Mac Cosmetics does most things well, so it’s no surprise that the brand’s beauty advent calendar for 2024 has sold out almost everywhere.
It officially launched back in September and, with wearable lip colours, bestselling lip liners and more for sub-£200, its ‘gift of gold’ branding is certainly apt. That’s right, it originally retailed at £180 while being valued at £445 but, as if that wasn’t good enough, Brown Thomas has now slashed the beauty haul’s price further with a total saving of more than £300 this Black Friday weekend.
Indeed, with the final few calendars now on sale for £137.76 (Brownthomas.com) you’ll have more than thrice the retail price’s worth of products to take home and, if I say so ourselves, there are few (if any!) ‘dud’ products here. From mascaras to brow products and eyeshadows, you’ll have almost a full make-up routine at your disposal; though, naturally face bases like foundation and concealer can’t be included as a result of shade matches.
With the calendar now sold out at both Selfridges and the brand’s own website, I wouldn’t hang about if I were you – this stock won’t stay on shelves long. So scroll on for my full review, plus all the details you’ll need to buy now.
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How I tested
Did I have to unbox all 24 days of this calendar in September in order to provide you with these kernels of advent calendar wisdom? Yes, I did, but I did so in the name of research. I put the lip, eye and face formulas to the test, paid attention to the size of the included minis (how mini are they, really?) and weighed up the desirability of every product. From the variety of make-up to the price and worth of the box as a whole, here are all my thoughts on Mac’s gift of gold 2024 advent calendar.
Mac 2024 gift of gold advent calendar
As the brand behind my favourite lip liner (’subculture’, for anyone asking: was £20, now £15 Maccosmetics.co.uk), pressed powder and mascara, I had high hopes for Mac’s advent calendar offering this year. Upon unboxing, I was thrilled to see the viral Macstack mascara among the goodies, as well as not one, but two, lip liners in the supremely wearable shades of ‘spice’ (a cult fave) and ‘whirl’.
Other highlights included the clear lip glass – a must in a world obsessed with no make-up make-up – and the colour excess gel pencil, which I’ll be adopting in a Charli XCX-esque manner, smudged all round.
Some elements I was perhaps disappointed with was the inclusion of sample sizes, something most brands have moved past in 2024, as well as an eye mask that felt a tad flimsy. Given the calendar’s premium price, which exceeds that of LOOKFANTASTIC and Harvey Nichols (wherein there are no giveaway-like sample sizes), I’d have hoped to see these minute tubes thrown in as extras.
Of course, there’s still more than £300 of savings to be had here and this is certainly apparent in the four full-size lipsticks. My favourite? It has to be Macximal in ‘taupe’ – it’s the ultimate autumn-winter shade with a warm, neutral tone.
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I was pleased with the number of individual eyeshadows here, too – four in total – and, if you’ve still got your empty Mac pro palette (circa 2012), they’re the perfect festive shades to slot in for an effortless sweep of shine on the lids. The tinted lip glass in ‘oh baby’ is a little bold for frequent wear, though I can certainly see it’d be a perfect pick for darker skin tones.
Speaking of skin tones, there is a lack of foundations, concealers and powders, as mentioned previously, though I would have liked to see some blusher or bronzer. This is something that multiple competitors have done as an approach to including face base products and Mac’s mineralise blush is an ever-popular pick. Here’s hoping for 2025...
The packaging, I must say, is impressive, with day 24’s gift (I won’t spoil it for you) revealing itself on a raised platform as you open its lid. The ornate gold wrap is luxurious and the addition of this calendar to your side table or console will be a flourish of festivity to admire in the build-up to Christmas.
Buy now £137.76, Brownthomas.com
The verdict: Mac 2024 gift of gold beauty advent calendar
Overall, if you’re a Mac fan through and through, I think you should be heading to the checkout, now. The 18 full sizes are in products I’d genuinely want and, bar a few exceptions, every item included is the sort I’d add to my Christmas wishlist. The brand has picked lipstick shades that will be universally liked (including a classic festive red) and included some of its bestselling lip pencils, as opposed to the dregs of excess stock. I would buy this calendar as a make-up fanatic, I just wish those pesky samples could be replaced with some deluxe or even travel-size picks. A note for next year, Mac. Then again, with this even heftier discount thanks to Brown Thomas, I can’t really ask for much more!
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