The Gloss Report: Beauty advent calendars

Chocolate advent calendars are very last year. It’s official: all we want this December is a beauty advent calendar. What could possibly be better than waking up to a surprise new beauty product every morning during Advent? With many brands and retailers upping their game in terms of their beauty advent calendar offerings we were spoilt for choice. Click through to find out our favourites…

Price: £49.95

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Feedback: “One word: wow. For such a low price (compared to other beauty Advent calendars) I was really impressed with the quality of brands and products hidden behind the 24 doors of YOU Magazine’s Christmas offering. Featuring the likes of Sisley, Laura Mercier, Benefit, James Read and Molton Brown, there’s something for everyone whether you’re a makeup junkie or a skincare obsessive - and being sensitive of skin, I was pleased to see some natural brands in there too. My favourites include the cult classic Elasticizer from trichologist Philip Kingsley and the Aromatherapy Associates candle which has a warm, festive and calming scent; though some products were inevitably minis, it’s a generous selection and a great way to discover new products and top up on your favourites (they’d make ideal stocking fillers too, if you’re sharing). I’d open this instead of chocolate any day!”

Reviewer: JJ

Score: 10/10

Price: £49.95

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Feedback: “Appealing to the Disney obsessed child within me this advent calendar was packaged within a fairytale-like giant story book that revealed 12 different sections filled with festive bath treats. From Christmas pudding bath bombs to seasonally spiced shower gels this package contained a whole host of shimmering and scented pampering products.

Often an acquired taste, these Lush products were a little too heavily scented and glitter-fied for my liking with the box leaving an explosion of sweet sparkle wherever it was placed. I would have also liked to have been given a little more information about each of the products - I’m not usually a buyer of Lush so unfortunately I was left with a selection of soaps and gels that I wasn’t quite sure what to do with.

That being said it was quite fun and festive to look at and I’m sure would make a nice gift just probably for somebody a little younger or bath product obsessed.”

Score: 6/10

Reviewer: KR

Price: £59.50

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Feedback: “Being a bit of an Elemis newbie I was really excited to try out a range of their products. Like an excited child I scrabbled at all the doors opening each and every one until I had all 12 treasures lined up in front of me. On closer inspection of what’s hiding behind the little doors I don’t see anything I wouldn’t use. From body oils and cleansing balms to luxurious foot creams and face wipes (a true beauty staple) there really is something for everyone. My favourites included the Papaya Enzyme Peel and the popular Marine Cream.

I love the idea that you unwrap this on Christmas day and keep the Christmas magic going throughout the 12 days of Christmas - are any of us actually that restrained though?! I’m certainly not!”

Score: 9/10

Reviewer: KH

Price: £45

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Feedback: “The inspiration behind L’Occitane En Provence’s advent calendar offering is the Provencal holiday tradition to have thirteen desserts on the festive table. Beautifully packaged and stuffed with thirteen luxury skincare products the focus is on L’Occitane’s beauty bestsellers. Even though there might be less doors to open than with a traditional calendar the surprises behind each door definitely make up for it - my favourties were the Shea Butter Hand Cream and Neroli & Orchidee Body Milk. Whether you open the doors in the run up to Christmas or after you’re definitely in for an absolute treat. Plus, if you can bear to give it away it would also make a fabulously indulgent Christmas gift.”

Score: 10/10

Reviewer: EB

Price: £149

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Feedback: “Liberty’s beauty hall is definitely up there as one of my favourite places in London. Their edited selection of beauty’s very best never fails to deliver and their advent calendar was just the same. The ginormous calendar features an image of the Tudor building in a Christmassy blanket of snow that opens to reveal twenty-four Liberty print boxes. The product list reads like any beauty fan’s wish list: a Diptique Baies candle, Eve Lom cleanser and Kiehls Crème De Corps being a few of my favourites. To add to the excitement the calendar does not just include products but also treatments at some of the capital’s best hair and beauty salons including a voucher for Josh Wood and 30 minute Sisley facial. £140 is a lot to spend on an advent calendar but considering you get £420 worth of beauty products (and the excitement of opening a Liberty printed door for twenty-four days) I think it is 100% worth it.”

Score: 10/10

Reviewer: EB

Price: £60

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Feedback: “This brightly coloured advent calendar from Benefit might be marketed at a younger audience but I personally couldn’t help but love the cute sweet shop inspired packaging. Containing samples of eighteen of their best selling products plus six extra little festive treats what is inside did not disappoint either.

Super smoothing primer ‘The Poreprofessional’, our favourite volumising mascara ‘They’re Real’ and the classic multi functioning cheek and lip tint ‘Benetint’ are all in this calendar of loveliness. With cute little tips for application included on the inside of every door the calendar provides a fabulous and cost-effective way to work out which Benefit products work for you. Warning: you might want to buy all of them”

Score: 10/10

Reviewer: EB

Price: £49

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Feedback: "From nail art to nail polishes, this manor of mani must-haves will prove to be the perfect upgrade from your calendar of Dairy Milk chocolate. Jam-packed with 15 Mini Paint Pots, one full size Paint Pot (no prizes for guessing which day that falls on) and eight different nail designs behind each of the 24 windows, each day proves to be better than the last with a new treat to experiment with this party season. Whether you’re looking for a daily nail fix to build up your nail wardrobe or a new mantelpiece decoration to accompany your streams of tinsel and Christmas tree, this fun and festive Advent calendar could be your perfect match if you have an insatiable penchant for polishes."

Score: 9/10

Reviewer: AM