Holiday Gift Guide

"It's the most wonderful time of the yearrrrrr........", NO! It's the most stressful, wonderful time of the year, am I right? Don't get me wrong I love Christmas and I LOVE giving gifts but sometimes it can get overwhelming, especially if you wait till November/December to start. Nothing wrong with waiting though because you'll no doubt find a better deal and score some awesome stuff. I however, refused to be stressed this holiday season and literally bought my first Christmas present for this year, after Christmas of last year. I found a major sale so I picked something up for someone. Then I waited a bit and got started in February, yes that's right, February. So I've been buying a present or two each month and I've been done for quiet a while. Still have to pick up some candy though for my husband. 

Anyway, since I know it can be difficult to decide what to get, I'm doing my usual gift guide. This year however, I went a bit different. Usually I only do Sephora I think but this year, I have stuff from Sephora, Ulta, MAC, Lush, etc. None of this was sponsored by the way. I just wanted to give you more options. 

So starting with Sephora, let's talk makeup. There are several things out right now in their "value sets" that would be great gifts. I just narrowed it down to what I thought would be good gifts that I either have or would be super excited to get. 

• Natasha Denona Star Eyeshadow Palette. This is super pricey. As are most Natasha Denona products. Her eyeshadows used to be formulated with Talc, I believe. They've since re-done that formula and there is no Talc in this palette. Her eyeshadows are said to be amazing and that nothing compares. So if you have a true, hardcore, makeup lover like myself to buy for and you want it to be a really nice gift that they would appreciate and use then I think this is perfect. It's got plenty of neutrals so that if that was all you ever used then you would be able to use alot of this palette but it also has jewel tones too. So if you're like me and like to spice things up often it would work well for that too. It's definitely pricey though: it comes in at $169.00 for 18 shadows and a total of 40.68g which is 1.44 ounces roughly. And that is a lot of product.
• Too Faced Grande Hotel Cafe. Too Faced always does holiday sets right. They're very cute and themed. Obviously I would gear this towards someone a little younger possibly, instead of someone older because in my opinion the packaging is the big seller, it's got three palettes that are scented by coffee flavors actually. So you have Peppermint Mocha, Eggnog Latte and Gingerbread Coffee. You also get a deluxe sample of the Better Than Sex Mascara. The three palettes give you a total of 18 shadows, 1 bronzer, and 2 blushes for $49. Which makes that .72 oz of product for the shadows, .38 oz for the blushes, and .19 oz for the bronzer. I just now seen that this was sold out online. Usually stores still have it in stock though. So all hope is not lost. If you can't find it though but like the idea check out their other Holiday releases cause they didn't just release one. They released several. At Sephora and Ulta.
• Kat Von D Bow n Arrow Set. This is a nice little stocking stuffer or just a small gift to exchange with a friend or whomever because it's got two good components to it. The Bow N Arrow liquid lipstick which is a cult favorite. I have it, it's a lovely nude with some really cool toned mauve undertones for the palest of skin and then for those who have a deeper skin tone it get's more nude. Either way it's a great everyday shade. It also has the Ink Liner in Trooper. Not to be confused with the Tattoo Liner in Trooper which is the cult fave. I've had the Ink Liner though and I didn't mind it. I do like the Tattoo Liner a little better but still this isn't bad. Keep in mind both of these are travel size though. Which I actually prefer the KVD liquid lipsticks to be travel size they aren't nearly as wasteful and so much easier to store or put in your purse. This duo comes in at $20.00.
• NARS Mind Game Velvet Glide Lip Set. These are newly launched or fairly new and they EXPLODED onto the scene. Everyone is talking about them right now. So kudo's to NARS for making a set of mini's for you to try. THESE ARE NOT LIQUID LIPSTICKS. Meaning that they don't stay all day. They will wear off. Granted not super fast but they will wear off. It has 6 hybrid shades 3 of which are cult faves and 3 that are limited edition. The finish is semi-matte and very comfortable on the lips. This comes in at $49 for .12oz in each container. A full sized Lip Glide is .2 oz for $26 a pop. So it's a good value when you look at it that way. 
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit palette. This palette I did a whole review on. It's another really nice gift for a genuine makeup lover that would put it to good use. It's all new formulations and shades, the new formula being "Surreal Light", It has a finishing powder, 2 blushes, a bronzer and a strobe powder. It is travel friendly so it's not large by any means. You can read my review to get the full scoop but this comes in at $80 and is limited edition.
• Estee Edit Gritty and Glow Magnetic Eye and Face Palettes. This is just cool. That's all I know to say. I don't think I ever would've thought of Estee Lauder bringing out something different and innovative and yet they did. They did it well too. This is two palettes one is eye shadows (big eye shadows) and the other is highlighter (also can be used as eye shadows). Keep in mind all shades in both palettes are pearlized. So no matte finishes here. You're getting 6 eye shadows that have some jewel tones and bold colors, and 6 highlights that range from soft pinks to coppers. Because they're pearlized, they have a soft sheen to them. So there shouldn't be chunks of glitter in them. They should be blendable and smooth and a subtle sheen that will reflect light very beautifully. I don't know how much product exactly your getting, they look like very large pans but I don't know how deep they are. This set of 2 palettes are limited edition and come in at $58. No you can not buy them separately.

