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Gifting can be overwhelming — allow us to make things easier for you. Although we share our honest thoughts on lipsticks, highlighters, and eye shadow palettes all year long, the holiday season is when our expertise shines the brightest. Recommending, or in this case, giving someone a new makeup gift set to help them discover and fall in love with their new favorite product is like giving yourself a gift in the process — and what better way to do so than with a kit hand-picked and approved by Allure editors?
We've rounded up our selections for our favorite makeup gift sets on the market for the 2021 holiday season. The Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lip Secrets, Merit Five Minute Morning, and Saie Beauty Have It All Box — just to name a few — are sure to be the star of your next gift exchange or the key that opens the gates to your loved one's new go-to makeup routine staple. It may just be a Best of Beauty-winning product if we have anything to do with it.
As you scroll through our list of 2021 makeup gift sets below, we have a feeling you'll be adding some to your own wish list or even adding some to your cart for yourself; they are that enviable and incredible.
All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Courtesy of brand1/17
Tarte Amazonian Clay Cheek Set
If you don't already have at least one Tarte blush in your makeup bag — my favorite being the nude-pink, Exposed — you're missing out. The creamy powder formula lasts all day while controlling oil, crediting its star ingredient, Amazonian clay, for its magic. Our senior beauty editor Dianna Mazzone will be adding the Tarte Amazonian Clay Cheek Set to her cart this holiday season. "'I have too many blushes,' said absolutely no one ever," she jokes. "Plus, the set includes a highlighter with a beautiful champagne sheen. Keep the whole set for yourself, or split it up and gift a few lucky friends."
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Sephora Favorites Sparkly Clean Makeup Set
"It's not called a Sephora Favorite just for the fun of it," says Sarah Kinonen, Allure's associate beauty director. "This set is filled with all of my personal favorite makeup products as if I personally handcrafted it myself for the beauty retailer. (Spoiler: Sadly, I did not, in fact, have a part in the making of this epic gift set, but damn is it good!)"
Inside the Sephora Favorites Sparkly Clean Makeup Set, you'll find a pinky-nude tinted lip balm from Tower 28, the latest volumizing mascara from Ilia, a sheer-yet-super-glowy highlighter from Saie, and three other amazing clean beauty products Kinonen swears by.
Courtesy of brand3/17
Colourpop x NBA Miami Heat Pressed Powder Palette
"I was raised rooting for New York teams, and I stuck with them even after moving to Florida — but the Miami Heat has recently stolen my heart. (Sorry, Knicks!)," contributing editor Marci Robin says. "Next time I make it to a game, I would love to be wearing the Colourpop x NBA Miami Heat Pressed Powder Palette." The nine-shade compact is decked out with Heat-inspired eye shadows, including Big Three (apricot-orange), Magic City (sparkly-gold), and Heat Culture (burnt-red).
If your friend or loved one roots for a different team, palettes that pay homage to the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, and L.A. Lakers are also available. "So if you know anyone who loves basketball as much as they do makeup, this is the perfect gift for them," Robin adds.
Courtesy of brand4/17
Dior Rouge Dior Minaudiere
"I love to give a gift that keeps on giving, which is exactly why the Dior Rouge Dior Minaudiere is worth the splurge," says beauty editor Paige Stables. Inside this sparkling clutch, complete with a compact mirror and lipstick holder, you will find a classic matte-red Rouge Dior Lipstick, along with refill bullets in three luxe colors, like poppy red and a shimmery pearly-pink with a satin finish. "Swipe one on, sling the gilded strap over your shoulder, and you're ready for any festive fete," Paige adds. "The best part: Even when the lipstick comes off, you'll have this golden clutch as a keepsake… forever."
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Rare Beauty Mini Soft Pinch Liquid Blush Trio
As if our editors here at Allure have not preached about Selena Gomez's incredible line Rare Beauty enough, you must try the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush. "I particularly enjoy the overside doe-foot applicator since these days, I'm applying blush just about everywhere, including, but not limited to, my eyelids and bridge of my nose," editorial assistant Talia Gutierrez explains. "Although all three shades give off different moods, my personal favorite is Peace, which is the perfect peachy-orange that illuminates my olive-toned complexion as if is still summertime."
If there's ever been a time to try (or stock up) on liquid blush, this mini set of the brand's most sought-after shades for just $25, compared to one full-size Soft Pinch Liquid Blush at $20. You just can't beat this deal.
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Courtesy of brand6/17
Colourpop Fade Into Hue Eyeshadow Palette
"I truly cannot resist palettes full of rainbow shades, which is why I need the Colourpop’s Fade Into Hue Eyeshadow Palette for the holidays this year," says associate news editor Gabi Thorne. This Best of Beauty-winning palette comes with 30 eye shadows in matte, shimmer, and glitter formulas, so the eye makeup possibilities are practically endless. "I'm also obsessed with how color coordinated and easy to navigate this intensely pigmented palette is," she adds.
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Sephora Favorites Swipe of Lip Color Lipstick & Lip Balm Set
For Gutierrez, holiday makeup always features bold lipstick. The Sephora Favorites Swipe of Lip Color Lipstick & Lip Balm Set is the perfect introduction to just that. It even includes a shea- and murumuru seed butter-spiked lip balm from Summer Fridays and a creamy beige Huda Beauty lip pencil to ensure the perfect holiday lip look. "The only thing left to decide is the lipstick itself, and trust me, it'll be a hard choice between the three berry-toned hues from Nars, Clinique, and Yves Saint Laurent," she says.
