We love big, expensive gifts just as much as the next person, and we've definitely felt the pressure over the years to pick out the perfect something for our loved ones. But stocking stuffers are the gifts that really get the Christmas morning party started. And really, what's not to love? They're tiny, cute, stress-free, and (hopefully), there are a lot of them to open because whether you're seven or 77, nothing is more fun than tearing into a bunch of itty bitty gifts.

In our experience, beauty gifts are universal in their ability to spark joy, even for our friends who claim that they are "not into beauty," but if you're starting to feel the stress of peak holiday shopping, we’ve got you. We waded through holiday mini madness from New York City to the North Pole to find the most irresistible, whimsical, and thoughtful beauty stocking stuffers, from perfume rollerballs to sparkly eyeshadows, that are sure to get the holiday fun rolling.

Saie Super Gel Multipurpose Illuminator Set

Sephora

Any makeup fiend would be delighted to unwrap a highlighter duo from InStyle-approved, glow-inducing clean makeup brand Saie. This set consists of two 15-ml Mini Glowy Super Gel Multipurpose Illuminators, in Starglow, a creamy champagne, and Warmglow, a golden shimmer. These gel highlighters are supercharged with skin-loving ingredients including vitamin C for brightening, papaya seed oil for counteracting inflammation, rosa canina fruit oil for nourishing, and squalane oil for hydrating. Also, these products are super versatile, and can be used under or over makeup, or on their own for a minimalist look, and work just as well on the body as they do on the face.

Kosas Most Wanted Nude Lipstick Set

Sephora

Kosas is another InStyle favorite, and supermodel Hailey Bieber doesn’t hate it either. Right now, we’re really lusting over this trio of nude lipsticks, which are both neutral and highly pigmented, if such a thing exists. The shades included are a neutral baby pink, a warm rosy pink, and a warm pinkish brown, and can all complement a range of skin tones in beautiful ways and for various occasions. These longwear lippies are enriched with mango butter, cocoa butter and rosehip oil to keep your recipient’s lips hydrated and nourished.

NARS Mini Dolce Vita Blush Duo

Sephora

Nars is beloved by celebrities and their makeup artists, thanks to its high-quality, richly colored makeup products that come in luxurious black packaging embellished with the brand’s sleek logo. If your giftee appreciates the finer things in life, she’ll certainly appreciate the chance to add some minis from the high-end French label to her makeup bag. This gift set comes with two products in the dusty rose shade Dolce Vita: A matte powder blush, and a sheer multi-purpose cream-to-powder multiple that can be used to lend color to eyes, lips, cheeks, and/or body. Perfect for on-the-go girlies who want to look put together, but have just seconds to get there.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Face Palettes

Sephora

Anastasia Beverly Hills does glamour better than anyone. Inside this swanky glittery box with a rose gold plaque is everything your recipient needs to glow all day — and all night. It comes with a bronzer, a highlighter, and a blush in shades that perfectly complement each other. Choose from three palettes in Italian Summer, Off To Costa Rica, and Tropical Getaway, each with colors that evoke time spent in sunshine-filled destinations as the perfect antidote to dreary winter days.

Tom Ford Indian Rose Lipstick

Sephora

Lipstick sets are awesome, but if you know your partner, friend, mom, sister or colleague off by heart and you know that they don’t like too much clutter when it comes to their makeup bag, just the one full-sized ultra-luxe lipstick is just the thing. This one from Tom Ford comes in stunning pink and black packaging, and in a shade called Indian Rose — a perfect deep nude that works amazingly on a variety of skin tones.

Summer Fridays The Mini Lip Butter Balm Set

Sephora

This one is for that friend who’s always borrowing your chapstick. Though you’ll always have her back, she can carry one of these cute minis around for those times when you’re not directly on hand. Hailing from the now-cult label Summer Fridays, a vegan and cruelty-free brand created by two beauty influencers, this set contains four Lip Butter Balms in the colors Vanilla, Vanilla Beige, Brown Sugar, and Poppy. Each squeezy tube is packed with shea and murumuru seed butters for soothing and conditioning dehydrated lips, and is perfectly sized for slipping into a night-out purse.

