YSL is back with another luxury advent calendar for 2023, priced at £250. With 24 days of premium minis, full-size lipsticks, skincare, and fragrance, it’s one of the most elegant offerings of the season — but is it worth the spend?
Day 1 – Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick – Mini
We’re starting with a classic YSL mini lipstick — the Rouge Pur Couture. While it doesn’t list the shade name on the bullet or box, it’s a gorgeous nudey-mauve that leans toward a deeper everyday tone. The packaging is beautiful and carries that signature luxe feel. This is a great shade for autumn/winter and far more wearable than the slew of reds we saw in previous calendars. A small but polished start.
Day 2 – Dessin Du Regard Waterproof Eye Pencil – Mini
This gel-based pencil glides on effortlessly, perfect for tightlining or smudging along the lash line. In a classic black shade (No. 1), it offers long-lasting wear with an intense finish. Although it’s a miniature, it performs just as well as the full-size and is easy to pop in a bag. A practical, high-quality inclusion.
Day 3 – Black Opium Eau de Parfum – 7.5ml Mini
One of YSL’s most iconic fragrances, Black Opium is a bold, captivating scent. The 7.5ml bottle is perfect for travel or your makeup bag. With notes of black coffee, vanilla, and white flowers, it’s sensual and perfect for evening wear. While this was also in last year’s box, it’s still a standout inclusion.
Day 4 – Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick – Mini (Shade 12 Coral Incandescent)
A glossy coral-toned lipstick that’s perfect for warmer months. The formulation is buttery and hydrating, ideal for adding colour without drying. While the size is tiny, the formula and unique bullet shape make it a fun little addition.
Day 5 – Slim Velvet Radical Lipstick – Full Size (Shade 21 Rouge Paradox)
Our first full-size lipstick is a bold red, rich and vibrant. It’s part of YSL’s Velvet Radical range, offering a semi-matte finish with a creamy, comfortable formula. The square bullet allows precise application, even without a liner. We did receive this exact shade last year — beautiful, but a little repetitive if you're a returning buyer.
Day 6 – Y Eau de Parfum – 10ml
An unexpected entry, this 10ml men’s fragrance is a generous size. With crisp apple, ginger, and sage notes, it’s clean and masculine. While this may not be for the calendar’s core audience, it’s a nice gift or travel option for a partner.
Day 7 – Pure Shots Night Reboot Serum – 7ml Mini
This bi-phase serum targets dullness and texture using glycolic acid and moonlight cactus flower. You shake to activate before applying. While the 7ml size only allows for a few uses, it’s a great way to try a cult YSL skincare item. We did see this last year too.
Day 8 – Pure Shots Hydra Bounce Lotion Essence – 10ml Mini
Another Pure Shots mini, this one hydrates and soothes using orange blossom and vitamin E. The texture is light and comforting, working well as a first skincare step. Small, yes, and another repeat — but still nice for trying the range.
Day 9 – Rouge Pur Couture The Bold Lipstick – Full Size (Shade 1971 Rouge Provocation)
This full-size lipstick is another deep red, leaning into a darker, cooler tone. The formula is infused with red floral oil and grape oil, delivering pigment with comfort. Packaging is signature gold and black — undeniably beautiful. It's a repeat in shade family, though a different formula.
Day 10 – Top Secrets Expert Makeup Remover – Mini
This bi-phase eye makeup remover is oil-based and ideal for breaking down stubborn mascara and eyeliner. It’s effective but tiny — enough for maybe a week of use. While high performance, the miniature size makes this feel more like a trial sachet than a proper gift.
Day 11 – Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick – Full Size (Shade 121 Beige Satin)
Finally, a full-size lipstick in a neutral tone! This beige satin shade offers a glossy finish and plumped look. The balm-like texture is perfect for everyday wear, and the golden casing is one of the prettiest in the YSL line.
Day 12 – Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils – Mini (Shade Black)
A volumising mascara with a dramatic finish. The curved brush helps coat each lash evenly, delivering a fuller look without clumping. While a repeat from last year, it's still one of the best YSL mascaras.
