Beloved by beauty buffs and editors alike, Charlotte Tilbury’s eponymous brand needs little introduction. Launched in 2016, the make-up artist’s roster of viral products includes pillow talk, flawless filter the beauty light wand. No wonder the Charlotte Tilbury beauty advent calendar sells out year after year.
Swapping chocolate treats for make-up and skincare staples, advent calendars are a relatively new festive tradition in the beauty world. From Harrods and Boots to Space NK, these countdowns make December a more indulgent affair.
While retailers including Lookfantastic, Sephora and Cult Beauty curate a line-up of viral bestsellers, advent calendars from the likes of Mac and Elemis are a greatest hits of their most cult products. Charlotte Tilbury’s glamorous countdown is exactly that– think pillow talk lipsticks alongside mini magic creams.
But these beauty advent calendars are big business. Charlotte Tilbury’s calendar launches today, but you might need to be fast to nab one. The brand says that in the first 24 hours after the launch of their 2024 advent, they sold one every minute.
On top of that, you need to know if it’s worth it. Unlike countdowns from the likes of Liberty, Selfridges and M&S, which run for all of advent, Charlotte Tilbury’s calendar is a 12-day format, whether you enjoy a daily unboxing in the run-up to Christmas or a blowout gift on the day itself.
I tested every product in the calendar to see if it’s worth the price tag.
How I tested
- Quality: I wanted high-quality products that lived up to their marketing.
- Value for money: Considering the size of each product and the cost of the calendar, I weighed up whether the Charlotte Tilbury line-up offered good value for money. The brand claims you’re saving more than £80 on the contents of the calendar, but does this match up with the products inside?
- Sizes: Similarly, I noted the size of each of the beauty products, assessing whether they were full-size or deluxe, while considering how long each formula would last beyond the Christmas period.
- Variety: Despite it being September, I wanted the variety of products to put me in the festive spirit. Each product had to feel like a real treat, whether it was a plumping lip product or everyday mascara.
As The Independent’s senior shopping writer, Daisy Lester has been covering beauty at IndyBest for years, from expert guides on fake tan to lip oils and lip liners. She’s reviewed the best beauty advent calendars since 2022, testing brands from John Lewis and Lookfantastic to Boots and plenty more. When it comes to Charlotte Tilbury, she reviews products from the brand all-year-round, so is prime placed to see how its beauty advent calendar stands up against previous years and competitors (she’s reviewed both Selfridges and Lookfantastic already this year).
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Charlotte’s beauty treasure chest
Price: £175
Worth: £265
Number of full-size products : 5
Advent calendar highlights: Lip cheat liner, airbrush setting spray, kohl eyeliner, full-size mascara, two lipsticks
Available: On the app until 12 September, then online
Why we love it
- Variety of skincare and make-up
- Five full-size products
- Box can be reused
Take note
- Expensive for only 12 products
- Not everyone will like the box
Charlotte Tilbury’s 2025 beauty treasure chest costs £175, which makes it £5 more expensive than last year, but it saves beauty lovers more than £80 across skincare and make-up staples. The gilded gold box houses 12 bejewelled drawers, complete with a lid that opens to reveal a quote from Charlotte Tilbury herself: “Makeup your destiny and all of your beauty dreams will come true”. As with previous years, the calendar is sturdy and durable for year-round use, with the lid compartment lifting to reveal plenty more space for products. The design is characteristically bold, with celestial-inspired motifs covering the box and star and moon jewels on each drawer, which some will love, but for others might be an acquired taste.
Charlotte Tilbury offers a shorter line-up than most calendars. Whether you choose to count down the two weeks before Christmas, enjoy them over the 12 days of Christmas into the New Year, or unbox them all under the tree on the big day itself, the starry line-up showcases the best of the beauty brand.
The make-up mogul has made an empire out of her lip products, from liners to lipsticks. Helping perfect your pout during party season, the calendar includes a full-size lip cheat liner (£22, Charlottetilbury.com) in the cult shade pillow talk. I have to admit some bias here; this is a beauty essential I wear most days to create definition and fullness. Another personal favourite, you also get a full-size collagen lip bath lip gloss (£27, Charlottetilbury.com) in the matching pillow talk shade. I love the combination, with the high-shine formula infused with collagen to nourish lips.
Completing the lip line-up, there are two travel-size lipsticks – the new K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick in 90s pink (£29, Charlottetilbury.com) is the perfect everyday shade, while walk of no shame (£29, Charlottetilbury.com) has a rich berry-red colour. Plus, there’s a travel-size liner in the same shade for contouring your lips.
When it comes to eyes, you’re treated to a full-size of the new exagger-eyes mascara (£28, Charlottetilbury.com)– the volume is excellent and it doesn’t leave you with panda-eyes by the end of the day – and the rock n’ kohl eyeliner in barbarella brown (£25, Charlottetilbury.com), which is foolproof for creating a soft-focus cat eye. For a flattering, flushed look, a full-size beauty light wand (£30, Charlottetilbury.com) in the everyday shade pillow talk is also included.
As for skincare, the calendar includes a travel-size 15ml pot of the brand’s famous magic cream (£79, Charlottetilbury.com). Not only is it intensely nourishing, but it doubles up as a primer for make-up. There’s also a 10ml magic serum crystal elixir (£65, Charlottetilbury.com) and a 30ml hydration revival cleanser (£26, Charlottetilbury.com). There’s no denying the travel size is tiny, but it’s a nice introduction if you’re yet to try the viral magic cream formula, and all are great for popping in your travel toiletries bag.
Completing your party season full-face of glam, it’s capped off with a travel-size airbrush flawless setting spray (£32, Charlottetilbury.com). The cult formula is a bestseller for good reason – setting your make-up from morning to night.
You can shop the Charlotte Tilbury advent calendar exclusively on the beauty brand’s app from today, days before it becomes available online and in-store on Friday 12 September.
Buy now £175.00, Charlottetilbury.com
The verdict: Charlotte Tilbury beauty treasure chest
Arriving in Charlotte Tilbury’s recognisably glamorous (some might say gaudy) packaging, you’ll be gifted 12 of the beauty brand’s most lauded products if you choose to invest in the £175 calendar. The five full-size buys are a real treat, with hall-of-fame formulas like the lip cheat liner, collagen lip gloss, beauty light wand blush and exagger-eyes mascara. The skincare offering is less exciting, with the three travel-size formulas efficacious but minuscule – my tests found that you’ll probably get through them all in less than a week. However, if you’re a Charlotte Tilbury fan or a make-up obsessive, there is plenty to delight you in December. I predict a bestseller, darling.