Pro tip: The end of the holiday season is, by far, the best time to find beauty gifts at smart prices (and we know there’s a good chance you’ll still be giving presents well into the New Year). December comes and goes in a flurry, often resulting in a missed opportunity for a heartfelt gift or two, but who said holiday shopping should be stressful or challenging? Sometimes, the best finds come when you least expect them.
With the help of my fellow beauty editors, I’ve compiled a list of the 25 best makeup, skincare, haircare, and fragrance products to consider gifting a loved one with across a wide range of different price points. We’ve even provided customer reviews to ease your decision-making process. Keep scrolling for a look at the gift-able beauty finds, from luxurious L’Occitane bodycare to high-tech NuFace tools Who What Wear’s beauty editors can’t stop raving about to anyone who will listen.
In between posting dance videos, chaotic lip syncs, and performing a social experiment on Ice Spice to fully imitate her, North West is certainly TikTok’s busiest nepo baby. At all hours of the day, you can find @kimandnorth alive on the app. Whether it be North forcing Kim Kardashian to do dances created by Charli D’Amelio or posting sped-up videos of Drunk Elephant products – it’s wild.
And nine-year-old North West isn’t the only child of the Kar-Jenner clan who has entered the TikTok world to give us even more unnecessary shots into the Kardashian lifestyle. There’s also an account for @pandkourt (Penelope Disick and Kourtney Kardashian). But perhaps we have given the two children too much attention for the time being.
What happens when you give the nine-year-old daughter of ego-maniac Kanye West and ultimate influencer Kim Kardashian a couple of million followers on TikTok? That’s right, a skincare brand. The old axiom is “the devil works hard, but Kris Jenner works harder,” but you weren’t even ready for momager Kim Kardashian.
The Kar-Jenner’s have what Kris Jenner didn’t have at this age: the biggest following collectively on Instagram and enough influence to dictate trends moving forward. This means it’ll be a hell of a lot easier for them to get their children the same platform and force them into the spotlight as the Next Gen of the Jenners.
Kim Kardashian has already filed trademarks for both a toy and skincare line on North’s behalf. The skincare line will feature non-medicated skin preparations, moisturizers, lotions, creams, and cleansers with the possibility of products like serums, haircare, and bath products in the future. As for the toy brand, expect dolls and action figures with the possibility of educational toys.
It’s borderline insanity to think that North West will be pushing skincare products to nine-year-old girls. While I’m all for the “doing what makes you feel good” mentality, not every young girl needs to be thinking about what serum to use. But maybe it’s just me.
Maybe I grew up in a different time and all nine-year-olds absolutely have to have a routine because all TikTokers have one. Who’s to say! But I do know this is the beginning of the end. Not only do we have Kim’s Skims, Khloe’s Good American, Kylie’s Kylie Cosmetics, Kendall’s 818 and Kourtney’s Poosh, but now we are adding the children’s brands into the mix.
A clothing trademark had already been registered for North in 2019, just the mere beginning of what I’m sure will be a long line of influencing from here on out. Not to mention rumored trademarks for Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott’s first child, Stormi Webster, and Penelope Disick have flown about. I’m sure Khloe’s not far behind with True.
I shouldn’t be as shocked as I am, considering North loves a good skincare TikTok. Whether it be trying SKKN by Kim or her plethora of brightly packaged moisturizers, she is already an influencer in the making.
Who knows if North even pays attention to good ingredients – we know she has the money to afford top-notch skincare that isn’t necessarily accessible to the rest of us, so before you buy SKKN, or North’s impending skincare line, here are my recs:
Each month, Fashionista editors try a *lot* of beauty products. And while not every formula we test is a winner, we’re constantly unearthing new favorites. Here, we’ve rounded up our latest hair, skin, fragrance, wellness and makeup discoveries — whether fresh-to-market drops or merely recent additions to our personal routines.
It’s almost a new year, which will no doubt bring with it a whole crop of new beauty favorites with which team Fashionista will become obsessed. But before we get ahead of ourselves, we’re taking a moment to look back at some of the standout hair, makeup, skin, fragrance and wellness finds we discovered in 2022. Join us, won’t you?
Scroll through for a selection of our top product discoveries of the year, as well as our month-by-month roundups.
