Holiday Gift Guide 2021: The Best Skincare Gifts For K-Beauty Lovers

Known for its innovative formulas, gentle yet effective ingredients and oft eye-catchy packaging, K-beauty aka Korean beauty continues to be one of the buzziest trends in makeup and skincare. 

If you're looking for something special for someone who knows their essences from their serums and takes their 10-step skincare routine very seriously—don't worry, I've got you covered! Here are the best K-beauty skincare picks to put under their tree (or buy for yourself!):

Peach & Lily Glass Skin Discovery Kit ($65)

As the name suggests, glass skin refers to an unblemished, radiant, seemingly poreless skin that appears as if it's made of glass. Formulated with potent ingredients like bamboo, hyaluronic acid, matcha, niacinamide, peptides and peach extract, this skincare kit by Peach & Lily aims to help you achieve the clearest, dewiest and smoothest skin of your dreams. The set includes a sulfate-free gel cleanser that gently deep cleans your pores without leaving your skin stripped, a feather-light essence that plumps your skin cells with intense moisture and gives it a youthful bounce and glow and a calming moisturizer packed with anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and brightening ingredients. The kit also includes the brand's fan-favorite Glass Skin Refining Serum that fights free radical damage and trenches your skin in a blanket of soothing moisture for visibly smoother, firmer, clearer and more luminous skin. 

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Magic Kit ($49)

Glowing skin is just a step..err, kit away with this skincare trio that's supercharged with skin-loving ingredients like kaolin clay, niacinamide and watermelon extract. The set includes a highlighting serum—formulated without mica, glitter or pearls—that helps visibly brighten skin and delivers a youthful glow, a skin-soothing mask packed with hyaluronic acid-infused kaolin clay that purifies and brightens skin and helps minimize the appearance of pores and a gentle toner formulated with pore-tightening actives like PHA and BHA to plump up your skin with lasting moisture and even skin texture and tone. 

Some by Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner ($16)

There's a reason why apparently one bottle of this multitasking toner is sold every three seconds. Packed with glow-boosting chemical exfoliants (alpha, beta and poly hydroxy acids) along with natural skincare superstars like witch hazel, tea tree and papaya, this versatile hydrator mops up excess oil and impurities, soothes redness, promotes cell turnover and brightens skin tone while delivering a shot of deep hydration. Plus it has an optimal pH of 5.5 and is formulated without potential irritants like artificial fragrances, parabens, sulfates, etc.—making it a great option even for those who have sensitive skin. 

Mediheal x Line Friends Be Mine Gift Box ($45)

Let's admit it, no K-beauty roundup is complete without the ultimate treat for the skin—sheet masks. This whimsically packaged kit contains 42 sheet masks designed specifically for your face, hands and feet to help you maintain soft and smooth skin from head to toe throughout the season. The concentrated treatments address everything from dullness and dryness to breakouts, hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone. In addition, the gift box includes eight hydrating hand soaps and a cutesy embroidered pouch to store your skincare essentials. 

Then I Met You The Cleansing Duo ($68)

Sweat, pollution, stubborn makeup and grime won't stand a chance against this double-cleansing duo that gently sucks out impurities from your pores without leaving your skin dry as a paper towel. The set includes the brand's cult-classic Living Cleansing Balm—a lightweight oil cleanser formulated with antioxidant-rich olive, grape seed and sea buckthorn oils and vitamin E to melt away excess sebum, makeup and sunscreen while fighting free radical damage and strengthening your skin barrier. Meanwhile, the Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel features a blend of star skincare ingredients like green tea, fermented rice water, licorice root and other calming plant-based antioxidants to deep clean pores, minimize breakouts and give your skin a brightening boost. 

Dr.Jart+ Hydrate And Soothe Cicapair Regimen Set ($55)

Formulated with extracts from soothing herbs like tiger grass and the brand's proprietary blend of proteins and minerals that support skin healing and renewal, this four-step regimen kit is the perfect present for someone who has sensitive skin. The skin care kit features a refreshing foam cleanser that gently purifies pores without drying out your skin, an ultra-light serum that calms redness and irritation while sealing in moisture, a moisturizing cream that visibly softens and soothes stressed skin and the award-winning Tiger Grass Sleepair Intensive Mask—a fragrance-free, leave-on gel mask that works on your skin overnight to tackle dryness, dull complexion and inflammation, so you wake up to radiant, soft skin the next morning. In addition, the box includes a single-use sheet mask infused with moisture-boosting hyaluronic acid for a quick TLC skincare session.

Nature Republic Snail Solution Perfect Care Set ($110.70)

Infused with snail mucin or snail slime—a K-beauty skincare MVP—this anti-aging kit helps soothe stressed skin with intensive hydration, stimulates collagen production and promotes skin repair. The set features a refreshing moisture-balancing toner that firms and softens skin, an ultra-nourishing cream packed with the goodness of shea butter, olive oil and Irish moss extract and a lightweight emulsion that revitalizes fatigued skin, smoothes skin texture and supports skin cell renewal. 

Blithe Tundra Chaga Pressed Serum ($45)

Dry, dehydrated skin will become a thing of the past with this innovative hydrator that combines the moisture-boosting benefits of essence, serum and moisturizer. Enriched with nourishing oils and powerful botanical extracts, this lightweight serum plumps up parched skin cells with moisture while repairing oxidative damage, improving skin elasticity and promoting cell renewal. A perfect gift option for those with dry to normal skin types. 

Banila Co. Miss Flower & Mr. Honey Rejuvenating Eye Cream ($49)

Infused with a cocktail of honey, propolis and lush botanicals, this luxuriously hydrating eye cream is a treat for your peepers. The non-greasy formula quickly penetrates into the delicate eye area to lock in essential moisture. While the cooling metal applicator boosts circulation which diminishes the appearance of dark circles and puffiness. Ideal for even sensitive skin types as it's formulated without potential skin irritants like alcohol, parabens, sulfates, etc.