It’s November 1 which means it’s exactly a month until we open the very first doors on our advent calendars, marking the start of the Christmas countdown - and it’ll soon come round. Over the last few years, many shoppers have been ditching traditional chocolate advent calendars in favour of something a little more exciting: beauty advent calendars.
With the cost of living crisis, many people will be spending their money much more carefully this year, and will want to know which calendars are actually worth spending their money on.
So, Manchester Evening News have been taking a peek inside to see which 2022 beauty advent calendar is the best value.
READ MORE: Best beauty advent calendars of 2022: prices, products, release dates and deals
This week, we’ve taken a look inside the Glossybox 2022 ‘Freeze the Moment’ advent calendar from the popular beauty box subscription brand.
Following a sell-out year in 2021, Glossybox opened their beauty calendar waiting list at the start of September before going on sale on September 8. With just a month to go, there’s still a few calendars left, but after taking a look at the products inside, I don’t think it’s going to be in stock for much longer, with one product inside being worth a whopping £43 alone.
The calendar features a pretty frosted marble design that reminds me of Disney’s popular Frozen character, Elsa. Unlike the LookFantastic and Revolution advent calendars, this one can be laid flat on its back to be opened, without fear of half of the products spilling out.
The front opens with a magnetic closure to keep all of the contents nice and secure, even if you need to move it.
Inside, following on from ‘Freeze the Moment’, it reads ‘and enjoy the joy of beauty’. And I’m sure I will, with a massive 28 beauty products behind 25 doors, meaning not one, not two, but three days will contain two products, making for an even more exciting unboxing.
By comparison, Revolutions 25 day calendar offered exactly £25 products, while LookFantastic’s saw 26 behind 25 doors, making Glossybox one of the most generous yet.
Find our other beauty advent calendar reviews here:
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I tried the LookFantastic Advent Calendar which gets you over £500 worth of products for under £100
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I tried the Revolution beauty advent calendar and it’s the best budget buy for Christmas
Priced at £99, it is also more expensive than the other two advent calendars, but those who subscribe to Glossybox for monthly goodies delivered to their doorstep can get it for the special subscriber price of £85 . Considering the products inside are worth £443, it’s a huge saving of £358 for shoppers to stock up their cosmetics bags and skincare cupboards for the next 12 months.
Of those 28 products, 50 per cent of them are full size, with a further 14 being super deluxe miniatures and travel sizes, with products from best-selling beauty brands including Glossier, Milk Makeup, 111Skin, Spectrum, L'Occitane and Refy.
I’m really looking forward to the Glossier Cloud Paint and Balm Dotcom - worth £27 together - as these are two products I already have in a number of shades or flavours. Glossier is a really affordable but high quality millennial brand that’s perfect for those wanting to achieve a barely there, dewy makeup look, and both of these would definitely make my desert island cosmetics bag.
I’m also extremely excited to unbox the MILK Makeup Rise Mascara because this is one of my favourite mascaras that I can never justify buying a full size of. I actually prefer that this is a miniature because mascaras need replacing every three months due to bacteria, so I’m much more likely to get the most out of this.
REFY is a brand I discovered this year after it went viral on TikTok. I adore their lip liner and setter which prevents smudging, and so, I can’t wait to try the brow pencil from inside the calendar. I’ve heard incredible reviews of this, worth £14, and it might just end up being my new favourite brow styling product.
Beauty advent calendars make you feel like all your Christmases have come at once, especially if, like me, you can’t help but peek inside all the doors ahead of actually opening them. Other products I’m looking forward to using are the Spectrum Collections B13 Face Brush, worth £6.99, and the calendars cheapest product, the Cetaphil Cleanser valued at £1.33, because it’s supposed to be amazing for breakouts.
L'Occitane is a brand I’ve never tried before, so I’m hoping their mini shampoo and conditioners live up to their reputation - although I’m sure they will. And finally, the star of the show is the Magnitone XOXO Soft Touch Facial Cleansing Brush, worth £40. I actually already have this and really rate it quite highly, so I’m thrilled I’ll be able to gift this brand new one to a friend or family member, and save myself £40 on a gift.
The device supercharges your skincare routine, sending Micro-Sonic pulsations beneath the skin to purge pores from impurities and deeply cleanse the skin. It also gently massages your face for a mini home-spa treatment that can be repeated every single day.
Although it’s one of the more expensive beauty advent calendars I’ve been able to analyse this year, it’s one of the best too, featuring`brands and products I’ll genuinely use. There’s a really great variety included from makeup must-haves to TikTok sensations, each door truly holds a moment of beauty joy.
If you simply can’t wait to find out more about what’s inside the Glossybox advent calendar, the fill list is here:
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ICONIC London Contour Duo Pot -Worth £25
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Spectrum Collections B13 Face Brush - Worth £6.99
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ColorWow Pop n' Lock glossing serum - Worth £9.90
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Forest Essentials Body Oil - Worth £10
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Nip & Fab Vitamin C Fix Tonic - Worth £19.95
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The Beauty Crop Setting Spray - Worth £12
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REFY Brow Pencil - Medium - Worth £14
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Land of Lashes Fase Lashes - Worth £7
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Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturiser - Worth £13
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Bybi Eye Plump - Worth £18
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We are Paradoxx Moisture Hair Mask - Worth £12
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XLash Eye Lash Serum Pro - Worth £65
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This Works In Transit Camera Close Up - Worth £16
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Korres Wild Rose Night Brightening Cream - Worth £14.50
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MILK Makeup Rise Mascara - Worth £9
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111 Skin Rose Gold Brightening Mask - Worth £20
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P Louise Lip Base - Worth £10
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Earth Harbour Face Serum - Worth £43
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Cetaphil Cleanser - Worth £1.22
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L'Occitane Mini Shampoo - Worth £3
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L'Occitane Mini Conditioner - Worth £3
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Frank Body Body Scrub - Worth £13.95
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GOSH Copenhagen Brow Lift - Worth £12.99
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Glossier Cloud Paint - Worth £17
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Glossier Balm Dotcom - Worth £10
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Rituals Ritual of Ayurveda Shower Foam - Worth £5.50
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Rituals Ritual of Jing Body Lotion - Worth £10
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Magnitone XOXO Soft Touch Facial Cleansing Brush - Worth £40
The Glossybox advent calendar will be sure to add a touch of sparkle and beauty next to any Christmas tree this 2022. Worth over £440, the calendar retails at £85 for subscribers and £99 for non-subscribers, and it’s worth every penny - perfect for treating yourself or a loved one this Christmas.
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