Cult Beauty Advent Calendar 2026 Review

Christmas has come early because today I’m opening the Cult Beauty Advent Calendar 2026, and there’s quite a lot to unpack. I’ve got the Special Edition, worth over £1100, with 38 beauty and fragrance products hidden inside an absolutely gorgeous box. So let’s go drawer by drawer and see what’s actually worth getting excited about.

Westman Atelier Eye Want You Mascara in Black (Full Size, worth £42) – an ultra-clean, buildable mascara that lengthens, defines and volumises lashes, with a gentle formula suitable for sensitive eyes. I love the brand, so I’m really looking forward to trying it.

In the next drawer, we have two products:

• Fugazzi Pomegranoudh Extrait de Parfum (10ml, worth £40) – a fragrance with top notes of pomegranate, red fruits, and bergamot, middle notes of oud and patchouli, and base notes of amber, vanilla, and musk. It smells interesting, with pomegranate and red fruits followed by oud and amber. I’m saving it for the colder months.
• Escentric Molecules M01 (10ml, worth £20) – a fragrance that features a single note, Iso E Super. It adapts to your skin chemistry, creating a subtle, fresh scent that works well on its own or layered with other fragrances.

KAYALI Freedom Musk Santal 34 EDP (10ml, worth £28.00) – a fragrance with top notes of mandarin, bergamot, and pink pepper, middle notes of freesia, lily, and lavender, and base notes of musk, sandalwood, amber, and vetiver. Honestly, this one is a miss for me, just like every KAYALI fragrance I’ve tried so far.

Dr. LEVY Switzerland Overnight Booster Cream (20ml) – a velvety moisturiser that nourishes the skin and helps protect against the appearance of fine lines. The formula is enriched with niacinamide, panthenol, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, squalane, shea butter, borage seed oil, argania spinosa callus culture extract, bengal coffee cell extract, and apple cell extract.

VIEVE Super Skin Nova (50ml, Full Size, worth £39.00) – a multi-tasking moisturiser and primer packed with 33 skin-loving ingredients, including niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and ceramides, to help deliver intense hydration. It leaves my skin hydrated and glowy and works really well under makeup. It also works well under a skin tint for added luminosity or as a base under foundation.

L’Occitane Amande (Almond) Shower Oil (35ml) – a luxurious shower oil that transforms into a softening milk on contact with water. The formula contains grape seed oil, sweet almond oil, and sunflower seed oil. I’ve been using this for years, especially during the colder months. It leaves my skin feeling really soft and moisturised, and I absolutely love the scent.

In the next drawer, we have two products:

• Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer (10ml, worth £18.00) – a gel primer that holds makeup for up to 12 hours. It’s enriched with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, betaine, sorbitol, hemp seed extract, cactus extract, agave extract and sweet cherry extract. I enjoy using this primer in the colder months as it creates a tacky, smooth and hydrating base that grips makeup and helps it stay in place without making my skin feel dry.
• MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Color Crayon (Full Size, worth £28.00) – a multi-tasking, pigmented, long-wearing colour crayon with a blendable, semi-matte finish in Wherever Walnut, a warm rose shade. The formula seems really nice. It’s creamy, blendable, and buildable.

In the next drawer, we have two more products:

• Allies of Skin Advanced Clarifying Serum (30ml, Full Size, worth £94) – a multi-tasking serum that helps target the appearance of enlarged pores, blackheads, whiteheads, excess sebum, rough skin texture, uneven tone, dark spots, post-blemish hyperpigmentation, and dullness. I’ve tried this serum before, and it works really well on my skin. It makes my skin look noticeably smoother, gives it a healthy, dewy glow and helps even out my skin tone. It also keeps blemishes at bay and reduces redness.
• Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum (8ml) – a preventative serum to help strengthen the skin barrier, improve radiance, and protect against future visible signs of ageing. The formula is enriched with betaine, honey, natto gum, taurine, adenosine, vitamin C, Scutellaria baicalensis root extract, peony extract, Rehmannia extract, cocoa extract, ginseng root extract, lotus flower extract, jujube fruit extract, walnut seed extract, plum fruit extract, madecassoside, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, mondograss extract, Solomon’s seal extract, and white lily extract.

In the next drawer, we have another two products:

• Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid 100 Moisturising Cream (30ml, Full Size, worth £12) – a moisturising cream formulated with PDRN, hyaluronic acid, and hydrolysed collagen to deliver deep hydration, revitalise the skin, and leave the complexion with a healthy, dewy glow.
• Laneige Cream Skin Cerapeptide Mist (30ml, worth £10.50) – a milky facial mist formulated with ceramides, squalane, meadowfoam seed oil, tremella extract, green tea extract, tsubaki extract, hyaluronic acid, and acetyl tetrapeptide-11. I’ve used this mist before and really like it. It feels fresh and moisturising on the skin.

