With the price of beauty advent calendars rising with each year, it was a breath of fresh air to find that the Asos face and body 2024 advent has remained less than £100. Of course, these premium calendars have their place and, from Sephora to Liberty, we’d be lying if said these high-end hauls don’t excite us. That said, we’re always impressed by good value for money and the Asos bundle is exactly that.
It’s £95, qualifies for free delivery and – the real clincher – is worth more more than £400. It’s stocked full of trending brands, from Made by Mitchell to Milk, and includes 12 full-size products. The packaging is perhaps a little been-there-done-that in an oil slick-style chrome but, at the end of the day, we’d rather the brand cut costs in these superfluous departments than in the actual formulas themselves.
Unlike many, the Asos calendar is available to buy now and will certainly sell out before 1 December. Luckily, we had the opportunity to rifle through its products ahead of time to help you weigh up your options before it’s gone – keep reading for everything you need to know.
How we tested
Now we think this may leave us on the naughty list, but we did unbox all 25 days of the Asos calendar in September, more than 70 days before we were supposed to. But we did it in the name of research.
We reviewed the products included, delved into the sizes of the mini products features (because who wants a thimble’s worth of moisturiser?) and discussed the overall value of the brands and formulas on offer. There will be spoilers ahead, but if you’re someone with a penchant for only the best buys, scroll on for all the details on why this calendar is just that.
Asos face + body 25 day advent calendar 2024
With the bonus of an extra 26th product, the Asos 25-day face and body advent calendar is a strong choice among the very few that cost less than £100 in 2024.
With The Inkey List oat cleansing balm; the Ren ready steady glow tonic; the glow hub facial serum; the Sunday Riley auto correct eye cream; and the first aid beauty ultra repair cream, you will find yourself treated to 99 per cent of a full skincare routine. Our only gripe is that Asos has missed a trick by not including any SPF.
As for make-up, we enjoyed the addition of TikTok sensation Mitchell Halliday and his self-named Made by Mitchell blursh. Likewise, in an era where hair and scalp care is paramount to our beauty routines, the hair ties were a welcome addition – no more tugging and tangles.
Some products – including the BareMinerals maximist mascara – weren’t ones we’d heard about before, but after testing, we loved the volumising effect it left on our lack-lustre lashes. We were a tad disappointed to see Revolution as the star big product, especially in a department where the brand isn’t perhaps known (eyeshadow), but could this be the affordable discovery of the hour? We’re always open to new budget beauty.
Read more: Is Benefit’s beauty advent calendar the best countdown for make-up lovers?
We’re big fans of the haircare here, despite Asos
Despite Asos branding its calendar as exclusively for face and body, we’re big fans of the included haircare, with products from the likes of Sachajuan, Philip Kingsley and Beauty Works – your locks will be left conditioned and nourished post-December. As for the body aspect, there’s of course Sol de Janeiro (the firmeza body oil, which we loved) as well as Rituals ritual of jing body scrub. And of course, we could not forget Grown Alchemist, the on-the-up brand behind some of our favourite hand washes – you’ll find the company’s facial exfoliant, which is not to be slept on.
Unfortunately, the packaging is a little impractical, with the removal of each box causing a bit of a domino effect on those remaining. But of course, this is a small inconvenience to wrestle with given the 76 per cent savings at stake.
Buy now £95.00, Asos.com
The verdict: Asos advent calendar
Would we buy this advent calendar? If skincare is your bag, absolutely. For make-up loves, we’d argue Lookfantastic’s advent calendar, which is similarly priced, offers more. For instance, the eyeshadow palette is much more premium (it’s from Anastasia Beverly Hills) and the other trending picks seem to match those of Asos, for example, Trigwell powder puffs and glow hub liquid blush.
Though, as mentioned, we think the Asos calendar is perfect for skincare lovers and quite literally gives you a full routine to step into the New Year with. With four times its retail price up for grabs here, it is by no means one to turn your nose up at, and the luxury of brands like Charlotte Tilbury, Neom and Elemis speak for themselves.
Want more recommendations? Check out our guide to the top beauty advent calendars for 2024
