Holiday beauty sets that have the most bang for your buck

If you’re a beauty lover then you know the holidays are a great time to score some great gift sets of your favourite products and brands for less. It’s also a really good time to try out new products—perhaps something you’ve always wondered about or in a mini size to make sure you like it before you commit. Makeup expert Chantel Guertin highlighted six gift-worthy holiday beauty sets that you'll probably want to keep for yourself. 

Skincare sets 

Life Plankton Elixir Set

The Life Plankton Elixir Set is the best hydrating and regenerating gift for women with Life Plankton Elixir, Biotherm's best-selling anti-ageing vitamin C and hyaluronic acid serum. From day cream to an essence-in sheet mask, these products work together to infuse your skin with regenerating and hydrating Life Plankton, leaving your skin looking radiant.  

All Biotherm's gift sets are made with 100% recycled paper and are plastic-free as part of their blue beauty commitment to protect the oceans. 

SHOP: Life Plankton Elixir Set; $50 at Biotherm

Estée Lauder Limited Edition Holiday Blockbuster Set

This iconic, limited-edition blockbuster set is filled with all Estée Lauder's beauty must-haves, including a full size of their number one selling serum, the Advanced Night Repair Serum. The set also includes a travel-size serum, a full-size and travel-size moisturizer, a full-size and travel-size eye cream. Plus, it contains two eyeshadow palettes, two lipsticks, and one mascara. 

SHOP: Estée Lauder Limited Edition Holiday Blockbuster Set; $99 at The Bay

Makeup sets 

Shoppers Beauty Mascara Discovery Collection Set 

Choosing a new mascara can be tough because it’s not something we can test out in the store. Shoppers Beauty has created the ultimate Mascara Discovery Collection Set that contains seven different mascaras, including brands like Benefit, Clinique, and Lancôme. When you purchase this set, you receive a gift card inside to trade-in for one full-size of your choice—so you get the one you loved best. 

SHOP: Shoppers Beauty Mascara Discovery Collection Set; $44 at Shoppers Drug Mart

Anastasia Fuller-Looking & Dimensional Brow Kit 

Looking to achieve the perfect brow? This three-piece set from Anastasia packs just the essentials for that effortless, statement-making look on the go. The dual-ended, all-in-one Brow Definer features a triangular tip that outlines, shades, and fills, plus a custom-built spoolie for blending into a soft, realistic finish. Next, the Brow Pen amps up dimension by micro-stroking hair-like detail in areas you want more fullness. Its waterproof, featherlight formula glides on with effortless precision, mimicking the appearance and texture of natural hair. Finally, the lightweight, colourless Mini Clear Brow Gel, masterfully sets your shade and locks in structure for a clean, polished style you love.

SHOP: Fuller-Looking & Dimensional Brow Kit; $38 at Anastasia Beverly Hills

Hair sets 

Joico Defy Damage Healthy Trio 

Switching up your haircare routine with the seasons is important, but sometimes we settle for drugstore shampoo even when we know the salon products are better for our hair. This year, treat yourself with this Joico Defy Damage Healthy Trio. Protect all hair types from the ravaging effects of daily heat styling, UV exposure, and environmental pollution that lead to dry, dull, lacklustre locks with this haircare system. It features the Defy Damage shampoo, conditioner, and protective shield for styling. Together these products reduce breakage by 85% and help you maintain 90% of your colour vibrancy. 

SHOP: Defy Damage Healthy Trio; $49.99 at Joico

For men 

Clarins Men Cleansing Gift Set 

It’s not always on men’s radar to use anything more than soap or shave cream on their face, so the holidays are a nice time to give a guy in your life a gift set that provides some options. And it’s a win-win because they usually smell really good. Clarins is such a lovely, classic brand, and it’s widely available making it a bit easier for men to follow through with continuing to use the products afterward. This cleansing gift set contains an exfoliating cleanser, two-in-one shampoo, shower gel, and a super moisture balm.

SHOP: Clarins Men Cleansing Gift Set; $36 at Nordstrom Canada