Skincare is tricky. So I don't usually recommend going that way unless you know what someone likes or they're just really wanting to try new stuff, or possibly they don't have a skin care regimen to begin with. So for that I found some things that I think would be good gifts to start with and then good gifts to just try and see if you would like it.

•  Algenist Discovery Kit. As you know I'm a huge Algenist fan. From their skincare to their makeup (seriously have you tried the color correcting finishing powder yet? What are you waiting for?) they do a great job. This kit is on the more expensive side, but if you've ever looked at their prices for their products individually this is actually not bad at all. I'm all for investing in your skin though if you have the means to do it. I'm not saying that good skin care can't be found at the drugstore, it totally can. However, if you find something that is more expensive that makes a huge difference then I would rather invest in that then a very expensive foundation or whatever. As long as you have a good base your makeup will look good as well. So with that being said you get a lot of my favorites in this. You get my favorite moisturizer the Genius Anti Aging cream, the Retinol Firming and Lifting Serum, Gentle Rejuvenating Cleanser, Power Advanced Wrinkle Fighter 360 Eye Serum, and Reveal Color Correcting Radiant Primer. So I would get this for someone that's in their 30's or older. I don't think a 20 year old needs all this, especially not Retinol. There is frangrance in these so just be aware of that if you're sensitive to fragrance. Although it's very light and smells amazing I think, just be aware there is fragrance listed on the ingredient deck. This set comes in at $70.
• Belif Bestsellers On The Go. Belif is centered around 19th century apothecary techniques and their products follow Korean skincare systems. They combine science with ancient herb methods to bring you a full circle in your skin care. You get Creamy Cleansing Foam Moist, Bergamot Herbal Extract Toner, Hungarian Water Essence, Moisturizing and Firming Eye Cream, The True Cream Aqua Bomb. This is a travel set and "These products are dermatologist tested, mineral oil-free, synthetic preservative-free, synthetic dye-free, synthetic fragrance-free, and vegan-friendly." This comes in at $20.
• Drunk Elephant Day Glow and Night Bright Duos. Drunk Elephant is super popular right now. They actually have bigger sets if you know someone for sure loves it. These are good little duo's if you just want to try it out and not spend so much money. The Day Glow set includes, C-Firma  Day Serum which is a Vitamin C Serum, and The B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Gel which is a hydrating serum. The Night Bright duo is the cult fave T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum which is an AHA serum. If you don't know what that is it's an exfoliant in the form of an acid. So while it's not gritty or anything like a scrub or exfoliator you're used to, it exfoliates more than a Foreo or Clarisonic could because it dissolves the dead skin cells on the top layer of the skin. It can cause irritation though so be mindful of that, it can also cause sensitivity so that's why you use it at night and be sure to wear sunscreen which you should be doing anyway. I see a lot of people using this and while I think that's great because it will drastically improve skin if that is what you need, it's still an AHA because it has Glycolic Acid. That being said if you are dry it's ok but if you are oily then you may not like it or may not benefit from it like others do and you would want to search out a BHA which is Salicylic Acid. Either way you go though, acids can cause you irritation as well as Retinols and even Vitamin C serums sometimes. So that's why I would recommend these small sets if you're looking to get into a more advanced skin care routine. The second part of the Night Bright is the Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil which is an anti-oxidant hydrating oil. With acids I like to follow up with anti-oxidants so that I'm not stripping my skin completely and also giving it a heavy dose of anti oxidants and vitamins to protect and keep it healthy. The Day Glow duo comes in at $23 and the Night Bright comes in at $28. Both sets contain two products with .27oz in each. So for reference the TLC Framboos full size is $90 for 1 oz. These say sold out online but they are in my local Sephora so check yours.

