I’ve opened heaps of beauty advent calendars and Sephora’s is the best (original) (raw)

Being a beauty writer, much of the autumn period for me is spent analysing and critiquing the contents of beauty advent calendars. After all, someone has to make sure if you’re spending £100, or even a couple of hundred pounds on a luxury festive countdown, that it’s worth it.

In the last three years, I’ve dug into the contents of dozens of calendars packed with makeup and skincare, and it seems that, for 2024, each and every brand has upped the ante in a bid to not only outdo their competitors, but previous calendars, too. And Sephora has done just that.

This year, the Sephora Favorites Beauty Advent Calendar is worth over £1,000, rivalling the likes of Cult Beauty and Liberty, but surprisingly comes in at under £200. Most high-end hauls are at least £200, including Harrods, which has sold out, and Selfridges, which is yet to launch.

READ MORE: Best beauty advent calendars for 2024 that are available to buy now from Boots, Liz Earle and more

READ MORE: Liberty's 2024 advent calendar is the 'epitome of luxury' and one product left me speechless

Sephora’s haul boasts a whopping 40 products, 24 of which are full sized, with 20 being exclusive to the retailer. The sheer volume of products is incredibly impressive, beaten only by Harvey Nichols and Cult Beauty, whose calendars have 42 items inside.

Each item inside the calendar works out at less than £5 each - £4.98, to be exact - and considering the calibre of the brands included, it’s actually astonishing value. From Charlotte Tilbury and Glossier, to Medik8 and Drunk Elephant - this calendar really does contain the hottest brands in the industry right now, which makes it all the more exciting to unbox. With some high end calendars, some of the brands can be so premium that even I’ve never heard of them, and it can be quite hard to get excited about some of them, whereas with Sephora’s, these are all brands that are all over social media, giving beauty buffs a real buzz throughout December.

The Sephora Favorites calendar costs £199 but is worth more than £1,000

The range covers everything from skincare and makeup, to haircare, bodycare, fragrance and wellness, making it one of the most well-rounded calendars available this winter. I also loved that there was a great mix of products I already know, use and love, as well as some I’ve had my eye on for a while.

Some products I was thrilled to be replenishing in my beauty arsenal include the Malin and Goetz lip moisturiser, Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Beauty Light Wand and MACStack mascara. I loved that the mascara came in the chestnut brown shade rather than black, though, because I do prefer the more natural look for every day.

The brands inside the Sephora calendar include the likes of Charlotte Tilbury, Glossier, Rare, MAC and Makeup by Mario

I also got to restock my Glossier You Rollerball, all of which I use on a near-daily basis and are a very welcome addition to the calendar. Speaking of perfume, I was also able to restock the Floral Street Arizona Bloom Eau de Parfum 10ml while discovering new favourites in the form of the Fugazzi Fragrances Angel Dust Eau de Parfum and Milk+ from Commodity, both of which are absolutely stunning and smell so expensive.

Several products inside are from brands I’m familiar with and use regularly, but are products I’d not yet tried. For example, I love the Rare Beauty liquid blushes, so I couldn’t wait to try out their Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil in Happy, which happens to have the dreamiest, nourishing formula in the prettiest, universally flattering shade.

I also adore Medik8 skincare products, but find them too expensive to buy with no reason, so I’ve been slowly building a collection via beauty boxes and discount deals, with the Sephora calendar adding their Clarity Peptides Serum 30ml - worth £45 - to my collection.

Then there’s the brands I’ve been admiring from afar for some time (well, since I visited the newly-opened Trafford Centre store earlier this year), including the likes of Kosas, Topicals and Glow Recipe, all of which star in this Christmas countdown.

I'm very much looking forward to discovering some new beauty favourites thanks to the Sephora calendar

I’m finding it difficult to find a single fault about the Sephora beauty calendar , but if I had to be picky, I would say there’s perhaps one or two items I’m unlikely to use, such as the nail polishes, as I get regular manicures. But these will make great stocking fillers for my niece. I’m also a little surprised at the absence of brands like Fenty or Refy, but there’s so much more to discover, that I’m certainly not bummed out by it.

And though I adore nearly everything in the calendar and I’m happy with the ratio of skincare to makeup to everything else, some may prefer fewer fragrances in favour of more hair products, for example. I always recommend taking a look at the full contents to work out if it’s the calendar for you, and you can find the full contents of the Sephora advent calendar here:

Bethan's top picks from the Sephora beauty advent calendar

For me, the Sephora calendar is one of the best money can buy this year. The retailer has managed to strike what I consider to be the ultimate balance of volume and quality with a really great price point to value ratio. The fact that more than half of the products inside are full sized makes it feel like you’re getting even more for your money.

As for the items, brands and shades selected, it just feels like Sephora has really done their homework in terms of what’s trending, what shoppers want and have crafted a really thoughtful, beautifully curated haul from it. As a result, this calendar is the definition of ‘all killer, no filler’, as it can sometimes feel like brands have thrown in a few products that perhaps aren’t shifting on the shop floor, or unusual shade choices, but you won’t find anything like that here.

Fancy getting your hands on it before it sells out? You can buy the Sephora Favorites beauty advent calendar for £199 here. We also love the LookFantastic Iconic Beauty Advent Calendar, which is worth over £565 - but costs £100. You can pre-order it now.