It’s October, and that means we’re firmly in the leadup to Christmas and the Holiday beauty releases. To be fair, I have not been as inundated with releases as I have been in the past, mainly due to the fact that I’m less active than I used to be.
In my case, I’m happy about it. Being bombarded with new releases and new Christmas releases day after day, with the not-so-subtle suggestion to get people to buy-buy-buy was off-putting.
It is with a bit of disconcert however, that I notice that the trend of beauty advent calendars isn’t dying out. If anything, it seems to be growing in popularity, with more brands (and even stores!) jumping on the bandwagon.
Well, call me a grinch, but I’d tell you to save your money, and spend it on some proper beauty products and fragrances instead 😛
An advent calendar, as most of us know by now, is a kit filled with 24 little treats, to be opened in the lead-up to Christmas. It originally was filled with sweets and chocolate, which I think is a great way to go about this. Who doesn’t look forward to a little sweet treat at the end of the day? 🙂
About 5-6 years or so ago, the beauty industry decided to make beauty advent calendars – 24 little beauty treats to be opened each day in the lead up to Christmas. A cute little idea, but then it started becoming quite outrageous as the luxury brands got in the game.
Why pay good money for samples?
The thing that bugs me most about beauty advent calendars is that they’re primarily filled with samples or sample-sized products. In theory, it’s a good way to try what the brand has to offer.
In practice, what you get is 24 little bottles/jars of products that clutter up the place, and do not leave lasting impressions.
What I’ve also noticed is that many brands like to make their sample bottles/jars mini sizes of their full-sized counterparts. What this sometimes translates to is the lack of usability. A large bottle housing a shower gel works. A mini 5ml bottle with a tiny little hole, filled with thick gel doesn’t.
You really are paying a lot of good money for product samples that you could otherwise receive as gifts with purchase, or as a complimentary trial product.
For the brands, very often, it’s product samples that already exist or are manufactured, and simply repackaged. It’s not as if they make new or unique products for the advent calendars. It’s almost akin to someone just looking around them, picking out whatever excess product they have lying around, and putting it into a nice box, and selling it at a premium.
That’s pretty much a beauty advent calendar, in a nutshell 😛
Essentially, you are paying good money for the privilege to try a selection of 24 product samples, to decide what suits you best or what you like, so you can then spend even more money on the full-sized version.
You may end up with products that don’t suit you or are ‘junk’
Samples in advent calendars are one-size-fits-all. I’ve noticed that they’re often filled with a smattering of a brands’ popular product, coupled with other less popular products. Granted, it’s a way for the brand to introduce a less popular product to the masses.
On the flipside, it’s also a way to get rid of excess products that are less popular. It depends how cynical you are 😛
As beauty advent calendars are tailored for the masses, they usually are made to be enjoyed by most people. If it was a perfume, I can understand how it works. With scent, a sample is perfect for you to decide if you like or hate it.
With skincare, it’s harder, and it’s worth noting that most beauty advent calendars center around skincare. Depending on the type of skin you have, or your age for that matter, you may find that you are only able to use a selection of the samples in your advent calendar.
I posit that a beauty advent calendar for perfumes and perhaps bath and body products make the most sense, for they are products that almost everyone can use, and it’s easy to figure out whether or not you’d want to buy a full sized version.
However I’d draw the line at a fragrance-based advent calendar like the one Jo Malone or Diptyque makes, for it is often filled with other ‘cheaper’ items like mini candles, body lotions and body washes, that bring the value down. The real value in those brands are in their fragrances, and you don’t usually get very many fragrances in an advent calendar that costs 3-4 times more than buying a full-sized bottle of perfume.
If anyone remembers the brouhaha in 2021 over the Chanel Advent Calendar (that supposedly wasn’t), you’d remember just how much ‘junk’ it contained, from tiny little notepads, to paper clips and stickers. The official line was that it was filled with memorabilia targeted at fans of No. 5 perfume, as they were celebrating 100 years of No. 5. But the messaging was terribly poor and lost everyone at its US$1000 price tag, so it was roundly panned by most, except for those who received it gratis 😛
When I saw the contents, I recognised some of the items from press gifts from past collections, so it did feel like they saw some leftover items lying around, and decided to package it into a fancy box and sell it for a lot of money. If that isn’t capitalism at its best, I don’t know what is 😛
But that’s the ‘beauty’ of a beauty advent calendar, even from a luxury brand. You may end up with things that have little to no value, and you’ve already paid lots of good money for it.
