Advent is here and you will be seeing three Advent Calendars in a row - this is the second. No more need to keep away from opening them.
DHL did not deliver my Selfridges Beauty Workshop Advent Calendar - now out of stock - after I waited for ages. I got a full refund and a voucher for my patience, and, a few choice words later, the SO took the hint and we got the Charlotte Tilbury Advent Calendar instead.
With 12 products - of which half are makeup and half are skincare, this is more of a Twelvetide Calendar. But I really do not see myself waiting to open each box from December 25-January 5. Blimey, I could not even wait until Advent itself!
Scroll down for the review and contents of the Charlotte Tilbury Book of Makeup Magic Advent Calendar 2015.
Packaging of the Charlotte Tilbury Book of Makeup Magic Advent Calendar 2015
The cardboard used is not the sturdiest - you can see the calendar is bent and a bit squashed. The back cover contains spoilers.
They let you personalise a note inside, which is cute. The colour scheme is typically Tilbury and I love the fairy on the front.
Inside, you have the individual boxes arranged in a little "shelf". You have to LOVE the message on the inside cover.
The products come in individual boxes, which is a great idea. I was sick of the "capsule" format of the previous Advent Calendars which ended up damaging my nails.
Once you get the boxes out, this can be used to store stationery or hair clips.
So the 12 boxes:
Contents of the Charlotte Tilbury Book of Makeup Magic Advent Calendar 2015
On the first day of Christmas...
Goddess Skin Clay Mask
I have been longing to try this for a while. Being oily and acne-prone, clay masks are must-haves for me. One try later, I am in love and need to repurchase once I run out.
On the second day of Christmas...
Charlotte's Magic Cream
I did not dream this - and something else, further below - would end up being my favourite product in this Advent Calendar, but it is! I want a vat of this amazingly soothing face moisturiser.
On the third day of Christmas...
Wonder Glow Instant Soft-Focus Beauty Flash
A hat-trick of successful products, and the first makeup product in this calendar. I had my doubts about this - it promised a "lit from within" look and that usually means greaseball on me. I applied a bit above primer, below foundation, and looked healthy. FOTD coming up once I get the Advent Calendars and beauty boxes out of the way!
On the fourth day of Christmas...
Eyeshadow in On The Prowl
My joint-favourite product, and my first CT eyeshadow. I cannot even describe this beautiful colour. I will be wearing this and the kohl for my parents' wedding anniversary dinner on the 4th, and will show you my eye makeup after the event.
On the fifth day of Christmas...
Rock N' Kohl in Supernova
A perfect match for the eyeshadow above. Thankfully, not black! Imagine getting black pencil liner in Charlotte Tilbury's Advent Calendar! That would make me go up in purple-coloured smoke. The liner itself is shimmery plummy purple.Supernova and On The Prowl form CT's Nocturnal Cat Eyes To Hypnotise set and cost £29 together.
On the sixth day of Christmas...
Lip Magic Lip Balm
This is yet another full-sized product and costs £25 individually. I have not tried it out yet, because I know my lips will be badly chapped by mid-December, and I'm saving this.
On the seventh day of Christmas...
Lipstick Charm - Penelope Pink
The cutest mini I have seen all year! However, the shade makes my lips look just like my skin. It is, incredibly enough, a great under-eye concealer and will be used as such.
On the eighth day of Christmas...
Matte Revolution Lipstick in Red Carpet Red
Remember the first two Matte Revolution lippies I showed you here? I have four more Matte Revolution Lipsticks to show you soon. This was going to be the first red lipstick in my stash. Sadly, it arrived squishy and broken, thanks to DHL's constant warehouse-hopping. Selfridges, who was helping me track my order, has given me another voucher to make up for the disappointment of the broken lipstick.
On the ninth day of Christmas...
Supermodel Body
An all-over hydrating and glow-imparting balm. For me, this is the least exciting product in the box - I will be using it as an all-over moisturiser rather than as a shimmer. Why? Because the shimmer barely shows up on me :(
On the tenth day of Christmas...
Take It All Off
A bi-phase makeup remover that reminds me of my HG Lancome Bi-Facil. It does not sting the eyes and gets the warpaint off in a jiffy.
On the eleventh day of Christmas...
Multi-Miracle Glow
A multi-purpose product, this serves as cleanser, balm and mask for baby-soft skin. I will try it out as a cleanser first and see if it breaks me out.
On the twelfth day of Christmas...
Magic Night Cream
This is soon to be launched and I thought it would be a richer version of the Magic Cream. Sadly, it is too greasy for my oily skin. I passed it on to my Mum, who says it is satiny on her drier skin. At least someone can use it.
Verdict
How can I possibly dislike anything at all from Charlotte Tilbury! I love that this has a 50-50 mix of makeup and skincare. Samples are all generous and three of these are full-sized. There is a nice chance to try out some CT goodies I might otherwise not have noticed. Not even one product will be unused! This is, without a doubt, the most luxurious beauty Advent Calendar of 2015.My favourite products are my first CT eyeshadow and the Magic Cream.
Nitpicking? Maybe sturdier cardboard to prevent damage?
I would also have liked to see a grand gesture for the twelfth day. Maybe Matte Revolution could have gone in there? Or a nice bronzer mini - full-sized, even - would have wowed me beyond belief. Even better, one of Charlotte Tilbury's makeup brushes, travel-sized.
In fairness, this is a spendy Advent Calendar. If not for the SO's contribution and the refund from Selfridges, this would not have been mine.
Nevertheless, the Charlotte Tilbury Book of Makeup Magic Advent Calendar 2015 is the ideal end-of-year reward for yourself or for someone you love. Unlike most beauty Advent Calendars, it is still available at Selfridges for £150 - worldwide delivery available.
I have great news for my American friends. This is available at Bergdof Goodman - you can buy it here for $200, because you, like all of us girls, deserve a treat for another year well-lived.
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