I’m a professional beauty shopper and no new product has excited me quite like the Sephora beauty advent calendar

As Marie Claire UK’s resident Junior Shopping Editor, I come across a fair few beauty advent calendars on a daily basis. So I’ve become a bit of a pro at distinguishing which ones are worth getting excited about and which are not. I'm here to tell you that Sephora’s beauty advent calendar is very much one to get excited about. And the best thing is that there are in fact TWO Sephora advent calendars this year so you can treat yourself, no matter what your budget.

You might think it’s a little early to start thinking about Christmas treats, but when it comes to beauty advent calendars, the best options tend to sell out way before we start seeing festive lights twinkling in the trees. 

Sitting comfortably between the best luxury beauty advent calendars and affordable beauty advent calendars, Sephora’s two offerings are no exception.

Having only just come to the UK in 2022, Sephora is still the most exciting beauty news of the past year - just look at the queues that continue to snake around the Westfield London store for proof. The shop (both online and in-store) is one of the best places to find beauty products online. So, predictably, their beauty advent calendars feature the best of the best.

Without further ado, let's dive into why I think the Sephora Favourites beauty advent calendar is worth your attention...

1. Sephora Favourites Beauty Advent Calendar 2023 

It comes in a gorgeous box that’s perfect for storing your beauty bits

The beautifully decorated box can be reused in multiple ways - whether you use it to store spare bits and bobs (like jewellery and hair accessories) or fill it with treats and pass it on as a gift. 

You’ll save SO much on the contents

Yes, this advent calendar might cost just shy of £190 making it on the pricier side, but you’ll be making a huge saving on what the contents actually cost. It’s worth over £1,000 but you’ll get them all for £189 . That’s a saving of over £800, just FYI. If you’re a beauty lover, chances are you’ll have had multiple products from this box in your basket already.  So let's take a look inside...

It’s packed full of every beauty product I’ve had my eye on this year

Seriously, I'm putting on a brave face in the picture above, but this box is SO heavy. From cult products like Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Bum Bum cream to the constantly sold-out ONE/SIZE On Til Dawn setting spray; relaxing elements from NEOM and Aromatherapy Associates to my favourite mascara of all time - the ILIA Limitless Lash, each one of these products excites me to the core.

It goes without saying that the advent calendar includes the brands and products that are exclusive to Sephora in the UK, e.g. ONE/SIZE, GXVE Beauty, Vegamour and Tarte. It’s packed full of 36 beauty products - 23 of which are full-sized - making it even bigger than last year’s sell-out advent calendar. Seriously, it’s absolutely massive.

Sephora’s advent calendar completely sold out last year, so I’d act quick if you’re looking to snap one up for yourself.

What’s inside?  

Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Muscle Gel 150ml, Aromatherapy Associates Support Breathe Bath & Shower Oil 55ml, First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub with 10% AHA 56.7g, Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Cream 25ml, Molton Brown Orange & Bergamot Shower Gel 100ml, Commodity Milk Expressive 10ml, Floral Street Sweet Almond Blossom Eau de Parfum 10ml, Juliette Has A Gun Not A Perfume 10ml, NEOM Organics London Perfect Night's Sleep Scented Candle (1 Wick) 185g, Philip Kingsley Elasti-Styler 5-in-1 Treatment 100ml, VIRTUE® Healing Oil 9ml, K18 Leave-in Molecular Repair Hair Mask 15ml, Living Proof Triple Bond Complex 45ml, Gxve Beauty Original Me Clean High-Performance Matte Lipstick 3g, Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara 8ml, ONE/SIZE Beauty On 'Til Dawn Setting Spray 143ml, Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner 0.9ml, Rose Inc Satin Lip Color Lipstick 4g, Vegamour GRO Volumizing Lash Serum 3ml, NAILSINC Nail Polish 14ml, Beautifect Beautifect Blender, Tarte Leave Your Mark Vii Eye & Cheek Palette, BeautyPro Cica + Niacinamide Face Mask 22ml, BeautyPro Warming Eye Mask 16g, Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm 50g, Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops 40ml, Ranavat Restoring Moonseed Treatment 8g, Sarah Chapman Glow On the Go 10ml, Sunday Riley B3 Nice 10% Niacinamide Serum 30ml, Tan-Luxe Super Glow Hyaluronic Self Tan Serum 30ml, Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment 15ml, REN Clean Skincare Radiance Dark Circle Eye Cream 15ml, Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial 50ml + Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil 3ml, Fenty Skin Fat Water Pore-Refining Toner Serum 10ml, Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense 30ml, Malin+Goetz Vitamin E Moisturiser 30ml

2. Sephora Collection The Future is Yours The Premium Advent Calendar

It's surprisingly affordable

Packed full of products from Sephora's own collection, this beauty advent calendar isn't one to miss. It features some of my favourite Sephora Collection products including the Big By Definition mascara and Glossed clear lip gloss. With 24 products and the most adorable packaging, I'd have thought it would cost way more than its under-£80 price tag. 

What's inside?

Glossed lip gloss: 01 Boss 5ml, Mini Vitamin C+E Advanced Glow Serum 15ml, Cucumber hand mask, Makeup sponge, Watermelon lip balm: Nourishing, moisturizing 3.5g, Clear eyebrow gel 5ml, Charcoal nose strip, Almond milk hand balm: Nourishing, repairing 30ml, Gel effect top coat 5ml, Caffeine eye mask: smoothing energizing, Exfoliating glove, Mini Big By Definition mascara 5ml, All Day Hydrator: Hydration + Radiance 30ml, Watermelon face mask: Thirst-quenching plumping, Colorful blush: 06 Flirt it up 3.5g, Tonic lotion: Passion Fruit 100ml, Mini face gua sha, Seaweed gel mask, Cream Lip Stain: 01 Always Red 5ml, Eyeshadow brush, Papaya + vitamin C eye mask: de-puffing, Micellar water makeup remover 50ml, Waterproof 12H Contour Pencil Eyeliner: 13 Tiramisu 3.5g, Iris + Moka intense eau de parfum OR Vanilla + Fleur De Sel sweet & sour eau de parfum 30ml