*NEW REVIEWS* Beauty Favorites of 2021 that Make Great Gifts!

Last year, I did a post sharing a list of my top products in every beauty category (hair, skin, bath and body, fragrance, and makeup) for 2020. That list consisted of old favorites and new, and as I was making the list, I realized it could make a great quick gift list for anyone still doing beauty shopping for the Holidays... or making their own list and checking it twice. Individual product reviews may come in future for many of these little gems, but perhaps no greater endorsement is needed for a product than to say it would make a great gift! Note: All prices listed are the current retail values of each item at the time of this review, but of course, the Holidays may bring sales and offers that may alter the purchase prices shown.

Haircare: Overtone The Remedy (for fine hair) ($27 USD): We start off this article with the most favorited (and personally repurchased) product on this list. New-to-me haircare brand Overtone's the Remedy (for fine hair) hair mask is the best hair mask I have tried to date. It is an invigorating, lightweight moisture treatment made with simple, natural ingredients to nourish strands without weighing it down. Though expressly marketed to be used as deep conditioning treatment I have also used this as a cleansing step on wet hair on occasion when my hair is feeling extra dry, and it leaves my hair feeling fresh and bouncy as well as plumping up its fine strands with much-needed moisture. I love the fresh but non-aggressive tingle the slight bit of spearmint and rosemary oil gives my scalp too when I use it in this way. That said, if you feel more comfortable using it as directed, I can report back that it also works great purely as a conditioner and pairs nicely with any shampoo I've used this year, both more clarifying and more moisturizing formulas.

Though Overtone is a brand known mostly for at-home coloring products, the Remedy is completely colorless but can be used on color-treated hair as well as those who keep their natural haircolor, and is also suited to all hair textures from straight to any degree of wavy or curly. I would even say that, despite its name, those with thicker hair could benefit from this product. It would just be a lighter weight treatment or else require slightly more product per use. You can find the Remedy on Overtone's website, Overtone.co.

Skincare: DHC The Purifying Double Cleanse Set ($60 USD): Earlier this year, I professed my love for the famous DHC Deep Cleansing Oil ( full review here) as being both an excellent makeup remover and a wonderful skin cleanser for a deeply clarifying yet replenishing wash for all skin types. Since continuing to use and love it, I have also tried their Face Wash, a sulfate-free yet lightly lathering creamy gel wash that is great for a morning pick-me-up or a fresh-feeling clean anytime of day. Both are such pleasures to use, that I think using both together is a match made in Heaven. You can use these as directed in the traditional double cleanse way of starting with the Deep Cleansing Oil to remove makeup, then working deeper into the skin by following up with the Face Wash or use the Deep Cleansing Oil for a softer finish that still thoroughly cleans in the winter and rely on the Face Wash for a fresher, quicker rinse experience the hotter months. etc. I have been loving the versatility of these products and customizing my regime to suit what my skin is craving each day Just be sure that when you are removing eye makeup to only use the Deep Cleansing Oil. Apart from this, feel free to make up your own rules. These are both tried and true products for me now and keep me skin softer and healthier than my skin has felt consistently in a long time. They are easy-to use, gentle workhorses that would make a lovely, practical yet indulgent-feeling gift to either give or ask for.

This set offers the standard full-size 6.7 oz pump-style bottle for both cleansers. And the best part is this duo is sold anytime of year and the cleansers can both be purchased individually, so if one is used up before the other, its easy to replace only what is needed. You can find the Purifying Double Cleanse on the DHC website, DHCcare.com.

Makeup: e.l.f Ride or Die Lip Balm ($5 USD): 2021 proved to be a great year for trying and growing to love new-to-me makeup, but for a gift guide suggestion, I must give the award for best makeup item to the e.l.f. Ride or Die Lip Balm. Not only do I think this product would make an adorable stocking filler, it has also saved my perennially dry lips a lot of grief all throughout the year but especially since it is turning cold again. The consistency is almost like a nourishing lip oil but with just a bit more thickness to it to make it really cling to and have a presence on the lips color-wise. That said, it is not in the least bit too goopy or tacky, and my lips both feel and look smoother both with it on and hours after it has worn away. Yet, the texture is so lovely that it is a joy to apply again and again throughout. Then, of course, there are the lovely, almost nostalgic scents and tastes unique to each shade that just reminds me of my first-ever days of wearing makeup

