Lookfantastic Beauty Advent Calendar Review 2023: Why it's the best under £100 option this Christmas
Value for money and quality of products is off the charts.
🛍️ Product reviewed: Lookfantastic Beauty Advent Calendar
💸 Cost: £99 (Worth £565)
💰 Product highlights: Hyaluronic eye cream worth almost as much as entire advent calendar (£97), festive-scented candle (£25) and full-size eyeshadow palette from Iconic London (£45)
✋ Biggest drawbacks: The packaging and calendar itself is quite basic in comparison to other beauty advents available for Christmas
I can't say I've had much practise in opening beauty advent calendars over the years (I'm very much a foodie at heart), but with the festive trend getting bigger and better every year, I couldn't help but want to see what all the fuss was about.
This year in particular, we've seen beauty advent calendars launch earlier than ever before. We've even seen them get even more expensive, too, with the most coveted versions from Liberty, Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Fortnum & Mason costing up to £260.
But one retailer who always comes through with a great affordable option is Lookfantastic.
Having launched back in 2015 with what was originally called "The Beauty Secret" costing £70 and filled with £250 worth of products, the beauty retailer has since seen a +1300% increase in advent calendar sales from then until now, and this year is even on track for their fastest ever sell-out.
A firm favourite among beauty lovers, it features a range of products from premium brands such as Mac, Nars, Elemis and more.
The advent calendar is so in demand, that just last month did one of my closest friends told me that she had signed up to the 2023 waiting list to be sure to get her hands on one (last year the waitlist had over 150,000 sign-ups). And let me tell you, after testing out every single product in the calendar, I can see why.
While Lookfantastic's site says there are 27 products inside, by our count it's actually 29. This is because in some drawers, you receive more than one beauty item. For instance, you get a bundle of three retinol eye masks on one day, there's two skincare staples from Medik8 rather than one, and the haircare from Colour Wow comes as a duo. Nine of the products are full-size — spanning an array of categories including make-up, skincare, haircare and wellness.
(Stop scrolling if you don't want any spoilers...).
To kick things off, let's talk through the advent's overall packaging and appearance. Albeit basic, it does the job as far as housing 29 miniature and full-sized beauty products go. But let's just say it has nothing on the cult-favourite calendar from high-end retailer, Liberty (which is practically a mini replica of the famous shop front).
The box itself features two drop-down panels that are sealed with a magnetic mechanism at the very top, along with a gold bow for added security.
The calendar comes characterised with Lookfantastic's signature colours, and has 25 uniquely-shaped drawers. If you wanted you could definitely repurpose the calendar for storage, or likewise create your own customised advent calendar next year.
What's *actually* inside the calendar?
11 makeup products
11 skincare staples
3 haircare items
3 bodycare essentials
1 candle
My top five products from the Lookfantastic Beauty Advent Calendar:
Avant Skincare Hyaluronic Acid Molecular Boost Eye Cream 10ml | Costs £97
At £97 for 10ml, this is the priciest product that's in the advent calendar. I battled with myself as to whether I should feature this as part of my highlights for the advent, for the single reason that it is ridiculously expensive. But as someone who suffers significantly with bags and dark circles, alongside fine lines and creases, this really did make a visual difference.
Iconic London Day to Slay Eyeshadow Palette | Cost £45
Eyeshadow palettes can be a tricky product to get right, but I have to admit, this palette from Iconic London was a pleasant surprise.
First off, it wasn't filled with a dozen shades of neon shadows with ultraviolet hues that, to be frank, I won't ever reach for. Instead, it features colours I would actually want to wear regularly — whether that be to add a touch of colour to my lids, or for something jazzier for the evenings.
The shadow held up well for my first use, and the pigment is great.
Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse, Deluxe Size | Costs £9
I hadn't yet explored Medik8's skincare range before, but after using this cleanser for a good few days, I can now say that it's a brand my bathroom shelves will be seeing a lot more of.
Complete with a subtle scent and designed to target signs of ageing, dullness and uneven texture, it glides seamlessly onto the skin and is gentle enough to be used an a daily cleanser.
It's safe to say that this will feature in my go-to kit of skincare travel miniatures.
Eve Lom Rescue Mask 50ml | Costs £40
Every beauty advent should have feature at least one face mask. In the short time I've had it, I've used this face mask two to three times already. I was sold the second I read the term "rescue" — something my skin's been in desperate need of lately.
Intended to revive your skin's natural radiance by improving texture and purifying pores, I definitely noticed it left my skin feeling fresh and glowy. Not just that, my skin was so soft after using it.
Aery Living x Lookfantastic Winter Thyme Candle 125g | Costs £25
Because who doesn't love a candle? The cinnamon, orange and clove scent from this candle is the first thing I could smell upon opening my beauty advent calendar, and it was delicious. Definitely something I would purchase separately. It's something I'll be saving for those cosy winter evenings in.
My three lowlights from the Lookfantastic Beauty Advent Calendar:
Dr. PawPaw Collagen Lip Oil | Costs £4.95
Subjective — but I'm not a huge fan of this brand having previously tried its lip balms. But even though I went in open minded, I wasn't fond of the lip oil's texture or consistency. It's a little too thick for a lip oil in my opinion.
Eyeko Black Magic Liquid Eyeliner 0.3ml | Costs £9
I don't reach for liquid eyeliners with hard, felt precision tips like this, as I prefer something a lot softer and more fluid for concise application. While this is my personal preference, other shoppers have described it as "one of the best eyeliners" and their "absolute favourite".
ESPA Positivity Bath and Shower Gel 100ml | Costs £10
I've never been one to gift bath and shower gels, so can't say it's something I would choose to buy for myself either. As much as I rate the brand, I could probably give this a miss. A great stocking filler option, though.
So, is the Lookfantastic calendar *actually* worth the money?
It's certainly one of the better value beauty advent calendars available to buy this year. For £99, you are getting £565 worth of beauty products — that's a built-in saving of £466. Plus, the calendar features some of the same luxury brands as calendars almost triple its price.
I definitely think the Lookfantastic calendar is actually worth the money and is one of the best beauty advent calendars on the market for 2023. It's a good option for gifting, too. You could even split it up and use the items as stocking fillers. It's a win-win.
