The Ultimate Cruelty Free Holiday Gift Guide 2017!

Can you believe the holidays are here already? It always seems like the summer drags on forever and then Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Eve come at lightning speed! Well now it’s shopping time! I’ve put together the ultimate cruelty free holiday gift guide to give you some holiday gift buying inspiration. These are all products and gift sets that any cruelty free beauty lover would be happy to receive. This is a long one and it’s photo-heavy, so get your pumpkin spice latte and a warm blanket and enjoy your online shopping time!

The WellBe Bracelet – I don’t know ANYONE who isn’t at least a little stressed out. And the holidays seems to intensify that stress. Wouldn’t you love to be the friend or family member who gave the ultimate gift – less stress? The WellBe is the world’s first stress balancing bracelet! The WellBe bracelet looks kind of like a FitBit or Apple Watch. It monitors your heart rate and uses a patent pending algorithm to determine your stress and calmness levels based on time, location and the people you meet throughout your day (I’ll save my jokes!). Made from vegan cork, the WellBe bracelet is lightweight, durable, and soft against your skin (plus it actually looks cool!). So, the watch (and app) tell you when you’re stressed, so you can manage your stress levels. PLUS, they also come with stress relieving audio exercises such as focused breathing, relaxing music and guided meditation, so you can DO something about all that stress!

Spongelle Shimmer Collection – Cleanse Buff Glow Gift Set – How about a gift set that is useful AND glam? The Spongelle Shimmer Collection gift set comes with a tuberose-scented, shimmery body buffer and ultra-luxe body soufflé. The products are bath and body necessities, but also little luxuries that your friends may not buy for themselves on a regular basis. I love gifts that are beautiful, but also USEFUL. I actually would buy these for myself, but I’m always a little extra when it comes to beauty supplies (not really a shocker is it?). If you’ve never tried Spongelle, they are known for their sponges that come pre-filled with body washes that smell like couture perfumes. The sponges last for several washes (you can get about 14 washes from one), and they give you a nice exfoliation without being too harsh on your skin. They lather up very well, and they’re a perfect pick for frequent travelers. The Shimmer Body Soufflé is thick, rich and has a heavenly scent – very sexy and feminine. My fiancé loves when I put it on!

Derma e Vegan Skincare – Why not give the gift of gorgeous skin? Derma e is a favorite in the cruelty free and vegan communities and for good reason. Their products are made with natural ingredients, super effective, and there are so many options for every skin type. It can be hard to figure out which skincare products to buy for friends and family, but here’s an insider tip: these product picks that will work for just about any skin type. My faves: the Hydrating Cleanser (hyaluronic acid makes this ultra-hydrating which we all need during the cooler months), Microdermabrasion Scrub (one of my all time favorite products – definitely a must-have), Hydrating Clay Mask (very moisturizing with hyaluronic acid, green tea, avocado, olive oil, and more), Sensitive Skin Eye Gel (non-pore-clogging, de-puffing eye gel with mega antioxidant – pycnogenol) and Soothing Moisturizing Cream (perfect for winter-ravaged skin!). Derma e also has plenty of other goodies – buy them for yourself and grab some for a gift!

 

The Cotton Canvas and Co Personalized Makeup Bag – How freaking cute is this? You can get your very own personalized makeup pouch like this one, or pick up one of several pre-printed with cute sayings. At $15.99 the price is RIGHT for something so personal and heartfelt. They have lots of other items too: tote bags, tea towels, pillow cover, stationery, place mats, and more!

And while we’re on the subject of customized gift ideas – how adorable is this personalized sherpa throw (made with all vegan materials) by GiftsForYouNow.com? This is the embroidered holly sherpa blanket with the snowflake design. One side is faux micro mink and the other side is faux lambswool. It’s made out of polyester and it’s machine washable. You can choose your icons, your blanket color, and your font color to really create a unique gift for the person who has everything. Gifts For You Now also has other personalized items for everyone on your list. And if you’re wondering, the blanket behind it is also faux fur OF COURSE – I call it my wolf blanket and I love it! In the winter, I love to drape lots of cozy blankets around, light tons of candles, and watch movies with my guy and our pets.

