20 best under S$35 beauty gifts to buy this Christmas if you have a tight budget

While Christmas is a joyous occasion to spend time with our loved ones, some of us simply dread the thought of having to spend a bomb on presents for everyone you know.

The good news is that buying gifts doesn’t necessarily have to be an expensive affair – in fact, we are sure that these beauty products (nothing above SGD35!) will put a smile on the faces of your recipients and keep your wallet safe during this festive season.

Psst, for more gift ideas, head over to our Gift Finder.

1. Utena Matomage Floral Hair Styling Stick (Regular)

Give someone you love the gift of good hair days forever with the secret to Japanese women’s impeccably smooth hair: Utena’s Matomage Floral Hair Styling Stick!

This is a stick-type wax that styles loose and stray hair easily without getting your hands dirty, and keeps your hair looking neat and beautiful all day even in the hottest and wettest of weathers. Just swipe this over your mane whenever you feel that the humidity messing with your hair, and your frizzy hair will instantly be tamed, with a sweet floral fragrance to boot!

Utena Matomage Floral Hair Styling Stick retails at SGD11.90 in Don Don Donki and Tokyu Hands.

2. BECCA The Glow Starts Here Primer & Corrector Mini Set (Limited Edition)

Radiant and glowing skin isn’t just created with expensive highlighters and luxurious facials.

This makeup set contains three BECCA bestsellers to enhance the appearance of your skin: First Light Priming Filter to minimize the appearance of dullness and imperfections, Backlight Priming Filter that creates a diffused, soft radiance like an instant photo filter, and Under Eye Brightening Corrector, a light-reflecting crème that brightens your dark eye circles.

BECCA The Glow Starts Here Primer & Corrector Mini Set (Limited Edition) retails at SGD24 in Sephora stores and online.

3. Benefit Cosmetics Pocketpal Love Tint and Cha Cha Tint Lip & Cheek Stain Set (Limited Edition 2019)

Two is better than one with this double-ended duo that features two of Benefit’s iconic lip and cheek stains, Chachatint & Lovetint.

These buildable tints are long-wearing, smudge-proof and non-drying, so all you need is one swipe with the new precise lip applicator to create a gorgeous look that lasts.

Tip: For a healthy multi-dimensional look, use mango-tinted Chachatint on your cheeks and fiery-red Lovetint on your puckers!

Benefit Cosmetics Pocketpal Love Tint and Cha Cha Tint Lip & Cheek Stain Set (Limited Edition 2019) retails at SGD32 in Sephora stores and online.

4. Fenty Beauty Lil Stunna Lip Paint Longwear Liquid Lipstick in Underdawg

Use this as a stocking stuffer or wrap it up with the cutest wrapping paper – either way, we are sure that your recipient will be in love with this.

This mini Stunna Lip Paint longwear liquid lipstick comes in a limited-edition deep burgundy shade that adds a touch of sophisticated elegance to anyone who wears this. In fact, everyone will be able to pull off this flattering shade that sits comfortably on the lips, so we really don’t blame you if you decide to keep this for yourself instead #treatyoself

Fenty Beauty Lil Stunna Lip Paint Longwear Liquid Lipstick in Underdawg retails at SGD24 in Sephora stores and online.

5. Marc Jacobs Beauty Rock (P)out: petite gloss duo

Sparkle for days on end with a limited-edition duo of Marc Jacobs Beauty’s award-winning lip glosses, featuring new dazzling shade To the Moon and top-selling shade French Tickler. You’ll expect nothing less than maximum colour and brilliance with the inclusion of Triple Shine Complex, a blend of high-performance ingredients that provide unstoppable wear and shine like “30 coats of lacquer.”

We haven’t even gotten to the best part yet: this will cost you just SGD30, which fits nicely into most budgets!

Marc Jacobs Beauty Rock (P)out: petite gloss duo retails at SGD30 in Sephora stores and online.

