It’s here! The wonderful M&S beauty box, and with it this M&S beauty box review.
I bloody love M&S! I mean, who doesn’t? Well my teenage boys, but they don’t count! It’s not just that M&S are, as the brilliant and rather gorgeous James May puts it, the UK’s National Pants Supplier (and for those in the US that’s the underpants variety!), but are seen as so much more now, to so many of us, now that they sell other brands other than their own.
The M&S beauty box advent calendar is regarded as one of the best in the UK, generally because of its contents and cost-effectiveness, but also because it’s so accessible.
Yes, there are plenty of other amazing beauty advent calendars out there, but I do believe the majority of us Brits flock to M&S as it’s so much cheaper provided we spend the £35 for this to cost a mere £45.
And James May is right, I did get up to £35 easily through the means of necessary school uniforms and…….pants!!
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What is the M&S Beauty Box?
For those readers not in the UK, and in case you’re not aware of this store, M&S is a stalwart of the British high street and is going strong at a time when many chains are failing. If you don’t live in a country in which you can get access to this beauty box…..I’m sorry
This M&S beauty box review is on the brand’s 2023 beauty advent calendar. It joins the ever-growing list of brands that bring out their advent calendars, but with M&S arguably one of the most sought-after – two days after it was released, it was the retailer’s number one best seller over the previous 24 hours.
This year it comes in a silver, yet slightly coppery, keepsake vegan vanity case, with all 25 products inside long thin, individual boxes (no there isn’t a second layer, just in case you’re wondering like I did!).
I’m always amazed at the geometric design of these beauty boxes – I imagine the designers playing a game of Tetris with them.
When Does The M&S Beauty Box Go On Sale?
From the 26th October 2023 both online and in-store.
Word of warning though: it gets sold out quickly, especially online. The popular Martin Lewis Money Saving Expert site always raves about it. It is extremely popular with its Moneysavers wanting a bargain.
UPDATE: It’s now sold out online, however, they generally have lower stocks online and buying in-store is a much more reliable way of getting your hands on one.
How much is the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar?
The beauty box is £45 when you spend £35 in M&S on home, beauty or clothing. Not food – important to note.
Few things to bear in mind with this:
- It is essentially costing you £80 – do factor that in….
- Don’t spend £35 in M&S for the sake of it. Think about something you need, and hold off on buying it till the beauty box is released. There is always an essential someone in my family needs.
- Don’t get the line “costs £45 when spent £35 in M&S” the wrong way round – you will waste £10!
Is the M&S Beauty Box worth it?
Yes, but I should add a “it depends” to it.
First off the worth of this advent calendar is £340. In fact, just two of the products bought separately cost the same amount as this box (the REN Evercalm Cleansing Gel £25 and the Percy and Reed volumising Oil £20).
If you’re not going to use the items, then no, it’s not worth it. To be completely honest I haven’t always used all the products from M&S advent calendars past, and I probably won’t with M&S advent calendar present either (got a little Christmas Carol reference in there!), but I’ve always used the majority of it – enough to make it worth it. Plus, the excitement of opening them for me is a highlight not to be ignored.
My mum, on the other hand, for the last two years ended up giving me a whole load of hers she wasn’t going to use. It was wonderful for me, but most likely a waste for her! She’s tempted, but I don’t think she’s getting one this year……dang!
Lastly, it’s worth mentioning that I know an idea floating out there is to use these products as gifts for others. Yes that is a great idea, and certainly one that crosses my mind, but it also strikes me as a risky and controversial strategy. If the person you are gifting it to likes those products there is a chance they too have bought this M&S beauty box! Eek….
What Is Inside the M&S Beauty Box?
I’ve included the links to each product, mostly to it’s normal size as that. Some of the links aren’t available – I’m assuming as those are only created for this advent calendar. So, in day order that you will open if you’re patient, with a little bit of my opinion to boot:
- Clinique Pop™ Lip Colour – a lovely creamy texture in a neutral colour.
- 60ml Percy & Reed Turn Up The Volume Volumising No Oil Oil – a hair oil without the sticky, greasy residue.
