10 Can't-Miss Gift Sets For the Beauty Beginner

If your lucky gift recipient is eating up makeup tutorials on TikTok, then this is the present to pick up. The award-winning e.l.f. cosmetics Smoky Eye Brush Kit ($10) provides the necessary tools to create the ultimate smoky eye. Five cruelty-free, synthetic brushes feel so soft on lids — and blend shadows seamlessly — so it's only a matter of time before he or she becomes a cut-crease master.

Technically, you might not be able to box up a good mood, but honestly? e.l.f. cosmetics Retro Paradise Lifestyle & Scrunchies Kit ($16) comes pretty darn close. The tropical-themed offerings include Hydrating Coconut Mist to soften and scent skin, a shimmery lip gloss, two scrunchies, and a sheet of cute little stickers to bring out a smile.

For beginners, understanding the nuances of active ingredients can be overwhelming. That's why a curated collection of products is an ideal gift — it eliminates the guesswork and lets the results speak for themselves. e.l.f. cosmetics Just Glow With it Skincare Set ($45) does just that, with a suite of the fundamentals (cleanser, primer, face cream, night cream, eye cream, facial oil, whew!) necessary to maintain radiant, bouncy skin.

What's better than one makeup blending sponge? Three of them, all in different shapes and sizes to reach each centimeter of the face precisely. (Oh, and in on-trend pastel colours, too.) That's what you get — and give — with e.l.f. cosmetics Frosted Marshmallow Sponge Trio ($10), which is truly a can't-fail gift for anyone with even the slightest interest in makeup.

One bottle of nail polish is a so-so stocking stuffer. But a collection of 10? Now we're talking! e.l.f. cosmetics Goody Gumdrops Nail Set ($10) includes not-so-ordinary neutrals, statement shades, and sparkling toppers. The mini bottles of cruelty-free polish are as cute as they come, and since DIY manicures are going to continue well into 2021, this is one useful gift as well.

Some face palettes are too wacky, while others don't have enough variety. Then there's e.l.f. cosmetics Candied Cheeks Palette ($10), which gets the shades and textures just right. It contains two highlighters, two bronzers, two matte blushes, and two shimmer blushes — all of which are super-easy to blend and beyond beautiful when worn. It's a big win all around.

This is it: the biggest, boss-iest palette around. e.l.f. cosmetics King Size 50 Piece Eye and Face Palette ($15) holds 40 eyeshadow shades, five blushes, and five bronzers to encourage a practically limitless number of looks. Will it be barely-there and minimalist? Full-on glam? Or maybe a fantasy face never been dreamed up before? Whatever the makeup goal may be, this palette makes it possible.

Spoiler alert: the name of e.l.f. cosmetics Best of e.l.f. kit ($20) 100% gives the concept away. Not that anyone would mind, considering how this set contains four best-selling products to enhance anybody's makeup game. It includes Poreless Putty Primer, Lip Plumping Gloss in Champagne Glam (perfect for NYE!), Jelly Highlighter in Bubbly, and a Total Face Sponge for flawless blending. Consider it an introduction to the products they'll soon be unable to live without.

These days, there are no rules in makeup. Well, maybe there's one: The right tools make all the difference. And the cruelty-free brushes in e.l.f. cosmetics Sugar High 7-Piece Brush Set ($15) make it easy for novices to practice (and eventually, master) their application techniques. With brushes for eyes, brows, cheeks, and more, this set has the essentials necessary for those just starting out . . . but dreaming of going pro.

Warning: This set is not for wallflowers. But for anyone who appreciates shimmer, colour, and a bit of joy in their makeup — and couldn't we all use a little more of those things after this year? — there's the e.l.f. cosmetics All That Glitters Liquid Glitter Eyeshadow Vault ($35). It contains eight shades of the award-winning eyeshadow, which is heralded for its smooth application and incredible light-catching qualities. For a look that stands out in all the right ways, this is it.