Drunk Elephant Glycolic Serum + Moisturizer Duo

Sephora

With so many skincare products out there to choose from, all beauty mavens feel a bit of FOMO that they can’t realistically try them all. That’s why we’re so appreciative of brands that create miniature versions of their bestselling formulas. Not only do these cutesy sets make lovely stocking stuffers, but they also create an incredible opportunity for people (in this instance, your recipient) to see how their particular skin responds to different products, and therefore make an informed choice about what full-sized products they might actually want to invest in. Gift them that opportunity with a taste of Drunk Elephant’s Lala Retro Whipped Cream for intense moisture, and T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Resurfacing Night Serum for resurfacing (one of our all-time faves, FYI).

Rare Beauty Discovery Eyeshadow Palette

Sephora

We all miss that giddy feeling that came from unwrapping a bunch of brightly colored toys for the holidays, and in a way, unwrapping multicolored makeup is as close as we get to that feeling as adults. Give your friend or family member the gift of nostalgia for when she used to rummage around her mom’s makeup collection with this stunning collection of crease-resistant eyeshadow colors from Selena Gomez’ amazing beauty line, Rare Beauty. This palette is rich with warm browns, pinks and golds, consisting of a circle of sparkly bronze-gold in the center, surrounded by six half-moons of delectable colors to spark your recipient’s creativity.

Sunday Riley Vitamin C + Retinol Mini Set

Sephora

Sunday Riley is another cult-favorite skincare brand that we think everyone should try at least once. Introduce your loved one to the label’s luxe products with this gift box containing a miniature C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum — formulated with 15 percent vitamin C for brightened, bouncy, glowy skin — and a miniature Luna Sleeping Night Oil — formulated with trans-retinoic acid ester (retinol) complex for smoothing the skin and reducing the appearance of pores, fine lines and other signs of aging.

Olaplex Strong Days Ahead Hair Kit

Sephora

So many people in our lives (both friends and influencers) completely swear by Olaplex for strong, healthy hair, but it has to be said the brand isn’t exactly the most affordable. If you happen to know your friend has used up her supply, this set is a perfect way to stock her up. The pretty polka-dotted box is filled with a 50ml bottle of the famed N°3 Hair Perfector, plus a full-size Bond Maintenance Shampoo and Conditioner to complete your giftee’s hair routine.

Yves Saint Laurent Lipstick and Libre Mini Gift Set

Nordstrom

Yves Saint Laurent makeup has some seriously luxe-looking packaging. Just peep those sleek gold accents! If your loved one is absolutely not one for quiet luxury, treat her to this set of very loud luxury products without breaking the bank. It comes with a 0.25 oz Libre Eau de Parfum, and a 0.04 oz Rouge Pur Couture Satin Lipstick in a classic red worthy of Taylor Swift’s 1989 era, both nestled in an ornamental gift box that can be hung straight from the Christmas tree.

Real Techniques 12-Piece Makeup Brush + Cleanse Gift Set

Ulta

This one is for the YouTube aficionadas who discover they need a new specific brush type every time they watch a makeup tutorial (guilty). Real Techniques is an industry leader for a reason, and with this set, the brand has gathered all the brushes your friend could possibly need, together with a cleansing balm and pad to keep the brushes in tip-top. It also doesn’t hurt that these brushes are an adorable metallic pink and come in a holiday-worthy raspberry red box. Yes, please.

MAC Lip by the Dozen Mini Powder Kiss Lipstick x 12

Ulta

Last but not least, for the friend who relishes a good old-fashioned makeup experiment, here’s a set of 12 lipstick shades from professional makeup brand MAC, ranging from bright orange to deep purple, and from Barbie pink to subdued reddish brown. These baby lipsticks are the ideal size for your recipient to pop in her purse for reapplying throughout the day — whether she’s at work, or at a desert rave.

Peter Thomas Roth Hello, Mask Besties!

Sephora

Just like other aspects of our lives, our skin needs evolve with the seasons, the environment, how much stress we’re under, and...the list goes on. That’s why this handy face mask set makes a great stocking stuffer, so that your friend can reach for the product that suits her specific concerns that day — or share them with your gang during an old school-style sleepover. The bright pink box comes with a miniature clarifying mask, soothing mask, exfoliating mask, lifting mask, and hydrating mask, and will make a colorful (and useful!) addition to any bathroom.

