The 15 Best Vegan and Cruelty-Free Gift Ideas for the Clean Beauty Lover

This year, beauty has taken a virtual turn, and while we're covering up with masks when we go out, it doesn't mean that self-care has taken a backseat at all. Putting the camera on during video meetings means two things: Your background needs to appear picture-perfect and you need to look as put together as if we are in the office (even if all people see is your face). For many looking put together means glowing skin, sunkissed cheeks, or smooth, freshly blown-out hair.

As the daily Zoom meetings continue, go-to products may be running a little low and the latest clean beauty products seem to be more tempting. Rather than convince yourself you don't need the Dyson Airwrap or Fenty Beauty's contour sticks, add it to your holiday wishlist. Here are the 15 best beauty products on the market from vegan and cruelty-free makeup and skincare to clean hair products.

There's a reason why you only see glowing reviews about Fenty's Match Stixs: The contour, highlight, and blush skin sticks are possibly the best on the market. Fenty, which was started by Rihanna, is vegan, cruelty-free, and eco-conscious. Fenty has products for every skin tone that will give you the glowing, sunkissed look you want any time of the year. The Match Stix Trio set comes with two matte skin sticks, concealer and contour, and one shimmer skin stick that is highlighter. Fenty's formula is lightweight, creamy, and perfect for an effortless all-natural look or easily buildable for a more dramatic makeup look.

If there's any part of a makeup routine that should be clean, it's mascara and eyeliner. Clean mascara is essential to any beauty routine since the eyes are one of the most sensitive parts of our face. Honest Beauty's Glam Gaze Set comes with liquid eyeliner, extreme length mascara and lash primer that are essential to any eye makeup routine. The mascara is considered one of the best volumizing mascaras and the eyeliner will give you a sultry, smokey look.

This Glossier makeup set is for anyone who loves the "no-makeup makeup look." Glossier's clean beauty products are as natural-looking as it gets. The Makeup Set 2 includes an eyebrow gel, highlighter stick, cloud paint blush, and lip balm. The all-time favorite cloud paint liquid blush is the standout in this set and comes in a variety of colors that offers a unique and colorful pop on your cheeks. These products may seem tiny but you can get so many uses out of them, and your giftee will absolutely love the minimal aesthetic of the brand's packaging.

Buy on Glossier's website here.

A high-quality set of cruelty-free makeup brushes is essential to any routine, especially clean and eco-friendly ones. This Total Face Kit is for those who don't like to have a million different brushes but gives you all the basics you need for a total face look. This brush set comes with one large and small brush handle as well as a large angled blush brush head, large base buffer brush head, small spoolie brush head, small angled crease brush head, and a small airbrush concealer brush head. You can find this at every major store, such as Target and Wegmans, making it convenient to shop sustainable and eco-friendly.

Buy on Amazon here or on EcoTools website here.

A bold lip can elevate any look, even if we're sitting in casual clothes all day. Rare Beauty's Lip and cheek Mini Set consists of travel-size versions of its bestselling lip and cheek. The four-piece set has two liquid blushes ( one matte, one dewy), lip cream, and tinted lip balm. This gift set is perfect for anyone who loves to play around with lip colors or loves a pop of color on their cheeks, and the sleek gold components are designed for easy opening, meant to cater towards those with arthritis.

Buy on Rare Beauty's website here.

6. Hourglass Cosmetics Illume Sheer Color Trio, $62

Hourglass has finally made one of their bestselling items vegan just in time for the holidays. The Hourglass Cosmetics Illume Sheer Color Trio has bronzer, blush and highlighter in one compact case. This award-winning trio will become a staple in any makeup routine. Hourglass Cosmetics is also a great option for anyone with sensitive skin since it is free of alcohol, mineral oil, sulfates and fragrance.

Buy on Hourglass's website here.

