Our beauty writer unboxes the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar 2024

Collage of photos of the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar 2024, including the blue velvet beauty bag exterior and the contents inside, on a pink watercolour background

(Image credit: Future/Sennen Prickett)

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What's inside
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Our team's picks
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published 25 October 2024

Spread the word, the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar is back for another year of festive fun, counting down to Christmas with 25 stellar beauty products - and it's finally available to shop now...

There's no feeling quite like indulging in one of the best beauty advent calendars during the run-up to Christmas, whether that be unboxing the Anthropologie Beauty Advent Calendar or tucking into the Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar. Luckily, the joy doesn't stop there, as this week marks the all-important launch of the highly sought-after M&S Beauty Advent Calendar.

Packed full of 25 must-have beauty products from the likes of Clinique, REN, Color Wow and Benefit, including six full-sized gems, we're certain this in-demand calendar won't be sticking around for very long...

Inside the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar 2024

Although there's a multitude of beauty advent calendars available on the market, each year there's always one I hear so much talk about in my role as a beauty writer. Thanks to its affordable price tag and the array of big-name brands hosted inside, the highly sought-after M&S option always makes waves. It's just launched this week, so naturally, I had to unbox this year's edition to see what all the hype was about...

Amazing value

M&S The Beauty Advent Calendar 2024

RRP: £315, or £50 when you spend £35 on Clothing, Home and Beauty in-store or online

Worth of Contents: Over £300

Number of products: 25 (6 full-size)

Whether you're treating yourself or looking for a gift for others, this year's M&S Beauty Advent Calendar makes home to an assortment of skincare, makeup and body care products from a host of well-known (and loved) beauty brands. You can expect to find an exciting gift stashed away behind each door, such as a Cowshed body lotion, Clinique's iconic cleansing balm, a full-sized Benefit mascara and much more.

What's in the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar 2024?

For those wanting a true glance into the contents of this year's advent calendar, you can expect a curated edit of popular beauty products from a myriad of brands, including REN, L'Occitane and Nails Inc. This calendar makes home to a plethora of beauty gems, from skincare, haircare and makeup to fragrance, sleep bath and body - you name it, it has it.

Floral Street Vanilla Orchid Eau De Parfum 10ml
Clinique Take the Day off Balm 15ml
Color Wow Colour Security Shampoo 75ml
Color Wow Colour Security Conditioner 75ml
Benefit Fan Fest Mascara 8.5g
REN EverCalm Cleansing Milk 50ml
Nails Inc 'Cranberry Me Merry' Nail Polish 10ml
Percy & Reed Tame That Mane Smoothing Blow Dry Cream 100ml
Formula Sleep Cream 15ml
L’Occitane Shea Hand Cream 30ml
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer 40ml
Fresh Elements Glow Day Cream 15ml
Aveda Botanical Repair Strengthening Masque 15ml
Nails Inc 'Nude In Noelle' Nail Polish 10ml
Pixi Eye Define Waterline Tightline Eyeliner Black 0.35g
Cowshed Relax Bath & Body Shower Gel 100ml
Margaret Dabbs Nail and Cuticle Serum 15ml
This Works Deep Sleep Overnight Whip 200ml
M&S Discover Velvet Amber Eau de Toilette 10ml
Cowshed Relax Bath & Body Body Lotion 200ml
Dr. PAWPAW Ultimate Red Tinted Lip Balm 10ml
Prai Ageless Throat and Decolletage Crème 30ml
Living Proof PhD 5-in-1 Styling Treatment 60ml
Emma Hardie Purifying Pink Clay Detox Mask 15ml
Bloom & Blossom Keep Dancing Foot and Leg Mist 100ml

Unboxing the M&S Advent Calendar 2024

With an abundance of beauty advent calendars available on the market, I can appreciate a unique and innovative design when I see one - this M&S buy included. Speaking of which, this year's calendar arrives in the form of a luxuriously soft, navy velvet cosmetics bag, which arguably is a gift within itself - perfect for storing your everyday makeup or for taking on your travels. Take a deeper look inside and you'll find 25 festive designed boxes neatly tucked away, each containing an exciting beauty treat.