6. tarte Party of 3 Eyeliner Trio

For the friend who is always on the go and yet never fails to keep her winged eyeliner game strong, she’ll definitely appreciate this travel set trio of three waterproof, double-ended gel and liquid eyeliners.

Featuring three wearable shades of black, brown, and burgundy, these eyeliners create the perfect Insta look everywhere you go, be it rocking Parzis Fashion Week or ploughing through the snow in the North Pole. Use the pencil end for the days you have no patience for precise tips, and the liquid brush when you have more time to spare on perfecting your wings.

tarte Party of 3 Eyeliner Trio retails at SGD32 in Sephora stores and online.

7. Too Faced Better Than Sex Ornament (Cutest packaging!)

Any beauty junkies worth their salt would know that Too Faced’s Better Than Sex mascara is a keeper, but what if you’re feeling the pinch from all the intense gift-buying?

Thankfully, the brand has released a limited edition Christmas tree ornament containing none other than our favourite mascara at less than SGD20, so go on and hang it on the tree for your loved one to find – she’ll be squealing in delight for sure!

Too Faced Better Than Sex Ornament retails at SGD19 in Sephora stores and online.

Skincare

8. Mario Badescu Facial Spray Travel Trio

The festive season also marks the vacation period, so you can expect a fair bit of travelling by your family and friends in the upcoming weeks.

Help them to keep their skin hydrated and well-taken care of with a set of Mario Badescu’s best-selling hydrating facial sprays – the Facial Spray with Aloe, Cucumber and Green Tea is especially loved for reviving lacklustre skin, so don’t be surprised if your recipient buys a few more bottles of this mist!

Mario Badescu Facial Spray Travel Trio retails at SGD24 in Sephora stores and online.

9. The Inkey List The Night Time Renewal Kit

Let The Inkey List’s The Night Time Renewal Kit do the hard work for you while you take your (literal) beauty nap.

This skincare set containing skin supercharger Retinol and super hydrator Polyglutamic Acid improves the appearance of dull and dehydrated skin overnight. Both have gentle formulas without the nasties, so people with sensitive skin can also sleep with peace of mind after applying this on their faces.

The Inkey List The Night Time Renewal Kit retails at SGD30 in Sephora online.

10. Alpha-H Luxe Rose Kit

Available exclusively at Sephora, Alpha-H’s limited edition skincare set may look and feel extremely luxurious, but it actually sets you back by less than SGD25!

The Liquid Gold Rose offers instant, weightless hydration, as well as resurfacing and smoothening on the face, while Liquid Gold Rose Hand Cream moisturises, softens, and revitalises hands that have started to show signs of ageing.

Alpha-H Luxe Rose Kit retails at SGD24 in Sephora stores and online.

11. Caudalie Vinosource Cracker

If you are also hard-pressed for time, why not get this cracker that already has three goodies wrapped up in pretty packaging?

This trio contains Caudalie’s bestsellers for keeping your skin clear, soft, and fresh at any time of the day. Start your night routine with the make-up remover cleansing water that removes all traces of pollution from your skin, followed by the Vinosource moisturizing sorbet sample, a gel-cream that replenishes the skin’s water reserves and strengthens the skin to reduce skin sensitivity.

Don’t forget to end off with the Vinosource SOS thirst-quenching serum to make sure your skin stays hydrated even when you’re sleeping in a dry, air-conditioned room!

Caudalie Vinosource Cracker retails at SGD25 in Sephora stores and online.

12. Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Calming Gel Cream 15ml

Got a friend who can’t stop raving about the healing properties of cica, or tiger grass? This new ultra-light moisturising gel from Dr. Jart+ is exactly what she needs to complete her tiger grass skincare collection.

This gel cream is extremely effective in soothing dry and sensitive skin, so we also highly recommend buying this salve for anyone you know who is looking for a solution to extremely dehydrated and irritated skin, especially after a long vacation in a dry winter climate.

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Calming Gel Cream 15ml retails at SGD23 in Sephora stores and online.

13. Pixi Glow Tonic Ornament

Holy grail skincare products don’t have to burn a hole in your wallet at all.