Lancôme Lip Gloss Trio

Bloomingdale's

Transport your bestie straight back to circa 2005 with a set of Lancôme’s iconic Juicy Tube lip glosses. This set comes with the colors Spring Fling, Marshmallow Electro, and Magic Spell, with each gloss providing hydration, plus juicy, glossy shine and “cushiony softness,” thanks to the vitamin E. Also, these feel great on the lips, and never uncomfortably sticky. We've loved these itty bitties since middle school.

Tarte Blush Tape & Glow Tape Set

Ulta

We’re willing to bet your giftee will fall head over heels for this set of two mini cream blushers (in coral and pink) and two mini cream highlighters (in pearl and amber) from Tarte. These little babies are formulated with mango butter for moisturizing and conditioning, porcelain flower for brightening and moisturizing, and mineral pigments for soothing and softening the skin. Plus, they’re vegan, cruelty-free, and made with clean ingredients.

Too Faced Travel Size Maximum Plump Lip Plumper Gloss Trio Set

Ulta

If your friend’s heart flutters at the sight of bright colors and holiday-themed packaging, she won’t be able to resist this set from Too Faced. Inside the candy pink, wreath-adorned box are three mini lip plumpers, in a frosted pink, a raspberry pink, and a peachy pink (yes, we know, they sound good enough to eat). These goodies are enriched with avocado and jojoba oils for a little hydration factor, and have a noticeable plumping effect — no injections needed. Bonus: All Too Faced products are certified cruelty-free.

NARS Mini Powdermatte Lip Duo

Nordstrom

Another fabulous pick from Nars, this gift set consists of two mini lipsticks with a smooth, matte finish for a super sleek look. The shades are Too Hot to Hold, a maple red, and American Woman, a dusty rose. Both of these were made to inspire boldness and confidence, and your loved one will feel totally powerful while wearing these. Another reason this set makes such a great stocking stuffer? It’s packaged in a sleek ornament box. We’ll take six.

NYX Professional Makeup 12 Days of Kissmas

NYX

Choose whether to give this set to your loved one as a stocking stuffer, or as an advent calendar ahead of December 1st. This is a super cute bright pink box with 12 windows’ worth of makeup gifts from NYX, including six Butter Glosses, four Smooth Whips, and two Shine Loud lipsticks, all in a range of colors to suit your giftee’s every mood all year round. We thought we loved NYX already, but this really seals the deal for our endless devotion.

Peach & Lily Glass Skin Radiance Travel Size Kit

Ulta

Your skincare-obsessed friend will thank you a hundred times over when she discovers this travel kit from Peach & Lily in her stocking. It contains four small versions of some of the brand’s best products: Ginger Melt Oil Cleanser, a gentle oil-based cleanser; Glass Skin Face Polisher, a micro-exfoliating polish for smoother, brighter skin; Glass Skin Refining Serum, a smoothing, brightening and calming serum; and Peptide Pro Firming Moisturizer, a hydrating cream that helps combat the signs of skin aging. Basically, this kit comes with everything your giftee needs to take her skincare with her wherever the wind takes her.

Jenny Patinkin Carry-On Cuties Set

Bluemercury

That friend who’s always traveling for work will be super grateful for the gift of a carry-on friendly beauty set to help her feel refreshed and beautiful even during and after a flight. This Jenny Patinkin set is made up of a Petite Rose Quartz Uplifting Gua Sha Heart, a Petite Set of 4 Organic Reusable Rounds, a Petite-Petite Rose Gold Eye Roller, and a Pure Luxury Au Naturel Green Tea Makeup Sponge. All products are planet-friendly, and nestled in a handy little pouch all ready to go.

Love, Indus Travel Kit

Love, Indus

Your friend whose self-care rituals are non-negotiable — even, or especially, while traveling — is likely going to need all the lotions and potions they can get. This teeny tiny duo of skincare pots is the ideal way for your loved one to get acquainted with Love, Indus, a beautiful BIPOC-founded brand that combines traditional ingredients and practices with the best modern technology. This travel kit consists of a mini Detox Mask, which helps to tighten, brighten and smooth the skin, and a mini Precious Potion Vital Cream, which delivers intense nourishment and helps rejuvenate the skin.

