There’s 39 days to go until Christmas, so I think it’s fully acceptable to whack out those decorations whilst having a good sing along to Mariah Carey - or maybe that’s just me getting too excited?
But, apart from the decorations, festive food menus and of course, the cheeky glasses of mulled wine I'll be sipping from now until 25 December, one thing that really gets me in the festive mood is a good ol’ advent calendar - especially when it’s filled to the brim with luxury beauty products.
It’s safe to say, no one quite does 'luxury' like Selfridges, so when the department store revealed their beauty advent calendar for 2022, I just had to take a peak inside IRL.
This year, it’s bigger and better than ever, overflowing with high-end brands including treats from Charlotte Tilbury, Kate Somerville, Augustinus Bader, Olaplex, Le Labo and so much more. Whilst it doesn’t come cheap, costing £210, the 25 products inside equate to a whopping £800 which is £100 more than last years - so I think it's definitely worth the splurge if you're looking to treat yourself.
From eyeshadow pallets and skincare saviours to luxury fragrances and vitamins, here’s everything you can expect to find hidden behind the festive treasure trove, and what I really thought about this year’s beauty countdown.
Rating: 5/5
Price: £210
Worth: £800
Number of days: 25
Products: 25, including 12 full-sized
Packaging
After removing the yellow sleeve which fits perfectly over the top of the calendar to keep it nice and secure, you’ll be met with an impressive illustration of Selfridges' iconic London store on the front, with a circular inscription reading “Twenty five days of ultimate beauty.” Unlike the traditional gold, black and green hues we’re used to seeing on advent calendars, this one boasts a playful pink and red design throughout, with a mixture of check, stripes or block colour on each of the 25 drawers while the numbers stand out in a shiny Christmassy gold. I also love that each drawer is padded out with yellow shredded tissue paper for that extra special touch - oh and did we mention it smells absolutely divine too?
The box is pretty heavy to pick up, however that's expected considering you're getting 25 products inside, with 12 being full-sized. Best of all? The box and the yellow sleeve are both fully recyclable too - so all in all, I'd give the packaging five out of five stars!
What’s inside?
Now, I don't want to ruin every single surprise for you guys, so I've carefully hand picked a few of my favourites from the calendar below.
Behind door number one, I was met with one of Mac's bestselling lipsticks that's practically made for Christmas. The red hued matte avant garnet shade (3g) will go perfectly with your sparkly festive outfit this year, and seeing as it's long-wearing and non-feathering - it's sure to stay on all night long (worth £20).
To add to your ever-growing makeup obsession, the next few drawers featured favourites like Charlotte Tilbury’s luxury queen of glow eyeshadow palette, worth £43, a full-size Pat McGrath blusher (9.7g) that’s worth £38, and even a Kylie Jenner's liquid matte lipstick (3.0ml) to give you the pout of dreams.
Next up, it's skincare time which is where this calendar really shines. A standout product for me is the Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream (15ml). Although it's travel-sized, just one pump of this thick textured cream will go along way as it glides seamlessly onto your skin. The only problem is that when it does run out, you'll have to fork out a whopping £69 for the 15ml bottle alone to get your fix.
Other skincare saviours found hidden behind the drawers include 111Skin's £100 vitamin C brightening booster (20ml), Dr. Barbara Sturm hyaluronic serum (10ml), which usually costs a whopping £85, and our personal favourite - a full-size Ren AHA smart body serum (200ml), worth £37, and perfect for keeping your body hydrated during winter.
All of this and we're not even onto haircare yet! No luxury beauty advent calendar would be complete without Olaplex's cult No.3 hair perfector (100ml) - a once-a-week pre-shampoo hair treatment that permanently rebuilds the damaged disulphide bonds in your hair mainly due to bleaching and colouring.
To treat your hair even further, you'll also find travel-sized Avenda botanical repair shampoo and conditioner, which work together to strengthen and protect your hair bonds, and to leave your hair looking and smelling its best, you'll even get Gisou's bestselling honey infused hair oil (20ml).
Some of my other highlights include; Milk Hydro Grip primer to keep your makeup in tact, Kate Somerville's bestselling Exfolikate and Le Labo’s another eau da perfume (15ml).
If you're someone who hates surprises, you can get the full breakdown of what product is behind each door here.
The verdict
The all important question... is it really worth it? In my opinion it most certainly is. Whether you're used to splurging out on expensive products and looking for a restock, or are hoping to discover new beauty saviours as you count down to Christmas, this advent calendar has everything you need to look your best during the festive season and beyond. Containing premium products worth a whopping £800 from the likes of Charlotte Tilbury, Olaplex, Mac, Kate Summerville, and Augustinus Bader, the £210 calendar is not only great value for money, but it's the perfect way to treat yourself or toy beauty obsessed friend this Christmas.
You can snap up the beauty advent calendar from Selfridges now - but be quick, as it's bound to sell out pretty quickly.