Collage of photos, including the exterior of the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar 2024 and an image with the contents inside

From nourishing skincare and colour-protecting haircare to moreish scents and rich body lotions, the calendar features 25 products from hero brands such as Pixi, Living Proof and Aveda. Most notably, throughout the countdown to Christmas, you'll welcome full-sized six products into your routine, including Benefit's Fan Fest Mascara, the This Works Deep Sleep Overnight Whip and two Nails Inc nail polishes.

With the calendar boasting an impressive lineup that makes for the ultimate self-care regime, Head of Beauty at M&S, James Mugford says: “With this year’s eagerly anticipated Beauty Advent Calendar we’re inviting customers to spoil their senses, savour spa-like experiences at home and discover ways to show themselves a little TLC when battling against the elements.”

The Beauty Team's top product picks

Excitingly, this year's advent calendar hosts some of the woman&home beauty team's staple products, including a luxe floral vanilla fragrance, scented hand cream and rich hair mask.

Beauty Editor's pick

Aveda Botanical Repair Intensive Strengthening Masque

RRP: £34

Equipped with nourishing butters and reparative plant lipids, Digital Beauty Editor, Fiona McKim is a fan of this intensely rich hair mask, she says: "Even if the only thing this Aveda Mask had going for it was the scent, that would still be a compelling enough reason to use it - it smells unbelievably good. Like posh spa meets even posher perfume. Luckily, it does have other attributes, like a nourishing oil-rich formula and clingy texture that doesn’t run off your hair down the plughole. Plus you only need to leave it on for 5 minutes at most, so it’s unusually life-friendly for a hair mask."

Beauty Writer's pick

Floral Street Wild Vanilla Orchid Eau De Parfum 10ml

RRP: £29 for 10ml

After unboxing the calendar, Digital Beauty Writer, Sennen Prickett's favourite pick is the Floral Street Wild Vanilla Orchid Eau De Parfum. Already a firm fan of cosy vanilla scents, she says: "This perfume is like nothing I've smelt before, it packs all the warmth and sweetness of a traditional vanilla fragrance yet is complemented by a floral and citrusy twist, with notes of lemon, patchouli and red orchid. In my opinion, it makes for the perfect everyday scent."

Beauty Writer's pick

L'Occitane Travel-Size Shea Butter Hand Cream

RRP: £9.50

L'Occitane's Shea Butter Hand Cream is a standout pick for Digital Beauty Writer, Naomi Jamieson, whose hands suffer from bad circulation and sensitive skin in the colder months. "I've never really loved hand creams - as they always leave a greasy film - but this one soaks in quickly and feels so luxurious on the skin. It's ultra-hydrating and the scent is just divine, it's so comforting hence why I love to apply it before I go to bed (it lives on my nightstand) and that way, it gets to work and doesn't rub off throughout the day," she says.

When does the M&S Advent Calendar go on sale?

For those wanting to shop the advent calendar, you will be pleased to know that it will be available to snap up, online and in stores around the country, from Thursday, 24th October. But, be sure to be quick as we're certain stocks won't be sitting on shelves for very long.

Is the M&S advent calendar worth buying?

While it is subject to and dependant on your personal preferences, it's worth noting that this advent calendar is one of the most affordable advent calendars that I've seen on the market. Setting you back £50, you can expect 25 popular products (worth over £300) in return, which sounds like a pretty impressive deal to me. So, if you're looking to get in on some festive fun or want to treat yourself to a stellar lineup of must-have beauty products, all without breaking the bank, this advent calendar is the answer.

Sennen is Digital Beauty Writer at woman&home, where she shares the latest beauty buys and trending products from makeup and hair to skincare and nails. Previously, Sennen worked as a Junior Digital Editor at FROW Magazine, where she wrote about the latest fashion and beauty news, trends and viral must-have products to shop, and reviewing a lineup of beauty products. She has since worked with numerous brands including Who What Wear UK, HuffPost UK and Harvey Nichols. When she’s not writing about all things beauty, Sennen spends her spare time watching the latest Netflix series, doing lots of online shopping and walking her dog.