If you know at least one woman between the ages of 12 and 102 on your shopping list this holiday season, chances are you’ll spend some time at the makeup counter or perfume section. Cosmetics companies know that they have to compete for your gift-giving dollars, so they offer makeup deals the likes of which you won’t see at any other time of year. Instead of putting items on sale, companies offer gift-with-purchase or purchase-with-purchase deals on makeup, perfumes and sets.
Sounds like a great deal for shoppers — and most of the time, it is. However, not all beauty gift-with-purchase offers are created equal. Here are some tips and tricks to find the best.
Check the Dates on Beauty Gift Sets
While makeup stays sterile when unopened, it isn’t at its freshest if it’s last year’s promotion warmed over for this shopping season. The big names like Clinique, Chanel, Lancome and Estee Lauder release completely new sets each year, but smaller companies who over-ordered promotional items in the past sometimes try to move that merchandise the following year. If the makeup is already aging in its pots and bottles, you or the recipient won’t get full use out of it before it goes dry or stale. Not sure how long makeup stays fresh? Find out about the shelf life of your makeup.
Pick Favorites with Perfume Gifts
Perfumes and colognes come in lavish gift baskets for the holidays, but if you buy a perfume gift unsuited to the recipient, you may as well spend less and buy an assortment of empty bottles. Choosing a sporty aquatic fragrance for someone who adores warm, sultry orientals won’t go over well no matter how extravagant the gift set. Divisive scents like Flowerbomb, Angel or Fracas inspire passionate devotion or lip-curling disgust; you definitely want to be on the right side of that divide with your perfume gift. Sure, it’s the thought that counts, but everyone wants to know that you thought not just about the size of the gift, but the nature of it.
Do some snooping for a good cause. Scout the perfumes or colognes on the target’s vanity. You could even be forthright and ask, “What’s that gorgeous scent you’re wearing?” Once you know what you’re looking for, ask about gifts with purchase at the perfume counter. Even if the fragrance doesn’t have an associated gift with purchase or purchase with purchase this season, your sales associate can recommend a few items to include in a gift basket you wrap yourself.
Pick Your Palette
Some people are devoted to a single makeup brand, while others browse for the colors and textures they prefer. If you’re buying for the former kind of makeup wearer, you have it easy; she’ll probably love anything from Chanel or MAC or whichever line tickles her fancy. If you’re shopping for a more eclectic sort, you’ll need to keep a sharp eye for her favorite colors.
Department store cosmetics manufacturers are learning that their customers love choices. Some of them, notably Lancome and Estee Lauder, now offer purchase-with-purchase cosmetic sets featuring either a warm or a cool palette. While you can snoop in her makeup box to find out which colors she prefers, chances are the answer is written all over her face. If she favors pinks, purples, plums and blues, she prefers a cooler palette. Spicy hues like paprika, turmeric, nutmeg and chocolate suggest a warm palette. Still not sure whether she’s warm or cool? Choose an extensive makeup gift set that encompasses both ends of the warm/cool spectrum.
Don’t Overspend
Unless you’re pining for that train case full of goodies or that tote bag full of beauty products for yourself or know someone for whom it would be perfect, skip it if it’s outside your budget. It’s easy to overspend at the perfume and cosmetics counters during the holidays, especially when the salesclerk reminds you that for just ten dollars more, you can buy the larger bottle of cologne and become eligible to buy the purchase-with-purchase offer. That offer is invariably billed as “a $250.00 value for $39.95.” That’s a good deal, but it also means spending eighty dollars when you would’ve spent thirty for the smaller cologne you really wanted.
If you know your recipient wears perfume, a gift basket that features scented powder, hand lotion and hair mist in her favorite fragrance might be just right — or it might be more than she’d be able to use before the next decade. Spend your money elsewhere if the purchase offer doesn’t appeal. More isn’t always better.
If you want in-depth help on picking the best beauty gifts, read on:
Winter Makeup Trends for the 2011 Holidays
Fall’s Cool Makeup Palette: Pinks and Purples
Five Beauty Myths