True beauty fans know that falling in love with a product doesn’t mean you have to drop loads of cash. That’s why the best gifts come in small packages and drugstore beauty favorites never get old. To prove that perfect presents don’t always have a high price tag, we’ve rounded up the best affordable gifts for makeup lovers this holiday season. Amazingly, not a single one rings up for more than $25, from a complete mascara wardrobe to perfect primers to pretty palettes. When you can give an affordable gift for makeup lovers while barely opening your wallet, it’s a win all around.

1. RMS Beauty Mini Kiss of Color Lip Balm Set

RMS Beauty’s beloved lip balms get the mini treatment for the holidays in this delightful box set. All five balms contain the lip-loving ingredients the formula is known for, including mega moisturizers jojoba oil, cocoa butter and candelilla wax, along with a hint of color. The set includes Simply Cocoa, a clear balm with a natural cocoa butter flavor; Twilight Lane, a sheer, deep berry; Peacock Lane, a bright pink tint; Passion Lane, a subtly shimmery pink; and a new hue, Crimson Lane, a sheer, classic red.

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2. Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Primer Trio Set

Smashbox Cosmetics tapped artist Donald Robertson to create original, exclusive artwork to adorn its limited-edition gifts this holiday season and what’s inside is just as fun. Every beauty guru knows that in order to have flawless foundation, you have to ace your base first and this includes everything needed to do just that. This set includes a trio of minis to create the ideal canvas while infusing skin with nourishing ingredients. The oil-free Photo Finish Original Smooth & Blur Primer smooths skin by filling in pores and lines, the Photo Finish Primerizer is spiked with hyaluronic acid to moisturize for 24 hours and prevent makeup from settling into pores and fine lines, and the Photo Finish Vitamin Primer is a water gel that taps vitamins B, C and E to leave your complexion glowing.

Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Primer Trio Set $25.00 Buy Now

3. Lime Crime Chart Toppers Wet Cherry Gloss Set

Talk about a cherry on top! Lime Crime put two of its cherry-scented best-selling lip glosses in a limited-edition holiday set. The duo includes Extra Poppin Wet Cherry, a clear high-shine gloss, and Flirty Cherry Wet Cherry, a sparkling red. Both deliver light, comfortable longwear and have a generously sized doe-foot applicator to easily coat your lips. They can be worn solo or layered over lipstick for extra pop.

Lime Crime Chart Toppers Wet Cherry Gloss Set $22.00 Buy Now

4. Essence Lash Princess Gift Set

Yes, you really can nab a complete mascara wardrobe for under $20, making this one of the best affordable gifts for makeup lovers. It’s also a great stocking stuffer. The entire Lash Princess Mascara family is included: Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara, Lash Princess False Lash Effect Waterproof Mascara, Lash Princess Sculpted Volume Mascara and Lash Princess Volume Mascara. She’ll be set with a mascara for every occasion. They come packed in a cute resealable holographic bag that can double as a makeup bag or for storage.

Essence Lash Princess Gift Set $30.99 Buy Now

5. Becca Cosmetics Mini Liquid and Light Highlight Set

It just isn’t the holidays without a little sparkle, especially in your makeup bag. Becca’s duo delivers a gorgeous gleam that will even come through on your holiday party on Zoom. Both in travel sizes, the Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter in Passion gives the face a natural-looking pearly glow because of its powerful pigments, while the Ignite Liquified Light Highlighter in Opal can be used on the face and body, infusing moisture along with its white gold pearlescent finish that is transfer- and water-resistant. Both contain sunflower oil and vitamin E to soften skin.

BECCA Cosmetics Mini Liquid and Light Highlight Set $24.00 Buy Now

6. Lawless The Little One Eye Shadow Palette

For such a petite palette, this really covers all the basics. With eight shades in classic hues, it has everything you need to create a range of looks, whether that’s a neutral eye or a sultry, smoky look. Best of all, it’s small enough to be tucked into a purse, so it’s ideal for on-the-go touch-ups.

LAWLESS The Little One Eyeshadow Palette $25.00 Buy Now

7. Bite Beauty Mini Sunset Superbloom Outburst Longwear Lip Stain Trio

Imagine watching the sunset in a beautiful desert and you have the muse for Bite’s limited-edition trio of lip stains. Though it rarely rains in the desert, these longwear lip stains are all waterproof with a satin-matte finish. There’s a full size of Sangria Slush, a classic bold red and minis of hot pink Strawberry Frozé and bright orange-coral Orange Fizz. All three are infused with superfoods passionflower oil, coconut oil and sunflower seed wax to keep lips hydrated and happy.

Bite Beauty Mini Sunset Superbloom Outburst Longwear Lip Stain Trio $25.00 Buy Now

8. Tarte Sea Fresh-Faced & Festive Must-Haves Set

Just one little kit covers all the basics for her makeup, earning Tarte’s set a spot on the best affordable gifts for makeup lovers list. There’s the Sea Surfer Curl Volumizing Mascara that weightlessly pumps up lashes with its sweat-proof formula; the the Sea Jelly Glaze Anytime Lip Mask that can be worn all day to boost the overall health of lips while bathing them in a sheer, universally flattering tint, and the classic Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush that uses the powers of Amazonian clay to look like she just applied it all day long.

Tarte SEA Fresh-Faced & Festive Must-Haves Set $23.00 Buy Now

9. Urban Decay Mini All Nighter Setting Spray Ornament Holiday Gift

Any makeup maven would be thrilled to see this hanging from her Christmas tree! Urban Decay’s All Nighter Setting Spray is famous for the incredible staying power it gives to a full face of makeup — it simply won’t budge for up to 16 hours. The microfine mist feels and looks invisible, so it’ll never be sticky or heavy. It even prevents makeup from settling into fine lines.

Urban Decay Mini All Nighter Setting Spray Ornament Holiday Gift $15.00 Buy Now

10. Sephora Favorites Mini Mistleglow Clean Highlight Set

Have a clean beauty addict in your life? Then this is one of the best affordable gifts for that makeup lover. This curated set is all about giving her a glow during the holiday season and beyond. It includes a deluxe size of the Farsàli Rose Gold Elixir 24K Gold Infused Beauty Oil, a multitasking face oil that tackles everything from wrinkles to dullness, dryness and uneven texture. The deluxe size of Milk Makeup Mini Highlighter in Lit is a blendable, micro-shimmer champagne pearl with mango butter and avocado to moisturize. Finally, there’s a full-size Tower 28 Beauty ShineOn Lip Jelly in Magic, a clear gloss with gold shimmer infused with nurturing ingredients like rosehip oil, apricot kernel oil and raspberry seed oil.

Sephora Favorites Mini Mistleglow Clean Highlight Set $15.00 Buy Now

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The Best Affordable Gifts for Makeup Lovers This Holiday

Recent Articles by Celia Shatzman