The waste generated is incredible
Aside from encouraging over-consumption, what bugs me about beauty advent calendars is the waste generated. Little sample bottles, tubes and tubs that are quickly thrown away, and the amount of packaging to ensure that each item is held securely in its little window. Not to mention also the cost of packing and transportation, because some of these items are large and heavy. This more so with the luxury brands, because perceived value lies in the heft and size of the box.
I don’t claim to be the greenest person in the room, and even I am appalled at how much cardboard and throwaway plastic is in each beauty advent calendar. While it’s easy to say it can be recycled, I’m not sure how much of it is truly recyclable, and how much of it just ends up in landfills, because it’s too expensive or complicated to recycle.
There’s no more surprise in a beauty advent calendar
In the early days, when the advent calendars were released closer to December, there was a fun little element of surprise as to what to expect behind each window. A friend used to share a daily ‘unboxing’ of her advent calendar throughout December, and it was good fun.
These days, you know exactly what is in the calendar, and they’re released so early (as early as September sometimes) that the whole meaning behind the calendar is lost. Who will buy an advent calendar in October and keep it for 2 months, to be ‘surprised’ in December? No one, I’d warrant.
You also have so many people doing ‘unboxing’ of their advent calendars, or who are given it gratis to share on their social media platforms, that there is no more element of surprise. Just head to YouTube, pop in advent calendar in the search, and you’ll be bombarded by videos of people telling you “The best Advent Calendar of 2022” or “Which advent calendar should you buy?”
As much as I think this trend should die out, I don’t think it will. If anything, it’s a huge money spinner for beauty brands, and everyone will try to outdo the other each year. In the last 2 years, a number of luxury brands have gotten on the bandwagon, with very expensive advent calendars, that are quickly snapped up for the novelty factor.
For some people, they perceive a luxury beauty advent calendar to be a ‘treat’ because it allows them to try samples from a brand they’d otherwise not try. I don’t think this is the right mindset however, as my survey shows that the prices of these luxury calendars (locally at least) are too high to be a ‘treat’. You’d be better off going to the store, asking to try the various products you’re interested in, and buying the full sizes to truly enjoy and derive the most benefit.
Money is hard to come by, and if the economists are right, it will only get harder in the coming year or two. Put your money to work harder by buying some full-sized, high quality products this Holidays, and don’t get sucked into the commercial hype of throwaway advent calendars.
Except maybe the chocolate ones.
(You can get them on sale on Boxing Day 😀 )
Have you ever bought a beauty advent calendar?
I haven’t and I know I will never buy one. I was gifted one one year, and I’m still finding random samples from it today, that I know I won’t use, but don’t know what to do with them LOL I might however, be more inclined to get an edible advent calendar with say 24 luxury chocolates. A little edible treat for 24 days in the lead up to Christmas sounds like fun 😀
Paris B
Hi Paris B, yes, you are right! Who will buy the advent calendar & keep it for 2 months to use? Even my kid doesn’t want to do so. I’m not sure why I’m never interested in advent calendar since it’s first launched. As we get older and wiser, I feels like collecting samples are actually junks too. End up some expired and have to give away quickly. I do keep shampoo, conditioners and perfume for travel use but it’s also a very slow turnover. You are right, all this are not free, we paid for it! So, why need to pay more for advent calendar then? 😉 kids version of advent calendar is much better, they have chocolate, Lego toys, socks & art crafts. But only 1 type is enough for you to use for whole year. Save your monies to buy full size!
You are actually so right about collecting samples. I used to have a huge pile for “when I travel” but since we haven’t been able to in these recent years, they’re all expired, and the worst part is that we don’t even know if they’re expired! The only samples I appreciate for travel now are shampoo and body washes because I can’t always use the hotel ones. But for the face, I prefer to just bring my own full size bottles or decant a little just for the few days. Chocolate advent calendars are the best really. Once you eat them, they’re gone and there’s no more clutter haha!
Beauty Advent calendars are too expensive. I have never bought one. The only Advent calendar I ever bought was one filled with chocolate (from Marks & Spencer).
