I’ve always been hesitant to buy the Glossybox advent calendar. While it is usually good value for money, it is still a lot of money to spend on a bunch of beauty products that you might not like. I had always thought my money would be better spent on a few things I would really like, rather than getting as much as I can for the same amount, even if I won’t use them all. However, this year, my mind was changed and I decided to splash out and purchase the 2019 Advent Calendar.
There is a great deal of stuff in this box, with £370 worth of beauty goodies packed inside, it is pretty good value for money. While £70-£80 is a lot to commit for one box, the deciding factor for me was the fact that it included the Park Ave Princess contour palette from Tarte inside. This palette alone is worth £40, and is something I’d wanted for a while, so the advent calendar was completely worth it for me.
There is a lot of goodies in the box and I think I will use a good 95% of them, with any extras being used as Christmas gifts this year. With 25 items within the box, I won’t do a full review of each, but rather run through what’s in the box and highlight some of my favourite products from the advent calendar.
What is in the Glossybox Advent Calendar 2019?
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NYX Professional Makeup Ultimate Shadow Palette – Warm Neutrals – RRP £16
This little palette is packed with 16 shades that are perfect for the autumn/winter season. With plenty of autumnal oranges and browns, as well as some great metallic shades perfect for the party season.
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Chloe Nomade Eau de Parfum – RRP £7.20 (mini, full-size £85)
A really classic perfume scent, Nomade by Chloe offers sweet and fresh notes with a hint of oak moss (according to its description – I wouldn’t know what oak moss smells like!).
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GLOSSYBOX Blending Sponge – RRP £10
A two-sided sponge, with a flat edge perfect for applying base makeup, the blending sponge from Glossybox will certainly come in handy as a makeup applicator. It feels really soft, smooth and squishy – great quality for a blending sponge.
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Nudestix Cream Lip + Cheek Pencil – RRP £20.50
This is by far one of my favourite products in the box, and has been living in my handbag pretty much since the first time I opened the calendar! It’s a really creamy and highly-pigmented pencil, boosted with moisturising Shea butter to help keep your lips looking great but nourished. The perfect lip product for winter, you get great colour pay off and long-lasting looks without your lips cracking from dry matte products.
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The Body Shop Hand + Nail Cream – RRP £5
A classic from The Body Shop, there are four different hand and nail creams up for grabs in these calendars – almond, tropical mango, strawberry or wild argan oil – of which you’ll receive one.
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LUXIE Medium Angled Shading Rose Gold Brush – RRP £9.50
I’m a big fan of makeup brushes and this one has quickly become one of my go-to brushes for eyeshadow. The brush is really soft and makes blending a dream. Plus, their brushes are vegan and cruelty-free, which is a big bonus!
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LASplash Cosmetics Wickedly Divine Eyeliner – RRP £12.60
A glittery liquid eyeliner will give you the golden glitz and glamour you need for the party season. The packaging is also really cool!
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MUA Makeup Academy PRO/BASE Primer Oil with Gold Flakes – RRP £4
A priming oil infused with gold flakes that offers a glowing complexion and helps to keep your makeup in place all day.
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Mitchell & Peach Flora No. 1 Bath Oil – RRP £8.05 (mini, full-size £46)
A delicious smelling bath oil, with almond oil and vitamin E to nourish and smooth the skin. It smells great, but unfortunately I do not have a bath so cannot use it at the moment!
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Sleek Makeup Matte Me – Birthday Suit – RRP £4.99
One of my fave lipsticks and makeup brands, the Matte Me lipstick is quick-drying and long-lasting. The Birthday Suit shade is a perfect nude tone that still offers great colour.
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Living Proof. Perfect hair Day In-Shower Styler – RRP £5 (mini, full-size £21)
An in-shower hair styler, the Living Proof styler adds texture, softness and body to your hair before you’ve dried it.