- 10ml Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multipurpose Oil – a multi purpose oil for both skin and hair.
- 25ml Murad Essential-C Day Moisture Sun Cream SPF30 – a multi purpose skincare product with Vitamin C and Retinyl Palmitate.
- 2.7g Pixi Lip Lift Max – Peptide-infused lip plumper in sheer rose that nourishes as it enhances. Another nude lipstick, untried as had the other lipstick on…..but looking forward to it.
- 100ml This Works Deep Sleep Body Cocoon – a highlight for many, but not sure if I’ll get around to using this that much.
- 10ml Nails Inc. Crown Palace Nail Polish – a shimmery copper colour. Personally, I love copper around my kitchen but not on my nails (I’m more of a red girl).
- 20ml Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Booster – a nourishing conditioner to add extra hydration or use as a treatment.
- 7ml Filorga Hydra-Hyal Serum: Hydrating Plumping Serum – a hyaluronic acid serum. I’m hoping a little goes a long way as it’s tiny!
- 4.5ml Pixi Brow Tamer – got to say they’re catering to the younger generation as well…. I can’t imagine my mum and her generation caring about this.
- 15ml Clinique Moisture Surge 100 hr Hydrator – let out a squeal with this one. It’s an aloe-based 100 hr moisturiser.
- 10ml Shay & Blue Atropa Belladonna Fragrance – a little-known perfume range. I loved a previous beauty box contestant from this range (Black Tulip), but this one is more “meh!”. I think it’s still useable though.
- 40ml Aveda Botanical Repair Styling Creme – a multi purpose hair styling product, heat protector and hydrator. Excited about this one as it’s silicone-free too (I recently had hair extensions, so I’m entering a new world!).
- 150ml Ren Evercalm™ Gentle Cleansing Gel – another highlight with a squeal from me. A gentle, effective cleanser by an ethical brand.
- 10ml Leighton Denny Renovate Nail Repair Cream & Buffer – an intensive nail repair cream for dry and damaged nails that came in a little set with a bow – it’s the little touches! I’ve got the world’s ugliest nails, so certainly will give this a try.
- 20ml Philip Kingsley Moisture Balancing Shampoo – a popular shampoo that my hair-loving teenage son adores.
- 20ml Philip Kingsley Moisture Balancing Conditioner – the popular conditioner to create a matching pair.
- 75ml L’Occitane Cherry Blossom Hand Cream – beautiful hand cream and a real treat. The packaging itself is gorgeous and is a potential gift for someone if you were to consider it.
- 10ml Dr.PAWPAW Overnight Lip Mask – a Natural Peptides rich overnight lip mask to both plump lips and smooth any fine lines. Again, a tiny tube, but looks like a little will go a long way.
- 10ml Nails Inc Magenta Nail Polish – a classic red colour, that is more my cup of tea.
- 250ml L’Occitane Verbena Shower Gel – another treat! A beautiful and zingy cleansing shower gel that’s enriched with verbena from Provence. Not one to be left in the shower for the rest of the family to use and abuse. That’s all I’m saying!
- 30ml Apothecary Meditate Hand Cream – a M&S own brand fragranced with black pepper, mandarin, cypress and cedar wood. It’s really quite lovely and another potential gift idea for someone else.
- 75ml Apothecary Revive Clarifying Mask – another product from their own range.
- 30ml Origins Ginzing™ Energizing Gel Cream – a nice surprise. Sounds like a good product due to it containing Vitamin C and niacinamide.
- 8.5g Benefit Roller Lash Curling Mascara – the last treat for Christmas day. Benefit’s mascaras never let me down and this is a welcome change from the smaller mascaras of the past that came with these boxes.
One thing that really jumped out at me this year is the amount of multi purpose products on this list. I’ve recently written a couple of articles on these products. If you’re interested to read more visit, my post on the benefits to multi purpose skincare and a list of 15 best multi purpose skincare products. Contains some great gift ideas!
Related posts:
– SKINCARE FOR MOMS: 15 OF THE BEST MULTI PURPOSE PRODUCTS
–MULTI PURPOSE SKINCARE: HOW TO JUGGLE PARENTING AND BEAUTY
Which products are the full size?
