I tried the Boots Beauty Advent Calendar — it’s both affordable and surprising

WHAT is Boots doing?

Once the destination for last-minute sunscreen and forgotten toothpaste, Boots has transformed into a Prada-stocking, concept store-owning beauty giant in the past year.

Boots 24 Days of Beauty Christmas Advent Calendar, £99 (Worth £365.87)

The retailer has upped its game and become unquestionably cool in 2024 — now it’s launched a luxury Advent calendar.

I get very excited about Christmas (potentially induced by all the ‘Christmas in July’ meetings I attend) so I have never relied on an Advent calendar to chivvy on the countdown.

However, since becoming a beauty journalist, I’ve discovered that a calendar stuffed with beauty products can make December even more exciting.

Boots has nailed it this year, creating one of the most beautifully curated calendars I’ve reviewed (and boy, there have been many).

Here are my honest thoughts and hundreds of spoilers…

Pros

• One of the most affordable beauty calendars on the market
• Compact design
• Good balance of make-up, skin, hair, and body care products

Cons

• Half of its contents are travel or sample-size
• Some travel-size products are small and will only last a few applications
• Basic, unfestive design
• Inner boxes are flimsy and tricky to remove

Rating: 3.5/5

Boots 24 Days of Beauty Christmas Advent Calendar, £99 (Worth £365.87)

Boots Beauty Advent Calendar review: how we tested

Recently, a friend asked me how work was going, and all I could talk about was Advent calendars.

I’d hazard a guess that this is due to spending so much time reviewing, photographing, and unwrapping calendars this year.

As The Sun’s Beauty Writer, it’s my job to spill the beans on the crème de la crème of the beauty industry.

So, I’ve spent hours tracking down the best beauty Advent calendars to grace the shelves in 2024, leaving no stone unturned or door unopened.

My search to find beauty’s best calendar has now brought me to Boots, where I’ve taken the 24 Days of Beauty Calendar for a spin.

When I’m reviewing an Advent calendar, I have a few criteria in mind: affordability, durability, quality of contents, value for money, and — of course — Christmas pizazz.

Let’s see if the Boots calendar ticks these boxes…

Boots 24 Days of Beauty Christmas Advent Calendar, £99 (Worth £365.87)

Boots Beauty Advent Calendar review: quick summary

If you thought that the Boots Advent calendar would be filled with cough medicine, nappies and paracetamol, I wouldn’t blame you.

Despite being clued up on all the new brands that Boots has introduced this year, even I was surprised by the wealth of coveted beauty names inside this calendar

Packed with the likes of Sol de Janeiro, Fenty and Laura Mercier, its contents list reads like a “what went viral in 2024?” yearbook.

Starring 24 beauty goodies — with 13 full-sized — this calendar boasts a 73% saving compared to buying each product individually.

Humble in size and design, the Boots Beauty Advent Calendar isn’t the flashiest calendar on the market, nor the most festive, but it will fit snugly under your tree — overall, a winner.

Boots Beauty Advent Calendar review: full review

Boots 24 Days of Beauty Christmas Advent Calendar, £99 (Worth £365.87)

First impressions

At first glance, the Boots Beauty Advent Calendar looks like a shoebox. A very nice shoebox, admittedly, but sadly this calendar fails the festive-aesthetic test.

That said, I’m impressed with its compact, foldout design and lightweight packaging, which will make fitting it onto your mantlepiece a very simple task.

It doesn’t have the glitter, foils or frilly bits that other beauty Advent calendars have, but its product lineup speaks for itself.

Inside, you’ll find 24 removable boxes arranged in a Jenga-style stack, containing one beauty product each.

Usually, calendars of this style feature pulleys or handles, however, this calendar has neither, so I had to prise the boxes out of the calendar.

This means that long nails are required — fortunately, you’ve got eight weeks to get growing.

Traditional Advent calendars end on Day 24, but the 2024 CultBeauty, Space NK and LookFantastic calendars have all spoilt me with a Day 25 door.

So, I’m ashamed to admit this, but I’m disappointed that the Boots Beauty Advent Calendar ends on Day 24; this year’s calendar stakes are that high.

Boots 24 Days of Beauty Christmas Advent Calendar, £99 (Worth £365.87)

What’s inside the Boots Beauty Advent Calendar?

Opening this calendar feels more like perusing the shelves of John Lewis than Boots.

Starring a cult perfume, sculpting moisturiser, and (arguably) the world’s most-wanted body cream, the products inside the Boots Beauty Advent Calendar are posher than you’d expect.

There are 12 smaller-sized products inside this calendar and most of them resemble the travel miniatures we know and love from airport shopping.

However, others look like the freebie samples that get thrust into your bag at the till, which feels a little disappointing.

That said, there are plenty of exciting, full-sized products concealed inside this Advent calendar (spoilers ahead!).

On Day One, you’ll unbox a full-sized Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eyeshadow, typically £26, but you’ll have to wait until Day Six before you find another full-sized gift.

