There are many approaches one could take for holiday gifting. You can shop your giftee’s wish list directly, browse our carefully-curated gift guides for inspiration, or head to your favorite retailer to see their recommendation. In the spirit of the latter, we wondered: What do our retail expert friends predict to be the ultimate beauty gifts and winter bestsellers of 2025?
A Cheat Sheet to Retailers’ Holiday Beauty Bestsellers
The Hair Styler
Dyson Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler and Dryer Straight+Wavy
Ahead, head buyers, merchandisers, and directors sound off on what’s flying off their physical and virtual shelves. From niche fragrances to skin-care sets and other seasonal salves, the options are plenty this season. Read on to see what’s really in for winter 2025, to inspire your next beauty gift—for you or a friend.
Bluemercury
“Skincare continues to be a powerhouse category for us, with many brands offering value sets of bestsellers or trial size sets to introduce new customers to the brand,” Bluemercury’s head of stores, omnichannel & strategy Jenna Goldberg tells Vogue. To wit, it’s no surprise La Mer’s renowed face cream duo is an anticipated hit, alongside Dr. Diamond’s Metacine trio primed for skin renewal. Additionally, the team shares that hair care jumbo and liter sizes are also incredibly popular during the holiday season as clients stock up on their favorites; plus, color cosmetics and fragrance—especially those which embody the festive spirit with gorgeous packaging and limited-edition shades and scents. Advent calendars are also talk of the town at Bluemercury. “Clients continue to enjoy the surprise and delight element inherent in unboxing a special treat every day.”
Dyson
Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler and Dryer Straight+Wavy
“The iconic Dyson Airwrap in a beautiful limited-edition colorway, Amber Silk.”
La Mer
The Creme De La Mer Duet Set
“Includes 2oz and 0.5 oz sizes of the iconic Crème de La Mer, a bestseller in its own right; this duo offers the healing moisture of La Mer at a value of $100 savings.”
Slip
x Bluemercury Pure Silk Scrunchie Cracker
“A co-branded exclusive selection of five award-winning silk scrunchies, designed to be anti-crease and anti-breakage–only available at Bluemercury and in adorable packaging.”
Hourglass
Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked Palette
“Bestselling shades of Ambient Lighting are beautifully packaged in works of art by Ukrainian tattoo artist Sash Unisex; three options featuring a Swan, Deer, or Fox with 5% of net profits supporting the Nonhuman Rights Project.”
Glasshouse Fragrances
Music City Magic Candle & Spinning Carousel
“A beautiful, seasonally decorated candle with a sparkly carousel that spins as the candle burns to add even more holiday magic.”
Dr. Diamond’s Metacine
InstaFacial(R) Discovery Trio
“A discovery dose of unprecedented bioactive infused skin-care powerhouses; a perfect set for trial or travel.”
Nordstrom
Holiday gifting is the name of the game at Nordstrom right now; and, per the retailer’s beauty director Autumne West, customers are prioritizing thoughtfulness. “They’re looking for something that feels like a splurge but personal,” West says. “We see customers seeking value, getting more for less is always a smart move this time of year, but of course still looking for gifts that feel coveted and special. Customers will be voting for their favorite brands that have limited edition or special holiday items–making the gift recognizable but still unique.” Of these gift-worthy trinkets, body care and fragrance are top contenders, especially minis. “There has been a surge of cute collectables across all categories,” West adds.
L’Occitane
“This is a great advent calendar with what feels like endless gifts. Whoever receives this will want to keep and use every single item!”
Maison Francis Kurkdjian
“This is a coveted fragrance, and has multiple scents to try. Discover the iconic bottle shape but miniaturized!”
Chanel
Coveted Essentials Beauty Set
“The iconic brand made giftable. This sheer nail color, hand cream, and lip balm is just right for the simply understated but a little luxe person in your life.”
