The Christmas Makeup Gift Guide
Beauty Treasures You Will Wish For Under The Tree This Year
I’ve pulled together a curated edit of 2025 most sought‑after beauty products. Think viral bestsellers, pro‑approved staples, and limited‑edition gems that actually live up to the hype. From glow‑boosting skincare to eye‑catching palettes and covetable lip kits, this lineup is all about performance, payoff, and pure holiday joy. Whether you’re gifting someone special or treating yourself, consider this your shortcut to the standout stars everyone’s talking about. Best Beauty Advent Calendars
Beauty advent calendars in 2025 are seriously delivering on value, and after personally trying both the Liberty and Harvey Nichols calendars, I can say every door felt like a treat, great brands, generous sizes, and a curation that actually gets used. Liberty’s Beauty Advent Calendar is priced at £275 and comes packed with an impressive lineup worth around £1,245, making it a standout for discovery and luxury in one box. Harvey Nichols’ Beauty Advent Calendar is £250 with a value topping £1,000, smartly edited with premium names that make opening each day genuinely exciting. The Sephora Favourites Beauty Advent Calendar is £225 with a hefty £1,025 value. Brilliant for mixing skincare, makeup, and haircare from cult-favourite brands. Best Makeup Bag
My three favourite makeup bags each earn their place for different reasons: the Beautifect Box feels like a portable vanity with its touch screen lighting and mirror. Which makes doing makeup anywhere a breeze, it’s a splurge at £299. The Open Flat Makeup Bag from Elizabeth Scarlett is my everyday hero because it opens right out so I can see everything at a glance, plus the gorgeous embroidered designs and wipe-clean lining (£48). The Essential + Makeup Bag from VIEVE is my chic, most spacious, and easy to clean makeup bag (£25). Best Foundations & Tints
My favourite skin tints and foundations of 2025 keep things featherlight and seamless from late-summer glow to winter coziness. Starting with the Victoria Beckham foundation (£104), which gives a breathable satin finish that blurs without caking and layers perfectly over richer moisturizers. The Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint (£42), a skincare-first tint with mineral SPF 40, niacinamide, squalane, and hyaluronic acid for plump, dewy hydration that looks fresh in heat and comforting in cold; and Sculpted by Aimee Hydra Tint (£24), a sheer, hydrating wash that evens tone, adds soft luminosity (never greasy), and plays nicely with concealer or a light set of powder. I chose them because they’re buildable, kind to skin, and consistently smooth texture without settling. Delivering that “your skin but better” look all year.Best Makeup Pallets
Hildun Beauty’s Naked Diamonds Luxe Eyeshadow Quad ( £22) is my go‑to for gleaming, wearable neutrals with a buttery texture that glides on and takes me from daytime soft to evening sparkle in seconds. The Sculpted by Aimee Bare Basics Palette (£35) is a true do‑it‑all hero, packing eyeshadows, bronzer/contour, blush, and highlight into one palette so it streamlines my whole routine. The Anastasia Beverly Hills Spice Mini Eyeshadow Palette (£33) delivers rich, warm tones with punchy pigment and smooth blending in a travel‑friendly size that makes every look pop without any fuss.Best Lip Products
The Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask is a bona fide cult favourite an overnight treat that leaves lips plush and pillowy by morning. I tried it at the beginning of the year on a close friend’s recommendation and I’ve been hooked ever since (£22). Clarins Lip Comfort Oil delivers glossy, cushiony shine with real skincare benefits. It’s easy to see why lip oils have become a go‑to over traditional gloss: they’re far less sticky, feel more comfortable, actually condition and hydrate (£27). To define, Hildun Beauty Lip Liner in the shade Hayley is the sweet‑spot neutral brown‑pink that mimics natural lip shadow perfect for soft over lining (£17).