I love Christmas out of all proportion and my passion for beauty is self-evident – but I can never summon much excitement for beauty Advent calendars. I’m barely back from summer holidays when the waiting lists open. I do understand the fever. There’s great nostalgic appeal in uncovering a daily treat. And I obviously recognise that for most people, the chance to try lots of new products is a rare thrill rather than an everyday privilege. And retailers are on to the sweetest imaginable deal: obtaining sample sizes at rock bottom prices from extremely eager brands, collating and packaging them beautifully then selling on at anything up to £500 while harvesting some lovely marketing data in the signup process. Everyone is happy, it seems.
But my issue with beauty Advent calendars is similar to my rejection of most beauty subscription boxes: I don’t want the filler items I’d never buy individually. And so when people invariably ask me which calendars represent the best value (this year, I’d say Look Fantastic and The Body Shop, if you can still get your hands on either), I suggest that unless they’d want to buy at least eight of the included items at any other point in the year, they’d be better off opting out or making their own.
