You know that scene in movies (and Instagram stories) in which our hero is presented with an impossible-to-get sports car with a big bow on the hood? Well, the beauty world has its own version of splashy gifts that deliver a wow factor in spades: They're vaults, or gorgeously packaged collections of full-sized lipsticks, skin care, hair tools and more... all from the kind of culty brands that people freak out about (think: YSL Beauty, Nars and Harry Josh Pro Tools).
For some, it's the sheer size of the collection that makes the gift. For others, it's the limited edition shades and packaging you can't get anywhere else. (Drunk Elephant's vault, for example, comes in the most chic of Monos suitcases made with a DE twist — to start, the zipper rendered in the brand's signature electric chartreuse). It's all enough to make the perfect gift for die-hard beauty junkies who can use a restock on supplies that will last through 2021. Ahead, see some of the most lust-worthy beauty vaults for the makeup, skin care and hair care lover in your life.
Image via @glamglow
For those who are hopelessly devoted to Drunk Elephant (and travel, too), this weekender suitcase covers all the bases. Inside the wheelie bag from the impossibly cool Monos (made with materials from Germany and Japan and discreetly stamped with the DE elephant) is just about everything a complexion needs: Protini Polypeptide Cream, A-Passioni Retinol Cream, B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum, C-Firma Day Serum, .L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum, T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial, Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil, Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser, Umbra Tinte Physical Daily Defense and Shaba Complex Eye Serum. (Whew. Got all that?) It's the perfect thing for staycations and flawless skin — no matter where you are.
Indie beauty brand Ranavat is known for delivering highly sensorial skin care that makes mundane pursuits (like washing your face) feel like the height of luxury. So it's little wonder this vault is stocked with everything you need to turn a beauty routine into a full-blown self-care ritual: a creamy cleanser that is at once deep cleaning and hydrating; an ornament gold key to keep the cleanser tube from getting gnarly with use; a light oil serum with a scent that evokes the sweet side of saffron; an intoxicating mist that smells exactly like night-blooming jasmine on the vine; and the brand's latest launch: a nourishing moisturizer that leaves a demi-matte finish. It's elegance in a box — and for the loved one in your life who considers self care Sunday more a lifestyle than a hashtag, the perfect antidote to stressed skin.
The only thing that delivers a bigger wow factor than this art-deco wardrobe is the $329 collection of skin treatments inside: four jars of the brand's famous mud masks that work like single-step deep-cleaning facials; a brightening eye cream; and tinted moisturizer made with pearl particles that serve as a built-in highlighter.
Shea butter beauty products can be found just about everywhere — from drugstores to high-end boutiques. But sustainably made Ghanaian and Ugandan shea butter that's free of sulfates, and GMOs is not only harder to come by, it delivers a completely different experience. Each butter in this set of six is blended with a different essential oil profile but retains some of shea's original nutty scent. Though incredibly thick, it melts into skin within seconds and provides instant hydration and the look of a healthy glow without leaving skin sticky and slippery. (No wonder it's been dubbed one of Oprah's favorite things.)
