18 Christmas makeup gift sets for 2023: High-glamour gifting for all budgets

Christmas makeup gift sets are one of those universally well-received presents that always go down a treat – and this year's lineup is no exception. 

Christmas might still be a couple of months away, but our favourite beauty brands are well ahead of the gifting game with a dazzling array of cosmetic kits online and in-store. Think limited-edition festive colours to create Christmas makeup looks, the best beauty advent calendars, and chic makeup bags that, in the case of designer beauty brands, could often double up as a luxury clutch. What's more, these makeup sets often represent impressive savings on the individual prices of the products they contain. High glamour and huge savings – what's not to love? 

Whether you have a modest budget or want to push the boat out, we've rounded up the most fabulous Christmas makeup gift sets for every person and taste. We won't judge if you want to get one for yourself, too.

Christmas makeup gift sets for 2023 – our beauty team's pick of the best

We’ve all got that impossibly glamorous friend or relative who’s somehow always wearing lipstick any any time of day, and this is one of the Christmas makeup gift sets for them. The Clinique Plenty of Pop Lipstick gift contains five full-sized lipsticks in shades spanning from red through to berry and pink, all wrapped up in colourful, limited-edition, jewel-inspired packaging. As they’re lip colours and primers in one the finish is immaculate, with no dry flaky bits or bleeding colour throughout the day. 

One of the best things about Christmas makeup gift sets is that they give you the chance to try new products without committing to a full-size version. The products in this kit are minis of three of Vieve’s best-sellers, including the Instant Skin Nova Radiance Primer, Skin Dew Glow Multi-Tasker and Lip Dew Glossy Lip Oil. When used in tandem, they deliver a hattrick of luminosity, radiance and gloss to the skin for your healthiest-looking skin yet – which is probably what we all need by the end of party season. 

Looking for a nice stocking filler to pad out a present, a little something to brighten someone's day or a Secret Santa gift? The No7 Limited Edition Eye Duo will fit any of these bills. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser, there’s no need to worry about shade matching or whether or not will suit them, as absolutely everyone will appreciate receiving one of the best lash primers and a lifting and volumising mascara. Top marks to Boots for the seasonally appropriate limited edition metallic packaging too. 

There tend to be two kinds of gift buyers – the ones who like to get as much as they possibly can for their budget, and the ones who like to blow it all on one absolutely gorgeous I-know-you’d-never-buy-it-for-yourself item. If you’re in the latter camp, then this palette of highlighters, blusher, bronzer and finishing powders will appeal. There’s no escaping the fact that it’s eye-wateringly expensive but everyone deserves a little bit of luxury, don’t they? 

A new launch from IT Cosmetics for 2023, the CC+ Nude Glow is a fresh take on their cult CC with a fresher, even glowier finish. It looks best when buffed onto the skin with a brush, so it’s very handy (and cost-effective) that this kit includes one. Hands down one of the best lightweight foundations we’ve tried, this gift is guaranteed to be well-received by any makeup lover – just make sure you find out their shade first. 

Nars’ cheekily named Orgasm Blush tends to top pretty much every best blusher list, and you can find the liquid version (Afterglow Liquid Blush) of this cult fave in this mini Christmas makeup gift set. It’s the perfect peachy-pink shade that somehow manages to look good on absolutely everyone, and is even prettier topped with The Multiple Orgasm – a multi-purpose stick that can be used to highlight, sculpt and tint the eyes, cheeks or lips. Plus, the gold hang-able packaging feels more luxe than any other bauble on the tree. 

Benefit’s Porefessional is one of the best primers for perfecting the skin, mattifying shine and working like Polyfilla to smooth over prominent pores. In this set, it’s joined by three other products within the Porefessional family, including a cleanser, toner and mask  – essentially everything you need to create an even, toned base ready for your best foundation. 

