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Aug 08, 2023

Best Makeup Gift Sets 2023

Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Major savings on Nars, Rare Beauty, Tarte, and more. If the best things in life are

Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Major savings on Nars, Rare Beauty, Tarte, and more.

If the best things in life are free, then the closest thing to that feeling has to be opening up the best makeup gift sets with multiples of our favorite products and new beauty discoveries. Shopping for beauty products for loved ones is a tough code to crack, considering all the different skin types, woes, and complexions you have to factor in with each purchase. Will they even use this 12-piece brush set? Do they know the difference between a bronzer and a contour? What does a fixing spray do differently from a setting spray?

Whether you're browsing for your budding beauty enthusiast, an older loved one looking for a refresh, or restocking your own stash, the best thing about makeup gift sets is that they're typically mini or travel-sized, affordable, and fool-proof.

Here at ELLE.com, we know a thing or two about sourcing the best makeup gifts that will make any loved one sing, from a celebrity makeup artist's brush kit to supermodel's carefully curated routine to TikTok's most viral products. To find the best makeup gift sets on the market, we browsed through dozens of customer reviews to put together a wishlist worthy of your attention. Shop the 25 best gifts ahead.

Fans of Nars' iconic Orgasm Blush can grab its accompanying lip gloss for under $30. The rosy pink blush can be built-up to your desired shade and offers a soft flush of pink. Jojoba oil and pomegranate extracts are packed into the lip gloss to condition the lips so they're soft, shiny, and kissable.

Includes: Nars Orgasm Blush, Afterglow Lip Shine

Sephora rating: 4.2/5 stars

A Sephora reviewer said: “After using this product, I am loving the results! It’s a must in my daily routine and it’s definitely worth the price. If you are looking for a light and easy powder blush and a glossy lip product to moisten your lips, it’s a definite buy!”

A good brush cleaner is the unsung hero of your makeup routine. Treat your brushes right with this brush cleaner kit that doesn’t need water to get the job done. Your brushes will be bacteria-free in three easy steps.

Includes: Makeup brush cleaner solution, cleansing tin

Sephora rating: 4/5 stars

A Sephora reviewer said: “I don’t know why I slept on this product for so long. After trying it recently I have to say it is absolutely amazing. Works better and quicker than any soap or shampoo I’ve used on my brushes. Even brushes with a lot of product buildup got clean.”

Clean girl makeup enthusiasts will rejoice when they get their hands on this Sephora Favorites kit. For $48, you’re gifted four full-size products, in addition to mini must-haves to complete your minimalist, “clean” look. While the set doesn’t come with concealer or foundation, you can create a soft beat with a Lawless blush, Milk Makeup bronzer, Patrick Ta plumping gloss, and Ilia mascara, and set it all in place with Rare Beauty setting spray.

Includes: Lawless Make Me Blush Talc-Free Velvet Blush; Milk Makeup Matte Cream Bronzer Stick; Patrick Ta Major Volume Plumping Lip Gloss; Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm; Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze Extreme Hold Laminated-Look Sculpting Wax; Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops Serum; Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Always an Optimist 4-in-1 Mist; ILIA Limitless Lash Lengthening Clean Mascara

Sephora rating: 4.5/5 stars

A Sephora reviewer said: “This set is so cute and the products are great! I especially love the summer days lip balm. Overall this purchase is worth the hype!”

No makeup toolkit is complete without Real Technique brushes. Perfect for beginners, this set features a large powder brush, a buffing brush, and two smaller brushes for the most important steps in your makeup routine—from foundation to concealer to the final set. The kit also comes with a sponge if you prefer a sheerer coverage.

Includes: (4) Makeup brushes, blending sponge

Ulta rating: 4.8/5 stars

An Ulta reviewer said: “I love these brushes over my expensive brushes. I find many uses for them and they are so easy to clean with baby shampoo. I will buy again.”

Mimic Rosie’s classic “clean” supermodel look with this five-piece set of her favorites. With a focus on creating a solid base, this set comes with a cream bronzer and highlighter to sculpt, as well as a multi-purple cheek and lip product to add color and dimension to the face.

