As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you’ll like too. POPSUGAR has affiliate and advertising partnerships so we get revenue from sharing this content and from your purchase.
Beauty products are a gifting no-brainer during holiday season. After all, even dad loves a little bit of luxury. However, between friends, family, colleagues and the scary neighbour across the road you’re trying to curry favour with, holiday gifting can see your budget stretched to its limits.
Fortunately, cheap treats are where beauty shines, and it’s easy to gift a truly luxurious item that will leave room for your own beauty budget. Introducing your ultimate list of Christmas packs, seasonal treats and thoughtful luxury picks, all for under $50.
Makeup Gifts Under $50
Beauty doesn’t have to be expensive, and the holiday season is the best time of year to find limited edition shades and palettes in travel and wallet-friendly sizes. Here are our top picks.
Charlotte Tilbury, Eye Enhancing Beauty Secrets Gift Set
Charlotte Tilbury’s iconic Pillow Talk shade meets her cult Colour Chameleon shadow sticks with Charlotte Tilbury, Eye Enhancing Beauty Secrets Gift Set, ($50). This neat little pack has a limited edition Pillow Talk shade “Pillow Talk Smoke,” as well as the classic colour, perfect for a rose-toned smokey eye on the go.
Rare Beauty, Perfect Strokes Eye Essentials
There’s no confidence boost quite like a feline flick and a fluttery lash, and the Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Eye Essentials Set ($49) contains two of our favourites. The Rare Beauty, Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner is a jet-black, calligraphy tip pen that gives flawless precision and definition. Meanwhile, the Universal Volumising Mascara will boost any lash type to perfection.
Stila, National Treasure Convertible Colour Lip and Cheek Cream Quads
Stila Convertible Colours are a makeup artist favourite because they provide glossy, sheer colour with a long-wearing formula that’s perfect for eyes, lips and cheeks.
Now, you can carry them with you at all times in a neat little palette that’s perfect for beachside and pre-party touchups. Stila, National Treasure Convertible Colour Lip and Cheek Cream, Quad #1 ($48) contains neutral shades Petunia, Patina, Lilium and Gerbera, while Quad #2 has brighter and deeper shades Fuchsia, Beso, Rose and Gladiola. Grab one for you and one for a friend while they’re available.
Nudestix, Nudies Trendy Blush Mini Kit
For the friend who won’t stop sending you TikToks and is always trying new trends. With two of 2022s most trending blush shades, violet and coral, the Nudestix, Nudies Trendy Blush Mini Kit ($41) is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. With “Matte Blush in Picante” (deep orange) and Matte Blush in Moodie Blue” they’ll have their edgy blush bases covered plus a soft, luminous, and classic peachy pink “Rosy Posy” for days at the office. We’re picking up a pack for ourselves.
MECCA MAX, Holidaze 25-Shade Eyeshadow Palette
Twenty-five pigment-packed shadows that will see you all through the party season and back to the office in 2023. From pastels, neons and neutrals, mattes, shimmers and foils, the Mecca Max, Holidaze 25-Shade Eyeshadow Palette, ($40) has something for every occasion, at an exceptionally reasonable price point.
Related: Give the Gift of Holy Grails With the Most Iconic Beauty Advent Calendars of 2022
Huda Beauty, Legit Eye Duo Christmas Set
Snatch your siren eye with a wield of Huda Beauty’s Legit Lashes baton-style mascara, and a slash of pitch-black liner, all neatly packed in the brands Legit Eye Duo Christmas Set ($45)
Ciaté London, Iris Apfel Eyeshadow Palette, Accidental Icon
Anything with NYC fashion icon Iris Apfel’s name on it catches our attention immediately, and Ciaté London’s super sweet collaboration has a retro feel that’s bringing out the child in us. Case in point? This glamorous neutral quad with a subversive slash of blue. Shop here.
Cinema Secrets, Professional Makeup Brush Cleaner Pro Starter Kit + Tin
Sometimes practicality wins over pretty, and if the object of your gift-giving is a makeup brush hoarder then they simply must be introduced to Cinema Secrets, Professional Makeup Brush Cleaner ($49). The formula cleanses, conditions and deodorises brushes, drying them in record time. Perfect for quick colour changes, this kit comes with a tin to soak foundation-caked buffing brushes in.
