One of the best? Review: Next Beauty Advent Calendar 2020

The Next Beauty Advent Calendar comes with a variety of products. Are they from luxury brands? Does it only contain sample sizes? As usual, this review will look at each category and analyse the ingredients of products, discuss the choices and whether this is a fantastic choice for this year or not so much…

£69 (worth £220)

CONTENTS 

Makeup: 5 items

The makeup section presents itself with high-end, well-known brands, but there are only five of them. For the eyes, there is the Eyeko Black Magic Liner in full size, which is a black liquid eyeliner. The tip of the applicator is very sharp, which means you will be able to have precision when applying it. 

There is also a mascara, the Benefit Roller Lash Mascara, in a mini version of 3g. This is a well-known mascara so it will be nice to be able to try if you have not already. As I have previously mentioned, mascara in mini sizes is not a bad thing, as it will give you enough product for the three months of use recommended for liquid eye products. 

For the lips, there are two products, the Illamasqua Loaded Lip Glaze (1.5ml) and the BareMinerals Mineralist Lipstick in ‘Courage’ (1.8g). The Bare Minerals lipstick comes in a classic red shade, being very festive and elegant. Although the lipstick comes in a mini size, I think you will still get a lot of wear out of it, and it is not a downside at all. I personally never emptied a mini lipstick before the expiration date. The Illamasqua lip gloss is a clear one, allowing you to transform the satin finish of the lipstick into an extra glossy one, or, why not, allowing you to transform any lip look from your collection. 

Lastly, the face product is a full size Iconic London Multiglow in either ‘Sahara’ or ‘Sundown’, which is a jelly highlighter that comes in a jar. Sahara is a warm rose gold, while Sundown is a pearlescent glazed caramel. Even in the event of the highlighter being the wrong shade for your skin tone, you could use this product on the eyelids for a wet eye look. 

Skincare: 13 items

Another skincare section that overtakes all the others in number, with most items in sample sizes. As usual, I have divided the section by function to make it easier to follow. Please keep in mind that some items would fit in more than one category.

Cleansers

There are four cleansers in this calendar, which are always exciting, as cleansers have the lesser chance of irritating your skin, since they are a wash off product. 

The first one is the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish (30ml) with 100% Cotton Cloth which is also in the Macmillan Advent Calendar. It is a cleanser infused with eucalyptus (so it smells minty!) that comes with a cloth to help you remove it and massage the face. 

The Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel comes in a generous size of 50ml and is fragrance free. However, the product does contain lye, which can potentially irritate skin. 

The Emma Hardie Moringa Balm comes in 15g in an adorable little jar. The 15ml version costs £10 and it was previously in other calendars in the past few years. I love this product and it is one of my favourite balms that I use in my routine. It is suitable for both oily and dry skin and it removes waterproof makeup and sunscreen. However, it does contain essential oils, so if you are not happy to have them in your skincare, avoid this product. 

The last cleanser in this calendar is the Neals Yard Wild Rose Balm (15g) which does look promising. On their website, the brand advertises this product as a multipurpose one – it can be an exfoliating cleanser, an intensive nourishing treatment, eyebrow tamer, cuticle oil or lip balm. The balm contains Vitamin A and E, both having anti-ageing properties. Please note that this balm contains essential oils just like the Emma Hardie one.

Anti-ageing 

There are a few anti-aging products in this calendar, some fitting this category more than others. The first anti-aging cream is the Estee Lauder Revitalising Supreme+ which comes in 5ml. This is an expensive, high-end cream with moringa extract (the Emma Hardie balm also has Moringa), which is supposed to have anti-ageing effects. The quantity in which it comes in, which is 5ml, is disappointing though. 

The second anti-aging product is the Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream (15ml) which is an anti-aging moisturiser. This is another expensive cream, which in its 15ml format costs £30! 

There is also an anti-ageing mask, the Beauty Pro Silver Foil in full size. I believe this is a single-use mask, infused with vitamin C and green tea, helping to hydrate and soothe irritation. 

Then there is the Botanicals Moroccan Rose Facial Oil (15ml) which has anti-aging properties. Like the other anti-aging products in the Next Beauty Advent Calendar, it has vitamin A and C. It also has an abundance of oils, such as olive oil, almond oil, and castor oil amongst many others.

Lip balm

As a lip balm we have the expensive By Terry Baume De Rose, which although it comes in 3g, that is worth £12!  I think it will be fun to be able to try such an expensive, luxury product. I also think lip balms will suit everyone and will not be something that people are afraid to use, even if they have a reactive, sensitive skin. 

Miscellaneous Pile

There is a primer in the form of a spray, the Smashbox Vitamin Glow Primer (7ml), which I think is interesting. However, the size is very small. This is a vegan product and has vitamins B, C & E to enhance your skin’s glow. However, it also contains lye, which might irritate your skin. 

