Southerners can appreciate a classic: recipes, etiquette, style, and beauty. We learn most of our beauty tips from Mama, so we’re into products that have stood the test of time. From Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, to L’Oréal’s Elnett Satin Hairspray, and Chanel No. 5, if a beauty product works, it works forever. These are the best Christmas gifts from the most classic brands. If you have a makeup, fragrance, or skincare-obsessed person on your to-buy-for list, she’ll appreciate these timeless ideas. If Southerners know one thing, it’s not to mess with a timeless classic, and these brands are just that.
Clinique
Buy It: $22.50; bloomingdales.com
Clinique has been giving us fresh-faced beauty inspiration since 1968. Mama has been using that yellow lotion for as long as you can remember, and you probably swiped on some Black Honey in your day. This gift set features the latest addition to Clinique's Happy line, Gelato Cream. Anyone on your list will appreciate the gift of moisturizing lotion during the dry, cold winter, and these light scents smell amazing.
Chanel
Buy It: $105; saksfifthavenue.com
Although Coco Chanel established her brand in the fashion world first, the launch of Chanel No. 5 in 1921 secured her spot in the beauty sphere forever. Chanel has had other beauty products, like Rouge Allure lipstick (the shade Pirate is one of the best-selling red lipsticks of all time), that have reached iconic status, too. This season, the brand’s latest perfume launch (the first in 15 years!), Gabrielle Chanel, is the only perfume you should gift.
Lancôme
Buy It: $37; nordstrom.com
What began as a fragrance house in 1935 is now one of the largest beauty companies in the world. From skincare classics like the Visionnaire and Génifique lines to the Juicy Tubes that glossed all of our lips in the 2000s, Lancôme is a line that will never stop producing legendary products. This set has the essentials for a stunning nighttime eye look (perfect for holiday parties), and it includes another one of Lancôme’s famous products, the Bi-Facial Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover.
Kiehl’s
Buy It: $15; macys.com
Kiehl’s, which began in 1851 as an apothecary, is one of the oldest, most trusted skincare brands. The brand’s “Love Oil” (the first formula for Kiehl's Original Musk), which launched in 1921, put the brand on the map, but other Kiehl’s products, like Creme de Corps body moisturizer, are legendary as well. This gift set has all the Kiehl’s essentials for your guests’ holiday travels, but if you’re a Disney-lover, the brand has teamed up with Disney to create a Mickey Mouse-inspired holiday collection to support Feeding America.
Estée Lauder
Buy It: $37.50; bloomingdales.com
Estée Lauder’s brand began in 1946 with four skincare products and grew into an international, multi-faceted powerhouse. Estée Lauder, which introduced the idea of a “Gift With Purchase” has been launching other revolutionary brands (including others on this list) and products for decades. Esteé’s Advanced Night Repair serum was groundbreaking for anti-aging skincare and remains the brand’s best-selling product today. It’s included in this gift set, along with four other products aimed at achieving the best anti-aging results.
L’Oréal
Buy It: $13.99; walgreens.com
Founded in 1909, L’Oréal has taken over the beauty industry with makeup, skincare, hair products, and more. L’Oréal’s Elnett Satin Hairspray and Original Voluminous Mascara are both considered cult classics. Matte lipsticks are trending right now, and these liquid matte lipsticks won’t dry out. Plus, the color options in this set give a great range from an everyday nude to a night-out red.
Elizabeth Arden
Buy It: $80; nordstrom.com
Elizabeth Arden’s first store opened in 1910, and the brand has made history quite a few times since. Not only did the brand create a red lipstick that would coordinate with women in uniform during World War II, it was the first to develop travel-size beauty products. But the brand’s seemingly magical Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream, which debuted in 1930, can only be described as legendary. This splurge-worthy set features four products that will lift, smooth, and replenish your skin.
Olay
Buy It: $10; walgreens.com
Mama still calls it “Oil of Olay” because that’s the brand’s original name, as well as the name of the product that made it so famous. Oil of Olay, a do-it-all “Beauty Fluid” was introduced in 1952, and the world was never the same. Now, Olay has skincare and bath products for every price range, and its anti-aging products are some of the best drugstore buys out there. This gift set comes with three beauty essentials in an addicting scent.
Guerlain
Buy It: $66; nordstrom.com
Guerlain’s history began all the way in 1828 (you read that correctly) as a small perfume house. The brand’s iconic perfume called Shalimar, which was introduced in 1925, is probably on Mama’s dressing table right now. But Guerlain isn’t all about fragrances—its Terracotta Original Bronzing Powder and KissKiss Lipsticks are makeup must-haves. Although we’ll always be faithful to Shalimar, the line’s newest fragrance, Mon Guerlain, launched this year, and fans of the brand have to try this two-piece set.
Yardley London
Buy It: $18.98; amazon.com
Yardley London is a far-and-away winner for oldest brand on the list, with its official establishment in 1770 and true beginning 150 years prior, documents of which were lost in the Great Fire of London in 1966. The brand is most famous for its lavender soaps and fragrances, and it’s historically a favorite of the royal family. This gift set includes four scents to try.
Coty
Buy It: $7.99; walgreens.com
Although the Coty brand began as a French fragrance company in 1904, it’s Airspun Loose Face Powder, introduced in 1935, is its most famous product. The budget-friendly, original formula is still for sale, and countless women testify to the translucent powder’s makeup-setting powers (even Mama).
Sally Hansen
Buy It: $15.99; walgreens.com
Sally Hansen launched her brand in 1946 with just two products, one of which was the Hard As Nails polish. The brand has since expanded from nail color and care to include sunless tanning, hair removal, and beauty tools, too. The Miracle Gel line is Sally Hansen’s latest release, and it’s your budget friendly, at-home version of a salon gel manicure. This set includes the polish and top coat.