Morphe, Festive & Flawless Beauty Sponge Duo
You can never have too many beauty sponges, and this kit comes with Morphe’s Microfibre Beauty Sponge to blend your liquid and cream products, as well as their Highlight and Contour Beauty Sponge to help you chisel, carve and ensure hard to reach areas are covered. Shop here.
Milk Makeup, Prep Swip and Go Set
This pack is perfect for the busy and well-travelled beauty lover in your life. With a mini primer, blush and bronzer, and mascara, just add concealer (or skip) and you’re good to go. Shop here.
Lanolips, 101 Gold Collection Set
Lanolip’s classic formula, but with a heavy dose of J-Lo sex appeal. The Lanolips 101 Ointment have been infused with glossy bronze, burnished rose gold and and soft, gilded pink. Someone hand these gorgeous, glowing ointments a Golden Globe. Shop here.
KVD Beauty, Moon Surge 3-Piece Eye Set
A slash of the award-winning and best-selling Tattoo Liner Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in inky Trooper Black, a sweep of the Dazzle Stick cream eyeshadow in champagne shade “Hail Surge”, and a swipe of the ultra volumising Go Big or Go Home Mascara is all you need for a simple and slay NYE beauty look. Fortunately, all these products are tucked into the KVD, Moon Surge 3-Piece Eye Kit Set ($48) making your (or your friend’s) holiday eye look as easy as one, two, three.
Beautyblender, House of Bounce Set Christmas
Have you ever looked at your Beauty Blender and thought… this needs a disco stand? In the event you haven’t, we’re sure you’re thinking it now and a stand for your beauty sponge is actually less frivolous than it might seem at first blush. After all, do you really want the damp object you put on your face every day rolling around in the muck on your beauty cabinet? Ingenious and essential. Shop here.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Fluffy & Fuller Looking Brow Kit
Are YouTuber brows making a comeback? It’s too early to say, but whether your preference is feathered and fluffy, or full 2010, the Anastasia Beverly Hills Fluffy & Fuller Looking Brow Kit ($50) will help you or your mate get “on fleek” for less this holiday season.
MAC Cosmetics Blowin’ Bubble Lip Duo
Give the gift of snatched lips this holiday season with the MAC Cosmetics Blowin’ Bubble Lip Duo: Neutral ($33). Featuring MAC Cosmetics Lipstick Mini in “Taupe” and MAC Cosmetics Lipglass Mini in “Oh Baby”, this is kit is picture-perfect Y2K lips in one tidy package.
Lash Gifts Under $50
The Ordinary, Lash and Brow Duo
One of our favourite launches of the year, The Ordinary, Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum is a growth treatment that actually works. Here, you can find two for less than $50 and we love that for you!
Velour Lashes, Effortless Silk Lash Kit
Velour Silk Lashes are the bougiest strip lashes you can find on Australian shores, and they make the perfect “wouldn’t buy for yourself so buy for someone else”, pre-NYE friend gift. The deluxe Velour Lashes, Effortless Silk Lash Kit ($48) contains everything you need for a sultry, full-fan-effect lash. With a mini, Too Easy Lash Applicator, bullet proof lash glue and the best selling fluttery “Would I Lie” lash set, this is the perfect party season pick me up.
Skincare Gifts Under $50
Whether it’s holiday sets, minis or luxury treats, skincare stocking stuffers are the perfect way to be introduced to favourites that will last the whole year. We’ve found serums, sunscreens, lip balms, and exfoliants that will give you or your loved one that “new year, new you” feel.
Ultra Violette, Glow and Go Trio
Perfect for a beach-side summer break, the Ultra Violette, Glow and Go Trio ($40) contains a mini of their fan-favourite priming and glow-giving Queen Screen, SPF50+ Luminizing Sun Serum ($47), a mini of their SPF50+ Extreme Screen, Hydrating Body and Hand Skinscreen ($75) and their Sheen Screen, Hydrating Lip Balm SPF50 ($25) in the limited edition shade “Bite.”
Ole Henriksen, Hunt for Hydration Duo
For the moisture challenged babe in your life, the Ole Henrickson, Hunt for Hydration Mini Moisturizer & Eye Cream Duo ($40) contains under eye neutralising Banana Bright Eye Creme (the best-selling eye cream in Sephora US since its 2017 launch) and Strength Trainer Peptide Moisturiser, a lush barrier boosting peptide-rich moisturiser. The two combined will leave your gift recipient glowing by New Year’s Eve — no matter what they indulged in over Christmas.