This Good + Ready Kit is for the loved ones who have been talking about refreshing their morning skincare routine, or those who want to start getting serious about skincare but don't know where to start. The Good + Ready Kit is focused on hydrating and reviving dull skin with five different products including day serum to firm and brighten, whipped cream for moisturizing, serum for hydrating, SPF to protect the skin and lip balm for chapped lips. Drunk Elephant's vibrant packaging makes this kit even more exciting for your loved one to open.

Buy on Drunk Elephant's website here.

Summer Fridays skincare will rejuvenate and refresh any type from dull to dry after one use. The Hydration Kit comes with the fan-favorite Mini Jet Lag Mask, CC Me Serum, and Lip Butter Balm. These products are made for all skin types and are perfect for anyone who has been looking to try out new hydrating products. All three products in The Hydration Set are focused on brightening and smoothing the skin.

Buy on Summer Fridays' website here.

Dr. Barbara Sturm's products are worth every penny, especially The Glow Kit. In this sustainable, reusable velvet bag comes a seven-step skincare routine that targets brightening and hydrating skin as well as soothing irritation. The seven products included are cleanser, facial scrub, face mask, hyaluronic serum, face cream and glow drops. This multi-stepped routine with making your skin look healthier and more vibrant than ever before.

Oftentimes, we’re so focused on our skincare routines for our face that we neglect our body care. Necessaire is praised for its clean body care that is rich in vitamins and nutrients. The Necessaire Body Ritual set will exfoliate, hydrate, and boost your body's glow. After trying this routine, you will never go back to generic store-bought body care products.

Buy on Necessaire's website here.

Love Goodly is a vegan beauty and wellness box that is delivered every two months and is perfect for anyone who loves to try out new skincare and beauty products. Every box contains 4+ full-sized organic, non-toxic, eco-friendly, and vegan products. Gift the skincare and beauty lover one essential box for $39.95 or a six-month subscription, which is three essential boxes, for $106. For every box sent, Love Goodly supports a cause such as Farm Sanctuary and Paw Works. 

Buy on Love Goodly's website here.

If you’re shopping for a beauty-lover with sensitive skin, Alchimie Forever makes incredible skincare developed by a dermatologist, so you can ensure the brand’s formulas will be suited towards any skin type. This family brand was founded over 30 years ago and began with one product which is still the company’s best-selling: The Kantic Brightening Moisture Mask, which is a creamy, iridescent formula that helps skin hydrate and glow with natural botanicals like European blueberries, wild pansies, and oats.

This mask is cruelty-free, made without any animal byproducts, and helps skin fight against signs of aging while reducing redness and irritation. There’s a reason this mask is celebrity makeup artists’ go-to weapon for glowing, radiant skin. Surprise a loved one with this miracle product and it will quickly become their go-to beauty booster.

Buy on Alchimie Forever's website here.

By Stephanie McClain

The Dyson AIrwrap is one of a kind and deserves all the hype it gets. The Dyson Airwrap has tools to smooth, curl, and wave the hair in less time and heat. The high-tech hair styling tool cuts the time of doing your hair in half, which is key to having healthy hair. This gift set has eight different tools to give you a polished look like you just left the salon. Although this gift is a serious splurge, it's one that your friend or family member will use for decades to come, because Dyson's quality is unparalleled.

Buy on Nordstrom's website here.

Give yourself a salon-like conditioning treatment with Olaplex Holiday Hair Fix. This gift set is perfect for anyone who has experienced frizzy hair, damaged hair or split ends. This holiday set comes with shampoo, conditioner, leave-in smoothing creme for styling and repairing and strengthening treatment. All products are nut-free, paraffin-free, gluten-free, phosphate-free, sulfate-free, cruelty-free, and vegan.

Buy on Sephora's website here.

OUAI (pronounced 'way') is an affordable, clean haircare brand that meets all hair-related needs. The OUAI Get Your OUAI Kit comes with a detox shampoo, leave-in condition, and dry shampoo. This set is perfect for anyone who wants to try out something new or needs travel-sized products. You can even add these minis to a basket of self-care goodies for a thoughtful, personalized gift. The dry shampoo will refresh and volumize, even if it's your third-day hair.

Buy on OUAI's website here.