The Best Beauty Gifts for Your Bestie

It’s safe to say that throughout our nearly 10-year friendship, Candice and I have often gone the pampering route when we buy gifts for one another. Whether it’s a favorite perfume, spa services or cosmetic splurges, we’ve always enjoyed treating one another to beauty-related gifts.

I know it seems early to be thinking about holiday gifting (after all, Halloween hasn’t even passed yet) but I love a good deal (and these holiday sets tend to sell out) so today I’m sharing with you Benefit’s holiday gift sets in partnership with Ulta.
Beauty and the Bay gift set ($39)  |  GALifornia Love “Limited Edition Holiday Value Set” ($29)  |  The Great BROWnanza! Blockbuster Brow gift set ($59)  |  Cable Car Cuties Limited Edition Holiday Value Set ($19)  

Let’s hit the rewind button for a second — I’ve been using Benefit products for over a decade now. In fact, Benefit’s Hoola bronzer was the first I ever used. I’ve also been using their Eye Bright pencil for over 10 years and most recently became addicted to their brow products when I was sent a package of them to try out (I even talked about it on my Instagram stories if you’re a regular).
The holiday kits have amazing price points and come with some of the brand’s most-loved and highly rated products. I’m going to break down what’s in each kit so you can see which one (or two or three or five) you like best! Also — I can’t get over the fun, bright, dome packaging. Seriously love the theme of this collection and the presentation is perfect for gifting. You could totally slap a cute bow on it and be done!
In this post, I’m also going to share mini-reviews of the products I use and love (and Candice has some recommendations too!)

Beauty and the Bay gift set ($39 | $87 value)
Full size High Brow Highlight & Lift Pencil  |  Full size They’re Real! Mascara in Jet Black   |  Full size Hoola Matte Bronzer  |  High Beam Liquid Face Highlighter Mini

A full-size Hoola matte bronzer retails for $29 on its own, so for $10 more, you get three additional full-sized products which is a total no-brainer. Benefit’s They’re Real mascara retails for $24 and has over 9,000 reviews on Ulta.com with an overall 4.5 star rating and is part of this gift set. I personally only use waterproof formulas, but these reviews are amazing.

I have the High Brow highlighting and lift pencil and not only is it fantastic for use on the brow bone, but I’ve “cheated” a few times and used it just like I use my Eye Bright pencil — to add brightness to the inner corners of my eyes and also to line my lower lash line (a trick that makes your eyeshadow stay on all day when used as a “primer” for your liner).

I have used and really like the High Beam liquid highlighter, but it’s not a product I use daily. However, the holiday season/New Year are a perfect time to add a little extra glow to your skin. I know some women who use it daily on their cheekbones and even down the center of their noses and brow bones!
The Great BROWnanza! Blockbuster Brow gift set ($59  |  $151 value)
Full size Gimme Brow-Volumizing Fiber Gel  |  Full size Brow Zings Total Taming & Shaping Kit For Brows  |  Full size Goof Proof Brow Pencil Easy Shape & Fill  |  Full size Ka-BROW! Cream-Gel Brow Color with Brush  |  Full size High Brow Highlighting & Lift Pencil  |  Angled Eyebrow Brush & Spool |  Brow Mapping Tool

The largest kit of them all, this is for your brow-obsessed bestie (or maybe a friend who wants to try brow products but doesn’t know what she needs — this is a way to try several at once without breaking the bank).

I have tried every single product in this kit and my favorites are the high brow pencil, the goof proof brow pencil and the volumizing fiber gel. The goof-proof pencil is thicker and angled, allowing you to get a great brow shape without having to be super precise like you would with the thinner pencil. The volumizing fiber gel is perfect as a setting gel for filled-in brows or on its own. Sometimes on weekends, I use it on its own for a super natural look with just a little bit of definition. This is perfect for women who don’t want the fuss of using a pencil but still want to tame their brows. Though not included in this particular kit, I also use and adore Benefit’s precisely pencil.  It’s a daily favorite.
GALifornia Love “Limited Edition Holiday Value Set” ($29  |  $63 value)
Full size Roller Lash Super Curling and Lifting Mascara in Black  |  Full size Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel in Shade 3  |  GALifornia Sunny Golden Pink Blush Mini

This kit has such a fun name and includes another best-seller — Benefit’s Roller Lash super curling mascara. As we were going through the products in each gift set, Candice was thrilled this was included because it’s her daily mascara. She says (and I quote) ” it’s the only mascara I’ve used [and I’ve tried many] that actually separates and provides an eye-opening effect without having to curl my lashes!”  If they made this in a waterproof formula, you know I would be all over this mascara because there’s nothing I love more than a curled lash. Candice also took home the Sunny Golden Pink blush because it looked beautiful on her peachy-toned fair skin. This kit makes a great gift for the friend who has a really simple makeup routine because it covers all of the basics– defined lashes and brows and a little color on the cheeks.
Cable Car Cuties Limited Edition Holiday Value Set ($19  |  $33 value)
The POREfessional Face Primer Mini  | Rockateur Rose Gold Blush Mini  |  Fun size Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel in Shade 3 
The smallest of the three kits, with three mini products, it’s a great price point for when you want to give a useful, nicely packaged gift for under $20. Love that it has the rose gold blush mini, so flattering for many skin tones!

Happy (HOLIDAY!) shopping!

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