A beauty advent calendar is a large box with drawers, that count down the days to Christmas. Each box has a product that is typically skincare, make-up, fragrance etc. Generally the size of the products is smaller than normal retail sizes.
Most British retailers will produce a Christmas advent calendar, promising much savings, but they would do a better job advertising it as an “experience” of using some old/new products at a cost that is not crippling.
My aim is to enable you to decide whether a calendar is providing you with value for money (because contrary to what retailers tell you), its not always apparent.
My method is simple: I allocate a monetary value to each item in the calendar starting with the actual retail price for a full-sized product and then making an adjustment for the size in the calendar. E.g., if a 4g lipstick retails at £20 and a calendar contains a 2g travel size, then the value I attribute is £10.
The second step is for you to decide how much of the calendar you will actually use. I never use make-up in calendars, so the face skincare has to be excellent. And honestly, a US$ 100 candle is plain dumb.
Last year’s calendar review: click this LINK
More details
- This cannot be delivered outside the UK and Northern Ireland
- Retail price £225
- Expected value given by F&M is over £750 for 27 products (F&M bunch products together and so on their website they write 25 products). I calculate value of the calendar at £660-£700
- To buy click on this link
- Already on sale. Dispatched from 24 October 2021 onwards
Monetary value breakdown of calendar
Assumptions: All prices are from UK website of Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason or cultbeauty, so VAT inclusive, “A” is the quantity of the full sized product. “B” is the price (£) for the full sized product. “C” is the quantity of the product in the Advent Calendar. “D” is calculated as (C/A)*B. “E” is calculated as D/F expresses as a percentage. P.S. As Alexander Pope wrote, “To err is human, to forgive divine” so my calculations may have errors. Don’t shoot me, tell me
Split between categories
- Skincare for face: £330 (50%)
- Body care: £201 (30%)
- Fragrance: £54 (8%)
- Aromatherapy and haircare £41 (6%)
My view
I calculate the value of the calendar to be £660 and yes, unfairly allocate no value to that ridiculous washbag. But F&M write the value of the products is over £750, which means that they are attributing a value of £90 to a washbag. Its just odd.
This is a really well-curated calendar, that tapes into the biggest beauty trend this year: home pampering. Its full of products that you would treat yourself to over a pandemic.
My main problem with this calendar is twofold:
- Its not available for delivery outside the UK.
- I really don’t like the skincare content. I don’t see the point of a £500 face cream (3Lab WW Face cream) which is eating into the £660 value. Also, I am not going to use any of the body care, aromatherapy or home fragrance products. However, many readers last year kept asking me were there calendars that included home fragrances etc…so I think F&M may be onto something.
Complete list of products
1. Sol de Janeiro Hair Mask Cream, 75ml
2. Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Cream, 25ml
3. 3Lab WW Face Cream, 15ml
4. Cult51 Night Cream, 20ml
5. Cult51 Day Cream, 20ml
6. Instant Effects Instant Eye Lift Serum, 8ml
7. Escentric Molecules Escentric 05 Eau de Toilette, 30ml
8. Fortnum & Mason 1707 Lilas Eau de Parfum, 10ml
9. Dr Vranjes Ginger & Lime Room Spray, 25ml
10. Dr Vranjes Rosso Nobile Room Spray, 25ml
11. Fortnum & Mason Votive Christmas Candle, 75g
12. Bramley Sleep Spray, 100ml
13. Bramley Mini Calm Balm, 15g
14. Olverum Nourishing Body Oil, 30ml
15. Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Muscle Gel, 150ml
16. Aromatherapy Associates Support Breath Bath & Shower Oil, 55ml
17. Fortnum & Mason Pomegranate Rose Hand Sanitiser, 30ml
18. Kure Bazaar Organic Cuticle Oil, 10ml
19. Elizabeth Scarlett Black Bee Velvet Makeup Bag
20. Gallinée Prebiotic Face Vinegar, 200ml
21. Gallinée Soothing Cleansing Cream, 200ml
22. ESPA Positivity Bath & Shower Gel, 50ml & ESPA Soothing Pulse Point Oil, 9ml 23. ESPA Refining Skin Polish, 55ml
24. MZ Skin Anti-Pollution Illuminating Eye Mask & MZ Skin Hydra-Bright Golden Eye Treatment Mask
25. Wildsmith Active Repair Copper Peptide Cream, 15ml