I tried everything in Liberty's Beauty Advent Calendar, here's why it's the ultimate indulgence
The Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar is one of the most in-demand advent calendars of the past decade. Since its launch in 2014, it has continued to grow in popularity, becoming the luxury department store’s fastest-selling product in 149 years — and this year's tenth anniversary edition is nothing short of spectacular.
Loved for its mix of high-end and fan-favourite products, beautifully illustrated packaging and unbelievable value, I couldn’t possibly turn down a chance at getting a sneak peek ahead of the launch to determine whether it really is worth the hype, especially after discovering it was the brand’s most generous line-up to date.
Beauty advent calendars have expanded significantly in recent years, with a variety of brands constantly striving to provide the best selection and value. But even with the dozens of options on offer in 2024, very few match up to Liberty.
Shop the luxury department store's most generous line-up to date with this impressive beauty advent calendar for 2024.
- Great value for money
- Loads of full-size products
- Excellent selection of luxury items
- Reusable advent calendar
- Expensive
- Same design as last year
A heritage brand that is recognised globally, there's no wonder it sells out every year without fail.
Inside this year's iteration there's an impressive 28 products to trial, 18 of which are full-size, from some of the biggest and best names in beauty, such as Augustinus Bader, La Mer, Ren, Sunday Riley, Lisa Eldridge and more. Not just that, a select number of golden tickets worth £1,000 have been hidden in a handful of calendars for lucky customers to spend in-store or online (alas, I did not find a golden ticket in mine).
As one of the lucky few people to receive the advent calendar before its launch, I've opened every single drawer to review what's inside, and determine if it's truly worth the splurge.
For starters, the calendar is presented in a Liberty-shaped box, adorned with the store’s flagship London shop, illustrated by the brilliant Clym Evernden. As far as beauty advent calendars go, this is certainly up there with one of the prettiest, and in all honesty, I'm excited to have it on show ready for Christmas. But what about the contents?
What's inside Liberty's Beauty Advent Calendar 2024?
4 handbag-ready fragrances
2 scented candles
11 luxury skincare products
3 hair care items
5 make-up must-haves
1 sleep spray
1 body oil
1 hand cream
There's a great variety of products included in the calendar, spanning everything from perfume to skincare, haircare to make-up. I had heard good things about the fragrances, so was especially excited to try those, as well as test out the products I'd never heard of.
Compared to the contents of last year's advent, the team at Liberty have definitely mixed things up. They've strayed away from including any accessories — last year's selection incorporated a compact mirror, bracelet and set of hair clips. They've swapped these out this year for a focus on fragrance and make-up (which, admittedly, I think is much better).
⭐ My 5 Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar highlights ⭐
Testing a beauty advent calendar of this scale meant I had to do things methodically: so I decided to kick things off by reaching for five products from each category that I had never tried, nor heard of.
Vilhelm Parfumerie Face of Francis Eau De Parfum | retails at £145 for 50ml
I'm not exaggerating when I say this is the best-smelling perfume I've ever had the pleasure of trying. It's the sort of fragrance that smells so good, if you walked past a stranger on the street and had a whiff, you might feel inclined to stop them and ask.
Complete with sweetened top notes of toasted pistachio, and touches of saffron and driftwood, I have an expensive feeling I'll be purchasing more of this. On closer inspection, a Vilhelm fragrance also made an appearance in last year's advent, proving shoppers loved it *so* much, the Liberty team simply had to include another this year.
REN Clean Brightening Dark Circle Eye Cream | retails at £49 for 15ml
My best friend had warned me beforehand that this eye cream would blow me away — her exact words were, "it's literally magic". And after religiously applying it for the past two weeks, I can confirm it really is "magic". Previous eye creams I've tried have had a lot more viscosity to them, thinner in consistency, with no real visible result. This, though, has done more for me in a matter of weeks than any other eye cream has in months in terms of hydrating my under eyes, and reducing my bags and dark circles.
But where I noticed the biggest difference with this eye cream was under my make-up. I've always struggled with creases almost instantly appearing after I apply concealer under my eyes, but this has completely transformed my under eye. They're brighter, smoother, feel so much more hydrated, and now my concealer applies seamlessly, lasts longer and just looks nicer.
La Mer The Lip Volumizer | retails at £72 for 7ml
I can't say I've ever reached for a lip plumping product, but this luxury pick from La Mer had me questioning why I never thought to.
First off, I adore the packaging — presented in a glass bottle with a trendy twist lid, and perfectly angled applicator, it's a dream to use. It has been one of the first steps I take when doing my make-up and it's not sticky in the slightest.
It leaves my often cracked and dry lips looking fuller and more hydrated, thanks to a formulation of shea butter, coconut oil and algae extract. I also love the natural gloss finish, and minty flavouring.
Trish McEvoy Intense Gel Liner in Black | retails at £22
I'm as surprised as you are that a simple black eyeliner is part of my top five highlights in this iconic beauty advent calendar. But trust me when I say this is the creamiest, most blendable, pigmented black eyeliner I've ever used. Great on both the upper and lower lash line, I particularly love the dual-sided applicator that comes with a built-in sponge to perfectly soften and blend the liner. For £22, it's definitely an investment as far as eye make-up goes, but I can see this lasting me ages.
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Booster Restoring Conditioner | retails at £30 for 150ml
This is a product I'll be shopping for the foreseeable! As someone with naturally quite frizzy and unruly hair, I couldn't believe the difference this made after just one use. Hugely hydrating, I honestly feel like it's made my hair softer, shinier and more manageable (even when I leave it to air dry). I also experience hair breakage regularly, and have noticed a pretty sizeable shift in how much less hair ends up clogging the drain after washing (something my boyfriend is thankful for, too).
🪫My 3 Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar lowlights🪫
Finding three drawbacks for this advent calendar wasn't easy, as I truly loved the curation of luxury products. But, down to personal preference, here's three items that didn't completely win me over.
Verden Herbanum Hand Cream | retails at £25 for 75ml
Although the consistency of this hand cream is lovely, the scent is just a little too overpowering for me.
QUAI Detox Shampoo | retails at £28 for 300ml
I was already familiar with this shampoo after setting myself on a mission earlier this year to finesse my hair care routine. Unfortunately in my case, this didn't work well with my hair type.
Byredo Lipstick in Red & Blue | retails at £45
As much as I love this lipstick's packaging (it comes in a luxurious gold case that seals with a satisfying magnetic click), I've just never been someone that wears a bold red lip. According to Liberty, each calendar has one of either three shades, two are vibrant reds, while the third is a burnt berry hue, which I think I would have preferred.
Finally, is The Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar worth the splurge?
If you're in the fortunate position to be able to afford a beauty advent calendar of this calibre, I would say it's worth the splurge, especially if you're interested in trying new products from luxury brands you wouldn't purchase otherwise.
In terms of value, it has certainly got that aspect covered. For £260, you are getting £1,205 worth of beauty products — that's a built-in saving of £945.
If you can't justify spending that much on yourself, you could always split the calendar up and use the items as very generous gifts instead. That would definitely save a lot of the headache that often comes with gifting during the festive season!
