How To Hack A Holiday Beauty Set For The Best Last-Minute Gifting

Who says that beauty advent calendars are pointless if you don't buy them before December 1? Sure, we salute the planners, but procrastinators can reap the benefits of the 25-day pop-out gift boxes, too. Because, as it turns out, those jumbo cardboard calendars and 10-piece value sets actually make the thriftiest present to grab in the final two weeks of gifting season — just as long as you know how to hack them.

To prove it, we're breaking down the best gift sets to buy right now, with a detailed guide on exactly how to segment the pieces — separating the night serum from the liquid eyeliner — and break them into smaller gifts (plus, which pieces from each box you should go ahead and stow away for yourself).

From every Charlotte Tilbury must-have to a shiny Estée Lauder dream vault, scroll through to check out our favorite beauty sets of the season, and the pro hacks for how to divvy them up into the best mini presents to wrap in tissue paper and toss into a CVS gift bag without a second thought — guaranteed to please everyone who wound up on your last-minute gift list. (Yourself included.)