Includes: Bronzer, highlighter, mascara, lipstick, lip and cheek color

Rose Inc. rating: 4.8/5 stars (Lip/Cheek Color)

“No one does clean girl makeup quite like Rose Inc. As a long-time fan of the Tinted Serum, I knew my journey with the brand didn’t stop there. The lip and cheek color softens any harshness left behind from contouring, and the mascara brightens up what little lashes I have.” — Nerisha Penrose, ELLE.com Beauty Commerce Editor

There’s nothing worst than having to redo your eyebrows because they look more like cousins than sisters. With this three-piece set from brow whisperer Anastasia Beverly Hills, mishaps are a thing of the past. Define and sculpt the brows with the triangular pencil, fill in sparse areas with the brow gel, and set everything in place with the clear gel.

Includes: Brow Definer, Mini Dipbrow Gel, Mini Clear Brow Gel

Macy’s rating: 4.5/5 stars

A Macy’s reviewer said: “The ABH brow definer is perfect for filling in gaps. I then finish with the Brow Wiz because it’s skinny and allows me to get a very polished look. I get compliments on my eyebrows all the time.

Is your makeup really done if you haven’t doused your face in Fix+? Mac Cosmetics’ iconic setting spray gets doubled in this kit to give you more bang for your buck. One Fix+ spray costs around $30, so you’re getting major savings with the ease of knowing you won’t run out for a while.

Includes: (2) Mac Prep + Prime Fix+

Nordstrom rating: 4.5/5 stars

A Nordstrom reviewer said: “My daughters & I LOVE this stuff. I have been using this for many years. And now they both are hooked. It is so humid in TN & FL where one daughter lives. Without this, our makeup melts off in no time. This is a staple in our makeup routine.”

About-Face makes experimenting with makeup fun and affordable. Here’s a three-piece eye pigment set that allows you to create easy, vibrant eye looks with just a few swipes. Grab a brush to diffuse the product all over your lids, or use the slim tip to create a liner look.

Includes: (3) Matte Fluid Eye Paints

Ulta rating: 5/5 stars

An Ulta reviewer said: “This makes your eyes pop and I love that. I can have fun with these small sample colors.”

Chances are you’ve heard rave reviews about Rare Beauty’s liquid blush. Well, believe everything you heard—it’s that good. This set gives you a full-size Stay Vulnerable Glossy Lip Balm, which was formulated with a conditioning botanical blend to soothe and nourish the lips, and the super pigmented Soft Pinch Liquid Blush.

Includes: Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, Stay Vulnerable Lip Balm

Sephora rating: 4.4/5 stars

A Rare Beauty reviewer said: “I love the lip gloss color. The blush is so pretty and pigmented.”

Perfect your base routine with Danessa Myricks’ Yummy To Go Kit, which features two prep products that can either plump and hydrate (Yummy Skin Glow Serum) or control oil (the Yummy Balm), depending on your skin woes.

Includes: Yummy Skin Glow Serum, Yummy Skin Blurring Balm

Danessa Myricks rating: 4.7/5 stars

A Danessa Myricks reviewer said: “I recently used the Yummy To Go Kit for my baby shower. This is by far my favorite complexion product on the market! You don’t have to worry about the color not matching your skin and it allows you to be glowy in some areas while being matte/poreless in the areas you need. Love it; thank you, Danessa!!”

A good lip combo starts with proper prep. Fresh created a kit of lip treatments to help slough away flaky, chapped lips, and nourish and soothe the skin to prevent any damage.

Includes: (1) Sugar Lip Scrub, (3) Sugar Lip Treatments

Nordstrom rating: 3.8/5 stars

A Nordstrom reviewer said: “It leaves my lips super soft and no residue or anything!! I keep one in every bag so I can have them on the go.”

Fawning over flirty, fluttery lashes is no longer a dream but a reality, thanks to this set from Lancome. The iconic Idole line expands to the eyes to deliver photo-ready, faux lash-like volume for a fraction of what you’d pay for a full lash extension set.

Includes: Lash Idole Mascara, Eyeliner

Nordstrom rating: 3.6/5 stars

A Nordstrom reviewer said: “Love that set, it does what it’s supposed to do and the eyeliner doesn’t crack.”