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray (34ml, worth £21) – an alcohol-free, oil-free makeup setting spray. This is one of my favourite setting sprays. It keeps my makeup in place all day and gives my skin a beautiful natural satin finish.

The Ordinary Multi-Active Delivery Essence (100ml, Full Size, worth £10.60) – a hydrating essence designed to increase the penetration of skincare ingredients. This is another product I’ve tried before and liked. It works well in my morning routine before a niacinamide serum and seems to help everything sink in more easily without any pilling. It also leaves my skin feeling softer, more hydrated, and refreshed.

In the next drawer, we have two products:

• Elemis Pro-Collagen Skin Protection Fluid SPF50 (15ml, worth £26.00) – an advanced, hydrating sunscreen that offers broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays, helping to prevent fine lines, wrinkles, and uneven pigmentation. I love trying new sunscreens, so I’m looking forward to giving it a try.
• 111SKIN Rose Gold Eye Mask (worth £13.00) – hydrogel eye patches that refresh and brighten the under-eye area. The formula features allantoin, panthenol, niacinamide, trehalose, hydrolyzed collagen, centella asiatica extract, rosa extract, pomegranate extract, and hydrolyzed yeast protein. I’m always excited to find 111SKIN masks in beauty boxes and advent calendars because they work well but are quite pricey.

Medik8 Advanced Pro-Collagen+ Peptide Cream (50ml, Full Size, worth £82) – a night cream formulated to improve visible firmness and elasticity while reducing the appearance of deep-set lines. It features polyglutamic acid, encapsulated endonuclease, Anti-A.G.E. Peptide (carnosine), an NAD+ Longevity Booster, and GF MiniProtein™. Medik8 is one of my favourite skincare brands, so I’m excited to give this one a try.

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops (15ml, worth £18.00) – a glow-boosting serum that delivers instant radiance and helps brighten the skin over time. It’s a nice product that gives my skin a boost of hydration and leaves it looking healthy and radiant. It works well under makeup and doesn’t pill at all, which is a huge plus.

PATRICK TA Major Headlines – Double-Take Cream + Powder Blush Duo (Full Size, worth £42) – a cream and powder blush duo in a vibrant blue pink shade. I already have the shades Not Too Much and Just Enough, and I can genuinely say the formula is amazing. The shade is too bright for me, but I think it could work well for blush tailoring.

In the next drawer, we have two products:

• Maria Nila Head & Hair Heal Soothing Scalp Serum (50ml, Full Size, worth £32) – a cooling scalp serum enriched with hyaluronic acid, caffeine, aloe vera, apigenin, peptides, and peppermint extract to moisturise and soothe the scalp and help relieve dryness, itching and flaking. I get an itchy scalp from time to time, so I’m always interested in trying new scalp products.
• Davines Oi All-in-One Milk (50ml, worth £20.50) – a multifunctional leave-in treatment milk that helps control frizz, protect against heat, and soften the hair, leaving it shiny and silky. It makes my fine hair feel soft and doesn’t weigh it down, but honestly, I’m not a huge fan of the scent of the OI range.

In the next drawer, we have two more products:

• K18 Biomimetic Hairscience AirWash Dry Shampoo (47ml, worth £24.00) – a non-aerosol dry shampoo that uses patented technology to leave no excess build-up or white cast. I’ve tried this product before. It doesn’t meet my expectations when it comes to absorbing oil or making my hair feel cleaner. It also doesn’t add any real volume or freshness to my fine hair. Once it dries, my hair doesn’t feel greasy, but it doesn’t feel particularly good either.
• Amika Soulstruck Nourishing Leave-in Dry Hair Mask (30ml) – a dry leave-in mask that softens, moisturises, and strengthens the hair. The formula is enriched with vegan silk protein, jojoba seed oil, murumuru seed butter, sea buckthorn oil, crambe seed oil, avocado oil, sunflower seed oil, persimmon extract, cocoa extract, banana extract, and pineapple extract. This product looks interesting, and I’m looking forward to trying it.

