Best Beauty Gifts, According to Our Staff

Crown Affair’s line of haircare essentials has been my gifting go-to for the past few years, and this holiday season is no exception. This particular bundle comes with a few of my favorites, including a generously sized hair towel that leaves my freshly washed mane feeling oh-so-soft, a fantastic leave-in conditioner, and a texturizing hair mousse.

A great scalp scrub shampoo has the power to transform dull and weighed-down hair with gentle exfoliation and moisturization. CR managing editor Ginger Cowles’ go-to product, and mainstay for many years, is this version from Briogeo. “Whenever I notice product buildup or even when I have 5 extra minutes to do a scalp scrub, I reach for this product,” she says. “It’s so effective and feels great, from the micro-exfoliant beads to the tingling sensation from the charcoal.”

Detangling brushes save not only time but also effort when tackling knots or an unruly mane. For deals editor Samantha Gordon, the FHI Heat Unbrush is the one to beat. It earned the distinction of being the best for curly hair in our evaluations of the best detangling brushes, and our testers liked its lightweight feel. “I switched to it because my old brush had those beads at the end of the bristles, and they were snagging in my hair and ripping out my extensions,” Gordon says. “The Unbrush has smooth bristles, so it glides through my hair so smoothly and detangles without catching my extensions.”

Meanwhile, senior writer Jodhaira Rodriguez sings the praises of this Tangle Teezer detangling brush, which she’s found herself reaching for more than her usual go-to from Bestool. “It detangles my hair well, and I find that the sturdy bristles have been working better for my hair than Bestool’s flexible ones,” she says. Designed for curly to coily hair, this brush also doubles as a scalp massager.

In leading our recent evaluations of the best hair mousses for curly hair, Rodriguez became a convert of this version from Pattern Beauty. “It gives me bouncy, moisturized, frizz-free curls every time I style my hair with it.” Our testers all liked this mousse, even those with varied hair lengths and textures, and found it to have a pleasant herbal scent.

“I treated myself to a new lipstick recently after a long while, and I’m a little obsessed with it,” says home and garden writer Yasmeen Khan of this rich burgundy shade from MAC. “I don’t wear a lot of makeup in the day-to-day. But I do like a bold lip color every now and again. And lipstick is so easy. Not like the labor required for a smoky eye—sheesh!”

“On the rare occasion that I forget to apply this product, I notice it by late morning,” says Cowles of this skin-blurring balm powder from Danessa Myricks Beauty, which she calls a miracle product. “My oily skin looks greasy—too greasy—and not at all the dewy look that I prefer. It is completely colorless, so people with any skin tone can use it.” 

According to Cowles, the balm starts out feeling greasy but then transforms into a matte finish that serves as a prime canvas for the rest of your makeup routine. You just might even find yourself using less product.

I swear by blush sticks—say what you will, but I find them to be easier to apply than powder—and love to use them on my lips and even a small dash on the bridge of my nose. CR writer Althea Chang-Cook is also a fan, especially of this version. “I love this blush stick. I use sticks because my skin is dry. This one seems to last forever. I’ve had it for more than a year. All I need is to put a dot on each cheek and blend!”

The first, and really only, beauty product Rodriguez wears daily, aside from mascara, is her favorite eyebrow gel from NYX. “I don’t get my eyebrows done because they simply are what they are and have zero growth, so I love this to add a little more density to my brows,” she says. “I use the Brunette color now, but have used others when I couldn’t find the color in store, and they were all pretty forgiving.” 

If you’ve yet to get on the gel eye patch train, now is the time. These 24K Gold gel eye patches from Peter Thomas Roth are equal parts luxurious and effective. Just take Cowles’ word for it. “I absolutely adore this product,” she says. “I just started using them last year when I noticed a lot more fine lines in my undereye area. A friend recommended them, and I initially balked at the $75 price, which I felt was a lot for eye patches, but she assured me they work. And they do.” 

