After 8 years of writing about beauty advent calendars it takes a lot to impress me—but *this* one is incredible

Let me kick this off by explaining my relationship with beauty advent calendars. I've been writing about them for a really, really long time. Every year, around August time, the emails start hitting my inbox and I can feel my enthusiasm wane ever so slightly. Not because these festive offerings aren't incredibly beautiful – I can completely understand their appeal, so much better than chocolates – it's just that each year I really have to dig deep to get enthused because I've seen so many in my time.

However, this year was different. As soon as I saw Space NK's 2024 beauty advent calendar, I knew that I wanted it. Which, let me tell you, is rare. I don't ever take the calendars home for myself, preferring to gift them to friends and family instead. However, the list of contents of Space NK's 2024 calendar reads like my beauty shopping list—this one is all mine.

What makes this calendar so special?

While I love a beauty bargain, I am a sucker for luxury beauty. And if that sounds like you too, then this calendar gives you access to some of the industry's most beloved brands and my personal go-tos, as well.

Of the 35 products (yes, you read that right, ten more than the number of windows) 23 of them are full-sized. And trust me, that's a big number—so often with beauty advent calendars you shell out quite a bit of money only to be left with countless minis. Of those impressive 35 products, I have tried, tested and would 100% recommend almost every single one of them. Even as a beauty editor, there are a few products on the list that I've not tried before, but that's the other great thing about investing in these calendars—even if you're a beauty fanatic, you are sure to find a brand or a product you've never tried before. There's a discovery to be had behind each door.

My top picks

Looking down the extensive list of products, I spotted so many of my favourites and if you wouldn't mind indulging me, I'm going to wax lyrical about a few of them for a moment.

First up is my favourite split-end product by Hair By Sam McKnight. Happy Endings stops my hair looking frazzled, and it tames the very tips so that my hair looks sleek no matter what. And in this case, I actually prefer the smaller size 30ml tube, as I keep it for on-the-go top ups.

Next is my most used facial sunscreen, Queen Screen by Ultra Violette, which is honestly a game-changer if all you seek in life is a glowy complexion. I often forgo all other base products and just pop concealer on where needed. It lasts for ages, too, and you get the full-sized bottle in the Space NK Christmas calendar.

If you haven't tried the Ilia Limitless Mascara then please buy this calendar in order to do so, and the rest of the products will be a very happy bonus. I don't think I've ever loved a mascara more than I do this one. It is the best for lengthening lashes, coating each one to give you a proper fanned-out look so that your eyes appear more open and brighter somehow. It's the ideal everyday mascara, and then, when I'm craving more drama, I'll use this as my primer and top it off with one that adds volume.

What else can be found inside?

If you're someone who likes surprises, keep scrolling past this section. If, however, you're the type of person who starts looking for your presents around the house in early December, here's the entire list of what can be found in Space NK's 2024 beauty advent calendar:

• Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 62 Mist 90ml (full-size)
• Skin Rocks Cream Cleanser 125ml (full size)
• K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask 50ml (full size)
• Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil shade Hope 3ml (full size)
• Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm shade Brown Sugar 15g (full size)
• Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense 30ml (full size)
• Chantecaille Cheek Gelee shade Vibrant 23ml (full size)
• Rodial Glass Highlighter (2g)
• Supergoop Glow Screen 50ml (full size)
• The Ordinary Multi Peptide + HA 30ml(full size)
• Laneige Bouncy & Firm Sleeping Mask (25ml)
• Sunday Riley CEO Glow Vitamin C + Turmeric Face Oil (15ml)
• Tatcha The Serum Stick 10ml (full size)
• Sisley Paris Black Rose Cream Mask (10ml)
• Sisley Paris Velvet Sleeping Mask (10ml)
• Kate Somerville Exfolikate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment 60ml (full size)
• Naturium Vit C Complex Serum 30ml (full size)
• Lisa Eldridge Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colour shade Painterly 3.5g (full size)
• Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil 30ml (full size)
• Amika Overnight Treatment (30ml)
• Sam McKnight Happy Endings Nourishing Balm (30ml)
• Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant 118ml (full size)
• Milk Makeup Hydro-Grip Primer 45ml (full size)
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush shade Luminous Flush (1.3g)
• Eve Lom Cleanser + Wash Cloth (30ml)
• Space NK Nordic Wilds Body Wash (100ml)
• ILIA Beauty Limitless Mascara 8g (full size)
• KOSAS Airbrow in Clear 3.7g (full size)
• Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon shade Pillow Talk 1.6g (full size)
• Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream 50ml (full size)
• Glossier G Suit Soft Touch Lip Cream shade Jet 6ml (full size)
• Augustinus Bader The Serum (15ml)
• Color Wow Extra Strength Dream Coat 200ml (full size)
• DS & Durga I Don’t Know What Eau de Parfum (7.5ml)
• Ultra Violette Queen Screen SPF 50+ Luminising Serum SKINSCREEN™ (full size)

Let's do the maths...

The Space NK Advent Calendar costs £250. And that’s a lot of money, I get it. However, most luxury beauty advent calendars (and let's not pretend otherwise, this is pure luxury) cost around that nowadays. But answer me this: would you rather pay over £1,200? Because that's how much all of the products inside are worth. A quick tally on the old calculator tells me that that's a saving of £950. I don't know about you, but that's not a number I think is worth sniffing at.