Beauty gifts under £25 and $25: 6 useful ideas

For a small beauty gift, I'd start with e.l.f.'s Glow Reviver Lip Oil for someone who loves gloss, OPI Bubble Bath for someone who paints their own nails, or EcoTools eye brushes for a friend who is always trying another eyeshadow. Each leaves room in the budget for a card and wrapping.

The best clue is usually something they already use: a nearly empty lip product, a favourite nail colour or a tool they've mentioned replacing. These six ideas cover beauty gifts under £25 in the UK and under $25 in the US, with local shopping links below. For a broader choice by recipient, see our beauty gift guide.

Beauty gifts under £25 and $25 at a glance

Prices checked 27 October 2026. These are product prices before delivery and any checkout tax; the UK OPI price is its regular price.

1. e.l.f. Glow Reviver Lip Oil in Rose Envy

At £9 from e.l.f. UK or $9 from e.l.f. US, this is an easy place to start for someone who reaches for gloss throughout the day. Rose Envy is a sheer rosewood shade with a glossy finish and a minty scent.

I'd choose it for a friend whose makeup bag already contains pink or rose lip colours. Check whether they like a sheer tint or prefer the full coverage of lipstick. It also makes sense as a stocking filler on its own; you do not need to build a whole lip routine around it.

Pay attention to scent. Someone who dislikes mint or consistently buys unscented lip products is unlikely to appreciate this detail, however much they like the colour. The eye brushes below are a better choice for that person if they wear eyeshadow.

2. OPI Nail Lacquer in Bubble Bath

Bubble Bath is a sheer, pale pink in OPI's original Nail Lacquer formula. The 15ml bottle has a regular UK price of £16.60; the US 0.5oz bottle costs $11.99.

This is a gift for someone who enjoys painting their nails and already owns the basics. OPI's directions call for a base coat, two thin coats of colour and a top coat. Those extra bottles are separate purchases, so a single colour is most useful when their manicure drawer is already stocked.

Choose Bubble Bath because they like sheer pink, rather than assuming a pale shade suits everyone's taste. A person who always wears dark polish may prefer a replacement of their usual colour. Our nail trends guide can help if you know the finish they like but are still choosing a colour.

Check that the label says Nail Lacquer. Bubble Bath also appears in other OPI ranges, including Infinite Shine and GelColor, with different formulas and prices.

3. Burt's Bees Best of Burt's Lip Balm four-pack

For the person who keeps lip balm in every bag, four full-size tubes are a useful present. This pack contains Beeswax, Strawberry, Coconut & Pear and Vanilla Bean, with 17g of balm in total. It costs £11.99 at Holland & Barrett and $11.99 from Burt's Bees US.

The variety is the reason to choose it. Someone who enjoys swapping flavours can try the four and keep spares wherever they tend to lose a tube. If they are devoted to one particular balm, replacing that exact product may be more welcome.

This set contains beeswax, so choose something else for a recipient who buys vegan products. It is also a flavoured selection. For someone who wants only plain, unscented lip care, I would avoid guessing based on the familiar packaging.

4. EcoTools eye brushes

An extra eye brush can be useful to someone who already has the eyeshadow shades they want. It also lets you buy a makeup-related present without trying to choose a palette for them.

The UK option is the Eye Enhancing Duo at Boots for £6. It contains two double-ended brushes with four heads for shading, defining, blending and smudging. Both have synthetic bristles and bamboo handles. The smaller selection makes sense for a makeup bag that does not need another full brush kit.

The US alternative is the Cream & Powder Dual-Ended Eye Brush at Ulta for $7. This is one brush with two heads: a flat end for applying liquid or cream eyeshadow and a fluffy end for blending cream or powder. It is a different product from the UK duo, with fewer brush heads.

I'd choose either for an eyeshadow wearer who likes compact tools. Because there are bristles at both ends, give them space in a pouch or drawer so neither end gets crushed.

5. Tweezerman Mini Slant Tweezer

Tweezers are a particularly good gift when someone has complained that their old pair no longer grips properly. The Mini Slant is 2.75 inches long, so it takes up little space in a wash bag. The UK version has stainless-steel tips with a slanted edge.

The Neon Pink pair costs £15 from Tweezerman UK. US shoppers can choose the Granite Sky colour at Ulta for $17.

I'd give these to someone who has asked for a pair, regularly uses tweezers or likes having a small set of grooming tools for travel. A compact handle is not everyone's preference; check the pair they currently use before choosing the mini size. For a colleague whose routine you barely know, choose a less personal present from our beauty gifts for friends.

6. Kitsch Charcoal Satin Heatless Curling Set

This is the pick for someone who has been curious about wrapping their hair for heatless curls. The Charcoal set costs £19 from Kitsch UK or $18 from Kitsch US, and contains a satin curling rod with two satin scrunchies.

The rod is 34 inches long. Kitsch's instructions involve wrapping damp or dry hair around it, securing the ends with the scrunchies, then allowing the hair to dry or leaving it overnight. This suits someone willing to spend time setting their hair, with enough length to wrap around the rod.

One detail affects the budget: the claw clip shown in the instructions is not included. Check whether they already own a suitable clip before treating the set as a complete gift. Someone who dislikes sleeping with anything in their hair can use it during the day, if that fits their routine.

How to put together a small beauty gift

One useful item is enough. If you want to pair two things, the e.l.f. lip oil and the local EcoTools option total £15 in the UK or $16 in the US. That leaves more room for wrapping and delivery than spending almost the entire budget on one product.

For a lip-product enthusiast, the e.l.f. oil and Burt's Bees four-pack total £20.99 or $20.99 before delivery and any checkout tax. Choose that combination only if both the rose tint and the balm flavours sound like their taste.

Keep a strict Secret Santa limit in mind at checkout. Adding something unwanted to qualify for free delivery can cost more than paying for delivery, and an advertised instalment amount is not the item's total price.

Are mini beauty sets good value?

They can be, particularly when someone wants to try several colours or scents. Check the quantity in each container and ask whether variety is actually the gift they want. A regular lip-oil tube or a full-size nail polish makes sense for someone who already knows their preferences. For someone who enjoys sampling scents, our perfume gift sets guide explains the differences between samples, travel sprays and miniature bottles.

What if the recipient lives outside the UK or US?

Start with a retailer in their own country and check the local price and delivery options. The dollar prices above are US dollars; they do not establish an under-CA$25 or under-A$25 budget. When choosing a local alternative, compare the exact contents as well as the name, particularly with brush sets and lip-balm multipacks.