Each autumn, as the days shorten and the shops begin their quiet push toward Christmas, a small ritual of wonder returns: the beauty advent calendar, a box of tiny treasures counted down toward the holidays. Gemma Sherlock of the Liverpool Echo opened ASOS's 2022 Face and Body edition, priced at £85, to ask whether its promise of abundance holds up when weighed against what each item would cost on its own. Her answer, shaped by her own hair, skin and habits, is that the value is real even if the calendar asks for a little more faith than last year's did.
Is ASOS's £85 2022 Face + Body advent calendar worth it? A reviewer tests the 25-day beauty box
Each autumn, as the days shorten and the shops begin their quiet push toward Christmas, a small ritual of wonder returns: the beauty advent calendar, a box of tiny treasures counted down toward the holidays. Gemma Sherlock of the Liverpool Echo opened ASOS's 2022 Face and Body edition, priced at £85, to ask whether its promise of abundance holds up when weighed against what each item would cost on its own. Her answer, shaped by her own hair, skin and habits, is that the value is real even if the calendar asks for a little more faith than last year's did.
The first box held a lipstick the reviewer had already run out of: MAC's Velvet Teddy, her favourite shade. That small surprise set the tone for Gemma Sherlock's look inside ASOS's 2022 Face + Body advent calendar, which costs £85 and has become a favourite among shoppers, following last year's quickly sold-out edition.
This year's version costs £10 more than 2021's but adds an extra day and, by her count, more products. It comes in a glossy card box with 25 recyclable patterned boxes and a pink striped tote, though the patterned scarf from last year is missing. Day by day, the treats unfolded: Elemis night cream, a travel-sized Bobbi Brown mascara, and the Dermalogica cleansing gel she uses most.
The biggest surprise was behind door 18: a 20ml Olaplex No.8 mask. Her bleached hair takes a lot of care, and she had never tried the mask. After a few uses, it felt much like the No 3 protector she already buys. Other favourites included ELF's lip gloss, Sol de Janeiro's firming cream and a matte primer.
The final box, the largest, held Revolution products, including a generous palette and a fixing spray she thinks could rival her MAC setting spray. The brow glue was a miss, leaving her brows stiff and sticky.
Her complaints were modest. Two facial oils felt like one too many, and the masks were too similar. Still, she concluded the calendar is excellent value, a treat for herself or a thoughtful gift, though she noted that her verdict reflects her own hair, skin and spending habits.
The first box in the ASOS Face + Body 25 Day Advent Calendar held a lipstick the reviewer had just run out of: MAC's Velvet Teddy, her favourite shade, which retails at £16. Gemma Sherlock, writing for the Liverpool Echo, opened the whole calendar to find out whether the 2022 edition justifies its £85 price.
Beauty advent calendars have largely replaced the chocolate-behind-a-window format, offering skincare, makeup and haircare instead. ASOS's version is a favourite with shoppers, and last year's 24-day edition sold out quickly, helped by names such as Clinique, Charlotte Tilbury and Estee Lauder. This year's costs £10 more than the 2021 calendar, but it has an extra day and, by the reviewer's count, more products.
It arrives in a glossy card box holding 25 patterned boxes, all recyclable, and comes in a pink striped tote bag. Sherlock missed the patterned scarf that came with the 2021 version. Boxes for days one to 14 sit on the top layer, with 15 to 25 beneath. The larger boxes are for days 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17 and 25, and she liked that box size matched the product inside.
After the lipstick came Elemis Pro Collagen Night Cream on day two and a Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara on day three. The mascara is a 3ml miniature, which suits her as a travel mascara and lets her leave her usual MAC Stack mascara at home. The product she uses most is the Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel. The bottle is 15ml, and a full 250ml bottle usually costs £35. She describes it as a soap-free, lightweight alternative to face wash, gentle enough for daily use.
The biggest surprise for her was behind number 18: Olaplex No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask in a 20ml bottle. Her hair is bleached blonde, and she says she spends heavily on Olaplex shampoos, conditioners and the No 3 hair protector, around £28 a bottle every few months. She had never tried the mask, and after a couple of uses found its conditioning effect similar to the No 3 protector. The small bottle will not last long, she notes, though how much you use depends on how damaged your hair is. The Invisibobble Slim Sprunchie Duo in True Golden also suited her, as bleached hair needs ties that will not damage the bonds. Her other favourites were ELF's lip plumping gloss in Pink Paloma, which plumps without stickiness; Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, which she could feel tightening her skin; and ThisWorks In Transit Camera Close Up, a matte primer that does not feel pore-blocking.
The extra day 25 box is the largest, filled with Revolution products: Superdewy Liquid Highlighter in Pink Lights, Re-Loaded Palette in Velvet Rose, a Mini Infinite Fixing Spray, Extra Hold Brow Glue and a Mini Baking Powder in Translucent. She found the palette generous, with colours for autumn nights and festive parties. The fixing spray, which smells of coconut, made her makeup last a little longer and is a contender against her MAC setting spray. The brow glue was a miss: an hour after applying it, her eyebrows felt sticky and stiff.
On price, she points to full-size costs. Charlotte Tilbury's Collagen Superfusion Facial Oil is normally £25 for 8ml, though the calendar bottle is smaller. Olaplex charges £28 for the 100ml moisture mask, while Look Fantastic sells the 20ml size for £5.20. Sol de Janeiro's 25ml Bum Bum Cream is £13.99 and Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream is £102 for 50ml.
Her complaints are modest. She would include fewer facial oils, since both the Charlotte Tilbury oil and the Earth Harbor Marina Biome Brightening Ampoule are there, and she would keep the Charlotte Tilbury. She also wants more variety in masks, as the facial mask and the heated eye sleep mask are similar. Her verdict is that it is amazing value and works as a treat or a gift. Readers should note this is one reviewer's view, based on her own hair and skin and her own spending habits.
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