What a Seasoned Beauty Writer Is Gifting This Season

Holiday gifting is the one arena in which practice does not make perfect. While you might have experience picking out presents for friends and family year after year, it’s easy (and all too common) to find yourself stumped for ideas once the holidays roll around. And therein lies the magic of Sephora: The ultimate source for all things beauty offers so many gift ideas that the only issue is trying to narrow them down.

Having been a beauty writer for over a decade, I’ve seen—and tried—all the products. Along the way, I’ve learned how to sift through the noise to find the gems that make great gifts, both to give and to keep. (It happens.) They’re the items that really work and either live up to the hype—or fly under the radar and become cult faves. I combed Sephora to discover the prizes that are sure to thrill this holiday season and fell hard for the nine picks below. Scroll ahead for the makeup, hair-care, skin-care, fragrances, and limited-edition sets that are on my to-gift list.