Urban Decay Distortion Palette – The Distortion palette has a gorgeous holographic lid that looks like shattered glass. There are fifteen shades in the palette – ten solid colors (nine are brand new) and five holographic “transformer hues” that are meant to be layered on top of the other colors to make new shades. Urban Decay’s founder, Wende, was inspired by her early days of mixing up colors in her Laguna Beach bungalow in 1996. This palette is an artist’s dream – so many shade combos! I know this one will be big this season, so get yours before they run out! See my full review here.

Urban Decay Heavy Metals Metallic Eyeshadow Palette – I have a feeling this one is going to be on a lot of holiday wish lists this year! This palette was made for girls (and guys) who love color and shimmer. The palette comes with twenty brand new shades – all metallic and all inspired by heavy metal music. There are ten brights on the left side and ten neutrals on the right side. I really like these colors – and I find them to be more fun than plain ole glitter. Glitter is great too – but metallics really pop when they catch the light. Hey – if you want to be extra, go for both. Read my full review here.

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner – Speaking of glitter…if you have a glitter lover on your list, they will LOVE the new Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Liners. UD calls it the “gateway drug to hardcore sparkle” haha! You can use them on top of your eyeliner (using them alone may not give you enough pigment) or paint your entire lid. Swatches (L-R): Midnight Cowboy, Glamrock, Pyro, Distortion, Grind, CatCall, Punk Rock, Stix and Bones, ACDC, Spandex, Gamma Ray. These are cruelty free AND vegan!

Too Faced Clover A Girl’s Best Friend Palette – Too Faced has lots of great gift options this year! There’s the Best Year Ever set, the Chocolate Vault, the White Chocolate palette, the Chocolate Gold palette, the new Peachy Mattes collection…but let’s talk about the Clover palette shall we? This palette is inspired by founders Jerrod and Jeremy’s cute little dog, Clover. The packaging is SUPER adorable and you have to watch the animated video they made for it. But the best part is that Too Faced donated $250,000 to Best Friends Animal Society to celebrate the launch! Jerrod and his team truly do love animals. The palette features 18 new shades – mattes and shimmers. There are neutrals, brights, a couple of peaches, a shimmery white and a shimmery black. Pretty much something for everyone here, and with names like #SaveThemAll, I’m in love! Click here to see the swatches.

Marc Jacobs Beauty Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette – For the cruelty free luxury beauty lover, Marc Jacobs has just the thing. If you can’t afford to get her a Marc Jacobs bag, hey – why not wow her with a Marc Jacobs eyeshadow palette! These colors were inspired by the runways, and each has its own vibe. Each one has shades with four finishes: velvet, satin, silk, and lamé. I am obsessed with Scandalust – the warm browns and copper shades are SO good. I have been searching for that exact shade of copper for YEARS and finally I have found it! Click here to read my full review and to see swatches of each color.

Tarte Holiday Gift Sets – Tarte has a TON of holiday gift sets, and I would be happy to receive any or all of them! They are all packaged with a really gorgeous Moroccan-themed design, and the shade names conjure up a sense of wanderlust and adventurous travel.

Some can be found only at Sephora (or Tarte.com) – like the gorgeous Tarte Treasure Box. It comes with 24 eyeshadows, 2 blushes (Perk and Wish), 2 bronzers (Navigate and Excursion), Wanderlust highlighter (champagne), full size Sex Kitten Eyeliner, travel size Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara, and a travel size Matte Lip Paint in Grand (deep rose). If you bought these separately you’d spend somewhere around $433, but the whole box set is only $59!

The Tarte Magic Star Collector’s Set is another one that beauty junkies will be lusting after! It comes with 25 eyeshadows (new mattes and metallics), 2 blushes (Heir and Seek), 1 highlighter (Golden Champagne), 1 bronzer (Matte Bronze), travel size Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara, travel size Sex Kitten Eyeliner, travel size Matte Lip Paint in Castle (a plum mauve), and a Tarteist Glossy Lip Paint in Myth (rose). It’s $49 (but a $411 value)! This one is only at Ulta (and Tarte.com).

