeup remover. This collection includes 5 mini liners in Violet, Espresso (my favorite), Noir, Sage, and Cobalt.

The Laura Mercier Line & Define Mini Longwear Crème Eye Pencil Collection is available at Bloomingdales.com for $45.

10. MAC Nocturnals Cremesheen Lip Glass: Nude ($32.50)

I don’t know of any makeup fans that wouldn’t be excited to get a box full of MAC Cremesheen Lip Glass. I’m sure they exist somewhere, but chances are you don’t know any. These limited edition sets come in a few different color collections, but the Nude is the safest set for gifting because the colors are so universally flattering. This is another one of those gifts that can be given on their own or split up into separate gifts.

The MAC Nocturnals Cremesheen Lip Glass set is available at Macys.com for $32.50.

Have you started Christmas shopping yet? If you know of another perfect $50 or less makeup or skincare gift, I’d love to hear about it!

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