Day 13 – Tuxedo Eau de Parfum – 7.5ml Mini
A gender-neutral fragrance with earthy, spicy tones — think patchouli, coriander, and violet leaf. Tuxedo is elegant and sultry, and the mini glass bottle feels luxurious. One of the standout fragrance additions.
Day 14 – Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick – Mini (Shade Unlisted – Likely Rouge Muse)
A fourth red lipstick. The formula is creamy and well-loved, but with little variation in tone across the reds, it’s becoming a bit much. Still, the quality is there, and the packaging always feels special.
Day 15 – Lash Clash Mascara – Mini
One of YSL’s more recent mascara launches, Lash Clash offers major volume with a jet-black payoff. It layers beautifully without flaking, and the mini is a great intro if you’ve not tried it before. A solid mid-calendar item.
Day 16 – La Nuit de L’Homme Eau de Toilette – 10ml Mini
Another men’s fragrance — this time deeper and spicier. With lavender and black pepper, La Nuit de L'Homme is seductive yet sophisticated. A repeat gift option, or useful if you like to wear more traditionally masculine scents.
Day 17 – Or Rouge Essential Cream – 7ml Mini
This saffron-infused cream costs a whpping £310 for the full size, making this 7ml mini worth its weight in gold. The Or Rouge Essential Cream targets signs of ageing, boosts firmness and elasticity, and is luxurious in both feel and effect. Despite the tiny size, it feels like a real indulgence.
Day 18 – Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick – Full Size (Shade 150 Nude Lingerie)
A soft nude in a glossy, hydrating formula — one of the more wearable lipsticks in the calendar. It feels silky on the lips and complements a wide range of skin tones. A refreshing break from the red-heavy lineup.
Day 19 – Pure Shots Soft Polish Double Essence – 10ml Mini
A new addition to the Pure Shots range, this exfoliating toner blends AHA, LHA and argan oil to gently smooth and hydrate. It’s a great pre-serum treatment step. Again, very small — good for sampling, but you won’t see long-term results from this alone.
Day 20 – Mon Paris Eau de Parfum – 7.5ml Mini
A sweet, fruity floral that’s bright and feminine. With pear, white flowers and patchouli, Mon Paris is youthful and easy to wear. The miniature bottle is beautiful and collectable. One of the better fragrance picks.
Day 21 – Pure Shots Eye Reboot Serum – 5ml Mini
Designed to brighten, hydrate, and reduce puffiness around the eyes. Pure Shots Eye Reboot Serum contains caffeine and micro-pearls to instantly refresh. While the mini size limits trial time, it’s a smart skincare pick, and pairs nicely with the other Pure Shots items.
Day 22 – Gold Snowflake Handheld Mirror
A beautifully designed mirror matching the calendar’s snowflake motif. It's heavy, gold-toned, and elegant. While last year’s mirror came on a keyring, this year’s is more of a vanity item — not overly useful for travel, but undeniably pretty.
Day 23 – Libre Eau de Parfum – 7.5ml Mini
One of YSL’s most popular female fragrances, Libre combines lavender, orange blossom and vanilla for a bold, feminine scent. This 7.5ml mini is the perfect size for your handbag and looks chic on display.
Day 24 – Slim Leather Matte Lipstick – Full Size (Shade 1966)
Ending with another full-size lipstick, this one in a matte formula and classic red shade. It’s similar to earlier shades — and was also included last year. While it’s undeniably elegant and wearable, the repetition is hard to ignore.
The YSL Advent Calendar 2023 delivers luxury in look and feel — but the contents are a mixed bag. There are five full-size lipsticks, all stunning in packaging, but with heavy repetition in red tones, especially for those who bought last year’s edition.
There’s more fragrance this year, including six perfumes — and two are men’s scents. The inclusion of luxury skincare minis (especially the Or Rouge cream) adds sophistication, even if the sizes are small. But a lack of variety (eight lipsticks total) and numerous repeats make this feel less exciting overall.
If you're new to YSL, this calendar is a great introduction across categories: lip, fragrance, skincare, and eye makeup. But returning customers may find the overlap with last year a little disappointing. Beautifully presented but perhaps better suited as a collector’s piece or luxe gift.
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