If you have a bit of change to spare after your Cyber Monday shopping, why not indulge in or treat a friend to the QVC Beauty Advent Calendar?
The QVC Advent Calendar for 2015 was launched last month for $96.75. I was thrilled to receive it as a surprise present from my swap-partner Casey, who actually splurged on Priority Post so I would get it before Advent. It contains 24 beauty products from various brands including IT Cosmetics, Josie Maran, Mally Beauty and so on.
Since Advent begins tomorrow, there is no need to justify my refusal to wait - I have the whole thing unboxed here. DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS.
Scroll down for the review and contents of the QVC Beauty Advent Calendar for 2015.
You've got to love the Christmassy red and gold design with the snowflakes. The calendar is sturdy, though smaller in size than the LookFantastic Advent Calendar, reviewed here.
Instead of the magnetic closure, the QVC calendar has a golden latch, which gives it the appearance of a jewel box. Nice touch, that.
Inside, the snowflake design and colour scheme are repeated but you get no clue as to the contents.
There is a flyer with details about the contents and ingredients.
Some of the products were wedged tight inside their capsules and I ended up breaking a couple of nails while attempting to get the jars out. You have to basically destroy the calendar to get everything out.
Here are the contents of the QVC Beauty Advent Calendar 2015:
Let's take a closer look at the products inside.
Hair care products in the QVC Beauty Advent Calendar 2015:
Callista Tools Embellish Texturing DefinerThis is one of those fibrous styling products - you know, where you take a bit of product and rub your palms together and see fibres forming. I am not a fan of those, so this might be given away.
Color Wow One Minute Transformation Cream
An anti-frizz leave-in conditioner with Omega 3. Sounds lovely! Will definitely try it out!
WEN Treatment Oil in Pomegranate and Rosemary
I am so excited about this. WEN is my HG hair cleanser. This oil serves as a post-wash finisher and as a pre-wash deep conditioning treatment. Apparently you can apply it overnight and wash it off with WEN Cleansing Conditioner. That is how I will be using it!
Fragrances and shower gels in the QVC Beauty Advent Calendar 2015:
QVC has added Rain, Skin or Warm Cotton fragrances. I wish I had got Rain. This is more of my Dad's kind of fragrance, so I will stuff it in his Christmas stocking (I will always bully every family member into having a Christmas stocking).
Nest Midnight Fleur EDP
Now this is more my kind of fragrance. Wood, amber, patchouli and vanilla orchid. Nice!
Molton Brown Body Wash in Ylang Ylang
Gimme all the Molton Brown body washes, please! I still prefer Pink Pepperpod and Black Peppercorn to anything else, but MB makes the best shower gels ever, so I will take any fragrance from them over any other brand.
Philosophy Amazing Grace Shower Gel
This is a shampoo, bath and shower gel all in one. Ideal for travelling! I like the fragrance and have slipped this in my travel bag.
Face and neck care products in the QVC Beauty Advent Calendar 2015:
Perricone MD Face Finisher MoisturiserAll three pots were a pain to get out of the calendar and I ended up destroying the pretty surface. I am currently in love with Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream but will reach for this once I am done.
StriVectin Advanced Tightening Neck Cream
I have been neglecting my neck for a long time now, and this cream is the start of my neck-care routine. Will report results!
Clark's Botanicals Smoothing Marine Cream
Contains algae extracts, jasmine absolute and glycolic acid and is supposed to exfoliate and moisturise. Will start after I'm done with Perricone MD.
Peter Thomas Roth Firm Peeling Gel
I am currently loving PTR cleansers. Having only tried Korean peeling gels before, I am excited about trying my first peeling gel from a mainstream brand.
Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment
Contains papaya fruit enzyme that naturally exfoliates the face to give Kate Somerville's signature facial at home.
Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil
I have tried a sample of this before and my hair loved it. Glad to have more.
Algenist Advanced Anti-Ageing Repairing Oil
The active ingredient here is microalgae oil, and this is supposed to diminish fine lines and wrinkles.
Makeup products in the QVC Beauty Advent Calendar 2015:
Mally Beauty High Shine Liquid LipstickA purply-pink thick liquid, this is more of a gloss. The shade is very pretty.
Mally Beauty Evercolor Starlight Eyeliner
I love this beautiful marsala shade. My first thought was, oh no, black pencil; but then I saw the shade and breathed easy.
BareMinerals Lash Domination Voluminising Mascara
Oooh a mascara I have not tried! Thankfully, a mini, so much will not be wasted at the end of three months.
Lash Food Conditioning Lash Primer
This contains extending fibres. I have wanted to try out mascaras with fibres and hope I finally get noticeable lashes!
IT Cosmetics Hello Lashes 5-in-1 Mascara
Apparently, this mascara voluminises, conditions, hydrates, primes, enhances and gives a tint and contains a lash comb! Does everything but mow the lawn, then. Can't wait to try it out!
IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer in Neutral Medium
I love this concealer! My shade is Tan but I can make do with this at a pinch.
Formula X Nail Lacquer mini
While I cannot pull off white polish by itself, this looks thick enough to be stamped with. Will try once my nubs - thanks to this Advent Calendar for breakage - grow back a little.
Doll 10 Hydragel Creme Blush in Flirt
A beautiful peachy cream blush, this applies nicely with a stippling brush. Will show you an FOTD shortly.
Tools in the QVC Beauty Advent Calendar 2015:
These were the "meh" products in this Advent Calendar.QVC Complexion Blending Sponge
A latexy sponge that reminds me of the Cosmopolitan blending sponge. Will be added to giveaway box, since I am thoroughly spoilt by the amazing Beautyblender.
A compact mirror, made in China
I would have taken anything; a pair of tweezers, a lip balm, a 2ml foil sachet of skin cream, a 1ml vial of perfume - anything, really - over this. First of all, I keep powder compacts in my handbag and they always come with mirrors. Secondly, yes, I collect compacts but this grey thing is so meh.
Verdict
The QVC Beauty Advent Calendar is one of the best value-for-money Advent Calendars out there. Apart from the latex sponge and the mirror, I love everything else. Six of the products are full-sized (including the sponge and the mirror). This is one of the nicer mixes out there.
You can get the QVC Beauty Advent Calendar here for $96.75. They should sell out quickly!
So, do I prefer LookFantastic or this? Casey tells me it is LF for her, because it has more British and EU brands that she wants. Both contain entirely different sets of products and contain well-balanced mixes of hair care, skincare and makeup. The QVC Calendar comes at a great price point. The LF Advent Calendar contains more full-sized products - and 25 - but the price is very close at $105, with free worldwide tracked shipping, and has nail-friendlier packaging. These are two Advent Calendars you cannot compare.
Follow me on Instagram for daily Advent posts from tomorrow!
Shop this post:
.JPG)
No comments:
Write comments