Boots’s premium beauty advent calendar costs less than £100 – but what’s inside?

Boots has certainly met the brief in terms of designing a premium-looking offering. The retailer’s advent calendar looks like a large jewellery box, with two drawers stacked one on top of the other. Featuring an understated, elegant colour scheme of navy with a delicate gold-and-silver wreath illustration, the calendar itself feels sturdy to the touch.

Opening the lid, you’ll find a layer of treat-filled boxes in different sizes, while a second layer below that can be pulled out with the help of a satin-feel tab. The simple navy-blue backdrop paired with minimal metallic detailing means it’s easy to find the numbered box for each day, too.

The line-up is superb, and the beauty retailer certainly hasn’t scrimped on full-size products. Of the 24 products concealed inside the calendar, 14 are full size – a sure-fire way to provide a festive buzz.

Everything from skincare and make-up to haircare has been covered – although, admittedly, there are only two haircare products: a shampoo and conditioner from relatively new brand Arkive. The contents lean slightly more towards skincare, but first, let’s look at the make-up, as this is how the calendar kicks things off on 1 December.

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The countdown begins with a full-size dose of glam from Huda Beauty, in the form of the cult brand’s bestselling liquid matte lipstick (in the deep pastel-rose shade sweet talker). You will also find a full-sized bestseller in Too Faced’s better than sex mascara – a holy grail product that boasts curling and volumising power, thanks, in part, to its hourglass-shaped brush. Plus, there’s a full-size Fenty Beauty pro kiss’r luscious lip balm, which leaves a gorgeous glassy finish with serious staying power.

Very fitting for the festive season, a couple of suitably shimmery make-up products also make the line-up, including a cream shadow stick from Bobbi Brown (in the golden bronze shade). There’s also a full-size Nudestix intense matte lip and cheek pencil in beautifully rich red shade royal – we’d definitely reach for this come Christmas Day. It has a velvety smooth feel and ensures easy, precise application, so you can also use it as a liner.

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It’s safe to say this is a dreamy countdown for skincare enthusiasts too, with 11 items hailing from both high-end and more-affordable brands, such as The Inkey List, Shiseido, Lancôme, Drunk Elephant and more. If organic and natural ingredients appeal to you in a big way, two items from Grown Alchemist will be a big bonus. We loved the polishing exfoliator, as it left our skin feeling smooth and looking radiant. Meanwhile, the mini Rituals ayurveda shower foam, with Indian rose and sweet almond oil, created a serious amount of lather and smelt sublime.

Elsewhere, you will unpack some luxe and rejuvenating skincare, including minis of Shiseido’s vital perfection uplifting and firming cream, and Lancôme’s advanced génifique youth activating serum – one of the brand’s bestselling products with hyaluronic acid, working to strengthen the skin barrier. Plus, there’s Drunk Elephant’s beste no. 9 jelly cleanser – a gentle formula that saw our make-up melt away within seconds.