Take Pixi Glow Tonic as an example: this is a highly raved about and sought-after toner and certainly one of the best beauty presents you can gift to any beauty junkie, but a decent product size costs much less than you expect at just SGD23!

Pixi Glow Tonic Ornament retails at SGD23 in Sephora stores and online.

14. Fresh Enchanted Essentials (Best deal alert!)

This may sound hard to believe but it’s true that you can get both of Fresh’s best-selling skincare products at less than SGD30 – and in super cute packaging, no less!

This iconic duo consists of Soy Face Cleanser, the brand’s most popular face wash that gently washes away makeup and impurities without stripping skin of essential moisture, as well as Sugar Lip Treatment Advanced Therapy for hydrated, plump lips.

Fresh Enchanted Essentials retail at SGD29 in Fresh boutiques, Sephora stores and online.

15. BEYOND Classic Hand Cream Set

It’s easy to forget that your hands need some TLC, but don’t wait they have started showing signs of age and dehydration before you get around to caring for them!

BEYOND’s limited-edition set of three Classic Hand Creams contain natural ingredients that nourish your hands, including pomegranate, natural berry mix, honey, and red wine extracts to give skin its smoothness and firmness. Pack them in your handbag or keep them in your office so that you can slather them on anytime, anywhere.

BEYOND Classic Hand Cream Set retails at SGD20 in THEFACESHOP-Nature Collection stores.

16. Sabon 3 Body Scrubs Gift Set 

A spa treatment may not be affordable for everyone, but certainly not these body scrubs!

This gift set features Sabon’s best-selling body scrubs in the most popular scents: Patchouli Lavender Vanilla, Delicate Jasmine, and Green Rose. Rich in Dead Sea Salts and four botanical oils to leave skin silky smooth, this present is every bit as fantastic and indulgent as multiple luxury spa packages.

Sabon 3 Body Scrubs Gift Set retails at SGD27 in Sabon boutiques.

17. The Body Shop White Musk Mist & Shower Duo

White Musk is The Body Shop’s signature scent – a cruelty-free musk that is made with notes of rose, jasmine, amber, and wood.

This set that contains the classic scent in the form of a shower gel and mist is one of the best ways to experience and fall in love with the light, sensual, and floral fragrance – who knows, maybe your recipient will become a White Musk convert who repurchases this for years to come!

The Body Shop White Musk Mist & Shower Duo retails at SGD25 in The Body Shop stores and Lazada.

18. Coco & Eve The Gift of Good Hair

You wish you could do something for that friend who is suffering from dry and damaged hair after a bad bleaching job, but tight finances are restricting you from purchasing that pricey hair treatment.

Coco & Eve The Gift of Good Hair is an incredibly affordable alternative that works just as well to revive dry hair damaged by styling, heat, dyes, and the environment. All you have to do is apply the hair masque regularly to see an improvement in hair texture, less frizz and split ends, as well as intense gloss for the most luscious locks ever seen.

Coco & Eve The Gift of Good Hair retails at SGD28 in Sephora stores and online.

19. Frank Body Rose Gold Shimmer Scrub

Applying body glitter all over is one way to sparkle from head to toe, but what about sporting a glow that lasts 24/7?

This scrub contains raw sugar and salt that buff away dry skin, while grapeseed oil and Vitamin E do the hydration work, hence creating the perfect base for shimmery rose glow particles to illuminate the skin.

Frank Body Rose Gold Shimmer Scrub retails at SGD16 for 100g and SGD30 for 20g in Sephora online.

20. Sephora Collection Stay Polished! Nail Set (Must-have!)

Instead of always splurging on manicures, get your sister (or even yourself!) to money in the upcoming year with this ready-to-gift set of 6 Colour Hit nail polishes.

It comes with five universal shades, from nude and intense red to rosewood, as well as a glittery silver topcoat that you can apply a thin layer of to add some extra oomph to your nails.

Sephora Collection Stay Polished! Nail Set retails at SGD14 in Sephora stores and online.