Beauty booty: The best beauty gift sets

There’s no need to trawl round the shops in search of the perfect present – give the gift of beauty this festive season

Jo Malone (Jo Malone)

Every year there’s a smug collective of super-humanly organised people who relish telling people that they have finished their Christmas shopping. If you’re one of those for whom the space under the tree still looks decidedly bare, there is, fortunately, still plenty of time. That however, won’t help solve the problem of exactly what to invest in. The pressure to pick the perfect present is on; Harvey Nichols summed up the issue with its witty “Avoid Gift Face” campaign in which present recipients are forced to put on Oscar-worthy smiles to avoid giving away their disappointment.

One way you can’t go wrong is with beauty products. It’s no coincidence that the UK beauty industry is estimated to be worth around £17bn. From anti-wrinkle eye cream to fake tan, we as a nation are obsessed with personal care.

A beauty gift set has several advantages; firstly value for money, often offering groupings of products at a saving in cost and second there’s the packaging which will more than likely beat any home-wrapping attempts.

If budget is on your side, coming high on most wish lists is just about anything that comes in the famous yellow and black boxes by fragrance house Jo Malone.

The brand has nailed the festive season from its sell-out Christmas crackers to stylishly put together fragrance-combining sets.

On the pocket-friendly end of the spectrum there’s Topshop with its beauty range offering small but perfectly formed gifting solutions from as little as £5.

For a “his and hers” approach, Tom Ford fragrances are a good bet. Selfridges are offering a mix and match service of two of his Private Blend fragrances which are presented in a chic branded box, ideal for a couple with discerning taste.