Next up is a couple really good sets for hair. Some people are makeup junkies, some are skin care junkies, and some are hair care junkies.

• Living Proof Full Bundle Kit. You get 2 oz of the Full Shampoo, Full Conditioner, and Full Thickening Cream each. You get 7.5 oz of Full Dry Volume Blast. I've had everything except the Volume Blast and I really liked them and they smell amazing. It is a pretty heavy fragrance though so bear that in mind. This comes in at $45
• Ouai Style Edit Set. Ouai was released this year I think, by celebrity hair stylist Jen Atkins. She did a killer job too. These have been well loved ever since they launched so this set is perfect for a hair care lover. You get travel size of the Texturizing Spray, Wave Spray, Finishing Cream and 6 hair ties. I have both the Texturizing Spray and the Wave Spray and I love them both. You get 1.4 oz of the Texturizing Spray, 1.7 oz of the Wave Spray (which is $12 if you buy it alone from the travel section), .05 oz of the Finishing Cream, and then of course 6 hair ties. This comes in at $25.

Now lets head on over to Ulta. I picked out a few things only because they have massive Black Friday sales. So definitely check that out on Black Friday online or in store.

• Tarte Pro Amazonian Clay Palette. I have a review on this. I just love it. It has everything you need. Literally. It's so blendable, soft and pigmented. It's mostly matte but does have 4 shimmers that tend to have a duo chrome shift to them. If you looked at palettes like the Modern Renaissance and they over whelmed you, then I would seriously consider this because it has a bit of everything while still flowing together nicely. It's $53 and I think it's worth every penny. You get  20 shadows all together 16 of which are matte. You get .7 oz total. Which is a little less than what you get in the Too Faced because you get .72 oz for 18 shadows in that and .7 for 20 shadows in this but these are so incredibly pigmented that you need very little product.
• Tarte Sculpted Cheeks Deluxe Amazonian Clay Blush Set and Brush. Ok, I hate the brush. I do not feel you can use it for these blushes because it's not dense enough. You might could on an insanely pigmented blush but not these. However it's super soft and I do like it for dusting on highlighter or even bronzer. So it's not a total fail. The four blushes are minis. They're universal colors that most everyone could wear. Some are more pigmented than the others. Like the pink is super pigmented but the neutral mauvey tan shade is very sheer. I still like it though. They can be built up or used lightly and they can be used as sculpting as it says, in a contour type way by placing your blush slight lower on the cheek and working upwards. It's an old technique but it's an effective technique. This comes in at $35.
• Becca On The Go Duos. This comes in Moonstone or Opal. I think it's available at Sephora as well. These are travel sized duos of the Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed (powder highlight) and Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid Spotlight Wand. If you haven't tried Becca or know someone who hasn't I would get this for sure because with the powder highlighters they go a long way. So it would still take a while to get through even a small container of that. It's great for people who love to glow. These come in at $20.
• IT Brushes for Ulta. It Cosmetics makes great products and they make beautiful brushes. They've started making sets specifically for Ulta now and that's great. This is a Full Size Travel Brush Set. So I take it they are full sized brushes but in a neat vertical folding case to make it more compact. This is a good gift for someone who would enjoy and really get a lot of use out of some nice brushes and also possibly someone who travels a lot. This comes in at $50 for 6 brushes and the case. It has most everything you need but I would've liked to have seen an angled face brush added for blush or something. That's my only issue. Still though it would be a wonderful gift and they have other sets if you don't like this one all that much.