Day 18 contains a full-size Bubble Water Slide Moisturiser, typically £18, which is from one of the brands I’m most regularly quizzed on by colleagues.

After one more sleep, you’ll be treated to a full-sized Bare Minerals PrimeTimt Primer, typically £30, which sent socials into a frenzy thanks to its smoothing, pore-minimising powers.

Things round off nicely on Day 24, where you’ll find a Fenty Beauty Icon Velvet Liquid Lipstick in shade RiRi, typically £25, which is a gorgeous, dusty-rose shade that’ll be perfect for wearing on the 25th.

Here’s everything else you’ll be treated to…

What’s inside the Boots Beauty Advent Calendar 2024?

Here’s everything you’ll find inside the Boots 24 Days of Beauty Christmas Advent Calendar…

• Sol De Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream 25ml
• Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence Leave-In Conditioner 60ml
• Patchology Serve Chilled Rosé Eye Gel Single FULL SIZE
• Fenty Beauty Icon Velvet Lipstick 5.5g FULL SIZE
• Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray 15ml
• No7 Matte Powder Blusher 3g FULL SIZE
• First Aid Beauty Bump Eraser Body Scrub 28.3g
• Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Shadow Matte 1.64F FULL SIZE
• Iconic London Sheer Blush 12.5ml FULL SIZE
• bareMinerals Pore-Minimizing Primer 30g FULL SIZE
• Shiseido Vital Perfection Uplifting and Firming Advanced Cream 15ml
• Drunk Elephant Beste Jelly Cleanser 60ml – FULL SIZE
• FUL Repair Hair Shampoo 250ml FULL SIZE
• Rituals The Ritual of Ayurveda Recovery Hand Balm 20ml​
• Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Serum 8ml FULL SIZE​
• Hello Sunday Eye Cream SPF50 15ml FULL SIZE​
• Bubble Water Slide Hydration Boosting Serum​ 30ml FULL SIZE​
• Huda Beauty Lip Blush Creamy Lip Stain 6ml FULL SIZE ​
• REN Clean Skincare Evercalm Overnight Balm​ 15ml
• Grown Alchemist Hand Cream 65ml FULL SIZE​
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Styling Wax Mini 2.5g
• Sol De Janeiro Cheirosa ’76 30ml
• Soap & Glory Heel Genius Foot Cream 50ml
• NARS Bronzing Powder – Laguna 2 1.5g

Boots 24 Days of Beauty Christmas Advent Calendar, £99 (Worth £365.87)

How much is the Boots Beauty Advent Calendar?

Coming in at *just* under £100, the Boots Advent Calendar is one of the most affordable beauty Advent Calendars on the market, at £99.

Its contents pile up to a hefty total value of £365.87, saving you a whopping £266.87 or 73%.

This saving beats the likes of Revolution and Charlotte Tilbury, where you’ll save 52% and 58%, respectively.

However the Boots calendar can’t compete with the LookFantastic Advent Calendar (£100) which boasts a saving of 82% and features a stunning drawer design, yet only costs a quid more.

It’s worth noting that many of the sample-sized products inside this calendar can’t be bought separately, so Boots has calculated their value based on the price per ml of their respective full-size product.

Boots 24 Days of Beauty Christmas Advent Calendar, £99 (Worth £365.87)

Where to buy the Boots Beauty Advent Calendar

Top tip: don’t try looking for this calendar in-store, because you won’t find it.

While Boots is one of the few physical beauty retailers, you can’t pick up the Boots Beauty Advent calendar at your local Boots branch.

Instead, you’ll need to head to the Boots website to make your order, where you’ll find free standard delivery on orders over £25.

Order by 10 PM, and you’ll qualify for next-day delivery meaning your calendar will whizz its way over to you for just £4.95.

You can Click and Collect in-store, too, which is free on orders over £15.

Boots 24 Days of Beauty Christmas Advent Calendar, £99 (Worth £365.87)

The verdict: is the Boots Beauty Advent Calendar worth it?

While the Boots Advent Calendar isn’t the prettiest calendar on the shelves or the best value for money, it’s still a bloomin’ good deal.

Encased inside its (fairly bland) walls are some of 2024’s most-desired beauty products, and this calendar strikes a good balance between make-up, haircare and skincare offerings.

I’m a little disappointed by its large proportion of miniature-sized products — some of which would only last you one or two applications — but they do come in handy when travelling.

I’ve previously espoused that I’m not a fan of calendars that contain boxes rather than drawers because they tend to be flimsier and tricky to reuse.

However, the Boots calendar earns back a gold star because its cardboard packaging could be flattened and tossed into the recycling bin after the festivities.

While I wouldn’t recommend the Boots Beauty Advent Calendar to a beauty fanatic (you’ll probably own the contents of this calendar already), it’s a great option for any beauty toe-dipper who’s looking to vary their stash.

Boots 24 Days of Beauty Christmas Advent Calendar, £99 (Worth £365.87)

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