An impressive 11 of them:
- 8.5g Benefit Roller Lash Curling Mascara
- Shay & Blue Atropa Belladonna Fragrance
- Ren Evercalm™ Gentle Cleansing Gel
- Leighton Denny Renovate Nail Repair Cream & Buffer
- Percy & Reed Turn Up The Volume Volumising No Oil Oil
- Pixi Lip Lift Max
- Pixi Brow Tamer
- This Works Deep Sleep Body Cocoon
- L’Occitane Cherry Blossom Hand Cream
- L’Occitane Verbena Shower Gel
- Apothecary Revive Clarifying Mask
I do think, however, that some of the other mini products are an impressive size. I assumed the nail varnishes for instance were full size as they would last me years.
What are the highlights?
Bear in mind these are my personal opinions of the highlights for this M&S beauty box review.
In no particular order:
- Clinique Pop™ Lip Colour – it’s a really lovely neutral colour, which I think would work through the upcoming winter season.
- Percy & Reed Turn Up The Volume Volumising No Oil Oil – it’s a full-size product so it has to go in this list. Its credentials do look good and just what I need right now with hair extensions.
- Pixi Lip Lift Max – another lipstick in a beautiful wintery neutral colour, but this one is full size and a plumper.
- Clinique Moisture Surge 100 hr Hydrator – Clinique is just such a great brand and this is a product that will suit most of us. It may only be a mini, but there seems a fair amount in this pot and as I know with Clinique a little goes a long way.
- Aveda Botanical Repair Styling Creme – I’m not normally a hair beauty person, but I’m willing to give this a go as it does tick the boxes that I need right now.
- Ren Evercalm™ Gentle Cleansing Gel – Yes! So happy with this. Love everything REN have produced and am using the Evercalm night balm right now. Full size as well – this should last us all a LONG time.
- L’Occitane Cherry Blossom Hand Cream – I hardly ever bother with hand cream. Being a nurse and doing a lot of cooking I spend most of my life washing my hands so all creams get washed off. I am also a sucker for pretty packaging and this was just too beautiful to not make it to the highlights – I’ve promised my hands I will use it!
- Benefit Roller Lash Curling Mascara – as I said Benefit has always produced my favourite mascaras, and by all reports, this has a cult following.
Related posts:
QUICK AND CHEAP SELF-CARE: 30 ACTIVITIES FOR MUMS TO ELEVATE OUR WELL-BEING
UNRAVELING AND RESOLVING THE HIDDEN BARRIERS TO SELF-CARE BLISS
My M&S Beauty Box Review
I had a very enjoyable hour opening all of these little boxes with some Christmas music playing.
I deliberately kept away from all marketing and articles about the products as I wanted the excitement of opening them afresh, after all, I knew I wasn’t going to be opening them the traditional way to write this post (let’s be honest, I’m not patient enough to open one a day during December anyway!!).
Keeping one thing slightly traditional, however, I opened each box in numerical order. Looking back now I’m not sure why, but it did make it feel slightly realistic to a classic chocolate advent calendar – it was impossible to find some of the numbers, particularly the ones written alphabetically rather than numerically! Such fun!
The vegan vanity case was a really special touch and a nice move from the typical giant box that houses all the mini boxes. It is quite flimsy when not held up by the boxes, but I don’t see that being a problem and a reason to not reuse – something that I’m sure is the intention by M&S.
The boxes are fun with an Art Deco design on them. The little riddle written on them as a clue to the contents is a cute touch too, and one I’m sure I would have appreciated more if I was opening one a day through December.
I could have done with fewer hair-based products, only because I don’t have a huge hair-based interest, but I understand others do and it has to cater for all. The same applies to nails for me actually – nail varnish and long nails are a no-no as a nurse.
Sod it…..Mum, if you’re reading this, you should get one!
I like the concept of beauty boxes! I guess it’s about the ratio of the products you actually use vs the ones you don’t, but still those can become small souvenirs ☺️
So true! There’s always something you can do with those you don’t use yourself