MAC always puts out beautiful Holiday sets. They put out collections 24./7 but Holiday sets are always beautiful and you know there will be a pigment set, eyeshadow palette, lip sets, and so on. Those are the staples. Now I will say of all the stuff they release I stick to face powders like blushes, skin finishes, highlighters and so on, loose pigment sets (you can't go wrong there), and lip sets (again you can't go wrong). For gift's though I would stick to lip sets or the blush and highlight duo I've included. It's out of stock online but it's usually still available in store. I don't care for their eye palettes they just aren't the best quality if I'm being completely honest. I do however LOVE these lip gloss sets this year. I love all of them but especially the nude and the red set. They're mini but still pretty good sized and the colors are beautiful. I would give that as a gift for sure especially for a teen who's into makeup or a gift for a friend. 

I'm also bringing in some bath products and the most unique bath products I've found have to be from LUSH. They make fantastic products period not just bath stuff and it's hand made I believe as well. They also always have gift sets. So I included some gift sets I thought would be the best value and looked the coolest. As you can see there are some that have more than bath bombs, bath melts, and bubble bars, they also have some soaps and shower jellies. There are more online of course that offer shampoo's, conditioners, and so on. So if you know someone who really enjoys their bath time and likes to pamper theirself. I would get them some LUSH products for sure. The bath bombs alone would make them enjoy it 10x more with all the colors and scents swirling around them. Also I find that unless you have an enormous tub it's best to break the bath bombs, bubble bars or bath melts apart so that you get more use out of them. So maybe half now, and half later sorta thing.

I'm going to leave some honorable mentions here: 

Morphe Gun Metal Brush Set has 7 brushes from the Gun Metal line that I love, and is $50. I'm sure there will be a Black Friday sell though. This will be under "Brush Sets" on their site. Pay attention to the shipping though. Shipping was $10 the last time I got something from Morphe and I won't lie that turned me off to buying from them lately. They went to USPS for a short while and it was great but now they're back to strictly Fedex I think. That may have been for just the palette I was buying though. Never the less, pay attention to that. 

Bauble Bar Holiday Sets. Bauble Bar has some really beautiful boxed sets and jewelry pieces right now for the Holidays. I really love their boxed set of statement earrings they have. They also have a code for 30% off their Holiday pieces right now with code: Holiday30.

Makeup Geek has and is often releasing bundles of eyeshadows with palette included. They recently had a warm berry toned fall one. It almost always has at least 2 foiled shadows in it. Watch Marlena's twitter and also their Instagram for flash sales that pop up. I believe last year they did a 12 days of Christmas sale or something of the sort. You get 9 shadows typically and always for a good price. I love Makeup Geek shadows as you well know. **UPDATE** They have released the preview for Black Friday Sales which you can scope out now. It's killer! https://www.makeupgeek.com/sales.html

If you know someone who is a true makeup junkie then storage can be a good gift. Some people don't get excited over that but I do. Clear acrylic drawer containers are awesome cause they can be stacked and de clutter your vanity. Also a brush holder is always nice. I used wine glasses for the longest time until I found a turning six compartment pencil holder I guess was what it was designed for but I put my brushes in it and it works wonderfully plus I love that it spins around in a circle.

As always for the person who has everything, gift cards are great. I love gift cards. If you won't be able to see someone to exchange presents due to distance or whatever than you can send e-gift cards through email, I've done that as well. Some people say it's not personal or they just never use them but I always put mine to good use. 

Here's some stores that will have black friday and cyber monday sales:

• Anastasia Beverly Hills 10-60% off plus they're releasing brushes which will be 25% off.
• Ulta and Sephora of course
• Ofra Cosmetics I think is doing 50% off.
• JD Glow Cosmetics was doing 25% off I don't know if that will increase on Black Friday or not.
• Colour Pop will be running some type of sale as usual
• Kate Spade has a "surprise" sale going on right now which is 75% off select merchandise.

There will be more, honestly the best way to be informed about good sales are be on the email list and CHECK YOUR EMAILS, check companies Instagram accounts and Twitter as well. 

Happy shopping guys and be kind to one another. This is the season of giving. Merry Christmas!!