Celebrity make-up artist Hannah Martin is kicking off the festive season in style with her fabulous beauty advent calendar. We caught up with her to talk all things Christmas…
Make-up artist Hannah Martin has been excited about Christmas since way back in June. So she couldn’t be happier when we transform a south London into a festive wonderland. “It’s my favourite time of year,” she tells us in between glitzy outfit changes.
It’s all in aid of the social media sensation’s 2025 beauty advent calendar. Following on from the sell-out success of last year’s offering, Hannah – who counts Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie among her clients – has again teamed up with OK! Beauty Box, and this year’s calendar contains more products and an even higher value.
“It was really important to me that this calendar was every bit as good as last year’s – and in fact, it’s bigger and better,” Hannah says proudly.
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Inside the 25 drawers are 30 beauty products – 19 of which are full size – with a value of over £600. And anyone who follows Hannah on Instagram will recognise these products – from the likes of Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier and Weleda – as genuinely loved by professionals such as Hannah. One lucky shopper will even win a one-to-one virtual masterclass with Hannah herself.
You will need to be quick, though. Pre-orders sold out within hours and thousands more queued up to buy the calendar on its first day of general release. So nip over to the OK! Beauty Box website now if you don’t want to miss out.
We caught up with Hannah to talk all things beauty and, of course, Christmas…
Congratulations on another incredible advent calendar! What feedback did you get from last year’s?
I had so many nice messages about it – I think people just couldn’t believe the value. It’s such a joy to be able to give people such a treat at Christmas.
What can shoppers expect to find inside?
How much do I want to give away? We have products from really iconic brands, and it covers a 360° approach to beauty and wellness – so yes, there’s make-up, but there’s also hair, body, skin and fragrance products.
What are your three ‘desert island’ products from the calendar?
That’s a hard one! I’d say Weleda Skin Food, so you can always keep your skin hydrated, L’Oréal Paris Paradise Big Deal Mascara, so your eyes always look fresh and bright, and Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Or, which gives your skin a gorgeous glow.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone who’s not very confident with make-up?
Watch all the video content we’ve done for the calendar – it’ll be so helpful for learning about the products and how to use them. But also don’t overthink things. Have a play, and if it doesn’t look right, you can take it off and start again.
What make-up mistakes do you commonly see people make?
One I see a lot is brows still being drawn on too heavily, or overly laminated brows. I think that look has had its day now. Also – and each to their own – but I don’t love eyeliner applied just to the lower lashes. It can make the eye appear smaller.
You’re the queen of quick tutorials. What’s your own morning beauty routine like?
On a morning when I have to do the school run, it’s just skincare. If I’m heading to a work meeting then I’ll do a full face – but thankfully I’m pretty good at doing that quickly.
Are your children into beauty and make-up?
In the early days, my 12-year-old son Bear liked to paint my bedside table with my lip glosses. Now my daughter Bo, who’s seven, absolutely loves make-up. She associates it with special occasions. When we celebrated my in-laws’ wedding anniversary early this year, she wore a Charlotte Tilbury dark pink lipstick that she just loves – and she puts it on really well. I’m not condoning kids wearing make-up but with Bo, she’s simply playing. She knows she doesn’t need it and it’s not for every day.
What was your first ever make-up product?
I remember getting a bottle of Benefit High Beam highlighter in my stocking one Christmas, and then ending up with it splodged everywhere. But I did have fun teaching myself. Doing make-up professionally was my solid Plan C after theatre school and nursing.
What is Christmas like in your household?
Christmas is hectic because my kids’ birthdays are both at that time of year, but I absolutely love it. I love the smells, I love the decorations, I love the food. It just gets more and more fun as the kids get older and the more that they get into traditions. For example, we go to the pantomime every Christmas and they’re looking forward to it already.
You’ve previously said you still enjoy receiving beauty products as Christmas gifts, but only ones you’ve specifically asked for. Is this still the case?
Oh yeah. A couple of times I’ve had some really off-tangent gifts from my husband and I’ve thought, ‘Some sales assistant has had a field day with you!’ I do still love getting beauty gifts though. Brands do gorgeous limited edition Christmas stuff. I’ll always be scouring the beauty counters at Christmastime.
What’s a failsafe Christmas gift if you’re not sure what your recipient likes?
Treating people to an iconic beauty item that they maybe wouldn’t buy for themselves, like a Chanel Rouge Noir nail polish or a Guerlain sparkly lipstick case. A self-care voucher is also always a really cute idea. I’d never normally book myself a facial, for example, but if someone gives me a voucher for one, I’m always delighted.
* The Beauty Advent Calendar by Hannah Martin in association with OK! Beauty Box costs £99 with contents worth over £600. Shop at OK! Beauty Box while stocks last.
