2017 was the year that brought us cactus mania, unicorn-everything, fidget spinners-aplenty and more recently high-in-demand Beauty Advent calendars. Yep the true meaning of Christmas goes out the window (pun totally intended) but hey at least we'll all be looking and smelling mighty fine come 2018...
read more "Worth the Hype? | Look Fantastic Advent Calendar 2017"
The idea of opening a lucky dip style present each day to the run up to Christmas is truly addictive but the main factor of why many are so drawn to these seasonal beauty must-haves is the fact you get to try lots of different products from a brand or stockist- often luxury! Try before you buy (and cripple your bank balance).
Last year I was frugal, this year I splashed out and purchased the Look Fantastic (£79) and the Marks & Spencers (£35 when you spend £35 in store) advent calendars. I liked the idea of finding out about new brands stocked by reputable online and highstreet stores. Of course the calendars are probably all sold out now- in fact it was recommended to preorder this one but it's useful to know for next year if this calendar is worth keeping an eye out for and also you might be intrigued to know what surprises lay within. In this post I start off by reviewing the Look Fantastic calendar. Look Fantastic are an online supplier of Skincare, Haircare and Beauty brands and deliver worldwide.
The Calendar
This year's theme was 'Beauty in Wonderland' a huge step up from 2016's less creative design. The calendar's sturdy keep-sake box is unpresuming until you open the doors to reveal a gorgeous illustrated Lewis Carroll inspired design. Four pull out drawers hold individual numbered boxes that each hold a product. Unlike other calendars on the beauty market the contents was kept secret until sold which was all the more enticing. Another great feature is a hidden compartment in the top lid of the box which has a large mirror and place to store your treasures.
The Products
The calendar was sold online on the Look Fantastic website and retailed for £79 however the contents inside was supposedly worth £300. I've just done the maths (yup, I didn't get a B in my maths GCSE for nothing!) and my calculations total £281.73 ... but I guess the box has got to be worth something so we'll let them off.
Each product was individually wrapped in patterned tissue paper (see pictures) which was a nice luxurious touch!
There was a great selection of skincare and makeup however I feel some skincare products could have been swapped for more hair care products. There were a lot of moisturisers although granted, with different properties. All products were of good quality. There were 9 full size products, 16 deluxe sample size products and a giftcard code too for Magnitone.
There was a great selection of skincare and makeup however I feel some skincare products could have been swapped for more hair care products. There were a lot of moisturisers although granted, with different properties. All products were of good quality. There were 9 full size products, 16 deluxe sample size products and a giftcard code too for Magnitone.
Was it worth it? YES! I'll be trying out these products through the year but on first impression, not one product disappointed me. From following various beauty vloggers on Youtube I've come across some of these brand names and have heard good things of their 'cult' status in the beauty world so I'm super excited to finally be able to try them out. I'll be sure to pre-order next year's calendar in Sept/Oct 2018 and advise you do too!
