I have my first Holiday Gift Guide of the year up today with some ideas $50 and Under! Based on your feedback I’m putting together a series of gift guides in the upcoming weeks so stay tuned for more ideas and inspiration. First I want to mention that Sephora’s Beauty Insider Holiday Event for Beauty Insiders Starts today in stores and online, use code BIBONUS for 15% off from Friday 11/16 to Monday 11/19. They’ve also extended the savings this weekend to VIB and Rouge Members with 20% off in store and online using code ENJOY. So if you still had things on your list, you can still shop and save!
Gift Ideas Under $50 shown above
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My gift ideas $50 and Under are broken down by category. I have not started any holiday shopping yet – I still can’t get over the fact that it’s mid-November! I’ve been bookmarking all the cute gift ideas as I make these gift guides. Out of all the ones I’ve looked at so far, I think the easiest most universal options for stocking stuffers with cute packaging are from L’Occitane, Fresh and Molton Brown. They’re already boxed in a cute cracker or box so it takes any extra work out of wrapping it. From my own personal experience items from those lines are always well received even from the pickiest of people I know.
For the Hair Care Lover
So many good travel or trial sets out there! I found some cute ones from Living Proof, Oribe, Ouai and Bumble and Bumble. As usual you can find some really nice deals with the Sephora Favorites collections. I also think you can’t go wrong pairing the Aquis Hair Towels with any mini hair care product. There are some nice affordable options from Oribe this year too including their 10th Anniversary Dry Texturizing Spray which comes in special packaging.
Makeup Sets + Palettes
Holidays are the best times for mini sets and palettes. As a lip gloss and lipstick junkie this is an easy win category. The Becca x Chrissy Teigen Lip Icing Glow Gloss Kit is the cutest (swatches coming soon). MAC always has great options for the holiday season.
Skincare Junkies
This is the category I shop for myself. Skincare is so personal so unless you truly know one’s skin type or skincare routine, this area can be a bit tricky. Safe bets are from First Aid Beauty, L’Occitane, Fresh Beauty. The Fresh Sugar Jetsetter is priced at a really good deal! L’Occitane has the cutest ornaments. Molton Brown has their holiday Shower Gel Baubles which you can buy individually or in a set.
Fragrance and Home
I tend to categorize fragrance or home with higher price points but there are a number of options that are more affordable. You can’t go wrong with a soft throw. West Elm has so many good options, we bought this Coziest Throw and it’s so soft and cozy. Byredo and Diptyque are expensive luxury brands but there are mini candle options under $50 this year. Byredo has some of their scents like Fleur Fantome, Bohemia and Burning Rose in the mini size individually. Diptyque has a wide range of candles in the mini size, Vanille is perfect for fall to holiday. They also have cute miniatures like this Do Son + Tubereuse Surprise Pocket Set. Jo Malone also has some fun Christmas Crackers and Christmas Ornaments this year.
Just for Fun
For the fun or extras, I can’t tell you how obsessed I am with the Away Minis. Full review here. They’re great for travel and gifts. Alone the regular ones are $35 each and you can fill them with fun travel size beauty items or candy as a cute gift. J.Crew has some cute cold weather accessories like this Ribbed Beanie and Fuzzy Slippers. Sleeping masks can be really cute, I have one of the Slipsilk Pure Silk Sleep Masks and really like it. There are fun patterns available this season in case you want something more than the basic silk (although I like any of them). Aesop’s Jet Set Kit has four minis I think are perfect for sampling or travel. I’ve bought this many times over, they’re super cute. And for something practical the S’Well Bottles (a couple of mine shown here) are things I use on a regular basis and love.
Gift Ideas Under $25
Some options all $25 and under for lower price points. One of the brands I think is simple but really handy is Tweezerman. I bought a Tweezerman Nail Set for my husband last year. We had moved a lot and his was packed in storage in one of many boxes (we didn’t want to search through them all). I got him one of the travel sets which I can’t find online anymore but he uses it all the time. This year they have a cute Mini Nail Rescue Set you can find a number of places like Sephora, Ulta and Neiman Marcus. Bundle it with a mini hand cream or polish and it makes for a cute + practical gift.
This week’s giveaway is a Mini Away Suitcase in Pink! One reader will receive a Mini Away Travel case filled with surprise beauty goodies. I usually pre-pick items for the giveaway but this time I’ll be putting together custom picked goodies from my backup stash tailored to the winner’s skin type and preferences. Open internationally 18 years and older. To enter for a chance to win simply follow at least one of the steps in the widget below. Giveaway runs through Tuesday November 20th, 11:59 PM EST. I’ll pick a winner within 48 hours after giveaway ends and contact via e-mail. Not sponsored or affiliated. I usually ship prizes within 1 week and provide tracking information.
