Gifts for every beauty personality

Friendship may be one of the greatest gifts in life but imagine said friend also receiving a Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream or the latest Jo Malone Cologne? Priceless. Luckily we just so happen to have the ideal gifts to earn you best friend/sibling/work mate/offspring status – our guide will help you pick the perfect present for all the women (and men) in your life.

Whether they’re seasoned skincare sleuths who like their products cult and cutting edge or eco warriors who prefer their lotions and potions as mother nature intended (preferably slathered on while relaxing in the lotus position), there’s a gift to match every possible type of recipient. Below we break down the beauty personality types and suggest great buys for each of them. The most difficult bit will be not keeping the products that you buy for yourself.

‘Effortless’ is not in their vocabulary. Red lipstick is their weapon of choice and they’re known for deploying power perfumes at night. These are definitely people who know their way around a blending brush.

They can navigate around an INCI list with ease and dream of a post-plastic world. ‘Sustainable’, ‘clean’, ‘vegan’ and ‘organic’ are the words that pique their interest when it comes to new products. They almost certainly bathe their dogs in Bramley’s essential oil-infused Digby Dog Wash.

Their body are temples and self-care is their mantra. They love anything that purports to aid relaxation or boost gut health and are big fans of CBD-infused products. Essential oils are their Achilles heels.

Scorn anything with an ad campaign and are affronted if you happen to guess their signature scent. They like their brands niche and their perfumes unconventional (eau de lipstick anyone?).

If it’s not on TikTok it’s quite simply not a trend for them. Perfect skin is the holy grail and when it comes to brows, big is beautiful. Time is not an issue – the more steps the better, whether it’s skincare or makeup looks. Lighting (and ‘likes’) are everything in their world.

Gadgets and gizmos never fail to impress and they’re big fans of a before and after. Why get your hands dirty when there’s a device that can do it far more efficiently is their beauty philosophy and if it’s got a USB port so much the better.

They know their AHAs from their antioxidants and like to be kept abreast of  the latest US imports before they earn cult status this side of the pond. When it comes to hair and makeup they’re trend trackers and know all the backstage pros by name. They are the most likely people on this list to say ‘Pass the niacinamide’.

Their shelf is as stripped back as their skincare routine. The beauty products they love tend to be monochrome, gender neutral and preferably have labels in a Helvetica typeface. ‘No-makeup makeup’ is their mantra.

They’re on first name terms with the local barista, are the masters of multi-tasking and are expert tip-toers. They are very low maintenance when it comes to beauty but gift them 10 minutes to themselves, add in a drop of essential oils and watch them blossom.

They probably have more skincare steps than you and their state-of-the-art razor blades are a strictly girl-free zone. Are forever cultivating a new scent wardrobe but have yet to find ‘the one’. They also aren’t averse to a spot of facial topiary.