Irish Times Christmas gift guide: 15 bare to dare present ideas for all beauty tastes by Aisling Keenan

A guide to this year’s most simple and advanced beauty products

Christmas 2021 gift guide for all beauty tastes. Photograph: iStock.

When it comes to gifting, your budget is important, as is how well you know the recipient and how advanced their beauty tastes are. Here are some gifts that will go down well for the most simple to the most outrageous beauty lover. . .

BARE

Simple starters to please everyone on a budget. . .

1. Carter Beauty The Full House Bundle, €9.99

Carter Beauty, The Full House Bundle, €9.99
Carter Beauty, The Full House Bundle, €9.99

Colour cosmetics as a gift can be hit and miss, but with a brilliant budget buy like this Full House bundle from Irish-owned Carter Beauty, you’re guaranteed the gift will land. A totally wearable four-quad palette, a mascara and a liner pen are included.

2. Patchology Mistletoe Holiday Kit, €22

Patchology, Mistletoe Holiday Kit, €22
Patchology, Mistletoe Holiday Kit, €22

Granted, during winter our feet are tucked away in the newest ankle boots. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want them preened upon release. That’s where Patchology’s PoshPeel pedi mask comes in. With concentrated ingredients, it goes deep to dissolve dead skin and exfoliate rough patches. You can then follow up with the Best Foot Forward mask to soften, condition and lock in moisture.

3. Seoulista Glowing Away Wellbeing Kit, €24.99

Seoulista, Glowing Away Wellbeing Kit, €24.99
Seoulista, Glowing Away Wellbeing Kit, €24.99

Bring some easy nourishment and soothing treatment to your hands and feet with Seoulista’s foolproof masking kits. This one contains four favourites: A Magic Cleanse, a Wonderberry Skin Defence Instant Facial, a Rosy Toes Instant Pedicure, and a Rosy Hands Instant Manicure.

4. Dermalogica Our Best Cleanse & Glow by Marleigh Culver, €105

Dermalogica, Our Best Cleanse & Glow by Marleigh Culver,
Dermalogica, Our Best Cleanse & Glow by Marleigh Culver,

Starting off in skincare can be daunting, but with this little kit from Dermalogica, there’s little room for error. You get to enjoy the ultra clean feeling of the double cleanse technique, something Dermalogica is known for championing. The set includes the famous PreCleanse, Special Cleansing Gel and the iconic Daily Microfoliant.

5. Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Magic Kisses, €35

Charlotte Tilbury, Pillow Talk Magic Kisses, €35
Charlotte Tilbury, Pillow Talk Magic Kisses, €35

Entry level beauty is what Charlotte Tilbury masters, making accessible and easy to use and understand beauty for all. Her Pillow Talk range of lip products will be loved by anyone interested in naturally plumper looking lips. The set includes Charlotte’s Magic Lip Oil Crystal Elixir in full size and a travel size Lip Cheat Pillow Talk pencil.

FLAIR

For more than just dipping a toe in beauty. . .

1. Chanel Holiday Collection No.5, Rouge Allure Pirate, €41

There isn’t a beauty lover around that wouldn’t love and appreciate a high-end lipstick. Chanel’s Holiday 2021 collection features a classic shade with upgraded packaging – the blue-red Pirate is the perfect shade and will suit almost any skin tone.

2. NARS High Profile Cheek Palette, €58

NARS, High Profile Cheek Palette, €58
NARS, High Profile Cheek Palette, €58

Contour, highlight, and blush with these fab limited-edition shades made for all skin tones. Translucent micro-spheres suspend pure pigments to form an innovative, lightweight powder base that achieves maximum colour clarity. This is a gorgeous palette that double- and triple-jobs.

3. Image Skincare Luminous Collection Gift Set, €118

Image Skincare, Luminous Collection Gift Set, €118
Image Skincare, Luminous Collection Gift Set, €118

Bright and radiant skin is something universally appealing. Image have skincare lovers covered this year on that front. This set features a soothing botanical cleanser, a brightening serum, an ultra-hydrating lip enhancement complex and an all-important SPF to deliver results while being kind to your skin at the same time.

4. Emerald Farm Relax CBD Oil, €37

Emerald Farm, Relax CBD Oil, €37
Emerald Farm, Relax CBD Oil, €37

Adding something to your beauty routine that promotes relaxation and better sleep seems like a no-brainer for anyone who really knows their beauty. Emerald Farm is a new Irish wellness brand made in Co Wicklow that is now available in Boots stores. Its products are carefully blended with vitamins and other ingredients that can contribute to your overall health and wellness.

5. Blank Canvas Cosmetics The Big Buy Set, €115 (€55 at Boots)

Blank Canvas Cosmetics, The Big Buy Set, €115 (€55 at Boots)
Blank Canvas Cosmetics, The Big Buy Set, €115 (€55 at Boots)

We’d imagine the elves will be churning out plenty of these for 2021. With beautiful wine and gold “holiday” themed handles, this Blank Canvas set is the ideal mix of multi-functional brushes. And the F20 features – widely hailed as one of the best foundation brushes on the market!

DARE

Go all out with these extravagant picks. . .

1. ESPA The Gems of Modern Alchemy set, €176

Giving someone a trip to the spa without asking them to step outside the sanctuary of their own bathroom is possible, with this six-piece set from prolific spa brand ESPA. A sensorial treat, the box is worth over €250, and features products for cleansing, polishing, nourishing and hydrating the skin.

2. Hourglass The Essentials Skincare Set, €184

Hourglass, The Essentials Skincare Set, €184
Hourglass, The Essentials Skincare Set, €184

Fans of Hourglass are generally beauty buffs, so its elegant Equilibrium skincare line will be of interest too, naturally. Vegan and cruelty-free, the products are formulated with the Hourglass Cell Balancing Complex, a powerful blend of lipids that helps rebalance, restore and renew the skin barrier.

3. Laura Mercier Stroke Of Midnight Brush Collection, €80

This luxurious set features five travel-friendly brushes for creating compelling looks on the go. It features a powder brush, a cheek colour brush, an eye liner brush, an all-over eye brush and a crease brush, housed in a luxe leather clutch. A lovely set for someone who truly knows the value of excellent tools.

4. Glam Doll ‘The South Beach’ Hollywood PRO XL Mirror, €449.99

Glam Doll, ‘The South Beach’ Hollywood PRO XL Mirror, €449.99
Glam Doll, ‘The South Beach’ Hollywood PRO XL Mirror, €449.99

For someone deeply into their glam time, who would like a set-up that reflects their beauty loves, this mirror is the ultimate gift. Not only do the LED lights provide a cool-toned light for doing makeup, there are power ports on the side and USB ports too so you can plug your phone in or a hairdryer in when getting ready.

5. Sisley Eau du Soir Pop & Wild Edition, €200.38

Sisley Eau du Soir Pop & Wild Edition, €200.38
Sisley Eau du Soir Pop & Wild Edition, €200.38

Sure, buying a fragrance as a gift is a risky business. But with the beautiful Eau du Soir from Sisley, which has its first iteration in the early 1990s, you can’t really go too far wrong. The brand tells us it “evokes a stroll through the gardens of Alcazar in Seville, Spain at dusk”, and if that doesn’t sound like the olfactory virtual holiday we all need, we don’t know what does.


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