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Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lip Secrets
"You can gift Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lip Secrets set with confidence because the kinda-pink-kinda-brown shade somehow looks amazing on everyone," Mazzone says. The four-piece set houses a full-sized Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk alongside a mini Lip Cheat Lip Liner in the same universal nude shade, a sparkly lip topper, and a sheer pink lip gloss. For a low-key, everyday look, "I like to trace the edges of my lips with liner before topping them off with the gloss," she adds.
Courtesy of brand9/17
Clinique Black Honey Must Have Makeup Set
Believe it or not, Clinique's iconic Black Honey lip shade turned 50 this year. "Although it used a be a staple in my makeup routine a couple of decades ago, I'm ashamed to admit, I kind of forgot about it," Robin says. "The Clinique Black Honey Must Have Makeup Set would be a fantastic way to reintroduce (or simply introduce, for the uninitiated) the iconic Almost Lipstick into your best friend's makeup routine — especially because it includes so many other elements of a makeup routine, like an eyeliner pen, mascara, and highlighter."
Courtesy of brand10/17
Anastasia Beverly Hills Natural-Looking & Budge-Proof Brow Kit
"Bushy, full brows have taken 2021 by storm, and what better way to ring in the new year than with this three-piece Anastasia Beverly Hills Natural-Looking & Budge-Proof Brow Kit," Gutierrez says. "Add a touch of color with the mini, tinted Dip Brow Gel; define with the full-sized, retractable Brow Wiz; and finish off any look with the mini Clear Brow Gel to keep those perfectly shaped brow hairs in place." Offered in five shades, you're sure to find a perfect match for anyone's brow color.
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Saie Beauty Have It All Box
"You really can have (or gift) it all with Saie Beauty's holiday set, which includes clean staples for creating the perfect, dewy glam," Gutierrez shares. Two twinkling shades of the brand's beloved illuminating primer, a lash curler, nourishing lip balm, and the Best of Beauty-winning Dew Balm Highlighter are accounted for in the lineup of eight full-sized products. Valued at $186, you'll save $36 by nabbing the Have It All Box for a friend or family member.
Courtesy of brand12/17
Ilia After Hours Set
"Not only are the two full-size products — a neutral-rose Multi-Stick and Fullest Volumizing Mascara — in Ilia After Hours Set a total steal for the price (you'll save $27), but I also love the creamy, universally flattering multi-stick to suit your giftee's skin tone," says Nykia Spradley, Allure's commerce editor.
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Nars Iconic Glow Mini Cheek Set
Whether you're in need of a stocking stuffer or the perfect present topper for the makeup lover in your life, you can never go wrong with this Iconic Glow Mini Cheek Set from Nars. "The famous peachy-pink Orgasm powdered blush gives skin a brilliant flush," Gutierrez says. "Paired with the Matte Laguna Bronzer and fluffy blush, you'll have a quick and easy beauty look that has never been more convenient. Plus, its pocket-sized compacts are perfect for travel without the worry of an overflowing makeup bag."
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Courtesy of brand14/17
Merit Five Minute Morning
"It's all in the name: Merit's Five-Minute Morning makeup set has, quite literally, everything I'd need to get Zoom-ready in a matter of minutes (five, to be exact)," Kinonen says. "For those who don't have marathon virtual meeting days, though, like my mom, I have a feeling they'd appreciate the simplicity of this set."
A Best of Beauty-winning mascara is the kit's standout product, but your giftee will also love the ease of The Minimalist, which doubles as a foundation and concealer, the tinted Shade Slick lip oil, creamy Flush Balm blush, volumizing Brow 1980 pomade, blending Brush NO.1, and highlighting Day Glow balm.
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Colored Raine Cream Blush & Brush Bundle
"Cream blushes add a great dewy pigment to any face, which is why I'm obsessed with the Colored Raine’s Cream Blush & Brush Bundle," Thorne says. The quad of round compacts touts vibrant color options: Butterfly (a vivid grape), Floral (a soft bubblegum pink), Smooches (a red-toned magenta), and Spicy (a rich terracotta). "All add a gorgeous wash of color to cheeks with the included angled face brush," she adds.
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Kulfi Beauty Underlined Kajal Set
"Kulfi Beauty burst onto the makeup scene with these Best of Beauty-winning Kulfi Underlined Kajal Eyeliners, and now, you can easily gift all five colorful shades with one convenient set. The more, the merrier, right?" says Sarah Han, Allure's senior commerce writer. "The whole shade lineup has become some of my go-to liners (especially the berry-purple called Purply Pataka and Cheeky Chiku, which is warm brown) because of their bold pigmentation, fun shades, creamy texture — shout out to the formula's aloe vera and vitamin E — and budge-proof finish. They're equally perfect worn alone or layered for fun graphic looks."
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Benefit Cosmetics Lash Dream Team Mini Mascara Trio
"I would argue mascara is just as personal as a fragrance," Gutierrez says. "Some may look for added length and dimension, while others (like me) strive for a transfer-proof formula that defines my naturally long lashes without marking my oily eyelids. Benefit Cosmetics's Lash Dream Team Mini Mascara Trio gives the gift of trial and discovery with three specialized formulas that perform wonderfully on their own and layered together for dramatic dimension."
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