27 September 2023 , 10:37
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It’s less than 100 sleeps until Christmas, which means it’s less than 10 weeks until we can kick off the Christmas countdown by opening the doors on our advent calendar. But this year you can forget the chocolate, because beauty advent calendars have once again skyrocketed in popularity - and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
There are dozens of brands competing to bring beauty fans a festive haul of makeup, skincare, hair and fragrance treats, from LookFantastic to Liberty, Revolution to Marks and Spencer. And to help shoppers work out which one is the best to buy ahead of December, our team of beauty experts have been unboxing as many as we can get our mitts on and I think we may have found the best budget beauty advent calendar of the year in PrettyLittleThing’s yuletide offering.
The 24-day advent calendar is priced at £48, making it one of the few under the £50 mark, and has a total value of £198 - a whopping four times the price you pay. It’s packed with some unreal beauty surprises, from essential skincare to make up must-haves, with brands including Mario Badescu, Morphe, Brushworks, Stila and more.
Unboxing the PrettyLittleThing beauty advent calendar worth nearly £200I’ve taken a peek inside each little pink box and picked out what I consider to be some of the most exciting products inside. Though be warned, there’s a full list of spoilers ahead so if you’d prefer not to know the entire contents of the calendar, then look out for our ‘spoiler alert’ below.
My top five products in the PrettyLittleThing beauty advent calendar 2023
The first product I couldn’t wait to get my hands on was the Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Dew Cream. I’ve been using the brand’s popular facial sprays for months, and I feel like this moisturiser is going to be perfect for when the change in weather wreaks havoc on my skin. Incredibly lightweight, the oil-free gel-cream formula is super hydrating thanks to the addition of squalane and hyaluronic acid, and its light cucumber fragrance makes it feel really fresh and clean.
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Next up the Aroma Active Universal Repair Cream which is a product I’ve used previously and live. The rich, barrier-building, all-purpose cream aims to deeply moisturise dry, irritated and dehydrated skin, making it a great multi-purpose product for lips, nails, hands - or pretty much anywhere your skin feels a little dry. Suitable for vegans, the cream smells like a spa day with a calming blend of lavender and patchouli, making it an ultimate handbag essential for on-the-go.
Another beauty product I’ve quickly found myself taking everywhere with me is the Stila Stay All Day Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner, which would usually cost £16 alone. The long-wearing line is waterproof and perfect for adding definition around the eyes - one swipe on my waterline transforms daytime makeup look into a more glam evening look. It glided on smoothly, was comfortable to wear, and lasted all day. What more could you ask for in an eyeliner?
This Stila eyeliner from the PrettyLittleThing beauty advent calendar has fast become a handbag essentialIf you’re already missing the summer sun, the Bondi Sands Pure Concentrated Self Tan Drops will help you maintain your glow or help to add a bit of colour to your complexion. I’ve always been incredibly fair skinned but do enjoy a slightly bronzed look to help me feel my best, and these drops allow me to create a custom glow that is buildable. You can mix the drops with moisturiser and apply with your skincare, and what’s left is a really natural looking glow that will have friends asking where you’ve been on holiday. This full-size bottle is usually £14.99 too, so you can see how the value of the box soon racks up.
My final pick is the Pixi Hello Kitty Limited Edition Glow Tonic 100ml, which is usually £10. It’s the cult loved exfoliating toner that everyone knows and loves, with the fun and nostalgia of Hello Kitty. I’ve only ever used samples of this product - which are great for travel wash bags - but I’m so thrilled that the PLT calendar has allowed me to get my hands on a full sized version so I don’t have to be so sparing with it. This tonic really helps to remove the excess oils, dirt and grime of the day while gently exfoliating dead skin to help you achieve an otherworldly glow. It really is worth the hype it gets on social media.
My top five picks from the PrettyLittleThing beauty advent calendar for 2023Anything we don’t like about the PrettyLittleThing beauty advent calendar?
There’s very little bad to say about the PrettyLittleThing beauty advent calendar for 2023, however, the box design does mean that if you open it incorrectly, the contents could fall out and you’ll find yourself playing a game of box Tetris. Luckily, the brand has put the number of each corresponding box on the packaging behind it so that if this does happen, you’ll be able to find which slot it goes into.
There’s a great mix of products inside the calendar including skincare, makeup and accessories like brushes and sharpeners, but I did find that a couple of the products were a little too similar, such as the Carmex Cherry Lip Balm Pot and Carmex Premium Vanilla Stick - though I do love both of these products, I feel like two lip balms in one calendar could have made way for another exciting addition. There’s also two lip plumping products in the form of the Project Lip Plump and Fill Lip Liner and Plump It! Hyaluronic Lip Plumper. These types of products aren’t for everyone, and again, I feel like one or the other would have been fine to include, but perhaps not both.
There are 24 days to open on the PrettyLittleThing beauty advent calendarSpoiler alert - full contents of the PrettyLittleThing beauty advent calendar
Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Dew Cream
Premium Eyelash Curler
Land Of Lashes Girl Boss False Eyelash
Starskin Dream Kiss Lip Mask
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Dual Make Up Pencil Sharpener
Aroma Active Universal Repair Cream 15ml
This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray 5ml
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser 29ml
Peaches & Cream Highlighter PC17 Brush
Carmex Premium Vanilla Stick 4.25g
PLT Beauty Product Lucky Dip
Brushworks Pink and White Satin Scrunchie Duo
Bondi Sands Pure Concentrated Self Tan Drops 40ml
Biovene Pink Clay Mask 75ml
Revolution Skincare Jade Gua Sha
Morphe Make It Big Mini Mascara 7.5g
Pink Makeup Sponge
Primalash Lash Reusable Wands 10 Pack
Pixi Hello Kitty Limited Edition Glow Tonic 100ml
Brushworks Triangular Powder Puff
Stila Stay All Day Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner Stingray 0.3ml
Carmex Cherry Lip Balm Pot 7.5g
Project Lip Plump and Fill Lip Liner
Plump It! Hyaluronic Lip Plumper
Verdict - is it worth it?
Is the PrettyLittleThing beauty advent calendar worth it?There are some seriously impressive brands tucked inside the PLT beauty advent calendar this year - I’m talking about the kind we’d expect to see in the likes of Cult Beauty, Space NK or LookFantastic. While the overall value is lower than these calendars at £198, it’s still almost four times the price you pay at under £50, offering shoppers the chance to get a taste of luxury without the huge price tag. I feel like £48 is a really accessible price point, and when you do the girl maths, it works out at £2 per item inside, which is incredible.
While I may have had some complaints about some duplications, there isn’t actually a single product in the PLT calendar that I wouldn’t use, and will certainly help generate excitement throughout December and ensure I have everything I need to be party ready come the 25th.
Whether you are treating yourself, or looking for the ultimate Christmas gift, the PrettyLittleThing beauty advent calendar is definitely one of the best value calendars for under £50 this year, offering more variety than some of the single-brand options available like Revolution, Soap and Glory or Ted Baker.
The PLT Beauty Advent Calendar is now available to shop here at PrettyLittleThing.