For the cat eye aficionado, there’s the Spice Up Your Stare Deluxe Tarteist Eyeliner Set. It’s available at Macy’s, Ulta and Tarte.com. You get four travel-sized, waterproof Tarte Clay Paint Eyeliners in Mulberry, Champagne, Black and Copper, along with a double-ended eyeliner brush. This one is only $35 (a $48 value if bought separately).

There’s also the Pout Pleasures Lip Set. It comes with five full sized Tarte Lippie Lingerie lip crayons in Delight (pink nude), Desire (berry), Enticing (cool mauve), Lacy (deep pink tan), and Enchanting (deep rosy pink). These are by far some of my favorite lipsticks on the market. They are easy to apply, they have great pigment and best of all – they are moisturizing and cooling. No dry winter lips here! This set is entirely vegan. The set is $42 ($120 value!!) at Ulta, Macy’s and Tarte.com.

For the ultimate blush wardrobe, check out the Cheek Charmers Deluxe Amazonian Clay blush set. This one is available only at Macy’s (and Tarte.com). You get five generous, travel-sized blushes in: Journey (soft pink), Flair (deep pink rose), Majesty (grapefruit), Traveled (Nude Apricot), and Splendor (Fuchsia). There’s a mix of matte and microshimmer shades. These are all vegan and meant to last for at least 12 hours. The set is $35.

elf Holiday Gift Sets – If you need a budget option, stocking stuffer, or just need to buy gifts for all the girls at the office, elf has you covered! I picked these up at Target for $5 each. There are LOTS of options (Target had a whole display full of them) ranging from $5 – $20 each. Who said buying cruelty free had to be expensive?

NYX Gift Sets – NYX is another cruelty free budget beauty brand that has some REALLY cute gift sets. These are great for stocking stuffers, office gifts or you can stock up and amp up your own stash!

The #GlitterGoals Kits are perfect for those super glam friends! They come with a travel-sized tube of NYX Glitter Primer and three shades of face and body glitter. There are three sets: Black/Crystal/Emerald, Gold/Copper/Ruby and Pink/Purple/Luna. At $15, these are a great deal.

The NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream City Sets ($15 each) come in super chic, city-inspired sets: New York, Stockholm, Moscow, London, Santiago, Bangkok, Los Angeles…you get the idea! Each one comes with four eyeshadows, one blush, one highlighter and a coordinating Soft Matte Lip Cream lipstick.

Dermalogica Holiday Gift Sets – Dermalogica is a crowd favorite, and their annual gift sets never disappoint. Try the Daily Defenders gift set for anti-aging and protection from the elements. It comes with Skin Resurfacing Cleanser, Antioxidant Hydramist and Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50. My other top pick is the Lip Smoothing Duo – a must have for winter chapped lips. It comes with Renewal Lip Complex and a mini version of the Nightly Lip Treatment (read my review here).

Red Flower candles and room diffusers – I’ve recently learned about the uber-luxe world of Red Flower. They sell highly-scented room diffusers and candles that are PERFECT for gift-giving! I have a dog and two cats, so trust me when I say I’ve tried A LOT of products to make my house smell good. I’m so impressed with the products – the candles are highly scented and made from 15% pure flower fragrance. They are so pretty – topped off with scented flower petals! I am especially obsessed with the room diffuser. I recently bought a liquid room diffuser from Cost Plus World Market and I was so disappointed – no scent whatsoever – I had to throw it out! The Red Flower room diffuser in Orange Blossom that I received to sample is on a whole different level. It’s not cheap, but the difference is that it makes your whole room smell amazing, and the smell doesn’t wear off immediately like most diffusers I’ve tried in the past. If anyone wants to get me more of these for the holidays, I would be SO HAPPY (Gregg – are you reading this?)!

Sigma Makeup Brush Cleaning Mat – What do you get the makeup junkie who has EVERY new palette known to man? How about the Sigma Express Brush Cleaning Mat? Once I found out about brush cleaning mats, I could never go back to using just my fingers! The grooves in the mat really get all the dirt, oil and pigment out of your brushes, which is important for clear skin and an optimal makeup application. Sigma has actually patented their makeup brush cleaning mat! It has different sections for each type of brush. There’s a large size and the express size (shown here). They both fit in your sink, and you can clean multiple brushes at once. The mat is made from latex-free silicone and it’s quite sturdy. Use code MYBEAUTYBUNNY to save 10%!

