BEAUTY advent calendars are having a major moment right now and for all the right reasons – with so much choice, counting down to Christmas has never been more exciting.
Siobhan O’Connor has done the hard work for you and handpicked the best beauty advent calendars for women.
Costs £69, worth £243
WHAT’S IN IT: Chock-a-block with household names including MAC, Marc Jacobs, Urban Decay, Bobbi Brown, Iconic London, Benefit, Philip Kingsley, Clarins, Origins and Elemis.
VALUE FOR MONEY: Costs £69 but Next says it’s worth a decent £243. That’s three-and-a-half times more.
VERDICT: It has 24 A-list names from Elizabeth Arden to Estee Lauder – and they’re not all minis. There’s a full-size Clarins body moisturiser, usually £33, and some deluxe sizes – bigger than travel and smaller than full size. The hefty box could even be reused next year. Win-win.
Costs £85, worth £414
WHAT’S IN IT: Twenty-five drawers full of Nars, Shiseido, Ren, Iconic London, Rodial, Illamasqua and Colour Wow.
VALUE FOR MONEY: It may set you back £85 but it’s worth a whopping £414. This makes it one of the best for value for money.
VERDICT: Packed with high-end brands including Philip Kingsley, Elemis and This Works. It has a 2.5ml bottle of Bioeffect EGF Serum – the 15ml version costs £130. It makes a great gift, or the ultimate treat for you, with a chance to win £2,000 as 300 boxes include a lucky golden ticket. The only downside is there are quite a few minis.
Costs £75, worth £280
WHAT’S IN IT: Expect huge names, from Olaplex and The Ordinary to Charlotte Tilbury and MAC.
VALUE: The 24-day big bundle is £75 anbody d worth £280 (almost four times as much), or you can opt for the smaller 12-day option for £80 worth of goodies for just £40.
VERDICT: If you want a wider selection of products, from body moisturisers, haircare, face tools and even a set of false lashes, then this is ideal. It will get you head-to-toe glam for half the price. You even get a tote bag and silk scarf.
Costs £135, worth £340
WHAT’S IN IT: Twenty-four days packed with a mix of travel and full- size goodies, including cult classnics such as Velvet Teddy lippy and Ruby Woo, along with prep products and skincare.
VALUE: Costs £135 but said to be worth £340 – so more than double the value.
VERDICT: The fun box had more than 40,000 sign-ups before its launch in early October. With three lipsticks, glosses, eyeshadows and blusher, it will see you looking your best on Christmas Day. Plus, a Mac lippy is great for re-gifting.
Costs £70, worth £260
WHAT’S IN IT: Twenty-four treats spanning a mixture of high-end and high street names, with some of the most eye-popping being a Foreo mini, Neal’s Yard, CeraVe, Aussie and Nip + Fab.
VALUE: Priced at £70, Amazon claims it includes £260-worth of treats – that’s almost four times as much.
VERDICT: Available with speedy delivery to your door, this has 15 full-size treats and nine deluxe-size samples. A mini Foreo (a must for deep-face-cleansing) is £40 alone. With a list of go-to favourite brands covering make-up, nails, haircare, skin and bodycare, it’s a showstopper.
Costs, £47, worth £184
WHAT’S IN IT: Nearly the whole Boots No7 collection, from mascara to masks, body wash to blending sponge – plus a pack of face wipes. With ten golden tickets lurking inside, you are also in with a chance to win £1,000 worth of extra No7 goodies.
VALUE: It’s £47 but worth almost four times more, around £184. Not bad at all.
VERDICT: Available to buy from Tuesday, it’s already predicted to sell out in 24 hours after 175,459 signed up to the wait list. It’s ideal for stocking up on a new kit bag and hyped products. But get in quick, as every new No7 launch clocks up a long waiting list.
Costs £85, worth £150
WHAT’S IN IT: A 24-day bundle containing household names including Liz Earle and Ted Baker.
VALUE: It’s £85 and Boots claim it’s worth more than £150. So valued at less than twice its retail price, it’s not the best value for money. But No 7 fans will still love it.
VERDICT: Want a calendar that makes you look and feel good? Boots will donate £2 from every purchase to Macmillan Cancer Support, making it the hero countdown. Grab all of Boots’ faves – from Soap & Glory and No7 to Sleek and Champneys – with a mix of minis and full size. You’ll feel great while you’re using them.
Costs £150, worth £250
WHAT’S IN IT: Twelve days of the most famed make-up and skincare goodies including pillow talk lipstick, magic cream, magic serum crystal elixir, wonderglow primer and legendary lashes volume.
VALUE: Costs £150 yet is worth around £100 more – great if you are into Charlotte Tilbury make-up but only one and a half times the retail price.
VERDICT: The luxurious brand will set you back a few bob for just one purchase, with a 30ml pot of Magic Cream costing £49. You only get a travel size 15ml tub in the calendar but that’s enough to see how you like it – and if you love it enough to splash out on when restocking your make-up kit ready for the year ahead.
Costs £80, worth £119
WHAT’S IN IT: 25 body-loving treatments giving you all the fresh-smelling goodness from head to toe – from body wash to body butter, headbands to hand cream.
VALUE: For £80 you get £119 worth – around one and a half times as much as the retail price.
VERDICT: Each product comes with a suggestion of a small act of kindness you could do for a mood-boosting effect every morning. Plus they make great stocking fillers if you don’t see yourself getting through all the scented creams. The showstopper box comes with a cute pop-up design and two large drawers, so they can be filled with crafts or reused next year.
Costs £40 (when you spend £30), worth £300
WHAT’S IN IT: Get your hands on Prai, L’Occitane, Ren, Alpha H, Stila and Philip Kingsley.
VALUE: Worth £300 and only £40 when you spend £30 on clothing, home or beauty products, this is amazing value for money – worth more than seven times its retail price.
VERDICT: We will all be heading to M&S to get everything from our party shoes to Christmas stuffing, so you may as well treat yourself to a beauty box full of luxurious products. Our favourite? The Emma Hardie Moringa cleansing balm, which detoxes your pores. With mascara, eyeliner and nail polish too, they’ll have your party look sorted. For £40, you can’t go wrong.
