While it might be too early for some to start thinking about the C word, if you want to get your hands on a beauty advent calendar, you need to shop now because they are on sale and the best. sell out quickly.

Every year there are more and more beauty advent calendar offers from different brands and retailers, since the famous London department store Liberty started the Christmas trend in 2014. But some are more anticipated than ever. ‘others, if we look back on previous years.

One of these beauty advent calendars is the offer from John Lewis & Partners. After all, the department store knows how to make Christmas – from pulling our heartstrings with its famous TV commercials to being a must-visit on gift-buying tours.

Following last year’s success, the department store has promised that the 2021 offer will be even bigger and better, with its highest value on record of over £ 600. So we can’t wait to get our hands on it to see what’s in it.

Given its popularity, the first drop in John Lewis’ 2021 beauty calendar has already sold out online, but the retailer has assured us that it will be available online again later this week, and is still available online. store. You can sign up to receive an email when it is back in stock. Act fast!

How we tested

Santa will be putting us on the villain list, as we’ve opened each print before it goes on sale. We rated it mainly for its content, considering the size of the products, the quality and also the variety. However, we also took into account the design and packaging, as well as the value for money it presents. Here’s what to expect …

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Packaging

We love the way John Lewis thought about sustainability when creating this year’s offering. The house is fully recyclable, but it’s designed to be ideally reused with its fun colors and packaging that’s built to last.

Modern and bright, this advent calendar doesn’t ooze Christmas in the traditional sense – but that’s part of the appeal to us too. When closed, the fun and colorful square box is covered in a pink, red and purple paint pattern. Open both front doors to reveal 25 drawers with the same pattern, plus matching purple drawers with the same color of lining. Open or closed, the design does not appear out of place on display, regardless of the month of the year.

The Advent calendar is big and heavy, and this is not only because of the products inside, but also because of the quality of the packaging used. The drawers are strong and sturdy, so there is nothing disposable about this calendar. After opening your last draw on Christmas Day, you can turn the reversible drawers over and use it as a jewelry or keepsake box.

Beauty advent voids can also be recycled using the BeautyCycle in-store service. It takes two minutes to sign up to become a member of My John Lewis, then you pack at least five empty beauty products to receive £ 5 off your next beauty purchase.

Some products

You get 26 products in total because there are two products in the last Christmas Day print which is a really nice touch from John Lewis. Look elsewhere now if you don’t want us to spoil the surprise, but one of these is a real luxury Neom Organics London scented candle (£ 32, Johnlewis.com) from its fragrance line to the anti-scent line. stress, with calming lavender, rosewood and jasmine – perfect to use after the holiday season.

When it comes to variety, there’s a good mix of top-selling beauty products, modern favorites, and new and exciting products that you might not have tried yet. Classic cult favorites you’ll know and love include Estee Lauder Advanced Overnight Repair Serum Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex (from £ 15, Johnlewis.com) and Mac Nude Satin Lipstick Twig (15.75 £, Lookfantastic.com). Our current testers favorite is the Sunday Riley Good Genes Glycolic Acid Treatment (from £ 72.25, Johnlewis.com) and there are brands that are causing a new beauty buzz like Dr. Jart + with its ceramide face barrier mask (£ 5.95, Johnlewis.com) in one of the drawers. There really is something for everyone.

The product assortment has been well thought out when it comes to skin care, as there is everything you need for a good morning and night routine. Makeup deals are good too, taking into account that the retailer cannot add skin tone products and is only suitable for all shades of makeup. There is a huge selection of eye makeup favorites, including the Charlotte Tilbury the Queen of Glow luxury palette with gold and copper undertones (£ 34, Johnlewis.com) suitable for the holiday season. future.

The Advent Calendar also has a nice mix of wellness products we’ve all grown to cherish during the pandemic, such as our personal favorites, Aromatherapy Associates Muscle Bath and Shower Oil (£ 49, Johnlewis .com) and the This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray (£ 16.57, Johnlewis.com).

When it comes to perfumes, there are three types of mini perfume samples from Hermès, Juliette has a Gun and Floral Street. We love the latter, because Arizona Bloom Eau de Parfum (from £ 60, Johnlewis.com) is a delicious musky and amber floral.

Other notable products include Dermalogica Bio-C Plus Brightening Vitamin C Serum (£ 72.25, Johnlewis.com), Kate Somerville Exfoliating Cleanser (£ 28.90, Johnlewis.com), which will get you gives a deeper and more radiant shine. cleanse and rose quartz scrub Evolve from British vegan brand (£ 18.70, Johnlewis.com).

We only have two scarecrows. The first is with John Lewis claiming that there are 12 full size items in the calendar. While the retailer technically delivers on their promise, don’t expect them to be of a wide variety or what you can consider large in size. While some are, we think others are hard to justify being full-sized, like Living Proof PHD Dry Shampoo just 92ml (£ 10, Cultbeauty.co.uk). The second is the total lack of hair offers, with only one product being offered.

Value for money

Even taking into account that some of the large products are still small, there is no denying that the beauty advent calendar offers excellent value for money compared to the original prices of the brands presented. Take three of our testers’ favorite products, Dermalogica bio-c serum, £ 85; Aromatherapy Associates De-Stresses Muscle Bath & Shower Oil, £ 49 and Neom Organics London Scented Candle, £ 46, and you’ve already spent more than the Advent Calendar costs.

John Lewis sells some of our favorite premium beauty brands, and that’s what you get in this beauty advent calendar. You won’t be disappointed with a product, and with a combined value of over £ 600, that’s a lot of beauty for your money.

The verdict: the 2021 John Lewis & Partners beauty advent calendar

Much like the John Lewis Beauty Salon itself, the Department Store Beauty Calendar features a brilliant selection of beauty products from classic and trusted brands, and new and exciting ones that will appeal to a novice beauty shopper or consumer. seasoned professional.

It goes above and beyond with 26 quality products in total. The skincare offerings are well thought out, covering a full morning and evening skincare routine, plus extra effort with products suitable for a personal care ritual and a vital moment for me. Makeup products come in beautiful shades to suit everyone, and the fragrance selections will make people stop you and ask you what you’re wearing.

The bonus is that there is nothing disposable in the product case – you’ll want to keep it to use again next year or for storage. Much like last year’s success, we anticipate this won’t be available for long.

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