Have you started your holiday shopping yet?



I always give my niece makeup for the holiday season. She is just starting to play with make up so it is fun to give her things that can be handy when you build up your makeup collection. Last year I gave her a Zoeva brush set this year I have bought her a cute Pat Mcgrath mini lipstick set.
I don’t celebrate Christmas 🙂
My Mom and I always gave each other skincare. This will be my first year without looking forward to that.
Sending you all the e-hugs I can.
Thank you so much. I truly appreciate that.
no gifts whatsoever … just enjoy company
Planning to buy most stuff this upcoming weekend.
such a wonderful and thorough gift guide!! i definitely got some of these for myself… 🙂
These are some great choices. The traditions we follow are baiscally the ones most families follow: Christmas lunch preceded by presents.
I love these recommendation round-ups — super helpful! Thank you.
I love these recommendations. Since my kids are older now, we will probably change our normal gifting tradition this year to drawing names for stocking instead of me being in charge of it all.
Great recommendations! Don’t really have any Christmas traditions other than only opening presents on boxing day…not a day earlier! 😛
Yay! I love your gift guides so much! So, surprising myself, I have actually started my gift shopping, though only because I picked up a couple of those Pat McGrath mini lipstick sets in the rouge sale hahaha. I can’t believe Thanksgiving is next week.
Growing up, we didn’t really have any holiday traditions as my parents were more or less adamant that Thanksgiving and Christmas weren’t for us. However, we usually had a tree, since my parents liked how it smelled in the house, and we would always stay up to watch the ball drop on New Year’s Eve. I’ve tried to have a tree but we might be giving up on that this year, since we’re not sure it’s worth the trouble or anxiety what with now having cats that stubbornly insist on chewing all plants they can get close to. Diptyque candles will have to do instead I guess! Now, my partner and I usually spend the whole of Thanksgiving and Christmas in the kitchen as creative cooking is something we really enjoy and don’t get time to do very often.
Love your new traditions! Cooking together is something that’s always fun 🙂
Skincare sets are what I usually end up puchasing for near and dear ones. L’occitane’s shea butter-based products, especially, are a sure-fire hit with them! Love how comprehensive your gift guide is- thank you for making our lives easier! Courtesy of your list, I’m now considering gifting the Farmacy and the Drunk Elephant sets.
You can’t go wrong with L’Occitane!
I just wanted to say thank you for starting off your holiday guides with this price point–recently I was reading another blog and the holiday gift guide started at over $200! I appreciate a good luxury now and again, but its nice to know there are other, beautiful suggestions out there. So thank you!
You’re welcome Julia! Glad you liked this roundup 🙂 Lots of options at lower price points and each retailer makes it so much easier to sort, filter and search too!
we don’t have any set gifting traditions unless you count someone always cracking and spilling the secrets!!
LOL!!!!
Great gift ideas. My kids are still little and all boys so we just give them what they like. I usually just find good deals for gifts.
Awww how cute 🙂 They’re the cutest when they’re little!
If Santa is really listening, a fragrant candle would be my best gift this Christmas 🙂
Such great ideas! Great blog as always.
We don’t have any traditions. We change it up every year. I just had a baby so I’m sure this year will be quite different indeed.
Congratulations Jessica!
Aww congrats on the new addition to your family 🙂
Honestly, I feel like the holidays really snuck up on me this year. I’m panicking as I type right now! Browsing beauty gifts are always the most fun way to start thinking about gifts though!
Same. I feel like it skipped from Spring to Holiday for me.
Thanks for these awesome gift ideas. Our gifting traditions are PJs on Christmas Eve. My mama passed away this past August so it’s going to be difficult shopping for pajamas when I used to always get her 3 or 4 pairs. My sister and I may skip getting new PJs this year and just sleep in a pair of mom’s.
Hi Jeanie, very sorry to hear about your loss xoxo.
We don’t really have the traditions, but we like doing secret santa every year. It’s very fun and guessing who has who this year.
That’s cute!
Our only tradition is Secret Santa with the in-laws. I kind of hate it! 🤭
OMG I’m dying of laughter at this, lol. Sorry though!!!
So many great ideas here, thanks for sharing! Spending Christmas in my home country for the first time in nearly 20 years. So excited to share my childhood traditions with my kids. ❤️
Our holiday gifting traditions has always been to open one present on Christmas Eve.
Some of those, I want for myself!
We are a mostly Filipino family in the US and we always spend Christmas eve with the whole family (and extended) for a night of food and gifts. I can not wait!
I started shopping months ago, I tend to buy things throughout the year and set them aside.Lots of perfume, eyeshadow and mini lipsticks in the pile so far!