Basically anything from The Body Shop – This was my go-to place for gifts when I used to shop in malls more regularly! It’s hard to go wrong with The Body Shop, and they have TONS of gift sets at the ready. Some great cruelty free skincare picks from around the world: the Japanese Matcha Tea Mask, Chinese Ginseng & Rice Milky Toner and the British Rose Gel Toner. The Amazonian Saviour Multi-Purpose Balm is a nice winter gift. Is there anyone out there who can’t use a good balm for dry skin, cuticles or feet? It’s made with community trade babassu oil and andiroba oil from Brazil. It’s a good one to put on at night before you go to bed, so you can wake up without “lizard skin”! This is also a great tattoo balm – either for healing or to keep the ink looking fresh. The Body Shop also has yummy seasonal scents like vanilla chai, frosted plum and and frosted berries. Click here to check out their holiday gift-able products!

Sara Happ Perfect Pout in a Box Gift Set – This is one of those adorable sets that makes a perfect gift, and is super useful, but may be something you wouldn’t buy for yourself. It seems like a splurge, but who wouldn’t want soft, sexy lips – especially during the cold winter months. No one wants to kiss chapped, lizard lips! The Perfect Pout in a Box gift set comes with a Caramel Latte Lip Scrub, The Lip Slip lip balm and Sweet Clay Lip Mask. All are full-sized, and perfect for gals who wear a lot of drying matte liquid lipstick!

Aveda – What if you could smell like Aveda products ALL THE TIME? Once you’ve smelled Aveda’s signature scent, you’ll know exactly why that’s a good thing! The signature scent is made with 25 pure flower and plant essences including certified organic lavender pettitgrain and ylang ylang. I don’t even like ylang ylang by itself but whatever witch’s brew Aveda has cooked up, I am HERE for it! I love Aveda and I use their products regularly, but the scent from the shampoo and styling products doesn’t always last all day. Luckily, there are the Aveda Shampure Pure-fume Mist and Composition Oil! The mist is super light and you can use it on your hair and skin without adding too much oil or heaviness. It’s limited edition and sold out online so check your local Aveda salon to see if they have it in stock before it’s all gone! The Shampure Composition Oil is a spa-like blend that you can add to your bath, use as a massage oil, or use to hydrate your scalp for a pre-shampoo treat. They also have a ton of beautifully packaged gift sets and vegan candles that are ready to go!

LATHER gift sets – LATHER has lots of natural skin, hair and body gift sets this season. The Mindful Moments Meditation Kit makes a great gift for a sleep-deprived mom, stressed out business executive, or pretty much anyone (who isn’t stressed out these days?). It comes with a 1 oz Inner Peace Meditation Balm, a 4 oz Frankincense and Sandalwood candle, a beaded wrap bracelet and a 3 month subscription to Stop, Breathe & Think (an iphone/ipad meditation app). The kit is $28 ($61 value).

The Mile High Skin Savers kit is perfect for that friend who loves to travel. It comes with everything you need to relax and get cozy on your next flight. The white toiletry bag is stuffed with: travel sized Cucumber & Ginseng Facial Mist, 4 cotton pads, travel sized Moisture Magnet (hydrating facial serum), travel sized Hand Therapy hand cream, Lip Conditioning Balm, an eye mask and a pair of soft slipper socks. The set is $49 ($80 value). You can find it at LATHER stores or at lather.com.

There are SO many cruelty free gift ideas out there. This is just a sampling but I hope it gives you some shopping inspiration. I put a lot of blood, sweat, tears and heart into this cruelty free gift guide, so I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it if you could give it a share on social media! You can share via the sharing buttons below, or hover over the images to pin them.

Want more gift guides? Check these out:

Haus of Hounds Cruelty Free Beauty Gift Guide

Dog Lovers Holiday Gift Guide