These eye patches come in especially handy for Cowles after a night of less-than-ideal sleep or when she has a special evening planned. She recommends keeping them on for about an hour or until they dry out.

Gordon’s setting spray of choice is this one by Patrick Starrr. An integral part of her makeup routine, especially for a long day or night, she prefers this version because it’s light and dries instantly. “I hate using setting sprays where you have to fan your face to get them to dry, especially because I feel like they always get in my eyes and leave me tearing and my mascara running,” Gordon says. “This stuff is the exact opposite.”

Makeup that can do double (even triple) duty is always a win in our books, and this multiuse pigment stick is one prime example. The dual-toned product can be used on the eyes, cheeks, and lips for a truly versatile application. “This product is genius,” Cowles says. “It helps users create nearly effortless eye shadow looks with a single product. One end of the stick has a metallic color and the other a foil color—each providing a different look and texture. I took Duo #2 Orion Nebula & Twilight Cream on a recent girls’ trip, and it helped me get ready so much faster.”

If you’ve been looking for a sign to switch from foundation to skin tint, consider this a sign. Take it from me, you might find yourself hard-pressed to go back. Rodriguez recently made the swap after searching for an option that could withstand hours of wear without making her feel (and look) greasy. Cue this skin tint from Fenty Beauty. “[It] doesn’t feel heavy on my skin and hasn’t caused any major breakouts on my acne-prone skin,” she says. 

A great tinted lip balm is always hard to resist. Our evaluators unanimously agreed that this tinted lip balm by Dior was one very special pick. It’s easy to apply and hydrating with just the right pop of color and shine. The icing on the cake might just be the little charm that dangles from the tube.

“It’s been a busy fall, and my personal time has been at a premium lately,” says CR writer Jessica Waller. “The Necessaire body wash in Santal helped turn my shower into something more akin to self-care. I’m obsessed with the heady, layered scent that combines sandalwood with iris and jasmine.”

The secret to softer hands? It might just be this budget-friendly lotion. Goat milk and glycerin are the unusual powerhouse ingredients leading the way in this hand cream, which earned the Top Pick distinction in our evaluations. Our testers noticed an immediate difference in how soft and smooth their hands looked and felt after applying it. Despite how thick the cream feels, it absorbed in seconds, too. 

Something as simple as a splurge-worthy body wash can be a little luxury that goes a long way. Bathing Culture’s line of green-minded and deliciously scented bath products is a prime example. I’ve been a longtime user and can attest to its allure. It also happens to be a hit with shopping editor Mary Beth Quirk. “I absolutely love the smell of the Cathedral Grove scent; it’s refreshing without being too overpowering. I also like its silky texture, and the fact that a little goes a long way: I only have to use a small amount on my washcloth, so it’ll take me a while to work my way through the bottle.”

An effective body moisturizer can sometimes be tough to find, but we’ve got word that this one is a game-changer. Made with hydrating oat milk, cocoa, and shea, Lush’s fragrant body butter is not one to miss. “After washing, wet the bar and rub it all over your skin and quickly rinse,” Cowles says. “Takes less than a minute to do everything, and it’s super-moisturizing, which I need because my skin tends to be drier, especially in the winter.” 

Pro tip: Buy a separate, rustproof metal container to house the body butter in.

When running to the salon for a quick manicure isn’t an option, the next best thing might just be quick-dry nail polish. For Waller, it’s this version from Olive & June, which has become a go-to. “The formula glides on effortlessly and dries in a mere fraction of the time as other non-speedy polishes, which means I can get back to typing, cooking, and gardening without missing a beat.” As an avid user of this very polish, I can agree. 

“The mani also lasts a long time—I’ve preserved it unchipped for the better part of a week, as long as I don’t go digging in my kids’ Lego bins,” Waller adds. “Don’t tell, but I’ll be gifting my favorite shade, Rink, a pale icy blue-gray, to all my friends this season.”

