Beauty gifts for friends, with UK and US picks

For a friend who already wears Cheirosa 62, Sol de Janeiro's Bum Bum Jet Set is an easy place to start. LUSH's Relax box makes more sense for someone who loves a bath. If you know their taste in bags better than their skincare routine, Glossier's Beauty Bag gives them somewhere to put the products they already use.

Set your budget before choosing a brand. These six gift ideas start at £28 in the UK or $32 in the US. For a smaller thank-you or an office exchange, our beauty gifts under £25 and $25 guide has separate UK and US choices.

Beauty gifts for friends at a glance

Prices checked on 27 October 2026. UK prices are in GBP; US prices are in USD.

Aesop Resurrection hand balm for someone who always carries a tube

The 75ml Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm costs £28 or $37. Aesop describes its aroma as citrus, woody and herbaceous, with mandarin rind, rosemary leaf and cedar atlas. I'd consider it for the friend who asks about the hand wash in a restaurant bathroom or keeps a scented hand cream on their desk.

You are buying one tube, so there are no extra products for them to find a use for. It can also be a specific replacement if this is the cream they already finish. Check the name: Aesop sells other hand balms, and liking the brand does not tell you which scent they prefer.

This is a fragranced formula containing sweet almond and macadamia oils. For someone who keeps a strict ingredient list or only uses unscented products, ask for their usual cream before choosing this one.

Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Jet Set for the friend who loves Cheirosa 62

At £30 or $34, the Bum Bum Jet Set contains a 50ml Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, 90ml shower cream-gel and 30ml Cheirosa 62 mist. The brand describes the scent through notes including pistachio, salted caramel and vanilla.

The most useful clue is a Cheirosa 62 bottle already in their bag, or a conversation about wanting to try it. Three products in the same scent are a bigger commitment than one small mist. Someone who enjoys a different Sol de Janeiro fragrance may want that collection instead.

These are travel sizes, which suits a friend who likes taking familiar products on a weekend away. If they use a large tub of the cream at home and have no interest in the mist, a replacement of their usual size may be more useful. For someone who collects several perfumes, compare the formats in our perfume gift sets guide.

LUSH Relax for a friend who enjoys a long bath

LUSH's Relax gift costs £29 in the UK or $42 in the US. Both versions contain Dream Cream self-preserving hand and body lotion, 45g; Sleepy shower gel, 110g; a Twilight bath bomb; and a Mini Sleepy bubble bar.

Check that your friend has a bath and uses it. Two of the four products belong there, which makes this a poor match for someone who only showers. The lavender-led scent is another detail worth knowing beforehand.

The mix gives a regular LUSH shopper several products to use over different evenings. I'd choose it for a friend who has mentioned liking Sleepy or Twilight.

Glossier Balm Dotcom Trio for someone with favourite flavours

The Balm Dotcom Trio costs £42 in the UK or $42 in the US, and you choose three 15ml tubes. That choice makes it useful when you know the flavours your friend finishes and the ones they leave untouched.

Check each selection before paying, especially if the site opens with seasonal flavours already chosen. Birthday, for example, has a buttercream flavour and shimmer. Someone who likes a plain balm may not want sparkle, even in a small amount.

For a group of friends who already use Balm Dotcom, you could choose a tube for each person and divide the set. The product cost works out at £14 or $14 each, before delivery and any applicable tax. Keep the tubes in their original packaging. The current formula contains beeswax and lanolin, so choose something else for a friend who avoids animal-derived ingredients.

Shower and body sets for a friend with a favourite scent

In the UK, Rituals Sakura Small Gift Set at John Lewis is £29.90. The box contains 50ml foaming shower gel, 70ml body cream, 30ml Super Dry Body Oil and 20ml hair and body mist. Its cherry blossom and rice milk scent suits someone who already enjoys the Sakura collection.

For a US friend who wears Amazing Grace, Philosophy's You're Amazing bath and body gift set is a separate $32 option. It pairs 6oz Amazing Grace hydrating shower gel with 4oz whipped body crème.

Choose by the brand and scent your friend uses. The Rituals box offers four smaller products; the Philosophy duo sticks to shower gel and cream. Read the contents of the exact box you order, particularly with Rituals: older Sakura Small Gift Sets have included a candle. If your friend only uses body cream, a full-size pot of their usual one might be a better gift.

Glossier The Beauty Bag for a friend with an established routine

The standard Beauty Bag is £45 in the UK or $45 in the US. It measures 9.5 × 7 × 3 inches, with a coated cotton exterior and a removable interior pouch secured by snap buttons. It comes empty.

I'd choose it for someone who likes separate pockets and has mentioned replacing their toiletry bag. Its height gives bottles room to stand, although you should check their usual bottle sizes against the dimensions. A friend who packs everything into one tiny pouch may find it takes up too much space.

The US listing marks this bag as final sale. Confirm that they want the style before ordering, particularly if you hoped they could exchange it. The smaller Mini Beauty Bag is a separate product, so make sure the name and dimensions in your basket match the one you intended to buy.

What should I buy my best friend?

Use something you have talked about. That might be a balm flavour they keep borrowing, a bath product they enjoyed on a trip or the bag they sent you a link to. Ask whether they still want the exact version before buying it, especially if the conversation was months ago.

A familiar favourite can be a personal gift. Include a note about why you picked it, and keep the amount within what you normally spend on each other. There is no need to increase the budget because the recipient is your closest friend.

When is a group gift a good idea?

Pool money when your friend has named something they want and everyone is comfortable with the contribution. Three people contributing £15 each would cover the £45 Beauty Bag; three US$15 contributions cover its US product price, with tax and any delivery still to settle.

Agree on the total before ordering and choose one person to check the exact product. If the shared budget becomes much larger, ask your friend for a wish list. Buying a costly skincare treatment because several people can afford it still leaves you choosing a formula they may not want.

What about a colleague or a friend whose routine I don't know?

Keep the gift modest and ask about an interest you already share. Someone who does not wear makeup may still enjoy bath products or hand cream, but check their preferences before deciding. If you know little about their tastes, a card for a shop they use lets them choose the scent or formula.

For an office gift exchange, follow the agreed limit, including wrapping and delivery. Our under-25 guide is a better starting point for that budget. The wider beauty gift guide also has ideas by recipient and type of gift.

Sending a beauty gift to a friend abroad

Order from a shop serving the country where your friend lives. The Fortnum & Mason listing for the Bum Bum Jet Set explicitly excludes international delivery, while the US brand link above provides a separate local buying route.

For Canada, Australia or elsewhere, check the local product page for its size, contents and delivery terms. Use the recipient's address when confirming the delivery estimate. A gift card also needs checking against the country where they will redeem it, even when the shop has the same name in both countries.