No matter how your mom identifies, if they love makeup, it’s a no-brainer to gift them something that makes them feel beautiful this Mother’s Day! While every mom has their own preference when it comes to colors and finishes, we’ve put together a list of 15 makeup gifts that will fit most wish lists. Get ready to pull out the credit card – you won’t be able to resist surprising them with these quality products.
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4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Foundation
PUR’s 4-in-1 foundation takes care of every skin woe they may have. Waltheria extract is infused to help even out skin tone, while shea butter totally nourishes and vitamin E hydrates and protects. The magic ingredient: PUR’s proprietary Ceretin complex, which consists of retinol, lactic acid, shea butter, and ceramides to rejuvenate skin without irritation, plus fight signs of aging. (Not that they’re aging, of course.)
Built to Lash Lengthening Vegan Mascara
If mom prefers to be casual with their mascara, but still wants to rock elongated lashes without touch-ups, nothing beats Built to Lash. At a ridiculously affordable price below $10, they’ll love the buildable mascara that brings oomph to their lashes without looking like spider legs. The secret: a formula that includes gentle, plant-based ingredients, like bayberry fruit and vegan rose waxes for hold without crunch. Apply one coat for a low-key glam look, or 2+ coats to bring the drama to their next work party.
Crayon Eyeliner
I’ve always been a pencil gal, and Dior’s Crayon Eyeliner in Trinidad Black (aka jet black) goes on smooth and stays on for a long time. Depending on your mom’s preference, there’s brown, black, and navy to choose from, and at the end is a sponge to help smudge lines into a smokey look (or hide any mistakes). Ingredients include softening jojoba seed oil and vitamin E for reparation, hydration, and strengthening.
Unisex Nail Polish
Your mom is the life of the party always, are they not? Exactly. So, celebrate their fun personality with nail polish that matches it! NOW Nail Polish was founded by a past feature of ours, NOH8 Campaign co-founder Jeff Parshley (whom we also featured alongside Johnny Kritsberg), and unlike other “gender-neutral” nail polish brands mainly geared toward men, the brand is truly unisex. Who doesn’t love rocking confetti on their fingers, hm?
MAC Lipstick
MAC is the classic, with tons of color choices in a variety of finishes. My personal favorites are the purple Heroine and classic Russian Red, but you really can’t go wrong with any shade. It’s a full-coverage lipstick, so if mom is more into sheers, you’ll want to stay away from this lipstick (which is what blew MAC up in the first place). But if they’re fierce and fans of a bold pucker, they’ll love the soft, cushion-y feel of this formula.
5 Couleurs Couture Eyeshadow Palette
A classy mom needs a classy shadow, so treat them to one that has “Couture” in the name. Dior’s 5 Couleurs palette comes in multiple collections, from dark neutrals to blues to pinks, so mom can have the eyeshadow look she desires. Each shadow is infused with soothing aloe and smoothing and softening pine oil, so not only will their lids be super pigmented, but they’ll feel comfy, too.
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Hydro Grip Hydrating Makeup Primer
Primer is important to keep makeup on all day, and if your mom is busy like mine, then you know they need one. Milk’s primer is a gel filled with good ingredients that create the perfect foundation for their look: niacinamide and aloe to give a healthy dose of hydration and lock in moisture, hyaluronic acid and hemp-derived cannabis seed extract to smooth any rough spots, and blue agave extract to ~grip~ onto that makeup and Titanic it (“I’ll never let go,” remember? No, I’m not funny, I know).
Continuous Correction™ CC Cream SPF 50+
Before we jump into this CC cream, let’s go over what it is: a powerhouse, basically. CC creams do it all, helping to protect from sun damage, act as a foundation and concealer, and moisturize all at once. DermaBlend’s CC cream is full-coverage, acting like a true foundation, but it still treats your skin with a blend of antioxidants from ingredients like caffeine and the terpenoids in the Baikal skullcap root extract (used most commonly in Chinese and Korean medicine).
Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Eyebrow Gel
Bushy eyebrows are in, though we all know that overplucking was a big thing pre 2010’s and some eyebrows just… haven’t recovered. Enter: Benefit Cosmetics, whose Gimme Brow gel will volumize and add pigment to eyebrows. The ~benefit~: there are 10 shades to choose from, including an auburn, so you can find one that doesn’t create overdrawn brows. The tapered brush is what gives this gel its edge – it’s (almost) impossible for them to mess up.
Supernatural Stick Multi-Use Blush
Let them breeze through their routine by gifting them W3LL PEOPLE’s multi-use blush, a total steal at $22 for a 2-in-1. It’s super convenient, coming in its stick format, so they can throw it in their pockets or bags and then apply anywhere. They’ll also love the soothing, plant-based ingredients, notably: jojoba oil to lock in moisture, sunflower seed oil to hydrate, and green tea to protect from free radicals.
Tinted Lip Balm
If they aren’t the lipstick type, which, fair, they’re probably still a lip balm person. If (read: since) that’s the case, they’ll appreciate Honest’s smooth and softening tinted lip balm, which comes in seven shade options (including a clear option). The two star ingredients: Açai extract, which is bursting with protective antioxidants, and avocado oil, which moisturizes to the nth degree. They’ll have the softest lips and a bitten-lip-esque tint.
Clay Play Face Shaping Palette II
For the mom who’s constantly on-the-go, carrying around a bunch of products just isn’t an option. That’s why they’ll be grateful for tarte’s all-in-one face palette — one of our personal favorites! tarte’s palette includes 12 powders, which you can use as highlighter, bronzer, blush, and eyeshadow. Whether they want to shimmer or stay matte, there are options here. The ingredients are also great: Amazonian clay absorbs excess oil, mineral pigments soothe and soften, and vanilla extract fights aging.
Elite Mirror Oval 7
I know that, for my tardive dyskinesia, I need something to hold onto that curves. That’s why I’m so grateful to Artis for this creation… and if your mom struggles with the same thing, they’ll also appreciate the accessible gift that is this makeup brush. It’s been lauded for its ability to apply all face products with ease, thanks to a solid grip and soft bristles that grip onto both powders and liquids. Get ready for a flawless finish when applying that DermaBlend CC cream.
CK ONE
Chances are, your mom already has a signature scent. But who says you can’t wear more than one perfume, hm? Tell your mom to try out Calvin Klein’s CK One, a unisex perfume that doesn’t lean toward masculine or feminine – perfect for neutrality, or for when they want to share with a partner who doesn’t like gendered fragrances. It’s affordable, with 1.6 oz. costing $58 – not bad at all for a scent meant for everyone.
Best Mom Ever Makeup Bag
Awww, we all know mom will love this reminder. Every makeup lover needs a makeup bag to carry around their products in (when they have space to, of course… but we all know they’ll make space). Instead of following the trends, give them a makeup bag that reminds them that they’re your mom, sure, but the best mom, too. The flowers are a gorgeous finish to the canvas bag, which measures 26” x 14” – a perfect size for the necessities.
Which makeup gifts will you be getting for your mom for Mother’s Day? Tell us below!