We also have a self-tanning mist for the face, from Tropez, the Purity Face Mist (14ml). This product is supposed to give a light tan to your face without having the specific self-tanning smell. 

There is also a cream that helps to heal the barrier of the skin, the Elizabeth Arden Superstart Skin Renewal Booster, which contains probiotics and ceramides. This product comes in a sample size of 5ml. 

Lastly, there is a tonic, from Pixi (100ml). The Pixi Glow is a very popular product, which exfoliates the skin. It does not contain alcohol and has aloe. However, it does contain witch hazel which could potentially irritate your skin. 

Overall the skincare section is a strong one, in terms that it contains many high-end, luxury brands. However, some of the products come in such a tiny amount, that you could request them for free as samples at beauty counters in shops. 

BATH, BODY & OTHER: 7 items

Hair: 2 items

Fortunately, this calendar does have a hair section, offering two products. There is the Aveda Damage Repair (25ml) which is a leave-in hair treatment. There was a 75ml version of this product in the 2019 M&S calendar and I have already emptied it, as it moisturised and detangled my hair after washing it. 25ml is not a lot, but it does give you the chance of trying out the product for a few times. 

The second hair product is the ghd Final Fix Hairspray which comes in a mini size again (75ml). However, I love mini hair sprays because I can take them with me in my bag and use on the go if I need to.

Body: 2 items

The first body item is from Rituals, The Ritual Of Sakura Foaming Shower Gel (50ml), with a scent of cherry blossom and rice milk. Although this is only 50ml I think it is a nice product to try in the shower, and I always think various shower and bath products in advent calendars are a great addition. 

The second product is a 10ml version of the Vita Liberata Body Blur, a perfume and alcohol free tint product that perfects the skin and tans it slightly. However, in 10ml it will probably be enough for half an arm. I did notice that the 10ml version can come as a free gift on their website.

Nails: 1 item

There is one nail polish in this calendar, the Nails INC in Out of Office (full size). This shade is a metallic gold. I think the nail polish is a nice addition to the calendar, as it adds some diversity.

Other: 2 items

In the miscellaneous section there are two items, but they are so tiny I would place them in the sample category. 

There is the Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau De Toilette which does come in an adorable mini version of the bottle, with the cap in the shape of a daisy. Although it is only 5ml I do think it is a sweet addition in the calendar, as it adds some variety to it. 

Lastly, there is the Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray in 5ml. This is a lavender fragranced spray that is supposed to have therapeutic effects, relaxing you. However, 5ml is very small, and on various websites this comes as a free gift with purchase. It came in full size (75ml) in the 2019 M&S Calendar, which was £30 cheaper than the Next calendar. 

EXPERIENCE 

The calendar comes in cardboard, with individual boxes for each product. It comes in baby pink with touches of gold, which does not give me a Christmassy feeling at all. However, the presentation is good. 

This calendar contains 25 products, which means it will offer you something on Christmas day. 

IS IT WORTH IT?

This is a calendar which gives me mixed feelings. On one hand, I think it contains amazing brands and very expensive products, with a few lovely options in terms of all categories. On the other hand, it does contain a lot of samples in it, which you could get for free in beauty shops. A plus, however, is that all products, no matter how tiny they are, seem to come in beautiful packaging. 

The skincare section predominates, with thirteen items. As I have mentioned in pretty much all my beauty advent calendars reviews, I disagree with so much skincare in advent calendars, simply for the fact that no one can try so many skincare items one day after another and not have a skin reaction. Also, most of these products contain perfume, which can irritate the skin, although fragrance is at the moment in most products on the market. Besides fragrance, there are also other potential irritating ingredients in some products, and when it comes to skincare, we all have different needs and particularities which makes this abundance of skincare products difficult to digest. 

However, not everyone is of the same opinion, and there are people out there that do not have sensitive skin, who will be excited about having lots of face creams to try. 

The makeup section in this calendar is very strong, although it only has five items. They are very well chosen and they are hyped products which most beauty lovers will love to try. Also, as I have previously mentioned, I can consider that the entire makeup section comes in full sizes, since the mini versions of products like lipstick and mascara offer the same usage as their full sizes counterparts. 

There are also a few hair products, a nail polish and a few miscellaneous items which, overall, make this calendar a good one. 

The cost of this calendar is £69 and it is worth £220. The price is very competitive and is well placed in comparison to other calendars this year. I see it as a direct competitor with the Glossybox and the Look Fantastic ones. However, it is still pricey in my opinion, when compared to 2019 calendars.

For my final verdict, I will place the Next Beauty Advent Calendar as one of the best under £100 calendars for this year.

 See all reviews of Beauty Advent Calendars 2020

30 Products?! Look Fantastic Advent Calendar 2020

Double the price? Macmillan Beauty Advent Calendar 2020

Amazing Makeup Range! Glossybox Advent Calendar 2020

£20 Essentials with Essence? DIY Beauty Advent Calendar

More Beauty Advent Calendars 2020 coming soon!

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