Fresh, Skincare Prep Essentials
Have a friend in need of a cleansing routine that will give them a supple, soft (and never stripped) complexion? Hang up the Fresh, Skincare Prep Essentials ($38) collection. The pack features the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser, an exceptionally gentle gel that sweeps away dirt and debris while softening skin with soy proteins, and the Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner, which refines pores and balances oil production while soaking the complexion in vitamin C rich rose extracts. Divine, and only $38.
Mecca Max, Cool It Kit Watercooler Serum and Screen Saver SPF Skincare Duo
MECCA MAX want you to get quenched, safely with their Cool It Watercooler Serum and Screensaver Duo ($40). The pack provides the glorious MECCA MAX hydrating serum, packed with birch juice, green algae and vitamin B5, with a lightweight SPF30+ Skin Screen launched just this year.
Fenty, The Body Duo
Give the gift of a glossy beach bod with the Fenty Skin Body Duo ($40). Containing Fenty Skin, Butta Drop Whipped Body Oil, a whipped body cream loaded with shea butter, coconut oil and watermelon seed oil, and Buff Ryder, a blend of sugar, salt and hydrating oils, the body duo will give your gift recipient an A-list shower experience.
L’Occitane, Everyday Essentials Skincare Collection
If your gift recipient didn’t get to the south of France this year, consider bringing some provincial flavour to their bathroom routines with L’Occitane, Everyday Essentials Skincare Collection ($47). Their new skincare routine will leave them feeling so chic and polished they’ll forget their FOMO in a flash.
Laneige, Besties Set Essentials Kit
Perfect for long-haul flights, the Laneige, Besties Set Essentials Kit ($46) delivers 100 hours of hydration with their Waterbank cleanser, moisturiser and night mask. The cherry on top is of course the cult lip balm: Laneige, Lip Sleeping Mask.
Youth to the People, Brighten Up Skincare Set
Giving the gift of brighter, bouncier skin couldn’t be simpler this year with the Youth to the People, Brighten Up Skincare Set, ($31). Perfect for someone dipping their toe in the world of vitamin C, this kit addresses hyperpigmentation, dehydration and puffiness (making it a winner for party season too).
Related: Get Him to Give Up on 2-in-1 Products for Good With The 12 Best Grooming Gifts For Men
Laneige, Perfect Pair Christmas
The Laneige Perfect Pair Christmas Set looks so pretty it’s a shame to wrap it up, and the products inside are as tasty as the packaging. Shop here.
Frank Body, Cleanse With Benefits
The Frank Body Creamy Face Cleanser is an underrated Aussie-beauty hero. Foaming but creamy, detoxifying but never stripping, this charcoal-rich creamy cleanser is a rare “perfect for every skin type” winner. Paired with the brand’s Charcoal Body Scrub + Mask, your body can reap the same benefits. Shop here.
Sunday Riley, Power Couple Minis
Treat your friends and family to better, brighter skin with two hero products from Sunday Riley. Good Genes is a versatile serum — mixing a pearl-sized amount into your Ceramic Slip mask will give you a flash facial, and leaving it on overnight will leave your skin reset. Add Luna, a water weight, navy blue sleeping oil to the mix and you have refined, poreless and deeply hydrated skin. Shop here.
Best Haircare Gifts Under $50
Got a mane in need of taming? Travelling interstate (or overseas) this holiday season? From travel kits to handy packs, these value kits will keep your locks lush and your scalp sparkling as we head into sun, surf, and sand season.
Briogeo, Don’t Despair, Repair! Travel Kit
This hair kit covers all your travel bases: cleanse, condition, mask and treat. Whether your locks are being stripped by harsh European water, or you need a sleepover set up for your partner’s place, these are the little things that go a long way. Shop here.
JVN, Shine All the Time, Full Size Bestsellers Set
Perfect for the curly girl or guy in your life, the JVN, Shine All the Time Holiday Set ($48) features two full sized hair hydrators, including the complete Air Dry Cream and the Nourishing Shine Drops. Luminous locks all summer? Who could say no?
