Best Beauty & Skincare Gifts For 2020
WET HAIR, DON’T CARE
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Let’s break down what we’re looking at here, because this might be the best gift on the entire list (this list or any other). This haircare gift set from Violet Grey is all about keeping your hair safe and healthy all year long. To start, it includes the innovative turban by Aquis (that I’ve raved about for years) which truly cuts your drying time in half (hello hair damage), silk scrunchies that won’t pull on your strands or give you creases, and a travel sized version of Violet Grey’s super gentle cult-favorite hairbrush. This is a great gift for anyone looking to protect their strands as they grow them out. Or anyone with superfine or dry hair that’s prone to breakage.
T3 TOURMALINE
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Hair me out (let me have this), a dryer is a brilliant gift for the holidays. We have a really bad tendency to use the appliances around us, even if we hate them, because they’re simply there. But what if you could use a Dyson hair dryer instead?? These ridiculously highly rated hair dryers are ultra temperature controlled to prevent damage to your hair from unnecessary heat. They work fast, they’re engineered to be both lighter and quieter than anything you’ve ever used before, and they’e every hairdresser’s favorite for a reason: they smooth your hair like NONE OTHER.
To take it one step further, the Dyson Airwrap Styler is perhaps the most complete hair gift ever. It’s an entire system of Dyson styling products with the same care and engineering as the hair dryer. But with a 6-in-1 aspect to it that lets you curl, smooth, and dry your way to less damaged strands in mere minutes. I shared this Styler a few years ago and the number of messages I’ve gotten that this is a “life changing tool” is bonkers. Literally, any hairstyle you’re after is possible with this system, making it the dream gift in terms of haircare. If you’re shopping for someone a bit more classic when it comes to hair dryer needs, you can’t go wrong with one of my tried-and-true favorites, the T3 dryer, which is an incredible way to get a perfect blowout at home.
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A dental care upgrade is one of the most thoughtful and useful gifts you can give. I mean think about it. They use it twice a day, they should love their toothbrush! My instastory poll revealed to me that we’re loving either the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smartt 9300, which has a near perfect rating and improves your gum health up to 7x in as little as two weeks, or it’s amazing affordable counterpart, the Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 5100, with more than double the ratings (and they’re just as high). I own the DiamondClean and can attest that it’s top notch. I also love that the battery lasts for literal weeks. So you can take it on vacation (you know, when that’s a thing again) and you don’t need to bother bringing a charger for it because it. will. LAST.
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Ah, the gift of a face that’s actually properly washed! The Foreo cleansing brush is so beloved and well-known because it uses T-Sonic pulsations to give you a much more thorough clean than you’d get just by using your hands. It makes an amazing gift all on its own. But you can also decide to go all-out (and why wouldn’t you, it’s 2020) and gift someone (or yourself) a full gift set that includes the Foreo UFO (a professional level mask treatment) plus the Luna cleansing brush.
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One of this year’s most thoughtful gifts is a gift that keeps on giving and ensures you don’t have to leave the house to get a good manicure! You might remember that I walked everyone through my full at-home gel manicure process. The post itself includes all the items you need to get a professional grade manicure at home. All of these items boxed together and beautifully wrapped make a genius gift for 2020!
GILLETTE
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Yeah…they make razors that heat up. WHO KNEW. Okay, all of you knew. And you told me, and for that I’m very grateful. This heated razor makes an excellent gift for guys or gals because let’s be honest. I’ve been using a men’s razor for… as long as Rich has been around and allowed me access to his toiletries. This super popular heated razor is modeled after the feeling achieved by a professional hot-towel shave. The kit includes everything your giftee needs for an incredibly leveled-up shaving experience. Again, I love gifts like this because they are used constantly. So what you’re really gifting is an upgraded component of their day-to-day routine, which is priceless.
SIMPLEHUMAN
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This smart sensor mirror is the ultimate gift for anyone who hates putting on a full face of makeup only to realize they look entirely different in non-bathroom lighting! You can thank simplehuman’s crazy popular, tru-lux technology for that little advancement in cosmetic genius. The mirror is actually three mirrors in one, a 5x magnification to view your entire face in detail, a 1x true view for everyday use, and a special 10x window for detail work like applying eyeliner.
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Toiletry bags are always so convenient and helpful for travel when you want to stay organized. But what I find is that it’s really frustrating when you can’t ever see what’s inside them! These chic and monogrammable clear travel cases are clear. Letting you see everything that’s in them without having to open them and spill your lip color collection onto the floor of an airport for all to see. Happy holidays, indeed.
