Santa’s Little Sales Helpers: Beauty Entrepreneurs Discuss Offers They Hope Will Drive Holiday Gift Purchases

In this edition of Beauty Independent’s ongoing series posing questions to beauty entrepreneurs, we ask 11 founders and executives: What’s a product or set you’re releasing for the holiday season and the thinking behind it?

Queenie Wang-Sitterson Founder, Ænon's

While we've created sets packaged in gift-ready boxes that look great on a retailer's shelf, I think it's important to keep price points in mind, offering items that are suited for the "Under $25" or "Stocking Stuffer" categories. Of all the presents you can buy, I think stocking stuffers are the most fun to shop for! That's why we decided to make the mini CoQ10 Beauty Oil separate from our skincare starter kit. At only $18 and small enough to fit inside a Christmas stocking, it's the perfect beauty accessory for someone who can't get enough makeup and skincare minis.

Murphy Bishop Co-Founder, The Better Skin Co.

Mirakle Cream and Lava Magik are our iconic products. We feel there is no better way to celebrate the holidays than by paying homage to our heroes and pairing them with a gorgeous bag. The Classics Gift Set is also a great deal. Regular price for both products is $69.50, but this set will run you $55, including the glittery red bag.

Jennifer Saul Vice President Of Marketing, C'est Moi

We have launched four gift sets that are perfect for holiday with affordable price points. A fan favorite that we are obsessed with is our Sleepover Face Mask Set. This multi-masking gift set includes three awesome face masks that are perfect for all skin types, but also give skin great results that we are all after when we use a mask. Each is formulated to purify, soothe and refresh with unique ingredient combinations. These three mini masks inspire both trial and repurchase of our full-size masks. We love creating sets of product that are both giftable and impactful introductions to our brand to inspire repurchase. Unique sizes, smaller formats and beautiful packaging are what make gifting easy and fun for our customers.

Holly Harding Founder, O'o Hawaii

Bundling with my previous company always worked well during the gift-giving season, and I have found when bundling full-size products, two-piece duos work really well. Right now, our sample kit bundle is our most popular item. It gives customers a way to try our products at a highly affordable rate without the full investment in the larger size.

The nice thing about O'o Hawaii products is that while our packaging is crystal-shaped, it's also reminiscent of Japanese origami so visually it looks like a gift. We've selected Brilliant Feather and Birdseed as two of our featured holiday products. Our Brilliant Feather Beauty Balm is ideal for men and women, and has healing and anti-inflammatory properties for all skin types due to the rose quartz crystals and cannabis combo. Our Birdseed Detoxifying Face Scrub is like Hawaii in a jar with its smoothie like infusion of real pineapple and coconut along with an incredible assortment of exfoliating ingredients like volcanic rock, Hawaiian alaea clay, activated bamboo charcoal and, of course, sapphire crystals. In addition, we are offering a trio gift set of Birdseed, Golden Nectar and Brilliant Nectar in a beautiful Made in Hawaii gift bag.

Alyssa Tucker Founder, Hydro Kitty

Since Hydro Kitty is a CBD skincare boutique, we've been putting together kits containing products from the different brands we carry. A face kit will include our Purrfect Face Detoxifying Face Mask to help promote it's recent launch along with the Lavender Hydrosol from Cordial Organics and a facial serum.

Kits show how our different items work well together and make great gifts. Making them available at a discount when purchased together is an added incentive for customers to purchase. They worked well for us last year, so I think improving what works is better than trying to do too much during this busy time of year.

Delane Mazaheri Co-Founder and CEO, Stare Cosmetics

As a luxury color cosmetic company, it would seem to be an easy task choosing specials for the holiday season. Not so! There is much to do on the planning side of holiday gifting. This season Stare Cosmetics is focused on decisive emotional purchasing of the consumer. Consumers are for the most part very savvy these days. We want to address an immediate need, something quick, but not lacking in quality, luxury and value.

Stare’s fall lineup highlights [include] Line Up Under The Mistletoe, a lipstick, lip gloss and lip liner [at] a $52 value for $40; Allure and Innocence, an eyeliner and mascara [at] a $44 value for $35; and Beautifully Botanical, our new Botanical Hydration Face Mist with 100% cold-pressed hemp oil [at] a $41 value for $30.

Stare is making a statement with its long-lasting, performance-based collection this holiday season. Giving back by sharing our wonderfully pigmented color cosmetics in easily identifiable packaging to appeal to a broad audience. Stare’s sleek and modern design offers our customers luxury makeup that is paraben, gluten- and cruelty-free. We love the grab-and-go convenience of our holiday pairings.