Forget your turkey centrepiece, this is the real festive show-stopper. We can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t squeal with delight unwrapping this on Christmas morning. First up, there’s the case, which is made from plush red velvet and fancy enough to make even the drabbest of dressing table setups feel Hollywood-worthy. If you’re more interested in what’s inside, then there’s, take a deep breath and wait for it, a full-size Advanced Night Repair Serum, a cleanser, a moisturiser, a full-size eye creme, a limited edition eyeshadow palette, two limited edition lipsticks, two lip glosses, one lip liner, one mascara and one makeup remover – and breathe. It’s expensive, but in terms of value, it’s hard to argue. 

Whether your brows fell victim to the 90s and 00s trend for over-plucking or not, it’s fair to say most of us would be happy to receive the gift of better brows this Christmas. There is an art to great brows (and a little bit of science too) which is why you’ll find five handy stencils in this kit to make it easy for you to shape and enhance your brows at home. Use the Brow Definer pencil to shade and outline before topping with the Clear Brow Gel to hold them in place. 

If you have a favourite beauty product then the festive season is the perfect time to stock up, as lots of brands team best-sellers with a little added extra. Case in point: Lanôme. The Hypnôse Mascara alone will set you back £29, which means you’re essentially getting a premium lipstick for just £6 extra. It’s not full-size, granted, but the travel-size version is still pretty generous, and let’s be honest – when was the last time you actually finished a lipstick? 

We’d so far as to say that good brushes are an essential part of any makeup routine, but they’re the kind of thing (like razors and toothpaste) you resent spending money on. Hence why they make a really great gift. This pretty set contains six brushes of varying sizes to help you create an array of eye looks. 

No one does Christmas quite like Charlotte Tilbury, and we bet every makeup lover has at least one of the brand's products on their Christmas wish list. Our favourite amongst this year's gift set selection has to be this lip-to-eye four-piece combo. Within the show-stopping packaging, you will find a volumising mascara plus an eyeliner, lip liner, and matte lipstick, in a festive berry red hue. It is the perfect way to experiment with red lipstick ideas this season.

This set provides all the tools needed to turn up the festive feel of a variety of makeup looks. This includes one of the best volumising mascaras that will make the eyes sparkle and the brand's cult glow-giving spray can be used as a primer or over the top of makeup to dress the skin in a radiant glow. You can't go wrong with this one.

Is there anything better than gifting a loved one with the best lashes and brows ever? This trio contains one of the best eyelash growth serums on the market and brow products that are infused with a host of hair-strengthening and growth-enhancing ingredients. The artwork not only adds a wow factor, but the pretty peonies also represent good luck, love, and honour. It is the perfect way to show a makeup lover that you care.

Opening anything from Nudestix has always felt like a gift, thanks to the iconic black tins that house their products. This eye kit has festive eye looks sorted. It consists of one of the best eyebrow gels in the game, alongside a creamy eyeshadow pencil and mascara. The eyeshadow is a celebratory champagne hue that will look flattering on all skin tones and eye colours. 

By Terry is one of those cult makeup brands that not everyone has heard of, but once you've given it a try, these products are all you'll ever want to use. This set contains some of the brand's best hyaluronic acid products that will treat thirsty winter skin to a hydration hit, from foundation to primers to pressed powders.

Not every one of the best Christmas makeup gift sets has to be glittery or statement red. This cruelty-free makeup kit from the natural brand Nude by Nature is packed with subtle, complexion-enhancing products for fans of the natural look. Inside you'll find primer, foundation, concealer, finishing powder, and bronzer plus a sleek black case and brush to apply.

Another expensive one, but you know your loved one will already be blown away as soon as they see that ultra-cool Pat McGrath packaging. What's inside is pretty special too. Not one but six full-size products, including blush, lipstick, and an eye palette in a mix of subtle and statement shades, all highly pigmented and high performance, as you'd expect from the makeup artist brand.  

So there we have it, our expert guide to the best (and most coveted) Christmas makeup gift sets. Fingers crossed we've managed to tick everyone off your list so all that's left for you to do is sit back and pop on that Christmas film you've been waiting to watch...