Beauty Splurges & Steals: Insiders' Tips

Dec. 12, 2007 — -- Sure, all those ads say "give the gift of beauty this holiday season" but that's easier said than done.

Beauty products are deeply personal. Take lipstick, for instance. One person's pretty is another person's trampy. And the line between classy and trashy is pretty fine when it comes to perfume.

So, what's a poor gift-giver to do? Fear not. Beauty editors at women's magazines spend their days thinking about this stuff, and that's why we talked to the best of the best to get their take on the most fabulous sure-to-please stocking stuffers and splurge beauty gifts for the holidays.

There's no end to the number of beauty stocking stuffers you could pick out for the holidays but Allure's beauty editor, Victoria Kirby, offered a can't miss suggestion from Sephora.

The makeup emporium offers a five-brush set that comes in a faux black crocodile round hard case ($45). "I love it, because brushes can get smushed and bent, but this is a hard case, very stylish and small enough that you can just throw in your bag."

In the wishful-thinking-but-you-never-know" category, Kirby suggested the $18,000 hand-stitched Goyard train case stuffed full of Lancome makeup products, 36 pieces in fact, hand selected by makeup guru Gucci Westman. "There aren't going to be many people who have the guts to put this on their Christmas list." Maybe not. But you never know.

Women's Health's Liesa Goins also liked Sephora products for a stocking stuffer.

For a beauty splurge, Goins loves Spa-addicts.com. You can buy a gift certificate in any amount, good at spas all over the country so you don't have to worry about finding that perfect place. "It's a fabulous way to get a great gift with minimal effort," said Goins.

Meetmark.com is the younger, hipper arm of Avon, and Didi Gluck at Shape said it's a terrific site to find inexpensive and fun beauty products.

Take the Flip for It Spring Color kit ($9.99) available in three different color palettes: "It's a fun-looking little package, modeled on a cell phone or PDA, and the colors are great," said Gluck.

But you can also buy a smaller, less-expensive, miracle -- the company offers a festive lip balm for the holidays ($45). "I have given this to people, and when they see the La Mer name, they flip out. But the best part is this lip balm is incredibly healing. I've had my one little container for two years -- it's way more than a lip balm," said Gluck.

Teen Vogue's Eva Chen is not at a loss for stocking stuffer ideas. "The great thing about beauty is that you can load up on a ton of stuff for not a lot of money."

First up is a Victoria's Secret lip gloss sample stuffed full of "every single lip color they have" for $60. "When I saw it my eyes nearly popped out of my head," said Chen.

But if you do want to take the plunge and just pick one scent, Chen recommended Marc Jacobs' new fragrance, Daisy ($30). "It's a great way to give a little Marc Jacobs to someone, without spending a lot of money."

For a splurge, Chen suggested buying a loved one a massage or spa treatment but cautioned that the after effects tend to be fleeting. If you're looking for a skin gift with some staying power, she said you might want to treat your loved one to a session with a dermatologist.

The blockbuster beauty item of the season for Elaine D'Farley of Self is appropriately called the Blockbuster Palette from Sephora ($45). 64 eye shadows, 32 lip colors, seven cheek colors and brushes too. "We were all blown away," said D'Farley.

And who wouldn't want a full day at a spa for a beauty splurge? D'Farley likes the Cornelia Day Resort in Manhattan but go to Spafinder.com to find one near you.

Pretty much any makeup item is the perfect stocking stuffer, said Lucky's Cristina Mueller. But she managed to narrow it down to three items after we begged her to give us some help.

Cover Girl Lash Blast is "my hands-down favorite mascara" said Mueller. And the perfect size to throw in someone's stocking.

Mueller's splurge comes in the form of a Tom Ford scent. Ford's private blend perfumes come in a '40's-inspired boudoir bottle ($450). There are 11 different blends, and Neroli Portofino with a hint of orange blossom is Mueller's favorite.