Showbiz make-up artist Hannah Martin – who has beautified Princess Eugenie, Dame Helen Mirren, Hannah Waddingham and Nadiya Hussain, among many others – has curated the spectacular Beauty Advent Calendar
Like many thousands of people who have snapped up an OK! Beauty Box advent calendar so far this year, we had an exciting knock on the door this week.
Halloween may only just be behind us, but that means it is officially the season of good cheer – and a month until Advent begins in proper. When it does, beauty lovers across the UK will be opening their calendars – courtesy of beauty supremo Hannah Martin.
The make-up artist to the stars has curated the calendar, which features 26 of her favourite products, including 17 which are full sized. Those who ordered theirs early started to receive the calendars this week.
Officially speaking, no one should be opening their OK! Beauty advent calendar for another month, given it is only November. When the time does come, tradition dictates that only one cosmetic treat is unwrapped each day. I suspect that my girlfriend is not alone in riding roughshod through this convention. As soon as the red compact box arrived, she tore into it with the zeal of a woman unencumbered by social niceties.
The first thing to note is the general enthusiasm and joy the calendar elicited. For a good few minutes, she tore the boxes open with abandon. It felt as if we’d leapfrogged not just Bonfire Night but the whole of the Advent period, finding ourselves amid a pile of wrapping paper on Christmas morning. “Yes, it is very exciting,” she confirmed.
The enthusiasm kept coming as she worked herself through the early days of December, past Christmas party season and into the heady final days before the stockings are hung and the potatoes are put onto roast.
There were many hits among the 26 products, including the Erborian Centella Cleansing Oil 30ml travel size, which typically sells for £9.50. “It’s great. You always need this when you’re travelling. We love it,” she explained. Another favourite was the Gatineau Collagene Expert Ceramide Smoothing Cream (RRP £24), which my girlfriend mused would make another great travel bag item.
The Blink Brow Bar Clear Brow Gloss (RRP £11) came just at the right time as hers had run out, while the Doll Smash Pout Lip Liner in shade Power (RRP £19) is apparently a staple which would be welcomed into any cosmetics draw.
Not everything was welcomed quite as warmly however.
The Commodity Fragrances Gold Expressive 5ml travel size (RRP £20) was not something she would wear, as she found the vanilla flavour not to her liking. “It’s a personal taste thing,” she explained.
The full size and recognisably premium nature of the Rodial Soft Focus Glow Booster Drops (RRP £75) elicited a low whistle from my beau, before she concluded it wasn’t something that she would use due to its fragrance and colour.
Of the products which found themselves in the ‘no thank you’ pile (and there were just four in total), my girlfriend had begun cheerfully deliberating which of her friends would like the smells and colours, and would enjoy receiving them as a little pre-Christmas gift.
The OK! Beauty website is full of reviews from make-up fans who have either done just that – finding a second home for the products which aren’t quite right for them – or else sharing a calendar or Beauty Box with a partner, parent or pal, divvying up the goodies based on who needs and wants what.
Once all 25 days had been opened, we stood back and admired the impressive stack of beauty treats which had accumulated on our living room floor. “It’s a lot,” my girlfriend concluded.
That is undeniable. The advent calendar is for sale right now for £100, but the total value of the 26 items inside is over £570. That is an awful lot of bang for your buck.
Here is everything you’ll get:
OK! Beauty Box Advent Calendar full contents list:
- Rodial Soft Focus Glow Booster Drops 31ml full size, RRP £75
- Erborian Centella Cleansing Oil 30ml travel size, RRP £9.50
- Gatineau Collagene Expert Ceramide Smoothing Cream 15ml travel size, RRP £24
- Blink Brow Bar Clear Brow Gloss 2ml travel size, RRP £11
- Doll Smash Pout Lip Liner in shade Power 0.25g full size, RRP £19
- Ciaté London Illuminating Blush in shade Sweet Kiss 5g full size, RRP £22
- Kosas Weightless Lip Colour in shade Turned On 3g full size, RRP £25
- Nail Kind Nail Polish in shade Wine O’Clock 8ml full size, RRP £8.95
- Commodity Fragrances Gold Expressive 5ml travel size, RRP £20
- Delilah Stay the Night Smooth Shadow Stick in shade Honey Moon 1.4g full size, RRP £23
- Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Muscle Bath & Shower Oil 55ml full size, RRP £58
- Sensory Retreats Sensory Sleep Self-Heating Eye Mask One mask, RRP £3.95
- LH Cosmetics Crayon in shade Black + Sharpener 1.2g full size, RRP £18
- Seoulista Beauty Super Hydration Instant Facial One sheet mask, RRP £8.39
- Lucky dip of either L’Oréal Paris Telescopic Mascara or Volume Million Lashes Panorama Mascara
- ESPA Bergamot and Jasmine Body Wash 75ml travel size, RRP £6
- Hildun Beauty Silk to Set Kajal Liner in shade Chocolate 1.2g full size, RRP £16
- REN Clean Skincare Evercalm™ Overnight Recovery Balm 30ml full size, RRP £46
- Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum 7ml travel size, RRP £13.53
- Ole Henriksen Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturizer 7ml travel size, RRP £5.88
- ESPA Bergamot and Jasmine Body Lotion 75ml travel size, RRP £6.30
- Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate 10ml travel size, RRP £21.67
- Rodial Glass Powder 5.5g travel size, RRP £29
- Origins Ginzing Energizing Gel Cream 75ml full size, RRP £38.50
- 19/99 Beauty Precision Colour Pencil in shade Neutra 1.1g full size, RRP £19
