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The Sephora Favorites Advent Calendar is undeniably one of the most coveted launches of the festive season. With a staggering value of £1,000 offered at just £199, this beauty advent calendar strikes a balance between its price, overall value, volume of products and exceptional lineup of premium brands – which is why, when anyone has asked me what the ‘best’ calendar is in 2024, I’ve told them this is the one that’s had impressed me the most.
For 25 days, beauty enthusiasts are treated to a thoughtfully curated selection of full-sized and deluxe products, promising a countdown to Christmas that feels genuinely exciting. Sephora has outdone itself for 2024, with the calendar holding no fewer than 40 trending, viral and emerging beauty finds. Few advent calendars have been able to rival this kind of abundance when it comes to sheer volume – and even if they have, they certainly haven’t been able to beat Sephora on price, with theirs being the only calendar worth over £1,000, that cost under £200.
Impressively, 24 of these products are full-sized, which is more than half, with 20 of them being exclusive to Sephora. The calendar houses items across every beauty category, from cosmetics and skincare to hair, body, and – always my favourite – perfume.
Fragrance lovers will be thrilled with the variety and quality. There’s five travel-friendly bottles of perfume to mix and match throughout the festive season and into 2025, including the cult-loved Glossier ‘You’ in rollerball form. There’s also a deliciously scented, Fugazzi Fragrances Angel Dust, Floral Street Arizona Bloom and a 30ml bottle of Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 68 Perfume Mist. But my favourite has to be the Commodity Milk+ Bold Eau de Parfum – a sweet, woody and smoky scent with notes of Marshmallow, Tonka Bean and Mahogany Wood. But that’s not where the fragrance fun ends, with the inclusion of a NEOM Organics Happiness Scented Candle perfect for creating a cosy atmosphere in the run up to December 25.
When it comes to skincare, Medik8’s Clarity Peptides Serum (worth £45) and Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster (usually £52) are highly effective products that are often seen as holy grails. The BYOMA Hydrating Milky Toner (£11.99) is another fantastic full-size inclusion, alongside Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Moisturiser (£32). Sephora’s selection manages to strike a balance between high-end and accessible without veering into the overly obscure or excessively lavish territory, making this calendar feel indulgent but like you can still afford to repurchase the products you love when they eventually run out.
The makeup shades are wearable and flattering – you won’t find any dud, unsellable shades here. The Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Beauty Light Wandis is renowned for being ‘universally flattering’, while MAC’s MACstack Mascara in Brown leans into the more minimalist no-makeup makeup trends we’ve seen growing on socials over the last 12 months. As for lip products, Glossier’s G Suit Soft Touch Lip Crème in Lane – a neutral, mauve brown – is the kind of shade that will suit almost anyone, and Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil in Happy has the dreamiest formula.
While there are some brands in here I know, use and love, there are others that I’m discovering in the Sephora calendar for the first time, including the Topicals Slather Exfoliating Body Serum. I spotted this brand at the Sephora Manchester store launch earlier this year and was immediately intrigued, so I’m really looking forward to giving this a go.
Other standout products include the Makeup By Mario Rosy Glam Quad Eyeshadow Palette, which is a gorgeous, highly pigmented quad that delivers stunning colour payoff, as well as a Tatcha The Matcha Cleanse in a travel-size, which offers a luxurious cleansing experience and is the ideal size to work out if I love it and want to repurchase it in full size.
Here’s everything inside the Sephora beauty advent calendar 2024:
- 111Skin Rose Gold Brightening Facial Treatment Mask
- Floral Street Arizona Bloom Eau de Parfum 10ml
- Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Beauty Light Wand Light/Medium 12ml
- Olaplex No.9 Bond Protector Nourishing Hair Serum 90ml
- Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant 74g
- Sol de Janeiro Bom Dia Bright Body Cream 75ml
- MALIN+GOETZ Lip Moisturizer 10ml
- Commodity Milk+ Bold Eau de Parfum 10ml
- Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Muscle Bath & Shower Oil 55ml
- Medik8 Clarity Peptides Serum 30ml
- L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream 75ml
- DRUNK ELEPHANT Protini™ Polypeptide Cream 15ml + D Bronzi™ Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops 5ml
- Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster 30ml
- BYOMA Hydrating Milky Toner 150ml
- MAC MACstack Mascara – Brown 12ml
- Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Moisturizer 50ml
- Skinfix Triple Lipid + Collagen Eye Treatment Full Size 15ml
- Glossier G Suit Soft touch lip crème (Lane) 6ml
- NEOM Organics London Happiness Scented Candle 1-Wick 185g
- Hello Klean Nourishing Micronutrient Wash 400ml
- Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Extreme 75ml
- Tatcha The Matcha Cleanse Travel Size 50ml
- Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil – Happy 3ml
- Makeup By Mario Rosy Glam Quad Eyeshadow Palette 4.8g
- Huda Beauty Original Liquid Matte Lipstick Full Size – Bombshell 4.2ml
- NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment Dragon Girl 0.8g
- Grande Cosmetics GrandeLASH-MD Lash Enhancing Serum 2ml
- Sephora Collection Nail Polish – 902 Bronze Shine 6.5ml
- Sephora Collection Top Coat 10ml
- Sephora Collection Make It Glow Liquid Highlighter – 03 Sunset Shine 10ml
- Sephora Collection Love The Lift Instant Curl And Lifted Volume Mascara 5ml
- amika perk up dry shampoo 1oz
- Straand The Miracle Worker Scalp Scrub 200ml
- Moroccanoil Treatment Oil 25ml
- Aveda Botanical Repair Strengthening Leave-In Treatment 25ml
- Glossier You Eau de Parfum Rollerball 8ml
- Topicals Slather Exfoliating Body Serum 50ml
- Fugazzi Fragrances Angel Dust Eau de Parfum 8ml
- Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 68 Perfume Mist 30ml
- Kosas 10-Second Eye Gel Watercolor Eyeshadow – Electric or Blaze or Smolder or Heat or Fiery 2ml
I’ve criticised some beauty calendars for not including certain product categories, with many leaning heavily on makeup and accessories, but Sephora nails it when it comes to the diversity of their offering The inclusions are thoughtful, and there are no off-putting ‘filler’ items or shades that are impossible to wear, making it feel as though they’re suitable for as many people as possible. But on the off chance something doesn’t hit the mark, the individually packaged items make it easy to regift anything you might not use.
Worth over £1,000, bursting with premium brands and coming in under £200, Sephora’s advent calendar is a masterclass in how to showcase what your retailer has to offer, and for me, is an unbeatable countdown for 2024.