I prefer to buy a Christmas “coffret” (popular in France and Japan). Coffrets come in different price points and they have full sized products of skincare or makeup. They are much more targeted, too, so you don’t get things you don’t care for. The packaging is prettier and more environmental.
I’d happily buy an advent calendar filled with food! At least I can just eat a treat all my way through December 😀 I think most brands do coffrets too, sold usually as a set. It’s definitely better value if there are products you already use in there. I used to stock up on essentials that way
Hi Paris! Thanks for the insightful write-up!
I do admit that I DID NOT KNOW Advent calendars were so expensive!!
I’ve seen them around while window shopping, and while they are cute, by Christmas most beauty companies have a holiday collection/ hamper/ GWP or equivalent, which can be slightly cheaper than full size products.
Now with samples readily available online (which is another topic……..), who would pay for random stuff when you can choose your own to your liking?!
If anyone came out with a tea sampler version, I might shell out the bucks though 🙂
In France, DAMANN Frères brings out an Advent Calendar with tea samples every year and even though it is ridiculously expensive I do buy and love it…..it is just so nice to open those little doors and have a cup of tea…
Otherwise, I do agree that the beauty related calendars are hyped but not worth it. Considering the amount of wasted paper and plastics, and the fact that usually 50% of the content is nothing I like, I don’t buy them anymore. Last year, I made a calendar for my husband (just wrapped with numbers on each piece and decorated on a large platter) with chocolates, some cosmetics and….warm socks. He liked it, I might do that again this year.
I love the advent calendar you made for your husband! That is so thoughtful and so sweet too!
Incidentally, I think there are tea advent calendars out there! I just don’t know if they’re brought in locally. Might have to check the local tea houses (wherever they may be – no clue cos I don’t drink tea! 😛 ) And yes, I like the idea of a little surprise, but there’s not much fun when everyone out there has already unboxed the popular advent calendars by October, is there? Haha!
I’ve bought advent calendars early (because otherwise they’re sold out) and managed to control myself until the first of December. But I grew up with traditional advent calendars (no chocolates just little pictures behind each door). Beauty advent calendars do come in all price ranges but since I’m really picky I have resisted the temptation. One year I bought the Atelier Cologne advent calendar which was not in the Malone price range. It was a great introduction to their fragrances and I really loved it (also no cheap fillers). I loved Christmas as a child but as an adult I’m spending it alone and it’s rather depressing, so I try to make the best of advent and a little pick me up each day for three weeks is lovely. That said I switched to stationary advent calendars 😉
Oh I remember the Atelier Cologne one, and I remember thinking it was far better value than usual, because it contained so many scents in there as opposed to incidentals like soaps or lotions. I do like some Atelier Cologne scents – it’s quite underrated as a brand isn’t it? I’m so sorry to hear that Christmas is a lonely time, and if an advent treat can perk up your day daily, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it 🙂 I think stationery calendars are cool too! Again, they’d likely contain an item that you’d use up, and it isn’t as personalised as say, skincare or makeup 🙂
Beauty Advent calendars used to be a big thing for me and yes, I did wait for December first to open the first door. However, I did fall out of love with them since they contain pretty much same to similar products every year or popular brand but meh product. Deep down I have to acknowledge, that I only ever really liked 2-3 products. For a long time the novelty factor made up for a lot, but when I started to realize that I am paying for having the privilege to be advertised to aka receiving usually “free” Samples, I completely stopped being interested. I was still in the market for the Elemis calendar though, feel a bit like a sucker for this, as it seems it contains a few Samples of a discontinued range …. what a scam
Yes, they always contain their ‘bestselling products’ which is understandable, but it is usually the same year on year. I can’t believe Elemis included samples of items they no longer sell! What a strange marketing concept
It’s that time of year again lol. I will never buy a beauty advent calendar, except maybe if it drops to like a 90% discount then I will consider it lol. I have so many GWP sample sizes lying around. I’m talking literally a whole trunk of it that I can’t get through alone and had to give some away. I have accumulated all of this free or free with purchase…so buying these is just a royal waste of money. Also, I do not like the huge packaging either. Even though it is pretty, it is just clutter to me since most of the packaging would still be made of paper (cheap) and thus, not keepsake or display quality. My other valuable decor pieces win my shelf space, not paper beauty advent calendar boxes.