Conflicted by beauty advent calendars

[principalskinna]

And other sorts, I suppose,

Is this just more crap and waste and pollution and consumerism?
I speak as someone who likes small things and likes beauty products, a lot 😬
Then you think how much they cost, and think " oh God, I just buy two or three of the items that I know I like and try the rest in store"
A member of my family is in charge of doing them and let me just tell you that she's already sorting out some of the ones for brands for next Christmas and that just seems dreadful as well.
I know it's a first world problem, and I know that not obligatory and I'm just musing out loud (so don't give me any of that stuff) but do you think it's time for them to jump the shark?

Is this just more crap and waste and pollution and consumerism?

Yes

I used to be a sucker for all those "free" or bargain gift sets you would get with perfume or make up purchases in department stores. Little bottles of stuff that I wouldn't have bought otherwise and lipsticks or blusher, always in too dark a shade for me. So they would be mostly given away. Ive only ever had a couple of beauty advent calendars, but it was a very similar story. Tiny samples of stuff that end up rolling around in drawers.
Cuteness and novelty.

Each to their own I think.

I've never bought them before but will be buying non food advent calendars this year due to health issues of one DC. I dont want him to miss out by not having one so will choose an alternative. Or maybe make my own..

If people like and can afford them, I think its quiet nice to have a treat every day through a cold, dark December.

Oh yeah, the food ones are a bit different. The bon Maman jam one is just a delight. It's just the beauty ones and I find myself drawn to them like an addict and then think what the hell am I doing?

Each to their own. Wasteful consumerism is only possible if you let it in.

I bought 3 advents last year and 2 the year before. Loved them. Gifted a few things, sold a couple, and found a few treasures. I'm not buying any this year as I'm still working through some things, but its all ordered and going to be used (and in date)

The trick to avoid waste is to open and use one thing at a time and dont save for best. I sorted into boxes for hair, body and makeup and only ever have one of each thing out at once. Use it, lose it, replace it.

I don't have five different body washes and shampoos for his, hers and the kids. Consequently my 10yo loves K18 😆

Some of the stuff not to your taste can be packaged together for school raffles. Like head massagers or nail polishes. A lot of it is good quality and serves a purpose.

I’ve never had a full on advent calendar but I do really like some of the kits and boxes you can get throughout the year.

It’s nice to try a smaller version of something before you commit to purchasing the full version (sometimes £££ for the big one). They’re also really useful for holidays as I tend to do a couple of hand luggage only flying holidays a year plus trips in the UK where I want to keep my bag manageable.

I bought a cross stitch advent calendar last year and absolutely loved it! And have made all the little decorations that it entailed. Quite pricey, but leaving it this year.

I have done an M and S beauty advent one year - which was fun - but I know what you mean @principalskinna - and it was just a one-off...

Never say never though 😄and I like to look even if I don't buy. Consumerism without the stuff.

What could look like vapid, consumerist nonsense to one person may be a comforting, exciting hobby to another. Who has the mightiest gavel to decide that beauty advent calendars fall into the former, while jam falls into the latter? If it is mindless and wasteful, then it could apply to anything.
I get a lot of joy from skincare and beauty products, and I’m buying a beauty advent calendar this year for the first time. I am excited!
I did buy the jam one last year and I’ve still got some of the jars. I changed my diet quite a lot so there weren’t endless opportunities for toast. They were also very meh for me.

i voted YABU because I buy either the Harrods or SpaceNK one every year and my daughter the lookfantastic one as we genuinely use and love all the products. It lasts us most of the year so I’m still using all the things now and I don’t have to keep buying products through the year. It has also opened me up to swapping staple items in my routine that are more sustainable and better quality products. Had the odd thing over the years I didnt want to keep so I gifted them on for Christmas and always went down well.

hope that helps a different perspective x

I love a beauty advent calendar. My work is always really challenging in December and I look forward to opening it and getting my a little treat everyday to ge me through. I use all the little things when I travel which gives me a little bit of luxury/something new on holiday throughout the year and I give away anything not to my taste.

I agree on the consumerism point.

A member of my family is in charge of doing them and let me just tell you that she's already sorting out some of the ones for brands for next Christmas and that just seems dreadful as well.

But this just seems like sensible planning to me. It must be hard to co-ordinate so many brands to supply product in small millilitre sizes.

I don’t think the beauty ones are ever great, personally. I like the idea of them, I’ve had a couple over the years. End up with loads of mini things, inevitably some that just doesn’t get used/is forgotten about in a drawer somewhere

I think, if someone gave me a trial size body wash for Christmas, I'd be a bit pissed off!
Do you really give these things?

Yes, of course it's sensible @nomas just makes you realise what a big industry it is

It’s a marketing man’s dream designed to be exclusive, a limited run, an prestige item, and to encourage women to spend £££ on a bunch of tester sized products they would never have bothered with ordinarily.

thank you for listening to my TED talk

Only speaking from the ones I buy for myself Harrods or space nk you get atleast 21/22 full-size products. Would never dream of gifting a travel sized item on for a gift. But a full sized product which would cost around £50 to buy alone I have definitely gifted on.
On that note I personally wouldn’t purchase one that contained mostly travel sized products anyway.

Of course it’s wasteful consumerism. Do you need us to tell you that?

I think it depends on how carefully you make your selection. For example I quite like the Holland and Barrett one , it’s normally a mix of full sized products with a few smaller sizes , things I will enjoy using but wouldn’t necessarily treat myself to otherwise , Also I find that there’s enough in it to last me through the year in terms of different skin care products .
Ive found that make up heavy ones aren’t for me as I’m quite stuck in my ways in regards to brands and colours though.

My daughter in law has her birthday just before Christmas. I bought her the OK Beauty calendar last year and gave it to her on the 1st Dec so she could enjoy her birthday every day in Dec as it gets overshadowed - she loved it! Doing the same again this year. She used all the products up so not too wasteful although I know the packaging isn't always ideal..

Is this just more crap and waste and pollution and consumerism? Yes

They are designed to extract a large profit.

I’ve bought the Liberty and Anthropology advent calendars and am waiting for Diptique and
Penhaligons . I like them because it’s nice to try different products and I can try them without needing to buy a full size . I will also gift any bits I’m not keen on They are very expensive though .

Most advertised based on how many full sizes they offer. Last year I gifted a full size Sol De Janeiro spray to my niece, MAC lipstick and lipliner to a friend (as a set) and an Anastasia palette and brushes to my teen niece.

Not exactly trial-sized tat.

Oh, and I flogged the advent boxes on vinted after! So even the boxes were re-used by someone!

It's not though. If you go over to the beauty advent thread, the problems are more that everyone has had the Bum Bum cream, Mac lipliner or AB cream before in previous years.