The Afrobella Holiday Gift Guide – Beauty Presents You’ll Love

Christmas is right around the corner and I am NOT READY! I know I’m not alone. Bellas, I’m here to help you make your Christmas list, OR find the perfect gift for the beauty lover in your life. Here are my tried and tested favorites in makeup products that are gift-ready. I’m talking beautiful packaging and presentation that will make you ooh and aaah upon opening, products you’ll love at first try. Some are indie brands, others you’ll know and recognize right away. I think you’ll love these picks as much as I do! Here we go…

 

 

The Smashbox Full Exposure palette is perfect for anyone building an eyeshadow collection, who’s looking for the ideal range of colors for beginners or experts. It’s a great travel palette with range and depth to take you from day to night.

The Ittse makeup palette – I discovered Ittse at Cosmoprof this summer (the owner is a total sweetheart who is very knowledgeable). The concept is brilliant — palettes you customize yourself. You can choose their pre-curated collections or eyeshadow quads, or just fill your palette with the colors you don’t already have — you can choose from over 100 velvety, vivid shadows, brow powder and complexion refill products, and the eye shadows are ON POINT. Super cute, unique concept and perfect for travel!

 

 

Lancome Auda(city) in Paris is the kind of eyeshadow palette that is endlessly useful and super wearable. I already gave it my thumbs up on Allure.com’s list of holiday gifts that major influencers want > click here to read! 

 

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani palette is glitzy, glamorous, sexy, and comes with high pigment shades you’ll want to wear again and again. I love the deeper shade as liner and the lighter browns, beige and champagnes all blend together beautifully (just add a dash of black winged liner along that lashline for instant fabulousity). Gwen’s collection is as hot as you might imagine.

Magnolia Makeup makes the most amazing matte lip colors, and two of their Ultra Mattes would liven up your stocking FOR SURE.  The two I’ve got my eye on? Calypso and Dutty Wine, naturally. This is Calypso, on a beautiful model (photo via Magnolia Makeup’s website).

 

Laura Geller has a bunch of great $25 and under makeup deals that would also make for great stocking stuffers. Laura Geller is one of those brands I slept on for way too long — if you’re new to their stuff I recommend you check out the Eye Rimz, a highly pigmented shadow that comes with a great brush for wet or dry use, or the Eye Calligraphy Trio. Perfect for mastering the winged liner look.

 

Trish McEvoy is another brand I slept on for too long and there are SO many great makeup products and perfumes in her portfolio! For holiday, I think her Deluxe Makeup Planner is so chic and such a great concept for bellas on the go. This classic black quilted case is the beginning of a perfect makeup system for anyone who travels and needs to be put together in a hurry. Elegant, chic and thoughtful (you have to buy the makeup to go inside it, please note. So it’s like a fly starter kit). See how it works below (image via Trish McEvoy’s site).

 

 

BECCA is one of my favorite brands, I swear by their foundation and primer! Their Afterglow Palette would make a lovely stocking stuffer, especially for bellas interested in highlights and strobing. It includes “Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Moonstone, Rose Gold and Topaz, and the beautifully soft Mineral Blush in Wild Honey and Flowerchild.” That means super wearable and blendable highlights and blush to flatter a variety of complexions. So pretty!

 

Colourpop is SO HOT right now. Social media savvy ladies have been coveting this high pigment, super affordable makeup brand and their eyeshadows and lip products have been flying off the shelves. Me myself personally, I want the collection with one of my fave vloggers, ItsMyRayeRaye! They also have adorable mini kits (like Squad, which you see below) that are perfect for stuffing that stocking.

Too Faced is one of those brands that make me want to buy everything — that’s because their products rock and many of them smell like chocolate! Their holiday gift selection is next level — click to behold. But my tried, tested and true pick for you under the tree? That’d be the Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Collection. It really is so easy, pretty and delicious – a great intro to the brand for sure.

 

This is just part ONE of my holiday gift guide, stay tuned as I dive into natural hair, body care and MORE picks of the best gift items of the year!