Kylie Jenner’s go-to makeup artist never shies from sharing makeup tips and tricks. Ariel teamed up with Morphe to give loyal fans of the duo a peek into his makeup artist kit, which includes this brush set. The kit comes with 11 brushes to sculpt, define, and highlight your face, as well as a sponge to meld everything together.

Includes: (11) brushes, (1) makeup sponge

Ulta rating: 4.2/5 stars

An Ulta reviewer said: “My makeup has never looked more flawless using these brushes. I use the blush brush for my creamy concealer and omg it blends evenly and silkily smooth. I have never paid this much for a brush set. ZERO FALLOUT and I’ve had my brush set for over a year now.”

Red is synonymous with so much, including Valentino. Expand your red lipstick collection with this five-piece lipstick set, built around the iconic red Rosso Valentino shade, which also comes with four refillable lipsticks that range from nude to deep brown.

Includes: (1) Rosso Valentino Lipstick, (4) Refills

Nordstrom rating: 4/5 stars

A Nordstrom reviewer said: “I love all of the colors and the fact that they are interchangeable. The lipsticks stay on well and look very beautiful.”

With deep berry and coral shades, this two-piece sampler can give the perfect tint to just about any area on your face. The multipurpose product can be used on the lips and cheeks for a subtle flush or build up to a more intensified glam finish.

Includes: (1) Benetint, (1) Cha Cha Tint

Benefit Cosmetics rating: 5/5 stars

A Benefit Cosmetics reviewer said: “I feel really satisfied with the products, and the best part is that I spend the whole day and still my cheeks are colored.”

Juicy lips are just a few thumb clicks away. Tarte’s Maracuja Juicy Lip Set gives you a tinted and plumping option to play with, both packed with skin-loving ingredients like hyaluronic acid, grapeseed oil, Goji berry, and more to nourish your lips.

Includes: (2) Maracuja Juicy Lip balms

Macy’s rating: 4.2/5 stars

A Macy’s reviewer said: “Perfection. My new favorite go-to lip gloss!

There is so much to love about Ami Colé’s offerings, but let’s start with this trio here. The brand’s best-selling lip gloss meets Ami Cole’s newest additions, blush sticks, to add a little color, or per the blush’s name, spice to your minimalist routine.

Ami Colé rating: 4.67/5 stars

An Ami Colé reviewer said: “High shine, long-lasting, and the color is pretty, goes well with my skin tone.”

Whether you’ve been dying to get your hands on the viral pink Dior blush, or you’ve searched high and low to snag a Lip Oil, this set is all you need to test out the hype products. Mix and match the blush and lip oil, each of which come in a bevy of shades to compliment all tones.

Includes: (1) Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil, (1) Lip Glow Oil

Dior rating: 4.8/5 stars (Blush)

A Dior reviewer said: “I got the rosy glow blush in shade pink. I’m obsessed with it. The color looks good on me, the velvety texture, and it stays on my face the whole day.”

Start with the Instant Glow Serum and work your way up to even more magic. This kit from Merit Beauty is perfect for those subtle, no-makeup makeup enhancements. Each product provides skin care benefits, from the vitamin C-infused lipstick to olive oil mascara to supercharged hyaluronic acid serum.

Includes: (1) Lipstick, (1) mascara, (1) serum, (1) brow pomade

Merit rating: 4.7/5 stars (Great Skin Serum)

A Merit reviewer said: “This is such a gorgeous and effective product. It leaves my skin rejuvenated and glowing.”

Name a better duo than Milk Makeup’s Hydrogrip primer and setting spray. Both products keep your makeup in place for hours while maintaining a fresh, healthy glow.

Includes: (1) Hydro Grip Primer, (1) Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray

Milk Makeup rating: 4.6/5 stars

A Milk Makeup reviewer said: “I’m older with dry skin. I love how this primer looks and feels but most of all I love the ingredients. I would highly recommend it to anyone!”

Nerisha is the beauty commerce editor at ELLE.com, covering all things beauty (and fashion and music). She has a penchant for sneakers and nude lip glosses, and spends way too much time re-watching 90s sitcoms.

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