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Winky Lux Uni-Brow – RRP £15
An eyebrow pencil that can work on many brow shades, featuring a spoolie brush on the reverse end. I’m not usually a fan of this type of eyebrow product, preferring powders and pomades, but this is pretty good for a brow pencil, and I can always use more spoolie brushes!
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Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Professional Grade IPL Dark Spot Concentrated Serum – RRP £23 (mini, full-size £99)
A corrective serum to treat dark spots and discolouration, using lactic acid, L-ascorbic acid and licorice root.
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3INA Makeup The Cream Eyeshadow 313 Light Brown – RRP £12.95
This is another stand-out item for me, and is one I have used many times since I received the advent box. A really lovely metallic brown cream eyeshadow, it applies very easily and smoothly. It is highly-pigmented and long-lasting, and doesn’t crease or smudge, unlike many cream eyeshadows.
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Curaprox BE YOU Candy Lover Toothpaste – RRP £3.10 (mini, full-size £13.95)
A whitening toothpaste that tastes like watermelon! I love watermelon, and the flavour of this was incredible.
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Nude By Nature Touch of Glow Highlight Stick – RRP £9 (mini, full-size £18)
A highlighter stick that applies as cream but looks like a powder highlight.
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Rituals Ritual of Sakura Body Cream – RRP £8.41 (mini, full-size £18.50)
A deliciously scented body cream with a rich texture. It smells divinely of cherry blossoms, while also offering the benefits of smoothing and strengthening skin.
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Dr. PAWPAW Original Clear Balm – RRP £3.95
I was already a big fan of Dr Pawpaw, so getting a new mini original balm was perfect, as I’m bound to use up my last one over the winter months. It really helps to moisturise and soothe cracked lips, and it’s my go-to balm at the moment.
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Avant Skincare Pro-Intense Hyaluronic Acid Illuminating Day Cream – RRP £98
The most expensive item in the box by far, this intensely hydrating moisturiser is perfect for dry skin and surviving the winter months. Packed with hyaluronic acid, jojoba oil and soy lecithin, your skin will be left looking younger and refreshed, with a more even complexion.
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Barry M Cosmetics Blusher Quad – RRP £5.99
This blusher palette contains four shades, with a mix of matte and shimmery. These are a lot brighter than I would normally pick for blusher, but I have been pleasantly surprised by how well they can blend out into a more natural looking flush.
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Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant – RRP £17.50 (mini, full-size £55)
A deep cleansing exfoliant powder that is turned into a paste and used to absorb toxins in the skin and clear out pores. Just be sure to follow the instructions fully and use a spoon, as I tried to tip a little in my hand and ended up with powder everywhere!
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Kat Von D Beauty Tattoo Liner Liquid Eyeliner – RRP £6.16 (mini, full-size £17)
There’s a reason this eyeliner is a bestseller – it’s precise, pigmented, long-lasting and smudge resistant. It is pretty much everything you could ask for in a liquid liner, especially given that it is so easy to apply with the pen-like applicator.
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Steve Laurant Lip Tint – RRP £17.33
A colourful lip tint to keep your lips bright but nourished, perfect for when you want to go out with a bold lip look, but your pout is in need of some hydration!
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Nails Inc Nail Polish – Golden Days Ahead – RRP £11
A long-lasting, highly-pigmented nail varnish in a stunning metallic shade.
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Tarte Cosmetics Park Ave Princess Chisel Palette (Limited Edition) – RRP £40
The main feature of the Glossybox 2019 Advent Calendar – the gift you would receive on Christmas Day if you were to use the box as an advent calendar – the Tarte Park Ave Princess is a stunning contour palette. Featuring four bronzers and two highlighter powders, you can easily enhance your bone structure and face shape with this chisel palette. Rich with Amazonian clay and mineral pigments, the shades are highly blendable, but weightless, creating a very natural look, free from streakiness.
Have you got the Glossybox Advent Calendar this year? Let me know what you think of it, and which products you like best by leaving a comment below!
Feature Image from @glossyboxuk | Instagram