25 of the best beauty Christmas crackers for 2018
- Posted by
- Amber Ascroft
- Published

Forget paper hats and cheesy jokes, this year, we’re coveting luxury Christmas crackers stuffed with beauty gifts. Consider this your ultimate guide.
From Jo Malone’s mini bestselling scents to luxe skincare goodies from Caudalie, we’re trawled the high street for the very best in luxury Christmas crackers - with a beauty gift set to suit every taste and budget this festive season. Treat yourself, pop one at each seat at the Christmas dinner table or stash one inside a pal’s stocking to fast-track your way into their good books.
Caudalie Vinosource Christmas Cracker
Complete with a mini Vinosource S.O.S Thirst-Quenching Serum, Vinosource Moisturising Sorbet and Micellar Cleansing Water, this is the perfect gift for skincare and travel obsessives alike at £10.
Caudalie Vinosource Christmas Cracker contains: Caudalie Micellar Cleansing Water (30ml), Caudalie Vinosource SOS Thirst Quenching Serum (10ml), Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet (15ml)
Clarins Festive Treats Eyes & Lip Cracker
Clarins’ take on the beauty cracker trend comes in two variants - choose between the divine lip oil and smoothing cream or a mini mascara and cult Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector, each £10.
Clarins Festive Treats Eyes & Lip Cracker contains: Clarins Supra Volume Mascara (3.5ml), Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector 01 Rose Shimmer (5ml)
Nuxe Christmas Cracker
This set houses a whopping four different products including a face cream, hand cream, cleansing gel and the award-winning Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Oil for just £10. Just a few drops of the latter goes a long way.
Nuxe Christmas Cracker contains: Gentle Face Cleanser Rêve de Miel (15ml), Rêve de Miel Hand & Nail Cream (15ml), Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Oil, Rêve de Miel Face Cream (15ml)
Too Faced ‘Christmas Cracker’ Makeup Gift Set
If you’re yet to try Too Faced’s impressive Better Than Sex Mascara, now’s your chance. This £14 make-up gift set includes a dinky version as well as a matte liquid lipstick.
Too Faced ‘Christmas Cracker’ Makeup Gift Set contains: Better Than Sex Mascara (4.8g), Melted Matte-Tallic Lipstick, You Better Work (3.8ml)
Jo Malone Christmas Cracker
Your guests will be seriously impressed to find this £32 beauty on the dinner table. It boasts small versions of Red Roses Cologne, English Oak & Redcurrant Body & Hand Wash and Lime Basil & Mandarin Body Crème.
Jo Malone London Christmas Cracker contains: Jo Malone Red Roses Cologne (9ml), Jo Malone English Oak & Redcurrant Body & Hand Wash (15ml), and Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Body Crème (15ml)
Aveda Hair Styling Christmas Cracker
A one-stop shop for hair styling, this Aveda gift set contains the best hair products for texturising, thickening, volumising and speeding up your blow-dry time for just £18.
Aveda Hair Styling Christmas Cracker contains: Aveda Texture Tonic (30ml), Aveda Pure Abundance Style Prep (30ml), Aveda Thickening Tonic (10ml), Aveda Blow Dry Accelerator (10ml)
Marc Jacobs Beauty Anything Go-Gos Gift Set
How luxe is the Marc Jacobs Anything Go-Gos Gift Set at £18? You’ll find a mini version of Marc Jacob’s bestselling Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara and Le Marc Lip Creme inside.
Marc Jacobs Beauty Anything Go-Gos Gift Set contains: Mini Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara & Le Marc Lip Crème, in shade Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Birchbox Make-Up Cracker
There’s a make-up version of Birchbox’s genius cracker, too, although the £15 skincare option gets our vote. Expect a Benefit primer, Rituals make-up remover, Lumene face cream and Sand & Sky mask.
Birchbox Make-Up Cracker contains: Benefit primer, Rituals make-up remover, Lumene face cream and Sand & Sky Brilliant Skin purifying clay mask, mini Rituals make-up remover
Marks & Spencer Nature’s Ingredients Cracker Gift Set
If you’re present shopping on a budget this year, check out the Nature’s Ingredients four-piece set for £10 from M&S. It comes with four different crackers - each has a festive scented bath soak inside.
Marks & Spencer Nature’s Ingredients Cracker Gift Set contains: M&S Sugared Cranberry Foam Bath (50ml), M&S Orange and Ginger Foam Bath (50ml), M&S Spiced Fig Foam Bath (50ml), M&S Cocoa Butter Foam Bath (50ml)
Molton Brown Exquisite Treat Cracker
Who wouldn’t love to find a Molton Brown treat in their stocking? This year’s offering comes with four bath and shower gels in fiery, floral and fruity scents and for £20.
Molton Brown Exquisite Treat Cracker contains: Fiery Pink Pepper Bath & Shower Gel (50ml), Orange & Bergamot Bath & Shower Gel (50ml), Dewy Lily of the Valley & Star Anise Bath & Shower Gel (50ml), Rosa Absolute Bath & Shower Gel (50ml)
L’Occitane Lavender Christmas Cracker
Luxury crackers don’t come much dreamier than L’Occitane’s lavender stocking filler that holds a relaxing pillow mist and calming hand cream for only £10.
L’Occitane Lavender Christmas Cracker contains: L’Occitane Relaxing Pillow Mist (15ml), L’Occitane Lavender Hand Cream (30ml)
This Works The Big Bang Cracker
Any sleep-deprived party girl will thank you for This Works Big Bang Cracker costing just £13 containing the legendary Deep Sleep Pillow Spray and a fleece-lined eye mask.
