I was once part of the peanut gallery that maligned gift sets. They felt like an afterthought, haphazard items thrown together so you could get away with buying a gift at the last second. But in 2025, they are covetable, limited edition, feature exclusive products, and result in compelling discounts. As a beauty editor and aficionado, I am most concerned with the beauty gift sets. After scouring the internet for hours with so many tabs, I thought my computer would implode, I’ve created this list of the 10 gift sets I have bought or that I am going to buy. (Maybe even for myself.)
Editor-Approved Beauty Gift Sets
The Best Value: Sephora Favorites Holiday Perfume Sampler Set With Redeemable Voucher, $98 (Originally $169); sephora.com
A Discount on La Mer?!: La Mer Mini Holiday Essentials Set, $98 (Originally $195); nordstrom.com
Sells Out Every Year: Dior Volume and Glow Holiday Makeup Gift Set, $117; ulta.com
Editor-Favorite Hair Care: Shirley Jane The Ritual Hair Care Set, $81 at checkout (Originally $108); shirley-jane.com
Clean Girl Beauty From a Failsafe Designer Brand: Chanel Coveted Essentials Skin and Nail Care Set, $155; chanel.com
Jennifer Aniston Called the Brand “Incredible”: U Beauty The Lip and Skin Care Trio, $134 (Originally $168); amazon.com
Will Make You a Gel-Free Convert: Manucurist Active Icons Nail Concealer Trio, $49 (Originally $57); us.manucurist.com
A Surprising Hit: Salt & Stone Mini Deodorant Discovery Set, $40; amazon.com
Shopper-Loved and Meghan Markle-Used: Medicube Collagen Swirl Firming Skin Care Duo, $47 (Originally $78); medicube.com
The Secret to Je Ne Sais Quoi Makeup: Violette_Fr Lip Gourmandises Makeup Set, $52 (Originally $69); violettefr.com
Sephora Favorites Holiday Perfume Sampler Set With Redeemable Voucher
Sephora
Picking out a perfume for someone else is not impossible, but it is incredibly difficult. It’s a shame since they are often expensive and much-appreciated gifts. This set from Sephora is a genius problem solver. It comes with 20 fragrance samples from brands like Versace, Gucci, and Marc Jacobs. But the kicker is the redeemable voucher that comes with it. After your giftee has gotten to know the options, they trade the voucher in for the perfume of their choice.
La Mer Mini Holiday Essentials Set
Nordstrom
It is nearly impossible to get a discounted La Mer product. I assume some of its products have been on sale (though I don’t have any evidence) but the main solution is to buy a gift set. This one, for example, might be a gift you give yourself. It shaves off nearly $100 from a quad kit that includes the iconic Creme de La Mer, Treatment Lotion, Concentrate Serum, and Renewal Oil.
Dior Volume and Glow Holiday Makeup Gift Set
Nordstrom
Every year, I recommend a version of this Dior beauty gift set, and every year it sells out with incredible speed. In 2025, the brand’s most popular makeup products—lip oil, mascara, and powder blush—come in a woven gold cosmetics pouch. It’s a rare present that will be appreciated by the makeup fluent and newbie alike.
Shirley Jane The Ritual Hair Care Set
Shirley Jane
Though you can’t go wrong with giving the classic brands, there is a certain type of gratification in introducing someone to something they’ve never heard of but subsequently can’t live without. This Shirley Jane hair care set is that girl. It comes with a shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in conditioner, which I can testify is strand-changing. It gives my curls moisture and definition, but my straight-haired sisters use it too for better volume and silkiness.
Chanel Coveted Essentials Skin and Nail Care Set
Chanel
There is simply no way to go wrong with a Chanel gift; everyone’s reaction is always “omg Chanel!” Any of its soon-to-sell-out sets will get the job done, but this one is my favorite. It features a hand cream that is as effective as it is chic, a luxe lip balm, and a barely-there pale pink nail polish.
U Beauty The Lip and Skin Care Trio
Amazon
Jennifer Aniston has sung the praises of U Beauty twice now. First, she said she “loves” its tinted moisturizer, and more recently, she said all of the brand’s products, especially the lip treatment included in this kit, are “incredible.” I am inclined to agree with her, and your giftees will feel the same way. My older sister, who is something beyond picky and difficult to please, has been a staunch U Beauty fan since I gifted it to her.
Manucurist Active Icons Nail Concealer Trio
Manucurist
ICYMI, the European Union banned gel nail polish because of toxic ingredients. That does not extend to the states, but it does raise some important concerns about the safety of the stuff. This kit from Manucurist is my alternative. It features three nail products that conceal nail imperfections and give them a healthy, natural-looking glow while improving overall strength and growth.
Salt & Stone Mini Deodorant Discovery Set
Amazon
Every year, more and more of my friends begin making the switch to aluminum-free deodorant. The problem, according to them, is that the options are limited, don’t smell great, and aren’t very effective. Salt & Stone’s seems to be the exception—I gifted this to my brother’s girlfriend, and she was obsessed with how chic the packaging was, and weeks later, texted me that she couldn’t believe how well it worked.
Medicube Collagen Swirl Firming Skin Care Duo
Amazon
People fall into one of two camps—they use and love Medicube, or they are itching to try it. This duo is apt for both. It features the firming, pumping Collagen Jelly Cream used by Meghan Markle and a niacinamide moisturizer that brightens skin and shrinks pores.
Violette_Fr Lip Gourmandises Makeup Set
Violette Fr
It’s a gatekept secret among beauty insiders that French brand Violette_Fr makes the best lip products out there. I swear by every single one it’s ever created. This set features a hydrating, glossy lip stain (a real scientific marvel), a blurred-effect matte lipstick, and a lip balm with the pigment of a lipstick.
Get ahead of the holiday rush and avoid out-of-stock products by shopping these gift sets.
