Best beauty stocking stuffers
Cheap, cheerful and oh-so-useful
One of my most cherished childhood memories is standing on my tippy toes on Christmas morning and searching for my name in the row of stockings on the mantle. I still feel that same excitement all these years later. There’s just something so charming about a trove of trinkets cherry-picked to make you smile: chocolate bars, lottery scratchers … But my absolute favourite stocking stuffers are by far the beauty kind — nothing fancy, just a wee bit of self-care. So to help you spread some joy this holiday season, I scoured the drugstore aisles and rounded up the top beauty stocking stuffer ideas.
Hand cream
With all the hand washing going on, a good cream is sure to be appreciated. This coconutscented one (it smells like a trip down south) replenishes moisture with shea and cocoa butters. J.R. Watkins Coconut hand cream, $10, shoppersdrugmart.ca
Nail files
Odds are there’s an old dull file swimming at the bottom of her purse, along with scrunched receipts and loose breath mints. This cute duo — the work of fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi — will make a welcome upgrade. Revlon Isaac Mizrahi Loves Expert Shapers for Hard Nails, $5, shoppersdrugmart.ca
Hand sanitizer
Most sanitizers offer very little in the joy department, reeking of rubbing alcohol and leaving hands parched. This one is different. It’s got a calming lavender scent and hydrates with vitamin E and glycerin. Bleu Lavande hand sanitizer spray, $5, shoppersdrugmart.ca
Afoot mask
Who wouldn’t want to curl up in front of a movie, hot chocolate in hand and feet wrapped in these moisturizing slippers? They’re soaked in shea butter and prebiotic oat to soften extra-dry soles. Aveeno Repairing CICA foot mask, $5, shoppersdrugmart.ca
Lip balm
It’s winter in Canada: Everyone needs lip balm. This all-natural classic from Burt’s Bees moisturizes and mends chapped lips, and tastes like honey. Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Moisturizing Lip Balm in Honey, $6, shoppersdrugmart.ca
Asheet mask
Help them de-stress their skin — and their mind — with this soothing sheet mask. It’s infused with coconut, caffeine, green tea and turmeric to reduce redness and make them look more rested. Pacifica Beauty Stress Rehab Coconut & Caffeine facial mask, $6, shoppersdrugmart.ca
Amakeup sponge
Makeup sponges are a gamechanger, making blending a breeze and yielding an airbrushed finish. And because a lot of people neglect cleaning them (hey, we’re only human), a fresh new one — dressed up for the holidays — makes a perfect gift. Quo Beauty Holiday blending sponge, $8, shoppersdrugmart.ca
Dry shampoo
Invite them to skip the hair washing and snooze a bit longer with this dry shampoo. It offers all the benefits of the bestselling original but with a lighter scent that won’t clash with their perfume. Batiste Dry Shampoo in Bare, $7, walmart.ca
Mascara
Picking makeup for someone is tricky: What’s their style? What shades do they like? There’s none of that guess work with mascara. That’s why this smudgeproof fanning one — named best drugstore mascara by The Kit last year — is guaranteed to be a hit. Maybelline New York Lash Sensational washable mascara, $7, walmart.ca
Toothpaste
Life’s too short for boring toothpaste. This jasmine mint tube not only tastes amazing (crisp, fresh and a little floral), but will also look smashing on their bathroom vanity.
Marvis Jasmin Mint Toothpaste, $10, well.ca
Some bath salts
A fragrant blend of sea salt and green tea turns a weeknight bath into a spa treatment. The caffeine and centella asiatica extract (a medicinal plant) are purported to help drain excess fluids — ideal after some holiday indulging. Teaology Green Tea Detoxing and Reshaping Salt Bath, $6, shoppersdrugmart.ca