By: Hayley Hasessian & Nikita Shah

As the holidays creep closer and closer, we all know our inboxes are about to fill up with holiday promotions, gift sets, you name it. For most of us, this can be a bit overwhelming. So many brands, so many products, so many gift boxes. How do you know what’s the best deal? The best brands? Don’t worry, we got you.

This is the time of year when brands rally up their best products and bundle them up for easy gift shopping. Along with this, there’s usually tons of promotion codes as well to be applied for the best bang for your buck.

We went ahead and searched through to find the best gift ideas for you and yours.

From Sephora:

We all know skincare is quite personal, and can get quite pricey. It often requires some trial and error, as we each have unique skin, requiring unique treatment. A skincare value package is always a nice gift because you can pick from luxurious brands, and try a range of popular products that maybe you would not have splurged on throughout the year.

This year, First Aid Beauty, a popular luxury skincare line, has an excellent gift pack filled with some of their best sellers, such as their Pure Skin Face Cleaner, Facial Radiance Pads, Ultra Repair Cream, Eye Duty Niacinamide Brightening Cream, and the Ultra Repair Lip Therapy. This bundle has a value of $167.00, and is being retailed for $64, saving you $103.

Winter chills can really do a number on our skin, which is why we’re recommending the limited edition belif Moisture Festival Set. This set retails at $50, with a $70 value, and promises 26-hour skin hydration. In this set you’ll get the True Cream Moisturizing Bomb, Aqua Bomb Hydrating Toner, Moisturizing Eye Bomb, and Aqua Bomb Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm. Truly a skin care dream team! 

We’re big fans of Fenty Beauty’s Gloss Bomb formula, which is why we’d recommend their Holiday Collection, including 4 minis in best-selling shades. The Glossy Posse Mini Gloss Bomb Set: Holo’Dase Edition includes 4 Mini Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizers in Cake Shake, Baby Brut, Taffy Tea$e, and Ruby Milk (priced at $33.50, with a value of $48). The added bonus is that Fenty Beauty is Rihanna’s brand, meaning we absolutely open each package and pretend they’re their gifts personally from her. That’s not weird, right?

These 4 delicious limited edition shades from Too Faced will put a smile on anyone’s face. Retailing at $32, with a $64 value, the Christmas Snuggles & Melted Kisses Liquid Lipstick Set not only looks divine but also smells like Christmas! Each shade comes scented like classic holiday treats: Hot Toddy, Candy Cane, Sugar Cookie, and Caramel Apple.

And for those who love skincare and makeup equally, Milk Makeup’s Here For The Party Mini Face Set has everything you need. Retailing for $52, with a value of $95, you get 6 makeup and skincare cult-favourite minis to fall in love with. This kit includes the KUSH Liquid Eyeliner in Loud (blackest black), the infamous Hydro Grip Primer, KUSH High Volume Mascara in Boom (blackest black), KUSH Clear Brow Gel in Hydro (clear), Watermelon Brightening Serum, and the Vegan Milk Moisturizer.

From MAC Cosmetics:

For the holidays, MAC Cosmetics came to play with a collection full of shimmer and holiday cheer.

For an extra fun gift, we’d recommend the Boom Boom Wow Mini Advent Calendar. This advent calendar retails for $99, with a value of $182 and includes 12 MAC Cosmetics classics. From lipstick, lip gloss, eyeshadows, mascara, and strobe cream—it’s practically guaranteed to find a new favourite product.

It’s no secret that MAC Cosmetics lipsticks are a classic favourite, which is why bundles of them are never discouraged. The Fireworked Like A Charm Mini Lipstick Kit has a $47 value, and you can pick between a red or pink colour scheme set of 3 mini lipstick sets. Helping someone find their new favourite lipstick will always be a memorable gift.

From NYX Professional Makeup:

Our final destination for holiday gift recommendations is NYX Professional Makeup. With a huge selection of products, they never disappoint when it comes to affordable holiday bundles! 

Our first recommendation is the Diamonds & Ice, Please 24 Day Holiday Countdown Advent Calendar. For $75, you get 24 full and mini sized NYX Professional Makeup cult favourite products, ranging from their infamous Soft Matte Lip Creams, Butter Glosses, primers and face illuminators. And who doesn’t love opening a new product everyday?

The Diamonds & Ice, Please Shadow & Liner Set is an iconic duo bundle including the classic Warm Neutrals Ultimate Shadow Palette and Matte Liquid Liner. Priced at $30, these two classic NYX products are a guaranteed favourite gift, especially for those who might be newer to makeup and looking for somewhere to start!

And last but not least, from Lithe Lashes:

For anyone who celebrates delicate simplicity with a natural feel, we’d recommend The Complete Collection from Lithe Lashes. With 8 different lash styles ranging from minimal, classic, to full volume, there’s a lash for every occasion! And at $157–down from $240–you’re almost getting 3 pairs for free. The lashes are all vegan and cruelty-free, so you can click “Proceed to Checkout” without batting an eye. (However, wearing these lashes may make you want to bat your eyes. We understand and we don’t blame you.)

We hope we made your holiday shopping a little bit easier! Or, helped you find some new gifts to treat yourself! Let us know what you picked up!