Mumu Bath All-Natural Lip Balm

Mumu Bath

We love getting to know indie brands like Mumu Bath, a woman- and AAPI-owned label that creates vegan beauty products from sustainably sourced, natural ingredients. This lip balm comes in a choice of delicious flavors — tangerine, pink grapefruit, peppermint, cocoa vanilla, chai, and mango — and is formulated with organic castor oil, organic cocoa butter, carnauba wax and candelilla wax for a creamy texture that leaves lips super hydrated and soft. They’re also lightly tinted for a little something extra, plus are packaged totally without pesky plastics.

Glow for It Lip Oil

Beauty Bay

Lip oil has been gaining prominence lately as a fabulous alternative to both lip balm and lip gloss. That’s because, unlike some lip balms, it glides easily onto your lips to provide that much-needed hydration, and unlike some lip glosses, it’s not a drying product while still achieving a delectable glossy finish. The Glow for It Lip Oil comes in a clear and unscented option, a pink-tinted watermelon option, and an orange-tinted peach option, all of which make adorable stocking stuffers thanks to their candy pink packaging and wallet-friendly price tag.

Fable & Mane Pre-Wash Hair Treatment Oil

Sephora

Fable & Mane was founded by siblings Akash and Nikita “Niki” Mehta, with a view to bring the traditional Indian practice of hair oiling to the wider public, and has evolved into a total fan favorite — with good reason. Their HoliRoots Hair Oil is suitable for most hair types and textures, and comes with a ton of hair benefits, including strengthening the hair, hydrating the scalp, and helping to repair damage. Formulated with high-quality natural ingredients, we love the mini size in its pretty little dropper bottle as a stocking stuffer.

Olay Super Serum + Facial Moisturizer Gift Set

Target

Olay may not be the most glamorous brand on the market, but man, its products work. Both supermodels and our moms and grandmas are obsessed with the legacy drugstore brand, whose skincare products are packed with powerful ingredients for helping your recipient streamline her daily routine. This gift set contains a mini bottle of the Super Serum, which is designed to smooth, firm and hydrate the skin, and a mini pot of the Retinol24 +Peptide, which works to smooth and brighten.

Barefaced Everyday Eye Hero

Barefaced

Self-care is always important, but even more so around the holidays — when shorter, chillier days and complex family dynamics can often get us down. Lift your loved one up with a pair of reusable eye patches, which are designed to layer over her skincare to enhance absorption, as well as helping to smooth fine lines, hydrate, and counteract puffiness. Used every day, these will last up to a whopping 12 months, thereby reducing waste and the need to buy more immediately (once your recipient realizes how great these are).

Mount Lai Gua Sha Facial Lifting Tool

Sephora

Seemingly everyone is using a gua sha tool these days, but if someone in your life recently admitted that she has yet to invest in one, now’s your chance to remedy that. Available in a choice of jade, rose quartz, amethyst, or black obsidian crystals (each of which is believed to have different properties), this is a facial massage tool that aids with skin firmness and elasticity and helps reduce the appearance of fine lines of wrinkles. Plus, using it just feels like a beautiful act of self-love.

Ariana Grande 6-Piece Mini Coffret Collection

Ulta

Selena Gomez isn’t the only popstar to successfully dip her toe in the world of cosmetics. Ariana Grande has also developed a line of super pink, super girly perfumes, and has gathered six minis of the best into a matching pink box cleverly designed to look like a record. The fragrances included are: Mod Vanilla, Mod Blush, God is a Woman, R.E.M., Thank, U Next, and Sweet Like Candy. Yum.

Why Shop With Us

Iris Goldsztajn is a Paris-born, London-based freelance writer with 10 years of experience covering fashion, beauty, wellness and lifestyle for the likes of InStyle, Marie Claire, British Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Bustle, Refinery29 and many more. In order to write this gift guide, Iris drew on her personal experience with many of the picks on this list over the years, and conducted extensive research into the most coveted thoughtful beauty stocking stuffers that are sure to make a lasting impression.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qrrSrbClnV6YvK57wZ6YrqypZLK3sYylpqZlk6GyorrSnqk%3D