Don't get us wrong, we like love makeup, but there's something oh-so special about a skincare gift set. Nothing says me-time like a looong skin-pampering sesh and, frankly, we'd rather slather our face with a luxe face mask than spend over an hour making up our base.
That's why we've trawled the internet (and our all-time favourite beauty brands) to find the very best selection of skincare sets out there. Cleansers, moisturisers, masks and serums: these have all been hand-picked, thanks to their premium ingredients and formulas that really are worth your hard-earned cash.
Rest assured, we will be treating our friends, family and ourselves to the kits in here – so we suggest you follow suit. From Drunk Elephant and Naked Sundays to the The Ordinary, these are the skincare treats we want to find under our tree this year...
Perhaps the most coveted skincare set among the rhode-initiated, this duo contains the much-loved glazing milk and a lip peptide treatment. But not any regular lip peptide treatment, no - this one's a limited edition peppermint glaze made with Matilda Djerf, which smells like Christmas.
If you haven't heard of Medik8's much-hyped Crystal Retinal, where have you been? (Don't worry, we forgive you and have a full run-down of the whole Medik8 range in this review).
This handy set comes with the iconic serum as well as the matching Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye 6 to help target those tiny crow's feet.
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The beauty of The Ordinary is that it suits all skin types and ages, meaning you can never go wrong.
This set covers all hydration bases, featuring a cleanser, hyaluronic acid serum, and a moisturiser, so you can go to sleep with doughnut-glazed skin.
One too many glasses goblets of red wine and handfuls of Quality Streets over the Christmas period will often lead to breakouts, redness, and irritation, we know the drill.
This set from Beauty Pie features their skincare bestsellers to get skin back on track. They’ll thank you later. Plus, it's just £44 for members.
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We are completely obsessed with minis over here at Cosmo HQ and this little set from Naked Sundays is the ideal pressie to gift someone that's about to set off on hols. It contains a mini sunscreen, body mist and lip oil so they'll be covered from top-to-toe and it'll fit in their liquids bag with room to spare.
If you've been sleeping on Charlotte Tilbury's extensive skincare line, this kit would be a great intro to the range.
It features travel-sized versions of the iconic Magic Cream to the much-hyped Magic Serum Crystal Elixir (packed with vitamin C and polyglutamic acid, this stuff is seriously good) and the Glow Toner.
It's safe to say, the Christmas tree won't be the only thing shining this holiday season after you use this kit.
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Arguably one of the most exciting skincare brands to launch in the last year or so, Soho Skin won us over with its retro packaging and vegan formulas.
This discovery kit includes everything you would ever need for a weekend away and yes, that even included a shaving gel.
All those festive snacks and glasses of mulled wine are likely to take their toll on our skin (read: pesky breakouts). This acne-fighting trio will come to the rescue though.
The set contains mini versions of the brand's Pore Normalizing Cleanser, their iconic 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant and their 10% Azelaic Acid Booster (my personal fave), so your loved one (or you) can head into 2024 with spot-free skin.
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We all know how essential sleep is to repair your skin, so why not gift the gift of the nighttime glow up with this comprehensive set from one of our fave brands, Sunday Riley.
This routine includes a complete nighttime routine, including their Ceramic Slip Cleanser and iconic Luna Sleeping Night Oil.
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Give the gift of glowing skin this festive season with this skincare stack from Trinny London.
It includes a balm cleanser, PHA exfoliant, hyaluronic acid serum and a niacinamide moisturiser, all in handy travel-sized pots.
Whether it be your sister, your mum or your gran, this is going to get you into the good books.
The festive season wouldn't be complete without a few minis under the tree. This offering from Grown Alchemist has got your entire routine covered in one handy pouch.
From the detoxing Deep Cleansing Facial Mask to draw out any hungover grime to their Lip Balm to repair pouts after one too many Christmassy red lip moments, this kit will come to the rescue for all your skin needs.
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Glow Hub *screams* Gen Z, and is the perfect place to start for anyone trying to get to grips with their first skincare routine.
This lilac kit features a cleanser, moisturiser, and a set of toning pads, to help brighten and purify combo skin.
Garnier's skincare bits are not only affordable, but they work too. This set comes with their famous micellar water, a serum, and a sheet mask. All of which, are jam-packed with brightening vitamin C.
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Fenty Skin FENTY SKIN START'R SET MINERAL - Skincare Set
We can rave about Fenty Beauty until Rihanna drops that new album – that’s a long time. If you’ve been debating what to try from Fenty Skin, this basics set has got you covered.
All products are vegan and noncomedogenic (meaning they won’t clog pores) and aim to target everything from minimising the look of pores to banishing dryness.
Nothing makes us feel more on top of life than remembering to use a face mask. This collection is all about hydration and can be worn whilst getting through your list life admin. Talk about multitasking.
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We really love a mini, and we really really love the viral Laneige Lip sleeping mask. The dreamy formula transforms your lips overnight for a plump hydrated happy pout.
And now you don't need to choose a flavour because you can have one of each in mini form. this one will be hard to gift. They're too cute.
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Fresh Limited Edition Bestsellers Set
We didn't think minis could get any cuter until we came across this set.
It features four of Fresh's bestsellers (a cleanser, essence, serum and moisturiser) and will make the perfect travel companions for those planning to jet-set in 2024.
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One of the highlights of last year has got to be Tatcha launching in the UK, so if you're still yet to try the range, you need this.
This set is everything you could ever need for stressed-out skin and is a great intro to the brand.
If you’re shopping for an eco-conscious loved one, you can’t do any better than REN Clean Skincare.
The gift features the brand's holy grail Ready Steady Glow Tonic, plus three other soothing products to round off your routine.
Keeks Reid
Beauty Director
Keeks Reid is the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. While she loves all things beauty, Keeks is a hair fanatic through and through. She started her career in beauty journalism in 2013 as editorial assistant at Blackhair and Hair magazines working her way to Acting Editor of Blackhair magazine at 23 years old. She spent much of her career working in trade hairdressing media at Hairdressers Journal, Salon International and the British Hairdressing Awards. Which is why she is a regular contributor to Cosmo's Curl Up franchise. Now, alongside her Cosmo work, she presents, creates content on social media and works with a range of beauty companies; from magazines and websites to beauty brands and salons.
Charlotte Bitmead
Former Senior Beauty Writer
Charlotte Bitmead (she/her) is the Senior Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. She has over six years experience writing about beauty and has previously written for ELLE and The Sunday Times Style, covering everything from politics to sustainability to inclusivity within the beauty industry. When she’s not writing in-depth features, testing out the newest skincare fad or trying to decide what nail art to get, you can find her overspending in bookshops or shouting at Arsenal matches. Find her on LinkedIn