SEPHORA FAVORITES
SEPHORA FAVORITES
SEPHORA FAVORITES
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Obviously Sephora is well-known for being literally an encyclopedia of incredible gift sets, and they’re always the perfect way to try new products and discover new favorites that you might have been timid to try in their full sized versions. Some of my personal favorites include this gathering of GORGEOUS holiday season red and nude shades of lipcolor. And a gift set that lets you really explore the most beloved current perfumes. Which also comes with a gift card for a full-sized perfume once you’ve picked a favorite! And, if I’m honest, I’ll be quite sad if Santa forgets to leave me this Hair Holy Grails collection this year, just sayin’. Seriously, look at all the goodies inside it!
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Another gift centered around keeping your hair safe and protected while also being kinder to your skin as you sleep is this glorious Slip pillowcase and mask set. In addition to their iconic silk pillowcase that is known to preserve healthy hair and prevent sleep-induced wrinkles, the collection also includes a luxurious silk mask because the holiday season is no time to wake with the sun. Gift this to anyone who loves a good blowout but hates waking up a day later to discover that it has left the building.
PETER THOMAS ROTH
DR. JART
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Peter Thomas Roth’s masks are unmatched in their efficacy. Honestly, when you gift these masks once a year, you give someone good skin for the foreseeable future. These are traditional masks that you apply with a brush or your fingers. But this is also an amazing sheet mask option if your giftee likes to terrify their toddler. And/or prefers the less-mess version of a spalike moment at home.
VIOLET GREY
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Now here is a brand-new innovative gift for 2020. This Violet Grey car essentials set includes all the beauty essentials we need to have on hand. Or in the car as it were, for all our pandemic-era comings and goings.
It includes a silk face mask with a breathable cotton lining (I own this mask and LOVE IT), luxe rinse-free hand wash (yes please), a hand serum (take that, dry skin), a multitasking balm for everything from chapped lips to parched cuticles (sign me up), a clean deodorant for emergencies (I’m pregnant so obviously always sweating), dry shampoo (because #pandemiclife), an ultra-precise nail clipper (sometimes bad nails happen to good people), gentle cleansing wipes (always), and stickers that stop blemishes pre-disaster (maskne, I shall conquer you). All of these items come in the most sleek and convenient bag ever to leave in your center console and comfort you forever.
ARTIS BRUSH
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It is possible that literally everyone needs a makeup brush upgrade. A luxe makeup brush set is one of those items you can gift to someone that’s tough to shop for, and know that this luxury option will be much appreciated. I was excited to see so many of you submit this as one of your favorite-ever gifts, because I’ve been using these brushes since 2014 and I’m never going back. This Next Generation Elite Smoke 5 Brush Set by Artis Brush is the gold standard in makeup brushes. The densely packed, super soft brushes are designed to give you tons of control in your makeup application, and smooth, flawless blending. I also love that they don’t soak up as much makeup as other brushes and sponges which means they help you get the most of your beauty product investments.
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I’ve sung the praises of my Aira Ionic Facial Steamer before, and if you purchased one too, you know why this makes such a stellar gift—especially this year when visiting our favorite skincare services hasn’t been so easy. Steaming your face is not only a relaxing experience (especially if you purchase this steamer that allows you to use essential oils if you want!), but it also helps your skin absorb all of those incredibly important skincare products you’re about to apply if you use it after cleansing and before your nighttime skincare routine. Additionally, we’ve officially entered stuffy nose season and spending 10 minutes in front of this glorious device works wonders in clearing your sinuses so you can have a restful night’s sleep (or sniffle-free day). Also, it just feels amazing, so there’s that.
NEST NEW YORK
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This is GENIUS and one of the things at the top of my Christmas wish list. Pura is a smart home diffuser set that lets you control scents (and scent schedules!) from your phone. It uses geolocation technology to allow your home to be scented upon your arrival and it will turn off the system when you leave. It covers up to 1,000 (!!!) square feet and the vials it comes with last up to 700 hours. Fun fact: You can replenish your scents (and discover so many high quality others!) right here. There are so many designer scent options that you probably already know and love.
POTTERY BARN
POTTERY BARN
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There’s nothing bad about a bath except having to get out of the bath, so gift your loved ones this gorgeous bathtub caddy that will hold all bathtime essentials and assure they basically never need to leave the tub again if they don’t want to. If you really want to spoil them, add this Pottery Barn personalized robe to your shopping cart along with the caddy. Rich got me one for Mother’s Day last year and it’s my absolute favorite!