This Works The Big Bang Cracker contains: This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray (10ml), This Works Eye Mask
The Body Shop Hand Cream Cracker
You can’t go wrong with a hand cream from The Body Shop - this beauty gift set houses six scents from rose to shea butter and strawberry and at £25 they’re the perfect party favour.
The Body Shop Hand Cream Cracker contains: The Body Shop Hand Cream in Mango (30ml), British Rose (30ml), Moringa (30ml), Strawberry (30ml), Shea (30ml) & Pink Grapefruit (30ml)
Cowshed Hand Care Cracker
Top marks to Cowshed for the super-chic packaging. This £12 version comes with a hand cream and cuticle oil but there’s a set for the men in your life, too.
Cowshed Hand Care Cracker contains: Cow Herb Restoring Hand Cream (50ml) & Apricot Nourishing Cuticle Oil (11ml)
Elemis Frangipani Monoi Cracker
Soothe any festive stresses with £15 Elemis Fragrant Frangipani body delights packaged in a Christmas Cracker - both the body oil and the shower cream have the instant ‘ahh’ factor.
Elemis Frangipani Monoi Cracker contains: Frangipani Monoi Shower Cream (50ml) & Frangipani Monoi Body Oil (35ml)
Kat Von D Signature Eye and Lip Duo Cracker
Now this is what we call a cracker with a dose of sass. The Tattoo Liner and Studded Kiss lipstick are two of the brand’s heroes and at £17, a great trial size.
Kat Von D - ‘Signature’ Eye and Lip Duo Set contains: Tattoo Liner’ Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner, ‘Studded Kiss - Double Dare’ Cream Lipstick (1g)
BBB London Shooting Stars Christmas Kit
If anyone knows about all things eyes, it’s the people behind Blink Brow Bar. The £34 star-studded brow bar has its own line-up of products, too, including this festive mascara and eye shadow stick kit.
BBB London Shooting Stars Christmas Kit contains: The Eye Wonder Colour Stick in Stardust, Smokey Kajal Eyeliner in Black & The Ultimate Brow Arch Definer in Clove.
Dr Dennis Gross Hydration Celebration Cracker
One for a real skincare boffin, Dr Dennis Gross Hydration Celebration Cracker offers three of the brand’s star buys from the Hyaluronic Marine range. We’re talking Oil-Free Marine Cushion, Dew It All Eye Cream and Hydration Booster all at £30.
Dr Dennis Gross Hydration Celebration Cracker contains: Hyaluronic Marine Oil-Free Moisture Cushion (15ml), Hyaluronic Marine Dew It All Eye Cream (5ml), Hyaluronic Marine Hydration Booster (3ml)
Erborian Perfect Skin Cracker
If you have a thing for a natural-looking radiant base, you’ll fall for Erborian’s £18 selection. The Perfect Skin Cracker features the CC Creme, Glow Creme and BB Creme Nude.
Erborian Perfect Skin Cracker contains: Erborian CC Crème (15ml), Erborian Glow Crème (5ml), Erborian BB Crème Nude (5ml)
Givenchy Rouge Interdit Vinyl Makeup Gift Set
Ideal for lovers of all things luxe, Givenchy Rouge Interdit Vinyl Make-Up Gift Set boasts a lipstick, mascara and kohl liner. Party face - sorted for £25.50.
Givenchy Rouge Interdit Vinyl Makeup Gift Set contains: Givenchy in glittery Cracker, Givenchy Rouge Interdit Vinyl, mini Givenchy Noir Couture and the mini Givenchy Magic Kohl.
NYX Sugar Trip Lip Treats Set
Prepare for mistletoe with NYX Sugar Trip Lip Treats Set - there’s a lip scrub, balm and tinted oil for £15. It’ll make the perfect gift for a teen, too.
NYX Sugar Trip Lip Treats Set contains: NYX Lip Scrub, NYX Lip Balm and NYX Lip Oil
Emma Hardie All Is Bright Cracker
The contents of Emma Hardie All Is Bright Cracker are just as gorgeous as the packaging. For £15 it’s stuffed with the award-winning Moringa Cleansing Balm, Moringa Renewal Treatment Mask and a cleansing cloth.
Emma Hardie All Is Bright Cracker contains: Moringa Cleansing Balm (15ml), Moringa Renewal Treatment Mask (15ml) & Mini Dual-Action Cleansing Cloth
Philip Kingsley Let It Shine Cracker
Industry insiders swear by Philip Kingsley Elasticizer - you’ll find a mini version alongside the Daily Damage Defence Spray in the Let It Shine Cracker. Together they’re worth an impressive £19.50 but you only pay £10.
Philip Kingsley Let It Shine Cracker gift set contains: Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence Conditioning hair spray, Philip Kingsley Elasticizer pre-shampoo treatment
Liberty Beauty Cracker with Hourglass and Essie
Now, this is a duo you won’t want to part with. Choose from the Hourglass and Essie pairing or the version containing an Omorovicza cleanser and Susanne Kaufmann bath oil.
Liberty Beauty Cracker with Hourglass and Essie make-up gift set contains: Essie Nail Polish in Fishnet Stockings & Hourglass Extreme Sheen Lip Gloss in Canvas
Liberty Beauty Cracker with Omorovicza and Susanne Kaufmann contains: Omorovicza’s Moor Cream Cleanser and Susanne Kaufmann’s Oil Bath Winter
Eyeko Christmas Cracker
Eyeko’s Black Magic Mascara has Alexa Chung’s seal of approval - this beauty houses an on-the-go version as well as a teeny liquid liner.
Eyeko Christmas Cracker make-up gift set contains: Eyeko Eye Do Liquid Eyeliner & Eyeko Black Magic Mascara
Images: Courtesy of brands