This balm currently comes in four colors Tough Cookie (a neutral soft brown, which is the one I have), Just Peachy (a sheer orange that hovers into creamsicle peach), Boss Berry (a tint of hot pink berry), and Mighty Mint ( a straight clear gloss that is said to have both a minty flavor and a bit of tingle). These would be adorable and useful additions to anyone's lip wardrobe, picking the best color and flavor for the person or perhaps purchasing the whole array for variety, It has become a true on-the-go love for me, and I can't imagine anyone not falling in love with this charming, little beauty. You can find these lip balms at Ulta and Ulta's website, Targets and certain drugstores as well as on the Elf website, Eyeslipsface.com

Bonus: If you are looking for fill out the gift of the Ride or Die Lip Balm. e.l.f is also known for making good and affordable mascaras. I've been liking the Mineral Infused Mascara. which retails for $4 on the e.lf. website and Ulta.com. This is a great fluffy, lengthening0style mascara made with primarily natural ingredients such as beeswax, kaolin clay, and zinc oxide, to strengthen the lashes and hold them in place/ Also, the newer Lash Out mascara is touted as a wonderful choice for more dramatic, false-lash-like lashes, retailing for $6 wherever e.l.f. is sold, including Ulta, Ulta.com. and the e.lf. website.

Bath and Bodycare: Ahava Mineral Hand Cream ($24 USD) : 2021 has also been the year of trying hand creams and using various face and body moisturizers as hand creams. I have been struggling with dry hands off and on throughout the year and have come across some great products as well as strategies for caring for the hands (Check out my recent article here for some more handcare tips). But in the way of product, one of if not my very favorite pick for hand moisturizer has been the Ahava Mineral Hand Cream.

Like all of Ahava's skincare and bodycare products, this hand cream is fueled with power of sea minerals and moisture retaining sea salt to enrich, soften, and rejuvenate the skin, and rejuvenate is exactly what this cream does. When I first tried this, I was going through a particularly bad chapped hand moment, and they were even starting to visible flake and peel. In the instant of rubbing this in, my hands no longer hurt. My skin felt supple and was smooth to the to the touch and the feeling lasts for hours-- all night long if I use it at night before bed-- and I think the overall condition of my hands as improved with continued use. Yet, I also love that this is a fairly thin but still creamy lotion. There is no trace of film left on the hands after applying and it absorbs right away after rubbing in, seeming to get right to work on the deep layers. If your, or the person your gifting to, is someone who likes to wear other scents or is not a fan of strong smells in skincare or in general, this cream has almost no detectable fragrance, just a fresh clean hint of the sea salt that is present in the formula. I truly adore this product and have even gone on to use this occasionally as face cream when I want something light but truly moisture-retentive. A full 3.4 oz size of this product retails for $24 USD but oftentimes an $8 1.7 is also available. There are also varieties of this product and made with more perfumed fragrances- Sea-Kissed and Spring Blossom. which are available in the 3.4 oz size. You can find these beauties on Ulta''s website and in certain stores and also Ahava.com/

Fragrance: Phlur Hanami Eau de Parfum ($96 for 1.7 oz bottle USD and $28 for 0.33 oz travel spray at Phlur.com) Phlur is a brand leading the charge when it comes to complex yet modern all-natural fragrances. Though the have several fragrances of virtually every genre of scent, the one to get my praise the most is Hanami. Hanami is probably their most popular fragrance and is a warm, soft slightly smoky- feeling blend of a menagerie of white flowers (peony among them), fig, and a soft trace of sandalwood. As both a floral and a fig-fragrance lover, this truly is right up my street, but I also think how this fragrance balances both freshness and floral qualities with rich woodsiness will appeal to almost anyone. I also appreciate how light yet present this fragrance is-- not at all dense or cloyingly sweet-- and the naturalness of the ingredients. Even if you are or know someone who might have allergies or is sensitive to fragrances, the purity of the ingredients of Hanami (and any other of Phlur's fragrances) may make it a great choice for perfume to be savored and enjoyed.

Whether you have many a beauty enthusiast to by for, someone who just wants to dabble a little more in pretty things or self-care, or if you need new suggestions to tell your friends and family for gifting, I hope that this roundup of products brings you lots of great ideas! However you celebrate, keep it merry, bright, and beautiful!