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I’m going to just come straight out with it. The Glossybox beauty advent calendar for 2023 is one of the best investments you can make this winter. An affordable price point, double-stuffed drawers and some seriously impressive brands of which more than half are full-sized – the subscription services’ Feel The Magic advent calendar is just that. Magic.
Beauty advent calendars have skyrocketed in popularity over the last five years, and there are so many to choose from. Not only do they provide the opportunity to stock up on some of the must have makeup and skincare essentials, they also allow you to discover new products across a range of exciting brands. The contents are usually worth at least double the price you pay, meaning you can save money on your stash, or split the products between friends and family over the festive season as stocking fillers as a way to spread the cost further.
And while Christmas may seem a way off yet, advent isn’t, and you wouldn’t want to miss out on unboxing a little slice of luxury each day in December because you forgot to order one, right? Over the next few weeks, I’ll be unboxing some of the best beauty Christmas countdowns for 2023 to help you decide which one to snap up ready for December 1.
This year, the Glossybox beauty advent calendar is designed to sprinkle some fairy dust on your festive countdown with a carefully curated collection of makeup marvels, skincare saviours, and lifestyle essentials that will see you through December and beyond.
The Feel The Magic calendar comes in a white and gold marble-effect box that oozes luxury, the front opening to reveal 25 numbered drawers containing 28 exciting products – yep, that means some drawers contain multiple goodies – from celebrity favourites to TikTok viral must-haves.
Priced at £80, the calendar is worth a whopping £473, which saves 83 per cent on the RRP. It’s the best price to product value ratio I’ve seen this year having researched more than 40 beauty offerings on the market. Of the 28 products inside, 17 are full-sized with 11 deluxe and travel-ready miniatures to go alongside them. And when it comes to brands, there are some pretty high end picks like Medik8 – as seen in the likes of Sephora and Space NK’s £200+ calendars – Color Wow, which is featured in Harvey Nics and Selfridges, and Avant, who’s premium anti-ageing products never fail to impress.
The Avant Collagen Intense Radiance Activator Serum inside the Glossybox advent calender is full sized and worth £89 alone, which is £9 more than the price you pay for the calendar, and if you apply girl math, the other 27 products are free. An alternative equation would be to divide the £80 by the 28 products, which works out at less than £3 per item inside.
There’s a really great mix of skincare, makeup, haircare and lifestyle products in the calendar, from the gorgeously scented Rituals Ritual of Sakura Candle, worth £12.50, to the showstopping £42 Ciate I Am Woman Eyeshadow Palette -a beautiful 24 shade eyeshadow filled with soft and subtle nudes, shimmering neutrals, buttery mattes, and intense metallics..
You all already know that I’m addicted to the viral sensation that is Made By Mitchell’s Blursh, and Posey Rosey isn’t a shade I’ve already tried so I’m excited to add this to my growing collection. And it’s not often you get perfumes in beauty advent calendars, so the Floral Street Wonderland Peony EDP is a thoughtful inclusion, and is one loved by Stacey Solomon, bursting with peonies, pink berries, violets and a shot of cedarwood.
As well as viral sensations and premium products to discover, Glossybox have also added in some everyday essentials that save you making a repeat purchase ahead of Christmas, serving as a little stocking filler from you, to you. Think Batiste Original Dry Shampoo, Brushworks Powder Puffs, Beautypro sheet masks and a personal fave – the L’Occitane Almond Delicious Hand Cream. While many of these may be lower-value than some of the other contents, they’re the ones you’ll find yourself gravitating towards because they’re immediate go-tos.
I really like how Glossybox really maximised their advent calendar with 28 gifts inside 25 drawers, whereas many only have 24. If you’re interested to know the full contents, I’ll share the list below in no particular order:
- Floral Street Wonderland Peony EDP – Deluxe Size / Worth £28
- ICONIC London Triple Threat Mascara – Full Size / Worth £21
- Rodial Papaya Enzyme Scrub – Deluxe Size / Worth £15
- Batiste Original Dry Shampoo – Deluxe Size / Worth £1.98
- Lottie London Ready Set! Go Translucent Powder – Deluxe Size / Worth £3.99
- Medik8 Micellar Mousse – Full Size / Worth £25
- Earth Harbor Marina Biome Brightening Ampoule – Full Size / Worth £29.93
- MUA Academy Intense Colour Lip Liner – Razzleberry – Full Size / Worth £2.25
- MUA Academy Creamy Matte Lipstick – Razzleberry – Full Size / Worth £3.50
- Made By Mitchell Blursh – Posey Rosey – Full Size / Worth £14
- ESPA Optimal Pro Moisturiser – Deluxe Size / Worth £15
- ESPA Optimal Skin Body Tri-Serum – Deluxe Size / Worth £10
- Color WOW One Minute Transformation – Deluxe Size / Worth £9
- Avant Collagen Intense Radiance Activator Serum – Full Size / Worth £89
- Brushworks Eye & Brow Brush Set – Full Size / Worth £19.99
- Brushworks Powder Puff Duo – Full Size / Worth £5
- So Eco Satin Pillowcase – Oyster – Full Size / Worth £15
- Physicians Formula Rose all Day Set & Glow – Full Size / Worth £15.29
- Fresh Soy Face Cleanser – Deluxe Size / Worth £3.90
- L’Occitane Almond Delicious Hand Cream – Deluxe Size / Worth £9
- Grow Gorgeous Volume Shampoo – Deluxe Size / Worth £8
- Beautypro Brightening Sheet Mask – Full Size / Worth £4.95
- Revolution Pro Correcting Primer Radiant Peach – Full Size / Worth £7
- Note Mineral Lip Gloss – Full Size / Worth £8.95
- Amor Lashes Mixed Length Clusters + Mini Bond – Full Size / Worth £15
- Babor Active Night Ampoules – Full Size / Worth £39.90
- Rituals Ritual of Sakura Candle – Deluxe Size / Worth £12.50
- Ciate I Am Woman Eyeshadow Palette – Full Size / Worth £42
The Glossybox advent calendar is the ultimate money-saving beauty haul for 2023. What’s more is that it’s one of the only beauty calendars that’s actually cheaper than it was last year, while being worth more than it was in 2022, which is a pretty big deal amid the cost of living crisis. Not only does it offer a great mix of high end products and beauty essentials, but offers variety across a range of categories, making it one of the most well-thought out options to buy this Christmas.
Retailing at just £70 for subscribers and £80 for non-subscribers, the Feel The Magic Advent Calendar can be bought on the Glossybox website here.