Crown Affair The Leave-in Conditioner, $48, available here: “Leave-in conditioners can be tricky for my fine hair and often weigh it down, but this ultra-lightweight one is a game-changer. It drenches my strands with hydration, making them smoother and less snarl-prone, but doesn’t compromise volume. And a little goes a long way — a nickel-sized dollop is all I need for my below-the-shoulder length hair.” —Stephanie Saltzman, Beauty Director
Topicals Faded Under Eye Masks, $22, available here: “I love these undereye treatment masks for those long days where I’m staring at my computer screen for hours on end. My skin is on the dry side, so after work, I like to treat myself to these bad boys. I know that the whole ‘tired’ look is a trend, but it’s not for me, so I like how this product reduces the puffiness and the darkness, too.” —India Roby, Staff Writer
Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment, $16, available here: “Despite the apparent naming snafu, Hailey Bieber’s new skin-care line has some excellent products. I’ve been obsessed with the lip treatment, which leaves my lips perfectly soft, plump and glossy without any annoying stickiness. It’s great under (or over) a lip color or on its own, and while the flavored versions are nice, I personally prefer it unscented.” —Dhani Mau, Editor-in-chief
Phlur Apricot Privée Body Wash, $30, available here: “The addition of tonka and sandalwood to this fruity body wash makes it less ‘Clean ‘N’ Clear microplastics aughts commercial’ and more sumptuous and lush, especially with the silky and moisturizing, serum-y texture.” —Liza Sokol, Sr. Audience Development Manager
Ami Colé Lip Treatment Oil, $20, available here: “I’d been wanting to try this product pretty much since the brand launched, and the wait was well worth it. The oil-to-gloss formula feels super substantial, and the really beautiful taupe color complements the natural color of my lips. It’s my everyday lip product now.” —Ana Colón, Deputy Editor
Flawless by Gabrielle Union Repairing Deep Conditioning Masque, $10, available here: “The first time I used this mask from Gabrielle Union‘s hair-care brand, I was happily shocked with how defined my curls looked. And it’s no wonder: Ingredients like castor seed oil, shea butter, avocado oil, rice complex and biotin make for a powerful formula — and for the price point, that’s especially impressive.” —Andrea Bossi, Staff Writer
Dieux Auracle Reviving Eye Gel, $44, available here: “The makers of social media’s favorite reusable eye masks have finally introduced an eye cream, after an intensive product development process. The result — a bouncy, fast-absorbing, serum-like gel that plumps, brightens and softens fine lines around the eyes — is a total keeper. It also layers beautifully beneath other skin-care products, like the heavy-duty moisturizers that become all the more crucial in cold weather.” —SS
Violette FR Bisou Blush in Inès, $35, available here: “I was first struck by how pretty this marbleized cream blush stick is in its tube — and it’s just as stunning on skin. The texture is soft and blendable, with intense pigment, so a tiny swipe is all you need. It also has a non-chalky matte finish, so it just looks like it could be skin’s natural flush.” —SS
Elf Cosmetics Putty Blush in Turks & Caicos, $7, available here: “My latest Target impulse buy was this inexpensive cream blush, and I’m now obsessed: It gives the perfect natural-looking — but noticeable — sunkissed glow.” —DM
Photo: Courtesy of Iris & Romeo
Iris & Romeo Weekend Skin SPF 50 + Vitamin C + Glow, $47, available here: “This hybrid mineral sunscreen/tinted moisturizer/vitamin C serum is literally my perfect summer skin-care product: It provides SPF 50 and antioxidant protection in one simple step, while also creating a glow-y, more evenly-toned finish — meaning I can go pretty much makeup-free. My skin has been garnering more compliments than ever since I started using it daily. One caveat is that it comes in a single shade, which the brand claims is transparent and universal, but I have difficulty imagining it doesn’t look at least a little chalky on darker skin tones.” —SS
BeautyStat Universal Moisture Essence, $40, available here: “If my skin is feeling dryer than usual, I’ll layer this squalane-based oil over or mix it in with my moisturizer at night. It adds that perfect boost of lasting moisture without the heaviness or greasiness of a typical face oil.” —DM
Loewe Paula’s Ibiza Eau de Toilette, $133, available here: “From the moment I smelled this perfume, I knew it would be my summer staple. While Loewe describes it as a ‘floral, aquatic and ambery scent,’ what drew me was its resemblance to that perfectly refreshing spicy margarita we all crave on a hot summer day – and who wouldn’t want to feel like a spicy margarita?” —Brooke Frischer, Contributing Writer
Sunnies Face Lip Treat in Poppy, $16, available here: “This sheer tinted balm is ultra-moisturizing, thanks to shea butter and medowfoam seed oil, and deposits the perfect wash of poppy red pigment, which can be layered for more intensity. It’s been a late summer go-to for me.” —SS
Youthforia BYO Color Changing Blush Oil, $36, available here: “*Lizzo voice* All the rumors are true, this blush oil is amazing. I love how it interacts with my skin’s pH for a natural flush, and the finish is so dewy and glow-y, but the color doesn’t transfer.” —LS
Kosas Revealer Skin-Improving Foundation SPF 25, $42, available here: “The first foundation from everyone’s favorite no-makeup makeup brand is creamy, blends beautifully and feels like nothing while effectively blurring away any unevenness on my skin. As a bonus, it’s packed with skin-care ingredients and UV and blue-light protection.” —DM
January
In January, we found new candles and perfumes that became instant favorites.
February
February brought us luxurious body creams, fancy scented candles, soothing bath soaks and hair-rehabilitating treatments.
March
Our March favorites included delightful spring candles, reparative hair treatments and at least one skin-care product all the TikTok cool kids convinced us to try.
April
During the month of April, we unearthed products that revolutionized our at-home blowout routines, enhanced our overnight skin-care regimens and livened up our Zoom makeup looks.
May
Our May faves? Cream and oil (yes, oil!) blushes, potent brightening serums and sunscreens.
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June
June gifted us an under-$10 mascara that seems far more expensive, innovative sunscreens and a nostalgic fragrance that’s a compliment magnet.
July
In July, team Fashionista fell in love with a non-irritating retinol, hair products that help us make the most out of our styles and a whole bunch of anxiety-soothing CBD remedies.
August
Amid August’s heat wave, we became obsessed with gentle skin-care formulas that actually do what they promise on their labels, hair products that revive our lived-in styles and tinted lip balms with multi-sensory appeal.
September
September was full of perfect-for-fall candles, pretty makeup we wore to weddings and hair care that has become a crucial part of our regular routines.
October
October’s finds included a face oil we’ll be slathering on obsessively through winter, eye-brightening makeup and a multi-tasking moisturizing balm that does basically everything.
November
In November, we discovered an overachieving nude lipstick, actually-good at-home hair color, winter skin saviors and a high-tech wellness gadget.
December
December delivered perfectly festive lip and nail colors, an innovative alternative to traditional perfume and a slew of winter-skin-calming treatments.
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