Christophe Robin, Detox Duo Haircare Set
Surf and sweat can leave your scalp in need of a detox, and a scalp scrub is a great solution. Christophe Robin, Detox Duo Haircare Set ($30) combines two detoxifying classics from the range in a chic, unisex bundle.
Ghd Style Gift Set
Holiday season is also party season, and we’re turning up the heat on our hot tools. Keep your friends protected with this specially formulated heat protection spray, made by the masters of hot tools at ghd. The sweet and sparkly clips make a festive and face-framing addition to the pack.
Moroccan Oil, Mini Must-Haves
Moroccan Oil haircare is famous for its hydrating namesake oil, but its dry shampoos are also fantastic. The Mini Must-Haves kit comes in Dark Tones and Light Tones, so every hair colour is covered.
Slip, Moonflower Nights Holiday Ornament
One of the best ways to take care of frayed, heat and surf damaged strands is by cutting out those pesky fly-away inducing hair elastics. Slip’s silk hair ties are the perfect substitute and are currently available in an array of limited edition shades as part of their limited edition “Moonflower Nights Holiday Ornament” ($32) collection. A perfect, game-changing gift.
Straand, Scalp Care 101 Kit
If you haven’t introduced your loved ones to this new Aussie haircare line, now is the time. Straand, Crown Cleanse is a detoxifying shampoo that balances a deep cleanse with hydrating ingredients like wheat protein, sweet almond oil and jojoba. Paired with their silicone, hair-safe scalp massager your friends and family are in for a heavenly in-shower massage, no trip to the salon required. This is truly skincare for your scalp, and we love to see it. Shop here.
Nak Hair, Holiday Structure Complex Bon Bon
Everybody loves a bon-bon under the tree, and NAK Hair, Holiday Structure Complex Bon Bon ($28) packs plenty of hair-strengthening proteins into a sweet, festive gifting package.
Related: Skincare For the Scalp Is Gaining Popularity — Here’s Where to Start
Olaplex, Intense Repair Trial Kit
Olaplex needs no introduction, and if you or a friend haven’t trialled their transformative hair products, now is your chance. Very simply, shop here.
Bread Hair and Body Oil Essentials
Slip and slide into the holiday season with this hair and body oil duo from Bread Beauty Supply. Both products have a lightweight texture that will leave limbs gleaming and split ends sealed. Shop here.
Best Fragrance Gifts Under $50
Finding your signature scent is hard, and making a mistake is expensive. That’s why one of the best ways to find a fave is with discovery sets, and we’ve seen plenty of bargain coffretes that will have you smelling sweet all summer long.
Editions de Parfums By Frédéric Malle, Discovery Set For Women
Frédéric Malle has created some of the most iconic, and expensive, scents in the world. If your friend still hasn’t found their signature scent, they’d do well to start with the line, but if they need an extended trial before investing, or want to dabble, the Frédéric Malle, Discover Set For Women ($41) presents a very limited edition opportunity to do so.
Tocca, Mini Discovery Set
These sweet treats from Toccca are perfect for younger fragrance lovers, or the young at heart. Each vial of wearable, sweet and sexy fragrances is old school in the best way. Split them and add them to stockings, or leave your giftee to explore. Shop here.
Related: The 13 Best Fragrances POPSUGAR Editors Will be Spritzing This Spring
Map of the Heart, Eau De Parfum Sample Set
Map of the Heart is an Australian-based, Parisian-made fragrance house that creates strikingly original scents, and every one of them is worth exploring, making this sample set an essential gift for a fragrance lover, or gift to self. Shop here.
Ecoya, Mini Gift Set
A sweet little stocking stuffer and great Kris Kringle option. This fragrant bundle from Ecoya features a mini room spray and 40ml mini hand cream, both featuring notes of lemon, bergamot, vanilla, and musk. Shop here.
Juliette Has A Gun, Discovery Kit
This discovery kit contains eight of the brand’s most popular fragrances – including their cult favourite “This is Not a Perfume.” You’ll find your next summer signature scent here, so pick up one for you and one for a friend. Shop here.
Floral Street Discovery Set
Trust Floral Street to curate the perfect fragrance wardrobe for summer. Whether it’s sweet peony, sultry vanilla and orchid, or scintillating rose, you’ll find a summery scent that will put a spring in your step every day of the week in this collection. Shop here.
