There is nothing that Sarah Barclay, leading beauty editor and columnist doesn’t know about the beauty industry and more importantly there isn’t a product she hasn’t tested! Luckily for us, she’s here to share her secrets…

 

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Roll up, roll up! Time to start dropping hints about the nicest way to sample beauty goodies. None are cheap but some offer extraordinary value for money once the real cost of the products is totted up. Many will sell out fast, so shoot off the blocks quickly. Whether you are an anti-ageing enthusiast, a Nordic beauty fan or just want a dose of luxury there is plenty of choice. My tip? Don’t treat it as an advent calendar, enjoy it as a Christmas present so the dog days of January are merry and bright.

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HOME SPA Recreate the aromas and rejuvenation of a spa at home with proper spa ingredients in a selection of bath body and skincare formulas. ESPA Beauty Advent Calendar, £145

 

 

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SKIN CARE ENTHUSIAST Low key but excellent. Remind yourself of the classics and sample a few lesser known goodies too. Clarins £60 clarins.co.uk

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LUXURY LADY This is a major indulgence but hard to beat in terms of choice and quality, bursting with top notch, groundbreaking and spoiling  skin care and make-up. 25 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar by Net-a-Porter, £240 netaporter.com

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BEAUTY CONNOISSEUR Always a great mix of brands and you’ll find yourself salivating over the selection. Beautifully packed too. Divided into a party pack and restoration section Space NK Beauty Anthology II, £195 spacenk.com

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FRENCH CHARM  Feel a little bit frilly and Provencal  with the delicious  L’Occitane Classic Advent Calendar, £53 ukloccitane.com

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ECO CHIC Nordic, gentle, vegan and nourishing , Lumene 24 Nordic Beauty Surprises Calendar offers all sorts of treats using Arctic plant ingredients £89.90

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SUGAR PLUM WINNER A sell out last year so get in early if you want to nab one. Fortnum & Mason Beauty Advent Calendar is bursting with lovely luxurious brands £195

 

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⭐️  QUIRKY SOPHISTICATION: It looks beautiful and is bountiful in its selection offering minis and full sized products. Always wonderful with a combination of less well known, spoiling beauty brands Liberty Advent Calendar, £215 libertylondon.com

 

 

 

 

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SARAH BARCLAY is a leading beauty editor and columnist with over 25 years experience working in magazines and newspapers. For 16 years she was Beauty Editor on The Mail on Sunday’s YOU Magazine, writing and styling a weekly news page as well as contributing beauty and lifestyle features for magazines and newspapers. She has written for Vogue, Tatler, The Sunday Times, The Daily Mail, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Madame Figaro and Brides Magazine. Since then, she has contributed to the Daily Mail’s Monday Inspire section, niche publications and websites. She is a journalist, editor, stylist, travel writer, features writer,  copywriter and author. She lives in the English countryside with her family and many animals.

Sarah offers a bespoke Beauty Clinic and Consultancy. Please contact her at Sarahbarclaybeauty.com