“Does deodorant count as beauty? I’m not sure, but I’m going to boast about being the best-smelling person in Queens anyway,” says Rodriguez. For the record, it absolutely does. 

Having recently switched to Carpe’s Antiperspirant Underarm Stick, Rodriguez says she’ll never go back. “[It] truly keeps me smelling fresh and dry all day. It’s been two months, and so far it’s still working better than anything else I own (and I own a lot of deodorants). I’ve tried four scents so far that I love: Sandalwood, Coconut Vanilla, Rose Water, and Vanilla Peach.”

For the beauty connoisseur who goes all in on their skin care routine, this undeniable splurge might just be hard to resist. The all-in-one device is easy to use and features eight facial treatments, magnetic massage tips. and three spectrums of LED light therapy. “It combines several different modalities in one, including red light, microcurrent, and massage, and is a routine I regularly look forward to at the end of the day,” says Waller. “I especially love it for jaw tension, and I’m new to microcurrent devices, but the results are pretty wild.” 

If you’re looking for a slightly less intense tool, the ever-popular gua sha is hard to beat. Waller ditched her rose quartz version, which unfailingly made her break out, in favor of this stainless steel one. The stainless steel version is nonporous and doesn’t harbor bacteria,” she says. “It also stays cold, making it great for depuffing. Paired with jojoba oil, there’s nothing better to work out my elevens.”

“I was gifted this diffuser by a friend and can honestly say it has been one of the best gifts I’ve received in a long time,” Rodriguez says. If that isn’t a glowing review, we don’t know what is. 

The Aera diffuser’s claim to fame is its use of patented technology designed to deliver a hypoallergenic scent experience and fill rooms up to 1,000 square feet. Users can set the device on a schedule and adjust its levels. “As a former, frequent candle burner, I love that this diffuser gives me control over the intensity of a scent that candles never allowed me,” Rodriguez says. “There are so many scents available, too.”

A luxurious robe can go a long way, and this washable silk version is not one to miss. Available in a range of sizes and colors, it’s the perfect addition to a night of self-care.

Practicing good eyelid hygiene may not be the buzziest part of your skin care routine, but it’s important. “As I get older, my eyes get drier, especially during cooler months,” says Khan. Hydrating eye drops are a big help, but for the skin around her eyes, Khan uses this optometrist-recommended eyelid-cleansing gel with tea tree oil. “A small bottle lasts a while because I just use a tiny dab to wash my eyelids and under-eye area. My eyes feel really refreshed after. Instant relief. It can remove eye makeup, too.”

I prefer to keep my skin care routine to a minimum, which usually translates to a serum and occasionally a moisturizer if it happens to be a particularly dry day. I love this serum from Caudalie so much that I always ensure I have a backup when my current bottle appears to be running low. Made with organic grape water and hyaluronic acid, this fast-absorbing serum leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated throughout the day and night. 

Having acne-prone skin, Rodriguez once struggled to find products that didn’t cause breakouts. This Ultra Repair Cream from First Aid Beauty proved to be the answer. “I think I’m going on year six of repurchasing this, and don’t think I’ll ever go back,” she says. “Lightweight but super-moisturizing, and when I buy the 8-ounce tube, I don’t have to stock up again for many, many months.”

For Rodriguez, this year has been all about maintaining her clear skin, and her method of choice has been this dermaplaning tool from StackedSkincare, which earned the Top Pick distinction in our evaluations. “I have always been so afraid of dermaplaning because I worry I’ll cut myself, exacerbate my rosacea/acne, or make my peach fuzz grow back thick and dark,” she says—fortunately, she didn’t experience that with this one. “The first use was scary because, duh, it’s a sharp blade, but I’m a pro now and can get my whole face done in record time. Rodriguez notes she’s drawn to both the look and the weight of this device, and she also highlights the gratification she gets from watching dead skin and peach fuzz fall off her face. Needless to say, I’m completely sold.