Shopping for someone who likes to make their own decisions? No problem, we got you, Stare’s easy gift card program is perfect for you. Purchases of $50 or more in gift cards get you a 10% additional discount. The best part is that you will get an email sent directly to you. So, they are perfect last minute gifts. You can forward them to your intended receiver at a moment’s notice.

Aneela Zaman Co-Founder, Zaman Skincare

Zaman Skincare has created two gorgeous, premium gift sets for the holidays. We've paired each of our serums with facial rollers in a beautiful, classy gift box. Our Rise & Shine serum will be paired with a premium white onyx facial roller stone, while our Sleeping Beauty serum will be paired with a luxurious black obsidian facial roller stone.

The inspiration behind these premium holiday gift sets is my business partner and co-founder of Zaman Skincare, Lisa [Peters]. She is a beauty junkie who loves to try all sorts of new beauty gadgets and tools when applying the brand’s serums. While exhibiting at Cosmoprof earlier this summer, Lisa thought it would be fun to introduce face rollers to our booth to turn our products into a more interactive experience during the application of our products on clients.

The rollers created a frenzy. Everyone loved them! I was even asked to make an appearance on the local news that evening to demonstrate the proper techniques as well as offer tips and tricks for using the rollers. Needless to say, we looked at each other after that evening and decided that rollers are a must, and we needed to add them to our brand's line. What better time to reveal new products than for the holidays.

Tamara Mayne Owner, Brooklyn Candle Studio

We created a limited-edition collection called Pink Disco inspired by different holiday traditions. We wanted to capture nostalgia in a well-designed candle. We went with dusty pink vessels – very millennial – and gold graphics for a festive touch. Why should a retailer pick us up? Our candles' elevated minimalist aesthetic and botanical scents stand out against a sea of sugary sweet holiday scents.We also have a number of festive scents like those in our Pink Disco collection, evergreen scents like Balsam and Montana Forest, and spicy, warm scents like Italia and Cardamom. They are gifts customers would feel good about gifting, and recipients would be thrilled to receive.

April Kensington Founder, Be Pure Beauty

Be Pure Beauty in North Carolina is running a promotion instead of holiday gift sets that can be limiting. If a customer purchases three or more items, they get 10% off their total purchase. This is to promote purchasing more clean gifts for loved ones. For people wanting to give gifts to friends and family, and wanting them to be more planet- or health-friendly, it encourages them to shop with Be Pure Beauty rather than going to multiple stores for different gifts that fit the bill. We offer options for men, women, teens and children. We ran a few different promotions last year: spend $75 and get one gift, spend $100 to get two. But, this year, we wanted to be mindful of people's budget and "bundle" together any three items for a 10% discount.

Alex Sorenson Founder, Twisted Bristle+Beauty

While the holidays are a gift-giving occasion, they are also a time when we reflect on our lives, what we believe, and how we see the world. During this most wonderful time of the year, we are launching an eyeshadow palette, Perception Palette, which we've designed to complement that holiday sentiment. We call it the Perception Palette as each color correlates to a specific trait you should develop or improve in your daily life, especially in today’s society. For example, some color names are, Forgiving, Compassion, Considerate and Patience.

We create products to enhance the lives of our customers, and hope to change our customers’ perceptions of life and make them better, even if it just a little bit. Our customers will get a positive reminder about a quality we'd all like to develop within ourselves each time they put on and even take off one of those eyeshadow shades. We'll support those ideas with our holiday ads and online product information as well.

Sabrina Landau Co-Founder, Nublume

We are going to put together a set with our new solid face wash for women and our face oil. Also, we have a bag for girls with a face wash, blemish stick and deodorant. The bag is made in India by women who are rescued from human trafficking. These products would make wonderful gifts because, first of all, when you buy the Blossom Bag, you are teaching a young girl the importance of self-care. All of the ingredients are non-toxic and easy to understand. Also, by buying this bag that we source from girls in India, you are helping girls and women earn a fair-trade wage. This enables them to invest in themselves and their children by providing healthcare and education. This in turn creates stronger families and communities.

Our Balance face oil and new solid face wash is part of our Lotus Collection. The skin benefits of Lotus essential oil are that it helps balance the skin and hydrates it to improve elasticity. The spiritual meaning of the lotus is it rises up from the murky waters to achieve enlightenment. It represents purity of the heart and mind. I think the new year is an excellent for changes and self-love.

If you have a question you’d like Beauty Independent to ask beauty entrepreneurs, please send it to editor@beautyindependent.com.