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Net-A-Porter advent calendar 2022: A pleasing variety of luxury products and beauty essentials

With a value of more than £1,000, is this festive offering still worth parting with £260?

Daisy Lester

Friday 14 October 2022 17:52 BST

Inside, you’ll find A-list names such as Dr. Barbara Sturm, Augustinus Bader, Charlotte Tilbury and Westman Atelier (The Independent)

Embodying the indulgence of Christmas time, the business of beauty advent calendars is booming – and this year’s offering is more decadent than ever before.

If you’re after pure luxury, Harvey Nichols or Liberty London are the obvious choices. If it’s value for money you’re looking for, head to John Lewis, Lookfantastic or Benefit. Elsewhere, The White Company is promising to pamper you, Diptyque is your go-to for a fragranced countdown, and Charlotte Tilbury’s calendar is packed with her most-loved products. In short, there’s almost too much choice.

Each year, Net-A-Porter’s offering is one of the most hyped and decadent, owing to the roster of premium beauty brands stocked on its slick site – and its 2022 calendar is no exception.

Costing £260, the luxe countdown is packed with industry big hitters – think Balmain, Westman Atelier, Dr. Barbara Sturm, Face Gym, Dr Dennis Gross and Augustinus Bader – and has an overall worth of £1,011. From make-up to skincare, fragrance and beauty tools, the retailer has lined up a lavish treat in each drawer of its calendar.

How we tested

With Net-A-Porter’s offering sitting in such a crowded market, why should it be the one you splurge on this year? To find out, we did the unthinkable and opened each door before Christmas, assessing every product’s worth, quality and size. Considering variety and value for money, we sought to see if the retailer’s advent calendar is worth its £260 price tag. Here’s what you can look forward to if you choose to indulge in Net-A-Porter’s calendar this Christmas.

Net-A-Porter 25 days of beauty advent calendar: £260, Net-a-porter.com

Rating: 4/5
Price: £260
Worth: £1,011
Number of days: 25
Product highlights: Dr. Barbara Sturm the good c serum, Augustinus Bader the face oil, Charlotte Tilbury k.i.s.s.i.n.g lipstick, Westman Atelier lit up highlight stick and Sarah Chapman skinesis intense hydrating booster
Available: Now

Packaging

First up: the calendar’s packaging. Unlike many brands, each year Net-A-Porter favours a more classic calendar design over anything too fancy. In keeping with this tradition, its 2022 offering consists of a black box with ribbon-tied doors and 25 drawers of varying sizes with festive-red, grey or plum font colouring.

Sturdy and rigid, the minimalist box could easily be repurposed as an all-year-round beauty or jewellery container, while the large and clean numerical font meant each day was easy to find.

Kicking off your countdown, on the first day, you’re treated to a full-size Charlotte Tilbury rosy lipstick, which usually retails at £29. In our review of Tilbury’s k.i.s.s.i.n.g lipstick formula, our tester said the satin finish felt “comfortable and nourishing on the lips.” The impressive line-up of premium brands continues behind the next couple of doors, from Dr. Barbara Sturm’s anti-ageing body cream (50ml) and Dr Dennis Gross’s vitamin c serum (9ml) to a full-size Westman Atelier highlight stick (5g) that’s worth £44.

Other luxe highlights include Augustinus Bader’s cult face oil (10ml) and MZ Skin’s hydra bright golden eye mask, ensuring your peepers look well-rested during party season.

The ratio of full-size to mini is strong in Net-A-Porter’s calendar, with the inclusion of Sarah Chapman’s intense hydrating booster serum (30ml), a full-size lightweight Balmain Paris silk perfume (200ml), Aurelia’s conditioning eye and lash cleanser (100ml) and another Dr. Barbara Sturm favourite, the good c vitamin c serum (30ml), worth a whopping £110.

When it comes to pampering, you’ll find Brazil’s nourishing body oil (30ml), a mini-size This Work’s deep sleep pillow spray (35ml) – “perfect for lulling busy minds to sleep”, according to our reviewer – a warming mini-size Cereja cherry spice candle, and a full-size Aromatherapy Associates deep relax roller perfume (10ml). All helping you unwind during the festive season.

A welcome break in tradition from many calendars, Net-A-Porter’s festive offering includes a selection of beauty tools and essentials, such as a Relevée lash curler, BBB London super grip tweezers and a Face Gym high-performance gua sha that helps with circulation and absorption of serums. Another of Face Gym’s tools was took the top spot in our round-up of the best facial massage tools, with our tester praising it for tightening and toning muscles, following long-term use.

Value for money

Sitting at the top end of the market for beauty advent calendars with its £260 price tag, we admit Net-A-Porter’s offering is a big splurge – but if you were to buy each of the products individually, you’d spend a whopping £1,011. Aimed at beauty buffs looking to try luxe brands at a fraction of the price, there’s no denying it’s a stellar way to line your bathroom cabinet with impressive names.

With its 12 full-size to 13 travel-size ratio of products, the calendar’s contents will keep your beauty cabinet well-stocked long after the Christmas tree has been taken down.

The verdict: Net-A-Porter advent calendar 2022

The price and pleasing variety of products included in Net-A-Porter’s advent calendar this year makes it a sure-fire hit with beauty fanatics. As well as reliable favourites such as Charlotte Tilbury, This Works and Sarah Chapman, the 2022 offering is packed with A-list names that you might not usually invest in, owing to their price points – such as Dr. Barbara Sturm, Augustinus Bader, Dr Dennis Gross and Balmain. We also appreciated the addition of beauty tools such as an eyelash curler and tweezers. If you love your beauty and are willing to splurge this Christmas, you’ll have no regrets investing and indulging in Net-A-Porter’s calendar.

Buy now £260, Net-a-porter.com