Hourglass
Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked Palette
“A beautiful limited-edition case with the best easy to use palette. This palette will give anyone an instant, easy to do, fresh face. Think clean girl aesthetic with their blush, highlighter, soft bronzer, and finishing powder you can use on face, eyes, and cheeks. This is also great for traveling, perfect for that carryon bag!”
Osea
“Giving someone permission to be mindful and set space for themselves can be hard to box up, so a reminder with spa like treatments for the body to use at home is a great way to gift that sentiment.”
Clarins
Lip Comfort Oil Lip Love Minis Set
“Lip oils and stains are hot right now and Clarins has captured this trend perfectly with this mini set.”
Credo Beauty
Clean beauty marketplace Credo Beauty is seeing a boom in body and hair care. “Body tools continues to win in our environment due to customers willing to invest in their body routine and being able to bring spa like tools into the home,” Gabriella Ramirez, merchant at Credo Beauty tells, citing Biotyspa’s formulas as a crowd-favorite. “As for hair, we’re seeing a huge focus on growth and repair,” Ramirez adds—across serums and bond repair treatments.
Bonjout Beauty
Le Balm Skin Savior Solid Serum
“Skin minimalist prayers have been answered! This skin salve is infused with 68 actives that work to repair and nourish your skin—it’s in the name, Skin Savior! It can replace your eye cream, serum and moisturizer all at once.”
SWEED
“We’re seeing that anything related to growth and repair is top of mind [to our customer], especially as it relates to hair and eyelashes.”
Epres
Bond Repair Treatment Starter Kit
“[Customers are] understanding the importance of building a hair-care routine similar to how you build a skin-care or makeup routine. This at-home treatment comes in a spray bottle that repairs the bonds of damaged hair.”
Credo Beauty
Vault Collection Advent Calendar
“Credo’s first ever Advent calendar includes a full travel size skin-care routine as well as full-size and travel-size makeup goodies.”
Biotyspa
Body Sculpt Kit Holiday Edition
“We’re continuing to see such success with spa like treatments being brought into the home. This Body Sculpt Kit includes Biotyspa’s top selling product Body Sculpt Cup which is meant to massage on your damp skin. The kit also includes a limited-edition travel bag, plus their hydrating gel and body oil to sculpt and firm the skin.”
Soshe
Precision Waterproof Eyeliner Refill
“Glam is back! With the holidays coming up, we’re seeing customers gravitate towards rich colors like burgundy and plum to spice up their makeup routines. The Soshe Eyeliner has an ultra precise tip that allows you to play around with different eyeliner looks.”
Violet Grey
Skincare remains Violet Grey’s bread and butter; the brand has specifically seen growth on science-backed brands like MBR, NakedBeauty MD, and Sweet Chemistry. “Our clients want streamlined, high-performance formulas that deliver results—especially as winter sets in and the focus shifts to barrier support, deep hydration, and multitasking treatments that actually work,” Rachel Richman, director of merchandising at Violet Grey tells Vogue. Additionally, the retailer is seeing increased interest in fragrance. “Our clients want discovery, they want the scent no one else is wearing.”
Madame Grey
“Think: the sexiest, most skin-like scent you’ve ever worn—that lingers all day. Our founder Cassandra’s debut fragrance is mysterious, luxurious, and the ultimate gift for the chicest person you know. Just be prepared for strangers to stop you in the street.”
Victoria Beckham Beauty
The Foundation Drops with TFC8
“An overnight best-selling foundation, these drops, infused with Bader’s cult-favorite TFC8, keep flying off our shelves for a reason. The silky, blendable (yet buildable) formula delivers that signature Bader glow, paired with perfected pigment and finish from the team at Victoria Beckham Beauty.”
Sweet Chemistry
Barrier Repairing Oil-Serum
“Winter skin needs extra support, and this oil-serum hybrid from Sweet Chemistry delivers. It’s packed with peptides and nourishing oils to help repair the skin barrier, lock in moisture, and calm visible irritation. A simple, effective step for stronger, healthier skin all season—sold exclusively at Violet Grey.”
