Every year when Black Friday rolls around, beauty bundles are slashed in price to increase sales before Christmas. Some of these bundles – like the Boots beauty showstopper – are worth your money, others not so much.
Much like beauty advent calendars, these gift sets have their place, but I often find them laden with sample sizes and products from brands that no one’s interested in. Admittedly, when I first caught wind of Lookfantastic’s beauty vault, I thought this might be the case.
The reality, however, is that Lookfantastic has curated a bona fide selection of 2025’s best products from some of this year’s most popular brands. It impressed me on paper, but how did it fare in practice?
I tested each of the formulas to find out whether it’s worth your money.
Lookfantastic the beauty vault
Number of products: 15 (all full-size)
Worth: £705
Why we love it
- Microcurrent device is bang on trend
- A godsend for dull skin with brightening ingredients for face and body
- All full-sizes
- Same Christmassy packaging as the advent calendar
Take note
- Demand for Rodial has waned through the years
- Products aren't protected from postage mishaps
- Grandelash-MD contains irritating prostaglandins
Lookfantastic beauty vault packaging
The Lookfantastic beauty vault arrives in the same red board packaging as the brand’s sold-out advent calendar. It’s premium with a subtly textured finish, and the white ribbon drawer pulls add a festive candy-cane feel.
Inside, the products have been nestled within mounds of shredded tissue, which gives the impression that the vault is full to the brim. Despite this, some bubble wrap wouldn’t have gone amiss, and the Bleach London hair mask looked a little worse for wear after opening.
Lookfantastic beauty vault contents
Of the 15 items included, six of them were on my beauty wishlist – and I’m never short of products. Namely, the Medik8, Color Wow, Sol de Janeiro, MZ Skin, Zelens and Fenty formulas were first out of the box. These brands excel in their fields and, together, make for an indulgent skincare, haircare, bodycare and make-up selection, before you even account for the remaining nine items.
But, I’m not sure brands like Rodial and Bleach carry the same gravitas in 2025 as they did in 2016. That said, I saw no issue with the products in question. In fact, the reincarnation mask gave my hair a new lease of life after just a 10-minute treatment, and the Rodial eye cream brought my under eyes back to life after a night of interrupted sleep.
Read more: All of my favourite perfumes are on sale for Black Friday, from Gucci to Le Labo
Brands aside, it’s clear Lookfantastic has been thoughtful with its variety of products and formulas. Notably, the Medik8, Zelens, Rodial and MZ Skin formulas target dull skin with vitamin C and peptides (as opposed to harsh actives, like retinol or acids). So the moisturisers, serums, eye creams and under-eye patches have relatively universal appeal.
That said, the included Grandelash-MD enhancer serum has caused redness and irritation when I’ve tested it in the past (as a result of the prostaglandin ingredients). Some people take like a duck to water with this serum. But I wouldn’t consider it a safe bet for everyone, so proceed with caution.
In terms of makeup, the retailer has taken a safe approach to appeal to everyone. Think: sheer Fenty gloss bomb stix, neutral eyeshadows from Morphe and a setting spray that will appeal to all skin types. It’s a true one-size-fits-all selection, and it actually works.
As for the Stylpro mini microcurrent device, Lookfantastic hit the nail on the head with this one: I don’t know a friend or family member who isn’t lusting after one of these nifty sculpting tools this Christmas. As a more affordable version of the Ziip halo, the Stylpro made quick work of the puffiness my skin suffers each morning. After five minutes of sweeping the cooling metal orbs up and around my face and neck, I certainly looked more bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
Buy now £150, Lookfantastic.com
Is the Lookfantastic beauty vault worth the money?
If you’re looking to expand your beauty horizons with a selection of trending products and iconic brands, then you couldn’t find a better selection than the Lookfantastic beauty vault. You’ll save more than 80 per cent on the products’ full worth, and I’d argue you’ll easily find £705 of value in the included formulas. There are no double-ups, no sample sizes and no garish hues to slot into your make-up routine. Sensitive skin types might need to skip the Grandelash-MD serum, but that’s what family and friends are for. Plus, there’s nothing like a DIY body massage with an Aromatherapy Associates oil to lessen the blow.
How I tested the Lookfantastic beauty vault
As someone who tests beauty for a living, I’m familiar with most up-and-coming, big-name and trending beauty brands. I know what I’m looking for when I’m critiquing a product. So, when assessing the Lookfantastic beauty vault, I had a good frame of reference against which to compare its products.
I used the skincare on a clean face, trialled the make-up over eight hours or more and indulged in an everything shower to give the haircare and body care a whirl. Specifically, I considered the following:
Read more: The best Lookfantastic Black Friday deals, handpicked by our beauty writer
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Lucy Smith has been covering beauty for IndyBest since July 2024. In that time, she’s written about a number of beauty bundles, including the Boots beauty showstopper, Boots’ K-beauty set and the best beauty advent calendars for 2025. She has spent the past year and a half staying atop the latest launches – from CeraVe to Dyson – and she keeps her finger on the beauty pulse. If there’s a new TikTok trend or celebrity nail obsession to know about, Lucy has it covered. With that in mind, she’s just the person to judge whether Lookfantastic’s beauty vault is worth cosmetic obsessives’ money in 2025.
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