holiday wrap up: beauty advent review (makeup revolution)

Beauty advents are always a good idea. Okay, maybe not always. (Just check out YouTuber Alexandria Ryan's advent calendar reviews for proof of that.) However, the surprise element makes advent calendars of all types an exciting addition to the holiday season. This year, I was gifted a calendar from Makeup Revolution. Since my experience with the brand is limited to The Emily Edit palettes (if you missed them, be sure to check out my reviews of The Wants palette and The Needs palette here on the creation of beauty is art.)....I was excited to try out other items from their line. The advent calendar included a variety of products. There were highlights, strobe creams, lipsticks, and more. Take a peek inside and see which items stood out.

Makeup Revolution Advent Calendar: Packaging

When it comes to packaging, advent calendars can vary dramatically. Some come in large oversize boxes and others quite small and compact. The Revolution advent calendar came in a sizable package that unfolded to reveal two separate sections. One side had products for the first fourteen days of December with the remainder on the other side. While the packaging itself was pretty clunky and large...it needed to be! This calendar was loaded with full sized products rather than a bunch of smaller samples. There are Christmas tree inspired designs on either side with lots of stars, giving it just the right amount of holiday theming. However, there was one drawback to the design. It was really difficult to remove any of the circular products from the actual advent calendar. I found myself really struggling to pop out the products from the clear plastic inside - and even wound up giving myself a paper cut on one of the days. 

Products Included in the Advent Calendar

As you can see, there is a really solid assortment of products included in this specific calendar. There were many different types of highlighting formulas, lipsticks, glosses, eyeshadows, brushes and more. In terms of variety? This holiday offering hit it out of the park. As someone who is fairly new to the brand...it gave me a wonderful opportunity to try out as many different products as possible. Now that you can see everything inside, it it time to break it down. What worked? What didn't? And what are my overall thoughts about the Makeup Revolution brand? Here goes....

Makeup Revolution Advent Calendar: Cream Products

Something I wasn't expecting? The various cream products included inside the calendar. This set had three different creams: Ultra Shine Balm, Strobe Balm in Twist, and Strobe Balm in Flip. To start, the Ultra Shine Balm was decent. Despite the name printed on the back, this is actually an Anti-Shine Balm that can be applied to the skin as a base to create a smooth finish that is free from unwanted shine. This works well and has a nice texture but isn't something I see myself reaching for day in and day out. The Strobe Balms on the other hand, were more in my wheelhouse. Two shades were included, Twist (which has a brighter more golden tone) and Flip (which is more of a holographic pink). Both look gorgeous on the skin and add a stunning amount of shimmer and shine. The creamy texture makes these cream products absolute must-haves for the cold, dry winter months. 

Makeup Revolution Calendar: Powder Bronzer and Highlights

Also included in this advent calendar? Two Baked Highlighters (in the shades Golden Lights and Bronze Lights), one Baked Bronzer, and two Pressed Highlighters (in the shades Golden Opportunity and Bloom). The baked highlighters are pretty and ultra pigmented. They easily add a ton of shine to the skin and have a smooth texture. These are absolutely outstanding and really impressed. As for the baked bronzer, it didn't impress me as much. The shade is quite light and couldn't be used as a bronzer, even on my ultra fair skin. It also has a good amount of shimmer to it so it is better suited for makeup looks where you may want an ultra natural-looking glow to the skin. The pressed highlighters have even more pigmentation than the baked highlights...which is really saying something! If you want a look that is bold and makes a statement, these are certainly worth considering.

Makeup Revolution Calendar: Mini Palette + Eye Primer

Eyeshadow always makes me happy. So it was a nice surprise to find that there was a mini eyeshadow palette included in this advent calendar. This is a smaller palette full of basic neutral shades that is really handy to have on hand. Though the colour selection isn't out-of-this-world....it is always a great idea to have those essentials. I love that you can create a lot of really beautiful everyday looks but there is a dark shade that can take it from day to night. The Illuminating Eye Primer however, was a miss for me. I was excited to try it out but every time I've used it, my makeup wound up creasing long before the end of the day. It isn't a product I can see myself using since it just didn't work for me. 

Makeup Revolution Calendar: Lip Products

Wow. That is the best way to describe the lipsticks included in this particular advent calendar. There were so many - in a wide array of easy to wear shades - and they performed spectacularly. The formula is more like a heavily tinted lip balm. They have a nice amount of pigmentation and the colour can build up with ease. Plus, these are creamy, hydrating, and ultra comfortable on the lips. I absolutely love these for days when you want no fuss, quick, easy, makeup that you don't have to worry about. These are especially perfect for the winter months because they are so hydrating. I am totally obsessed! The lip gloss is also really pretty and the colour is gorgeous. I am not much of a gloss person but this one definitely performs well.

Makeup Revolution Calendar: Reloaded Palette (Authority)

The item that was in the 25th spot was this full sized Makeup Revolution eyeshadow palette. This is the Reloaded palette in Authority. It has a lot of beautiful shades to choose from. There are neutrals, warm tones, metallics, and deeper colours as well. I love that you can create something really simple and soft...or something metallic and smokey. It is suitable for day, night, and in between. My favourite shades from the palette have to be the colours on the bottom row. The shimmer shades are intensely pigmented and have a buttery soft texture. While all the other shades in the palette are impressive, the shimmers are truly outstanding. 

Makeup Revolution Calendar: The Misses

Talk about impressive products. This advent calendar had a ton of fabulous items to choose from. That being said, there were a few that missed the mark. It's not to say that they were awful but simply unexciting. Makeup Revolution included four mini makeup brushes. Not to say they don't have their purpose, but they weren't overly thrilling to open and their small size means they won't get much use from me unless I happen to be travelling. There was also a very basic round mirror, which again, wasn't very exciting. Ditto for the clear lip gloss. There was a liquid highlight that I thought would be an exciting product but unfortunately, the formula was a bit dull. It just didn't look like much of anything when applied. Well...you can't win them all.

All in all, this was a really wonderful beauty advent calendar. Though there were a few not-so-exciting items...there were a ton of products that really took my breath away. Plus the inclusion of a full sized eyeshadow palette. It was a lot of fun to be able to try out so many new beauty products and get a better feel for the Makeup Revolution line. 

Have you tried anything from this brand? Did you open any beauty advents this year?