I am a fan of Advent Beauty Calendars. This is my fourth year of experimenting with different calendars. Now I have an idea of which are the best value for money. I evaluate the value of the travel size of some of these products and if they offer retail products instead of mini versions.
These three Advent calendars are my favorite: Space NK, Net-a-Porter and By Terry. I tried two more but I was not as impressed. Liberty is one that it is very popular but, I feel that these are better options. Blue Mercury offers one this year but, the jury is still out about if it is a good as the one mentioned below. to see, try and that I may have bought. By Terry offered four retail lipstick. I was impressed with this and the variety of colors. Some of thee brand advent calendars usually offered minis and travel size with samples size and By Terry delivered a worthy calendar.
Space NK Advent Beauty Calendar:
This calendar is for twenty four days instead of twenty five like in 2018 with a festive sparkling packaging. I loved the one box packing instead of 2019 story telling. Everything in in just one box.
In Beauty Advent calendars, I like to have a combination of regular size makeup products with travel size luxury skincare items. Being not a fan of mini lipsticks, I was pleased with a regular size Nars lipstick this year. I missed Lipstick Queen however I am aware that Morphea acquired the company in 2020. I understand why Poppy King had to let go the company. I am fan. I am not sure how new is this item because if the packaging. This advent calendar did not disappoint in that respect. I did miss a Diptyque candle.
This year the follow the same concept as three years ago but with every day messages that are related to the product each day like 2019.
The big box is Cream and Gold and white with smaller boxes per day with the number day in different sizes and fonts.
These are my favorite products with the box messages by NK staff:
Day 2: Charlotte Tilbury 24 hour Lift Effect Pillow Talk Push U Llashs Mascara. (Travel Size). I already have this mascara and I like it very much. “Lift your moon an your lashes with ths volumizing super stretch formula”
Day 4: Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum. I already love the Hyaluronic Serum from this line therefore it was nice to receive a travel size. It is my favorite product from this line without a doubt.
Day 6: Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eye Shadow in Reflect which is a champagne shade. This is trade size which retails at $30.00 at this moment. “Give yourself the star treatment with the light – reflecting pearl eyeshadow and its sparking finish”
Day 7: Sol Janeiro Bom Dia Bright Cream. Great to receive a body cream in a travel size. It ia great opportunity to try this line. “Every day is a bom dia (good day) thanks to this body brightening cream with exfoliating frut AHA’s and vitamin C.
Day 8: The Ordinary Caffeine solution 5% EGCG. I have never tried this line but have heard about it. I am pleased that I can try this product formulated for the skin around the eyes. “Wake up, smell the coffee and admire your bright complexion”.
Day 9: Drunk Elephant O-Bloos Rosi Drops Gouttes roses. I am excited to try this Omega Fatty Acid Sappanwood Bark Fortify Blush. I am into multitasking products and this seems one to try. “Up your glow with this barrier supportive skin duo that works to comfort and soothe”.
Day 16: Rose Inc Blush Divine Radiant Lip and Cheek Color. Again, another multitasking product that I am eager to try during the holiday season. “Breathe life into your complexion with a hint of creamy colour, pressed into cheeks, lips and eyelid” Veil Translucent Setting Powder. This is another product I was excited to receive. It is great that I can try this formula and it is also in a travel size.
Day 17: La Mer The Moisturizing Cream. It is the cream that I have used for more than fifteen years. First time I received this from Space NK but very familiar with this amazing moisturizer.
Day 18: Mediks r-Retinoate Youth Activating Serum and Hydro B5 Intense. Two products in one that I am not familiar with. I heard about Mediks 8 line. ”Allow time for renewal – this potent retinol serum will help you”
Day 21: Sisley Masque Crème A Rose Noire (Black Rose Cream Mask) and Emulsion Ecologique. The Mask i8s one of my top three favorite mask It is not a new product but one of the best I have tried as a moisturizing plumping mask. “Harneshing the poiwer of the restorative rose, this rich cream mask restores skin’s luminosity”.
Day 22: Augustinus Bader the Rich Cream. This is a travel size that measure half of an ounce. The fact that they have this product plus La Mer to try one vs one it is worth the total price of this Advent Calendar. This is the current moisturizer that I have been using this year. Worth every very penny to me. “Nourish your skin with stem-cell infused formulas that help support your body’s natural self- healing process.
Day 23: Nars Lipstick in Dolce Vita. This is one of their most popular colors and it looks good in all skin colors. I love that this a regular size at $26.00 retail price.
