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The Cult Beauty Advent Calendar is one that truly lives up to its promise of being bigger and better than ever before. Packed with an impressive 42 beauty treats behind 25 doors and worth over £1,100, this luxurious countdown is definitely one for the makeup and skincare obsessed. Coming in at £235, it has an in-built saving of more than £865, and I’ve taken a look inside to see if it really is worth the splurge.
Cult Beauty hosts more than 300 brands on their website, and their countdown does a wonderful job of showcasing what they have to offer. From trending products to much-loved classics, niche hair essentials, and luxury skincare innovations, the calendar covers almost all bases (there’s just no fragrance in this one, which I was a little bit gutted about).
Inside, 19 of the 42 products are full sized, with a range of deluxe samples and travel-friendly additions to bulk it out – though there’s nothing ‘filler’ about the products, with picks from coveted names like Augustinus Bader, PATRICK TA, Laneige, and Summer Fridays.
For me, several products make this calendar particularly standout, one being the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Hue Drops, which I saw everywhere on TikTok over the summer. These drops are ideal for achieving that dewy, luminous look everyone’s craving. Meanwhile, the Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil has long been on my wishlist. I’ve never been big into my haircare but I so enjoy an oil to help keep it looking soft and glossy, and having used Gisou’s hair perfume in recent months, I’m looking forward to giving the oil a go. What’s more is that, because they’re travel sizes, the calendar gives me a chance to try it without the commitment of a full-size bottle.
Then there’s Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Cream, a skincare icon loved by celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Victoria Beckham and Jennifer Aniston. This powerful anti-ageing formula comes in a mini 15ml bottle, but don’t underestimate its size, because it’s actually worth a whopping £74. Sticking with skincare, Elemis never disappoints when it comes to its effective, spa-quality formulas, so I’m excited to add their Pro-Collagen Energising Marine Cleanser into my New Year routine.And, of course, the Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream is a viral sensation that needs no introduction—rich, creamy, and with that addictive scent, it’s a product I use near daily and never pass up the opportunity to stock up on.
From the full-sized offerings, the Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in Vanilla Beige is a product I’ve longed to try but never quite splurged on (because even I know that spending £22 on a lip balm is excessive), so its inclusion here feels like a real treat. And it’s not the only brand I’ve been admiring from afar that I’m finally able to get acquainted with, as the Cult Beauty calendar also stars the Saie Sculpt Multi Use Cream Highlighting Blush in Mauve Glow and the multi-functional Ceremonia Guava Rescue Spray for hair, which I’ve heard amazing things about.
There’s also inclusions from brands I already know, use and love. The BYOMA Moisturising Rich Cream is already a staple in my routine, so having more of it feels like a bonus. And over the last 12 months I’ve been building a collection of Medik8 products, so I’m buzzing about the H.E.O Mask being featured.
On the makeup front, the Natasha Denona Baby Love Palette is a beautiful full-size makeup addition,alongside a Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Matte Beauty Blush Wand in Pink Pop. Charlotte Tilbury’s makeup products are always a hit, and this blush wand promises the perfect pink flush – you can read all about my favourite Charlotte Tilbury products here. And my final top pick has to go to the Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder. Their tinted moisturiser is one of my holy grail products, and so I’ve been looking to add a couple more staples to my makeup bag. Hourglass isn’t a particularly affordable brand, so I’m glad I can try out the setting powder to see if I like it before buying it.
Here’s everything inside the Cult Beauty advent calendar 2024:
Full Sizes
- KraveBeauty Great Barrier Relief Serum (full size; 45ml)
- Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in ‘Vanilla Beige’ (full size; 15g)
- Paula’s Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment (full size; 30ml)
- Saie Sculpt Multi Use Cream Highlighting Blush in ‘Mauve Glow’ (full size; 5.8g)
- ISAMAYA Spur Stick Suede Lip Liner (full size; 0.07g)
- Pat McGrath Labs Perma Precision Liquid Liner in ‘Xtreme Black Coffee’ (full size; 1ml)
- Natasha Denona Baby Love Palette (full size; 4g)
- PATRICK TA Major Dimension Precision Gel Liner (full size; 0.2g)
- Cult Beauty Anti-Drip Wrist Bands (Set of 2)
- BIOEFFECT EGF Serum (full size; 15ml)
- Decree SOS Revitalising Eye Mask (full size; 1 Sheet)
- MZ Skin Hydra Lift Gold Face Mask (full size; 1 Sheet)
- BYOMA Moisturising Rich Cream (full size; 50ml)
- Jo Loves Jo by Jo Loves a Hand Cream (full size; 50ml)
- Medik8 H.E.O Mask (full size; 2 x 50ml )
- Tower 28 ShineOn Milky Lip Jelly in ‘XOXO’ (full size; 3.9ml)
- Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Matte Beauty Blush Wand in ‘Pink Pop’ (full size; 12ml)
- Ceremonia Guava Rescue Spray (full size; 200ml)
- Cult Beauty Hair Clips in ‘Pink/White’ (Set of 2)
Deluxe Sizes
- LANEIGE Cream Skin Cerapeptide Toner and Moisturiser (deluxe size; 15ml)
- Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Peel Pads (deluxe size; Pack of 3)
- 111SKIN Rose Gold Eye Mask (deluxe size; Single Sheet)
- OUAI Scalp and Body Scrub in ‘Melrose Place’ (deluxe size; 30g)
- L’OCCITANE Almond Milk Concentrate (deluxe size; 20ml)
- Fable & Mane Saha Scalp Amla Soothing Serum (deluxe size; 14.4ml)
- JVN Nourishing Shine Drops (deluxe size; 5ml)
- amika Soulfood Nourishing Mask (deluxe size; 60ml)
Travel Sizes
- Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Hue Drops (travel size; 15ml)
- Hair by Sam McKnight Cool Girl Volume Cleanse Shampoo (travel size; 100ml)
- Hair by Sam McKnight Cool Girl Volume Nourish Conditioner (travel size; 75ml)
- Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Treatment (travel size; 15ml)*
- Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil (travel size; 20ml)
- Dr. LEVY Switzerland Intense Stem Cell Eye Booster Concentrate (travel size; 7ml)
- Huda Beauty One Coat Wow Mascara (travel size; 7ml)
- Color Wow Money Mist (travel size; 50ml)
- Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream (travel size; 15ml)
- ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Energising Marine Cleanser (travel size; 30ml)
- Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream (travel size; 75ml)*
- Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum (travel size; 15ml)
- Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder (travel size; 2g)
- Vyrao Witchy Woo Mini Candle (travel size; 30g)
- Philip Kingsley Elasticizer 2024 Limited Edition Fragrance Lemon and Bergamot (travel size; 75ml)
With a massive amount of products, seriously impressive brands and a variety of makeup, skincare and haircare products, the Cult Beauty advent calendar offers a festive countdown that any beauty aficionado would be excited to get their hands on. Though it’s now sold out, it’s well worth signing up to be the first to hear about next year’s offering.