Fara Homidi
Essential Resort Box (Giene & Bois)
“This is the cool-girl makeup gift of the season that you’re also going to want for yourself. A vacation glow in a box, it features Fara’s newest essentials: Soft Glass Lip Plumping Oil in a limited-edition shade, The Essential Bronzer, along with her luxe handmade in Japan shader brush. Limited run. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
NakedBeauty MD
Damask Rose Revitalizing Gold-Infused Hydrogel Eye Masks
“Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Catherine Chang created something special with these hydrogel eye patches. They cling perfectly to the under-eye area, visibly reduce puffiness and fine lines, and deliver an immediate cooling effect. They’re my go-to for post-procedure recovery or a pre-holiday party pick-me-up.”
C & The Moon
“The Violet cult-classic body scrub. This rich scrub is infused with sweet almond and coconut oils to gently exfoliate while deeply hydrating—no body lotion required. Not to mention, it smells like vanilla cake, in the chicest possible way.”
Dermstore
It’s no surprise barrier repair is trending at Dermstore. “Winter always calls for richer formulations to combat dry, cold conditions,” Chelsea Strauser, vice president of buying at Dermstore, says. “Dermstore sells restorative, rich creams at many different price points that always see an uptick in November and December through March,” noting Dr. Diamond’s just-debuted Metacine Hydr/o Moisturizer and U Beauty’s The Barrier Bioactive Treatment as two popular buys.
The retailer also sees an uptick of customers shopping with leftover FSA and HSA funds. “Our customer believes skincare is healthcare–what this looks like beyond using HSA/FSA funds is investing in holistic skin and hair health routines–utilizing tools like Jolie’s shower head for better scalp-care along with ingestibles like Wellbel for healthier hair. Optimal skin health is approached from 360 degrees, not just topicals!”
Lyma
“The larger face on the new Pro model cuts down the time spent on the at-home ‘treatment’ and allows for larger surface areas like the neck/chest to be treated with greater ease. Though it’s a luxe gift, it’s worth every penny for someone who’s going in for regular treatments anyways. A peek at their before and after’s are reason enough to believe the results!”
Shark
FacialPro Glow At Home Hydro-Powered Facial System
“[This is] great for anyone who regularly gets hydro-fueled facial extractions (like Diamond Glow or Hydrafacial)–a true innovation from Shark that’s just hit the market and allows you to bring the med-spa home with you!”
Bioeffect
“This is one of the most innovative growth factor products on the market (all from barley–not human!). It’s transformative to repair and recover the skin barrier, especially during the winter period where we see an uptick in aesthetic treatments like microneedling, lasers, and peels or just overall harsher environmental factors. It’s also a great daily staple for agelessness, making it a great gift for any skincare enthusiast.”
SkinCeuticals
P-TIOX Anti-Wrinkle Peptide Serum
“This is such a giftable item/luxury stocking stuffer’for any treatment lover as it’s the perfect complement or alternative to neurotoxins treatment.”
Baobab Collection
“Candles are the standard host’s gift during a busy time through the holidays–I like to gift non-holiday specific candles so they have more of a lifespan outside of the holiday season. Baobab’s vessels are so luxurious, and can always have many versions of a second life–I like using them for beauty brushes or cotton pads!”
Higherdose
“Whether gifting to a wellness enthusiast or self-gifting to center yourself during the holidays, this PEMF mat is great for muscle recovery as well as stress reduction!”
Jenna Goldberg is the head of stores, omnichannel & strategy and interim head of merchandising & marketing at Bluemercury.
Gabriella Ramirez is a merchant at Credo Beauty.
Rachel Richman is the director of merchandising at Violet Grey.
Chelsea Strauser is the vice president of buying at Dermstore.
I am an editor for Glamour Canada , focusing on business and entrepreneurship. I love uncovering emerging trends and crafting stories that inspire and inform readers about innovative ventures and industry insights.
