September has just begun, but the countdown to Christmas has already kicked off with the launch of countless beauty Advent calendars. I’ve already had a look at the Rituals Advent wreath and the L’Occitane Luxury Beauty Advent calendar (you can read my full review here), but now another has caught my eye.
Anthropologie has launched its 24 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar. The box comes in a soft, pale pink and green colour scheme, decorated with a whimsical, vintage-inspired illustration of an Anthropologie storefront decked out for Christmas, complete with festive garlands and even an ice rink on the roof. The artwork, created by London-based illustrator Nepthys Foster, reminds me of one of those old-school Christmas biscuit tins that seem to be reused year after year.
Instead of the classic doors to open, each day’s surprise is tucked inside its own individual box. So, rather than popping open a little window, you just open the main box, find the numbered mini box for the day, and enjoy your treat. It’s got more of a beauty box feel than a traditional advent calendar, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
It makes it versatile enough to gift to friends and family (maybe keeping a treat for yourself). You could split up the items to use as stocking fillers or even gift the whole calendar to someone as a luxurious festive beauty box.
Inside, there’s a well-rounded selection of products across skincare, makeup, haircare, and fragrance – plus a couple of accessories. At £98, it’s £20 more than last year’s edition, but the contents are worth around £365, which means you’re saving roughly 73%.
One of the best things about this calendar is the variety of brands included, including high-end names like L’Occitane and Malin + Goetz. It’s a great way to sample a bit of everything before splashing out on full-size products.
It’s also a particularly good choice for fragrance lovers, as there are four different perfumes (including scents from Floral Street and Solinotes), a deodorant, and even a votive candle for your home. While none of the fragrances are full-size, they’re perfect for testing new scents, and you might even discover a new signature.
Of course, a big chunk of the products fall into the makeup category. There are seven items in total, ranging from nail polish and lip balm to an eyebrow serum and cheek stain. Skincare is equally covered with a mix of serums, night creams, body washes, and a mini of one of my favourite bath time products: the L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil.
Haircare is the one area that feels a little lacking. There’s only product included is a 30ml bottle of Beauty Works’ 10-in-1 Miracle Spray, which claims to tame frizz, add shine, and can be used on both wet and dry hair.
You’ll also find some cute accessories, like a pack of scrunchies and butterfly clips, perfect for keeping your hair out of the way while doing your skincare or makeup.
Despite only recently launching, the calendar already has a solid 4.7-star customer rating. One shopper said: “I bought this for my daughter and she is thrilled and can’t wait for December – excellent advent calendar, the best I’ve seen this year for this price point by a long way, thanks.”
With many beauty advent calendars pushing well past the £100 mark, this one stands out as a bit of a steal. Though it doesn’t have any large full-size products, it has a great variety of quality brands inside.
Another buyer left a review saying: “The packaging on this Advent Calendar is gorgeous, obviously I haven’t opened it yet as I am waiting until December 1, but at the moment it’s just beautiful to look at.”