On New Years Eve they decided to offer a retail size of Summer days Jet Lag Mask. Although I like the mask and was not all excited with it. I would rather finish with the Nars Lipstick or the Augustinus Bader Reach Cream in my opinion.
Net-a-porter Beauty Advent Calendar:
This calendar has been consistent with their packing and presentation. This gives them a unique identity as one of the best consistent luxury beauty calendars in the market. I would love to work in the product edit for this calendar. Not because they do it wrong but because this year in particular they increase their price vs tough competition. I would have made asome tweaks. Their luxurious presentation in black and beige with accessible drawers per day is something that catch the eye. It is also for twenty five days. These are my favorite findings for this calendar:
Day 1: Charlotte Tilbury Walk of No Shame Eyeliner. This is the eye linerfollowing the success of the “Walk of Shame Lipstick. I love the lip shade and hopefully I can pull of this brown /cranberry shade as well.
Day 2: Susanne Kaufman Mallow Blossom Bubble Bath. I have tried a couple of her products and this is one of my favorites. I also love her hand sanitizer.
Day 3: This Works Deep Sleep Body Cocoon Lotion. This is a body and hand cream. Hopefully will nourish my hands and feet while helping me to stay asleep.
Day 5: Victoria Beckham Posh lipstick in Sway. This is one of my favorites “clean” beauty brands and it is my favorite color from her collection.
Day 9: Claus Porto Banho Citron Verbena Candle. Love receiving candles in the advent calendars.
Day 11: Hayo’u’s Cooling Rose Quartz Crystal Gua Sha. I keep breaking them. Needed a new one.
Day 15: Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask. I have this mask and love it.
Day 16: Decree by Dr. AJ Sturnham SOS Revitalising Eye Mask. Love having these eye masks. This will be a good opportunity to be introduced to the line.
Day 19: Oribe Power Drops Color Preservation Booster with 2% of Vitamin C. This is going to be my favorite product to try. I am not into many hair lines because I usually go back Kerastase but Oribe had worked for me in the past.
Day 20: Natura Bisse Diamond Instant Glow. I received a larger size in prior years and this was one of thos products that really impressed me. It is three ampulles that retexture and nourish the skin for the ultimate radiance.
Day 21: Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser. – Daily Detox Treatment. I heard many good things about this cleanser.
Day 22: 111 Skin Rose Gold Radiance Booster. I received in the past and used all of it.
Day 23: Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream. This is the moisturizer that I am currently using. That good it is. I noticed that most luxury advent calendars carry it this year. It seems is pretty popular now. I have reviewed it in prior posts but, I think that the new “clean” formula is better.
Day 25: Dr. Barbara Sturm Lifting Serum. I am looking forward to test this serum although I am more interested in products that gives me a long term benefit instead of an immediate lift that does not last. I have not tried it therefore no comment about the product. I absolutely love the Hyaluronic Serum. I recommend it to everybody.
By Terry Jewel Fantasy Advent Calendar
This calendar has surprise me in a good way although there are some items that are a really not worth it because these were brushes. I bought Mac Advent Calendars a couple of years ago to be disappointed with their array of size products offered. I am not into one brand Advent Calendars but decided to give this line a try. I love they brough four retail price lips products, the liner, mascara, stick eyeshadow. Their hand cream plus, the serum and the primer in this box are travel size. I was not a fan of the face brushes,. They are included in the retail blush size.
These are my favorite products:
Day 1: By Terry Lip Expert Matte #6 Chili Fig. This is strong Berry Color perfect for the fall season.
Day 2: Ombre Blackstar Stick Eye Shadow (travel size) In #4 Bronze Moon.
Day 3: Mascara Terrybly Haute Croissance in Black (travel size).
Day 4: Crayon Khol Terrybly in #2 Brown Stellar.
Day 6: Foundation Sponge.
Day 7: Brightening CC Serum in #4 White Rose in travel size.
Day 8: Baume de Rose Lip Care. Their lip care line is one of the best in the market. I used the lip balm every night and so far I hardly complain of dry lips and wrinkles around the mouth.
Day 12: Lip Expert Shine #3 Rosy Kiss. This is cool light pink.
Day 13: Eyeshadow double brush.
Day 14: Baume de Rose Hand Cream.
Day 17: Ombre Blackstar (Full size) Black Pearl.
Day 20: Mascara
Day 24: Lip Expert Matte in #8 Red Shot
This year, Net-a-Porter Beauty Advent Calendar is my favorite because the variety of luxury products and retail sizes but any of three are great specially for a gift this holiday season. Do you have any other favorite calendars? Let me know in your comments below if you try any Beauty Advent Calendar and what do you think about them.
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