Benefit ‘The Hotel Beneville Kit’ Advent Calendar
For today’s Calendar Countdown, we’re taking a look at the Benefit ‘The Hotel Beneville Kit’ Advent Calendar.
As always, these posts are based on my own opinion. I’ll be comparing the calendar with previous versions, other advent calendars on the market, and most importantly, whether I think you’ll get your money’s worth from the products inside.
I don’t buy every calendar I feature because, quite honestly, that would be a huge waste of products! Instead, I’m looking at them from the perspective of someone who loves beauty, has years of retail experience, and thinks advent calendars are a great way to discover new brands and try products you might not otherwise pick up.
At a Glance…
- Price: £149.00
- Total Product Value: Over £300.00
- Full-size products: 4 out of 24
- Previous year’s calendar price: £135.00
- Savings: Over £151.00
What does the brand say?
“Ding, ding! Time to check into Beneville’s holiday hotspot, The Hotel Beneville. This won’t be your average stay; it’s a 24-day, five-star escape where you’ve got an all-access pass to a suite life of glam. Behind every door, there’s bestselling beauty, iconic favourites, and a few VIP-only surprises waiting to be unwrapped. So, drop your bags, order room service, and let 24 days of over-the-top holiday magic begin.”
What’s inside?
- BADgal BANG! BIGGER, BADDER Volumising Mascara in Intense Pitch Black | Full Size
- 24-HR Brow Setter 24-hour Invisible Shaping & Setting Gel for Brows | Full Size
- Benetint Rose-Tinted Lip & Cheek Stain in Original Rose | Full Size
- Cookie Golden Pearl Highlighter | Full Size
- Hoola Powder Bronzer in Original | Mini
- Shellie Warm Seashell-Pink Blush | Mini
- Crystah Strawberry Pink Blush | Mini
- BADgal Bounce FULLER, FLUFFIER Volumising Mascara in Pump’d Up Black | Mini
- The POREfessional Super Setter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray | Mini
- The POREfessional Smoothing Primer to Minimise the Look of Pores | Mini
- The POREfessional Deep Retreat Pore-Clearing Clay Mask | Mini
- Roller Lash Super-Curling & Lifting Mascara in Black | Fun Size
- Fan Fest Fanning & Volumising Mascara in Hyper Black | Fun Size
- They’re Real! Beyond Mascara in Jet Black | Fun Size
- Fluff Up Brow Wax Flexible Brow-Texturizing Wax | Fun Size
- Gimme Brow+ Brow-Volumizing Fibre Gel in Shade 3 | Fun Size
- Precisely, My Brow Wax Full-Pigment Sculpting Brow Wax in Shade 3 | Fun Size
- Play Daze Airy Liquid Blush in Willa | Fun Size
- The POREfessional Matte Primer Mattifying Primer to Minimise the Look of Pores | Fun Size
- The POREfessional Smooth Sip Lightweight Smoothing Moisturiser for Pores | Fun Size
- The POREfessional Get Unblocked Pore-Clearing Makeup-Removing Cleansing Oil | Fun Size
- Eye Gotta Glow Hydrogel Undereye Mask
- Mirror
- Hair Clips
How does it compare to last year?
Last year’s Benefit Glam Cube was priced at £135.00 and had a stated product value of £266.00. This year’s calendar has increased by £14.00, taking the price to £149.00, while the stated value has increased to over £300.00.
The number of products has remained the same at 24, but the way those products are presented has changed slightly. This year, Benefit has four full-size products, seven minis, ten fun-size products and three additional extras.
The biggest difference, however, is the packaging. Last year’s Glam Cube had that fun Rubik’s Cube-inspired design, while this year Benefit has gone all-out with The Hotel Beneville, turning the calendar into a 24-day beauty stay. I actually really like the idea behind the theme. It feels very Benefit and gives the calendar a fun, collectable feel.
But there is one area where I think this year’s calendar falls short: the repeats. Compared with last year’s calendar, I count 18 exact product repeats.
That means only six of the 24 products are completely new compared with last year’s calendar. While I appreciate that a brand can have product limitations and some of the returning products are Benefit classics, 18 repeats is a lot when you’re buying another full 24-day calendar.
Who would I recommend this to?
This would be a good choice for you if you:
- Love Benefit Cosmetics
- Are new to the Benefit brand
- Enjoy makeup-focused advent calendars
- Like having a mixture of full-size, mini and fun-size products
- Have £149.00 to spend on a beauty advent calendar
- Don’t already own lots of Benefit products
I’d probably skip it if you:
- Bought last year’s Benefit Glam Cube
- Already own lots of Benefit products
- Want mostly full-size products
- Prefer an advent calendar with a wider variety of brands
- Want to discover completely new products rather than repeat favourites
- Don’t think you’d get £149.00 worth of personal value from the contents
My Thoughts
I have to admit, I was really excited to see what Benefit would do with this year’s advent calendar. Last year’s Glam Cube was one of the more fun designs I looked at, and Benefit has definitely continued that creative approach with The Hotel Beneville.
I actually really like the concept. The idea of checking into a Benefit hotel for 24 days of beauty is fun, and the packaging feels very on-brand for Benefit.
But then I looked at the contents. And this is where I have mixed feelings.
Priced at £149.00, this year’s calendar is £14.00 more expensive than last year’s, while the stated value has increased from £266.00 to over £300.00.
On paper, that’s still a decent saving. You’re getting over £300.00 worth of Benefit products for £149.00, and there are some very recognisable products inside. But here’s my biggest problem. 18 of the 24 products are repeats from last year’s calendar.
That’s a huge amount of overlap.
I completely understand Benefit wanting to include their bestsellers. After all, that’s probably exactly what someone buying their first Benefit advent calendar wants. But if you’re a returning customer who bought last year’s Glam Cube, you’re going to recognise a lot of what you’re opening. And that can be particularly frustrating because there are only four full-size products this year.
The rest of the calendar is made up of minis, fun sizes and the three extras. I don’t necessarily have a problem with that for a Benefit calendar, as the brand has always used its minis and fun sizes as part of its appeal, but at £149.00 I would personally want more full-size products.
I think this is one of those calendars where who you are as a customer makes a huge difference.
If you’ve never owned a Benefit advent calendar before, I can absolutely see the appeal. You’re getting a huge selection of the brand’s best-known products and a chance to try things across brows, lashes, cheeks, lips and complexion.
But if you bought last year’s Glam Cube, I honestly don’t think I could recommend spending another £149.00.
I also think Benefit might be reaching the point where a shorter advent calendar could make more sense. I said something similar in last year’s review, and looking at this year’s contents, I still feel the same way. A 12-day calendar packed with genuinely new products could be much more exciting for existing Benefit fans.
So, while I love the creativity of the packaging and there are some great products here, the number of repeats really lets this year’s calendar down for me.
Do you get your money’s worth?: Monetarily, yes
Calendar Countdown Verdict: Consider
Link to advent: https://www.benefitcosmetics.com/en-gb/product/advent-calendar-ADVENT.html
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As always, thanks for reading…
