Beauty

Unwrapped: The Best Holiday Beauty Sets $50 And Under

Affordable sets for the beauty obsessed

by Jenna Igneri

’Tis officially the season for gift-giving. For us, that’s a full month (31 days!) in which we’ll be providing gift ideas for everyone on your list with our Unwrapped holiday gift guides. So make your holiday shopping a breeze this season, and let us help you find gifts for all the people in your life—and maybe even a spoiled pet or two.

What gets us the most stoked for holiday beauty? Not the influx of glittery, sparkly products, but rather, all of the sets that brands put out this time of year that make the task of gift-giving way simpler.

We all have at least one beauty-obsessed friend in our lives, and what could be a more thoughtful gift than a limited-edition set of a brand’s most covetable products or a neatly packaged assortment of purse-sized essentials? Throw in some festive holiday packaging, and you have a gift that’s bound to be a crowd-pleaser. Have we mentioned that you normally end up saving quite a few more bucks than if you bought each product separately? It’s a win-win.

But we’re being realistic here. Some of these sets can get pretty pricey, so we rounded up the season’s best offerings for $50 and under. Starting at just $16, the 20 must-have beauty gifts await, below.

Photo courtesy of Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty, Snake Charmer Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquer Collection, $39, available at Marc Jacobs Beauty.

Give this luxurious set to the lipgloss enthusiast in your life, which features five shades ranging from a creamy neutral and shimmery nude to pigment-packed brights.

Photo courtesy of Nordstrom

TPSY, 4 Piece Special Edition Marker Set, $40, available at Nordstrom.

This kit contains all of TPSY’s best markers: two lip stains, a liquid eyeliner, and a makeup remover that’s basically a Tide To Go pen for your eyes (but safer, obviously).

Photo courtesy of Amazon

R+Co, Day + Night Holiday Kit, $30, available at Amazon.

Here’s a thoughtful gift for your friend that’s constantly running from work to party to... another party. These travel-sized versions of R+Co’s cult-favorite Dry Shampoo and Blow Out Balm will keep their hair looking fresh all night long.

Photo courtesy of Herbivore

Herbivore, Coco Rose Luxe Hydration Trio, $39, available at Herbivore.

If there’s one "gift" that winter gives us, it's dry skin. Help your loved ones fight it with Herbivore’s skin-saving Coco Rose kit, featuring body polish, hydrating face mist, and a lip balm.

Photo courtesy of Fresh

Fresh, Sugar Lip Prep ‘N’ Paint, $39, available at Fresh.

A flawless winter pout is truly possible thanks to Fresh’s Sugar Lip Prep ‘N’ Paint set. This kit contains all that your loved ones will need to prep their lips (meaning, slough away winter’s dryness), protect them from harsh weather conditions, and paint them with the perfect shimmery nude.

Photo courtesy of MAKE

MAKE, Dew Set, $48, available at MAKE.

Give the gift of radiant, dewy goodness with this set of MAKE’s best beauty pots: the Dew Pot, a subtle highlighter; the Bronze Pot, a shimmery bronzer; and the Blot Pot, a dewy lip and cheek tint.

Photo courtesy of Bloomingdales

Smith & Cult, Nail Lacquer Trio, $50, available at Bloomingdale's.

These three stunning nail polish shades make for quite the holiday treat.

Photo courtesy of Commodity

Commodity, Storybook, $30, available at Commodity.

For the friend that likes their fragrances minimal, this set, a "four-chapter" book of mini eau de parfums, will introduce them to 15 of Commodity’s amazing unisex scents.

Photo courtesy of Little Barn Apothecary

Little Barn Apothecary. Love Is In The Hair Kit, $35, available at Little Barn Apothecary.

The perfect set to show your hair some love, the all-natural way.

Photo courtesy of M.A.C

M.A.C Cosmetics, Snow Ball Eye Bag, $39.50, available at M.A.C.

Make your friends’ smokey, shimmery holiday makeup dreams come true with this magical eye kit that features an eyeshadow duo, liner, mascara, and a snowball-themed carrying case.

Photo courtesy of Tarte

Tarte, Natural Artistry Faves Color Collection, $25, available at Tarte.

Give these must-haves from Tarte—featuring highlighter, contour, lipstick, and mascara—for a flawless complexion on the go.

Photo courtesy of Verb

Verb, Ghost Oil Kit, $48, available at Verb.

Give your loved ones the gift of soft and healthy hair, thanks to this kit of mini Ghost Oil products by verb. From shampoo to hairspray and cult-favorite Ghost Oil, this set has multiple hair types covered for under $50.

Photo courtesy of NCLA

NCLA. Cheers Tool Kit, $16, available at NCLA.

Quite possibly the cutest travel nail kit that everyone should have in their purse—you never know when you’ll have a nail emergency.

Photo courtesy of Birchbox

Lipstick Queen, Transformative Trio, $25, available at Birchbox.

Three mini versions of Lipstick Queen’s mood-changing (okay, pH-changing) lipsticks for $25? Don’t mind if we do.

Photo courtesy of Pinrose

Pinrose, Twirl And Whirl Rollerball Trio, $24, available at Pinrose.

This giftable set not only offers three of Pinrose’s best scents in rollerball form (Wild Child, Secret Genius, and Lil’ Dipper), but it comes in the sweetest baton packaging.

Photo courtesy of Innisfree

Innisfree, Limited Edition Green Holidays Skin Care Collection, $35, available at Innisfree.

Get to know this K-Beauty fave with this kit featuring its five best hits.

Photo courtesy of Sephora

IGK, Friends With Benefits Texture & Shine Kit, $34, available at Sephora.

Looking to give your best friend some bombshell hair? Look no further than IGK’s new Friends With Benefits set, featuring the brand's texture spray, conditioning dry shampoo, and anti-frizz, leave-in conditioner.

Photo courtesy of Tatcha

Tatcha, Kissed With Gold Set, $32, available at Tatcha.

This magical lip balm is sprinkled with 23-karat gold flakes and comes with the chicest gold leaf travel mirror, making it a must-have for the luxe beauty lover on the go.

Photo courtesy of Living Proof

Living Proof, Perfect hair Day (PhD) Peace. Love. Perfect Hair. Holiday Set 2017, $25, available at Living Proof.

Perfect hair for $25? Is there a better gift?

Photo courtesy of Bastide

Bastide, Les Artistes – A Painter’s Kit Of Dreamy Creams, $36, available at Bastide.

Nothing is more thoughtful than the gift of hand cream when the weather calls for dry, cracked knuckles. Plus, these three mini tubes are super-chic.