In the next drawer, we have three products:

• By Terry Brightening CC Serum Mini-To-Go in Sunny Flash (15ml, worth £33.00) – a radiance-boosting primer that brightens and evens out the skin tone. I’ve used this in Shade 1, Rose Elixir, and really liked it. I wore it on its own for a flawless, no-makeup look. The formula is very lightweight and leaves my skin looking glowy and fresh. However, this shade looks too dark for me.
• RMS Beauty Luminizer (Full Size, worth £40.00) – a blendable and buildable creamy highlighter in Crystal Slipper, a transparent shade with a soft golden glow. It’s a perfect neutral shade for my skin tone, looks lovely, and gives a very natural finish.
• Huda Beauty Lip Contour 2.0 (Full Size, worth £20) – a matte lip pencil with a retractable tip and an ultra-glide formula in the shade Warm Brown. I’m not the biggest fan of this brand, and this lip pencil didn’t really change my mind. It applies smoothly, but the staying power isn’t particularly impressive.

Saie Mini Dew Blush (7ml, worth £16.00) – a blendable and buildable mini liquid cream blush in Chilly, a mauve shade. I’m obsessed with this product and have it in Peachy, Spicy, Cutie, and Baby. It has a wonderful lightweight formula, yet it’s super pigmented and leaves such a pretty dewy finish. I’m really happy to have another shade to try, and while the colour is beautiful, my favourite shade is still Peachy.

In the next drawer, we have two products:

• BYOMA Foaming Rice Deep Cleanser (175ml, Full Size, worth £13.99) – a rice cleanser that starts as a foam and transforms into a bouncy, cloud-like lather on contact with water, helping to remove impurities and excess oil from the skin. Infused with the brand’s Barrier Lipid Complex, it helps protect and maintain the skin barrier while cleansing. It’s a nice cleanser, but unfortunately I can’t stand the smell.
• Paula’s Choice PRO Retinaldehyde Dual-Retinoid Treatment (30ml, Full Size, worth £63) – a high-potency dual-retinoid treatment formulated with 0.1% retinaldehyde (retinal) and 0.16% Adapinoid®. I’ve tried this one before and really liked it. It leaves my skin looking smoother, more even, and noticeably brighter without causing any irritation or dryness.

Hourglass Unlocked Satin Crème Lipstick (Full Size, worth £42) – a satin lipstick in Sahara, a warm red shade. I absolutely love the formula. It feels so hydrating and comfortable on the lips. However, the shade doesn’t suit me.

In the next drawer, we have two products:

• Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Liquid Blurring Balm Setting Spray (50ml, worth £20) – a weightless, blurring setting spray that sets makeup and refines skin texture. This product is truly amazing! It mattifies without being drying and really does blur the skin.
• Kilian Angels’ Share Eau de Parfum (7.5ml, worth £39.00) – a fragrance with a top note of cognac, middle notes of cinnamon, tonka bean, oak, and Hedione, and base notes of vanilla, praline, sandalwood, and candied almond. I love this scent. It’s addictive and delicious, and such a perfect fragrance for autumn.

In the next drawer, we have two products:

• Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 68 Perfume Mist (90ml, Full Size, worth £25.00) – a hair and body mist with notes of jasmine, pink dragonfruit, lychee, and vanilla, with a hint of musk. It is one of my favourite SDJ fragrances (yes, I’m a fan of the Beija Flor range). This sweet but not overpowering floral scent reminds me of Baccarat Rouge 540. For me, it is perfect for spring and summer. It has good staying power for a body mist and lasts even longer on clothes.
• Color Wow Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer (50ml, worth £11.00) – a volumising foam that adds body to fine, thin, flat hair without disturbing the cuticle, leaving it looking thicker, healthier, and fuller. I love this type of hair product, so I’m interested to see how it compares with my favourite styling mousse from Davines.

In the next drawer, we have two products:

• Gisou Honey Gloss Ceramide Therapy Hydrating Shampoo (75ml, worth £12.00) – a shampoo formulated with Fermented Mirsalehi Honey, ceramides and AHAs, designed to balance the scalp’s microbiome for stronger, glossier hair. I love this duo. The shampoo leaves my hair fresh and clean without making it feel stripped. It also doesn’t tangle my fine hair and leaves it smooth and shiny. I really like the scent too.
• Gisou Honey Gloss Ceramide Therapy Hydrating Conditioner (50ml, worth £12.00) – a conditioner formulated with Fermented Mirsalehi Honey and silk protein to detangle, strengthen and polish strands for smoother, glossier hair. The conditioner is great. It smooths frizz and leaves my hair soft and shiny without weighing it down.

Sunday Riley Tidal Deep Hydration and Plumping Serum (30ml, Full Size, worth £70) – a hydrating serum formulated with five types of hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid, plumping peptides, and lotus-powered vegan mucin. I tried this last year and liked it. It feels lightweight, sinks in quickly and leaves my skin feeling soft, hydrated and refreshed.

Shop here: cultbeauty.co.uk, cultbeauty.com

PR sample/Gifted