How to Get Your Beauty Product into Holiday Gift Guides
The holiday season is a beauty brand’s dream, and if you know how to get your beauty product into those top-tier holiday gift guides, you just might have a record-breaking Q4. From luxurious skincare sets to festive beauty stocking stuffers, there are THOUSANDS of beauty holiday gift guides that are published each holiday season for all the beauty lovers on your gift list.
As a beauty brand, getting your product featured in one of these holiday gift guides can be a game-changer. It puts your beauty product in front of eager shoppers and offers invaluable media exposure—especially for emerging brands looking to make their mark in the competitive beauty world.
Whether you’re aiming for major beauty bibles like Allure and Glamour or niche beauty blogs, mastering the art of holiday PR outreach can make a real difference in your bottom line. And it doesn’t require any ad-spend or marketing budget.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essential steps to increase your chances of getting your beauty product in one of this year’s must-have beauty gift roundups.
Get ready to unwrap the PR secrets of getting your beauty product into holiday gift guides!
Have you checked out our 2024 Beauty & Cosmetics Holiday Gift Guide Media List yet? Kickstart your PR outreach with media contacts of the top beauty journalists, editors, bloggers, and influencers, and start pitching today!
Stage One: Preparation (4-6 Weeks Before Pitching)
Before pitching your beauty product, you need to lay the groundwork for a successful PR campaign. Let's dive into the key elements of preparation that will make your product irresistible to gift guide editors.
Prepare Your Product
The Ideal Gift Recipient
Who is your beauty product for? The adventurous makeup maven or the natural-look-loving skincare enthusiast? Think of the ideal gift recipient and how your favorite beauty publication might categorize them.
- Identify specific categories your product fits into (e.g., gifts for skincare enthusiasts, beauty buffs, gifts for makeup mavens, gifts for clean beauty advocates)
- Refer to last year's beauty gift guides in publications like Vogue, Elle, and Byrdie to get an idea of typical categories
Pro-Tip: Create a list of potential gift recipients your beauty product could cater to. This will help you customize your pitches quickly for each editor.
Price Point
Determine the category your product fits into. Is it a luxury item, a stocking stuffer, or a thrifty beauty buy?
Some common price brackets for beauty gift guides include:
- Stocking Stuffers (lipsticks/balms; travel-size cosmetics; single-use masks)
- Under $50 (travel-size beauty sets; moisturizers; makeup basics)
- Under $100 (premium serums or eyeshadow palettes)
- Luxury beauty (high-end skincare sets or limited-edition makeup collections)
Standout Features
Craft concise bullet points showcasing your product's unique selling points. Focus on benefits that solve problems or add value. For example:
- "24-hour hydration for winter-weary skin"
- "Clean, vegan formula with sustainable packaging"
- "Universally flattering shade range for all skin tones"
Prepare Your Offer
Create a document with your holiday deals and all your affiliate links. Consider creating special holiday gift sets or exclusive bundles for gift guide features.
Pro Tip: Most major digital publications have an Amazon affiliate program. So, even if you don’t have an official affiliate program for your beauty brand, your Amazon links can still provide editors with an income stream from your product (which is a big deal these days). ALSO, if they’re out of room in their beauty gift guides, you might earn a spot in their Amazon-specific gift round-ups!
Prepare Your PR Assets
Build a holiday-specific press kit that includes:
- High-resolution images of your product, including lifestyle shots and holiday-themed flat lays
- Company background and mission statement
- Prices and any holiday promotions
- "Ideal Gift for..." descriptions tailored to beauty lovers
Stage Two: Research (2-4 Weeks Before Pitching)
Now it's time to research potential gift guide opportunities in the beauty world.
Building a Media List for Beauty Holiday Gift Guides
- Make a list of beauty publications you'd like to be featured in (e.g., Allure, Glamour, InStyle, Byrdie, Into The Gloss)
- Find publications with gift guides from the previous year featuring similar beauty products
- Identify the right contacts: Look for titles like Beauty Editor, Senior Beauty Editor, or Beauty Writer
Pro-Tip: Our Beauty & Cosmetics Holiday Gift Guide Media List can save you valuable time by providing hundreds of relevant beauty gift guide contacts, so you can just focus on sending your pitch and preparing for those holiday sales.
You can also find more helpful information about How to Build a PR Media List on our blog! It comes complete with a free media list template and plenty of examples.
Stage Three: Crafting the Pitch
With your research complete, it's time to craft a pitch that will catch the eye of beauty gift guide editors.
- The Pitch Formula
- Write a Subject Line that Gets Opened
- Customize Each Pitch
Stage Four: Launch Your Holiday PR Campaign
As we near the peak of holiday PR pitching season, your timeline might vary. Ideally, you want to be pitching your beauty product to journalists and editors right after Amazon Prime Day. That’s when the holiday season truly begins in PR.
With that in mind, here are the basic steps to complete your holiday PR outreach:
- Email Your Pitch
Send personalized emails to your targeted list of beauty media contacts.
- Follow Up
Wait 3-6 weeks before following up unless there's a pressing deadline.
- Track Your Outreach
Keep detailed records of all interactions, including any sample requests or confirmed placements.
- Set Up Google Alerts
Create alerts for your brand and product names to catch any mentions. It’s pretty common to get media coverage without a journalist or editor mentioning it to you or replying to your pitch directly.
- Follow Up Again
If needed, send one last follow-up after another 3-6 weeks.
(You might find more helpful tips on adjusting your timeline in our blog post: The Best Time to Pitch Your Product for Holiday Gift Guides.)
Stage Five: PR Placement
Yes! You’ve done it! Your beauty product has landed a coveted spot in a holiday gift guide.
Before you sit back and watch the sales roll in, be sure to:
- Say Thank You to the beauty editor or writer
- Share the gift guide feature across your social media and email newsletter
- Add the publication's logo to your website's "As Seen In" section so you can continue to reap the benefits of your media placement.
Stage Six: Start Planning for Next Year
As the holiday season ends, take inventory of your PR successes and goals for next season to get even more media coverage for your beauty product.
- Review your successful pitches
- Update your beauty media list
- Consider new product developments (perhaps a new shade range or innovative formula specifically for the holidays)
- Start brainstorming fresh angles for next year's beauty gift guide pitches
- Follow some beauty editors and journalists on social media to keep an eye on what trends they’re loving and what they might be interested in next year
Remember, the beauty industry is always evolving, bringing new trends and opportunities to showcase your products each year. You're setting yourself up for even greater success in the next holiday season by staying organized and proactive.
Ready to get your beauty product in front of the right eyes this holiday season? Don't forget to check out our 2024 Beauty & Cosmetics Holiday Gift Guide Media List to jumpstart your outreach to top beauty journalists and editors. Your product could be the next must-have in holiday beauty gift guides!
Happy pitching, and may your beauty product shine bright this holiday season!