Holiday tradition is to open gifts on christmas morning right before breakfast 🙂
Love the picks Sabrina! I am just curious if the jade roller has really worked for you..
also, humble request.. could you please do a post of your fav red lip colors ? Given that it’s holiday season, I would love to add some red in my selection !
We always go to see the Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine at some point during the holidays. It’s decorated with white Christmas lights and is absolutely beautiful.
We always open gifts from each other on Christmas Eve and then Santa comes and the kids open their present from Santa Christmas morning. That’s how we did Christmas when I was a kid and that’s how we do Christmas with our kids!
My friends and I always have each other little gifts but we’ve decided to do a Secret Santa with everyone having to get one big gift for one person in the group this year.
OMG! I must admit I love gift guides just to see what new stuff I have to buy for myself to try hehe
I like to wait until December to start my holiday shopping.
My friends and I do “Stealing Santa” where we get surprise gifts, then take turns “stealing” them from one another to get the best present in the end
We always open a gift and stockings on Christmas Eve and eat lots of treats. On Christmas morning we eat overnight croissant bake and open presents.
The only tradition we’ve had is while wrapping presents, to play Christmas music. It always helps 1) put you in the spirit of things and 2) makes the wrapping go by faster LOL
I have a few white elephant gift exchanges and that’s it >.> gift giving isn’t that big among family and friends, which is nice because I get more money to buy whatever I want ;p
In my house, the first thing you hear on Christmas morning is the sound of champagne corks popping out of bottles. 🙂
I love Christmas and my tradition are taking my girls to see the holiday lights, baking Christmas goodies and time with extended family
My holiday tradition is everything to do with the food – a big trip to get all the nibbles and produce with the family and then spending the next two days prepping and roasting and cooking together. And of course the highlight, feasting on a huge christmas spread!
Such a useful roundup! My friends and I usually do a secret Santa exchange and dinner, and this guide gave me plenty of ideas 💛
Thanks for the gift guide! My extended family does a white elephant gift with nice gifts. It’s a lot of fun and helps everyone’s budgets
Thank you for a great post! I dont really haven any holiday traditions but since my husband and I bought our house, we have hosted Christmas eve every year with our parents.
We typically travel back to California to spend time with family. My husband and kids here are the only ones on the East Coast (moved about 5 years ago!) so it has been a somewhat new tradition.
Our holiday tradition is opening up our stockings first and starting the morning with oranges and chocolates!
My tradition is to spend Christmas Eve eating good food and relaxing and then Christmas Day eating, watching movies and napping.
We love celebrating Christmas with our lovely British friends. Everyone brings a dish, and they do an incredible roast and lots of tasty drinks! The adults mingle and relax while the kids jump on the trampoline in their holiday best.
My favorite holiday tradition is baking these cookies and dropping them off as little gifts for friends: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/brown-butter-sea-salt-chocolate-chip-cookies/ The recipe is amazing! I highly recommend it. I’m not a talented baker and they come out great every time.
Fave holiday tradition is watching Harry Potter marathon and holiday movies like Home Alone 2 and Love Actually.
Tradition is family dinner. My thing to do is to go around for the Christmas lights displays.
One of our traditions is we love to watch the A Christmas Story movie marathon!
Thanks for the gift guide! Our newest tradition started when we moved to Australia where it’s often baking hot on Christmas Day. We go to the zoo on Christmas morning, see the animals and eat ice-cream before heading back home for presents and more traditional food!
Our tradition on Christmas is that everyone, over 25 people, comes to my house for dinner. It is my mother-in-laws birthday so we have birthday cake for dessert!
Our holiday traditions center around family time and food. We cook together and watch movies together. I love surprising my sons with new PJs and slippers/socks on Christmas Eve every year.
Preparing dinner and after the sumptuous meal exchanging gifts. It’s exciting time when the whole extended family gather once a year.
These are the cutest beauty junkie gift ideas < 3
We used to have a Thanksgiving weigh-in, pre and post-meal, but thankfully we gave up that tradition after a while.
I like making personalized advent calendars for my loved ones
I celebrating Christmas with my family and cats 🙂
I don’t have any set holiday traditions — things change year after year!
This will be our first holiday season without some family members who have moved away and can’t make it home. We’ll try to make some new traditions.
Holiday tradition is always hot pot instead of a turkey–I usually make turkey for Thanksgiving, and it’s still in the freezer by Christmas!
I love gifting my mom makeup and skincare for holidays! My last gift was the L’occitane Divin Anti-age starter kit and she loved it! 🙂
I love having breakfast homemade with my family on Christmas, opening gifts together, then playing board games all day
My holiday tradition is having dinner with my whole family. It’s the best time of the year!