Anyone disappointed with beauty advent calendars?

[Holdingtherope]

First world problem, I know but I have hated the Amazon beauty calendar after loving a couple of years ago. The Elemis one is ok and has a full size marine cream I’m worth £80 but the rest is tiny samples and then the green superfood range which I don’t like.

Anyone else? What was the best one this year?

The MAC one is lush! Love it

I feel disappointed - liberty. It’s a lot of money and some of the days have been great but not enough probably for me to purchase next year. It’s a shame, it’s my gift from DH and I use the products through your the year, I hate waste and so will try and swap or give to friends. The make up was really only suitable for specific skin tones and the mascara was a trial size often given as a freebie....
I don’t think unreasonable to expect a bit more when it’s so much money.
My opinion apparently wasn’t in keeping with the liberty thread !

My daughter bought the ASOS beauty calendar on 2nd December when it had been reduced from £70 to £49. Lots of nice products and good sized samples. I loved the Emma Hardie Protect and Primer and have just bought a full size one. She also managed to use her student discount so paid £45, pretty good value if you're prepared to wait until after the 1st.

I got Debenhams and Birchbox. Birchbox was beautifully organized but huge. Ive saved Elle for Jan and its the one Im really looking forward to. The other 2 have yielded some lovely products and I have made an effort to wear some of them immediately - one day I have 5 things on (lipliner, lipstick, hair stuff, face cream and eyeliner!) as in previous years when I got M&S AC Ive left some of the stuff in the cupboard for months.

@BlaueLagune I have the Aran Aromatic"s one to a friend this year to say thank you for something and she has said she loves it and as it's not something she would have bought normally says she will now but some of the full size products.

Beauty advent calendars are the epitome of our crappy consumerism throw away society. All that plastic, half the stuff you won't even use because you haven't bought that particular product, a countdown to Christmas for an adult because an adult can't wait until Christmas day to get nice things, totally overpriced, it's just so unnecessary and so wasteful.

I love beauty stuff in general, but I just think these advent calendars need to do one.

Presumably you live an entirely plastic free life, you’re a vegan without any kids, and you don’t have a car, or go on holidays, yes?

I keep my liberty boxes and reuse. I give away anything I don’t use and the majority of the products, I use.
The people who get this may not fly long haul ( for example), we all need to make good choices, but all the time?? I think it’s fine to have some joy.

I had the Liberty one this year. I still enjoy opening the doors each day, and there are enough of the products I'll use to (sort of) justify it. But possibly 1/3-1/2 I won't use, which is disappointing. I'm not sure whether I'll do it next year. It's a lot of money.

My dp got me a mindfulness calendar (and a lovehoney one too but let's ignore that...) which was really nice, and a fraction of the price

Presumably you live an entirely plastic free life, you’re a vegan without any kids, and you don’t have a car, or go on holidays, yes?

No. Its just that to me, beauty advent calendars are peak 'unnecessary shite'. That's all.

I shall await all the claims that, despite apparently being 'disappointed' with them, people use all the products up, or ensure its all given away, that absolutely nothing is wasted, that they buy a beauty advent calendar in place of a holiday abroad etc etc.

I think people are more likely to ignore than justify. Personal choice.

The other thing I have with them is the spending money/resources/packaging on stuff where you don't even know if you are going to like what you have bought. It's one thing to buy something you have seen and like the look of and thing there is a strong possibility you will use it. And another to buy something full of stuff that you know before you have even opened it that you might won't even want. For what, a few seconds of 'surprise'? It's like consumerism taken to the next level. As illustrated by this thread of 'disappointment'.

I feel the same about surprise beauty subscription boxes to be honest. If we are going to buy endless stuff, at least we should buy stuff we actually want!

I have finished now, promise 😂

You do have a point. I promise you I’m giving my niece anything I won’t use. Happy Christmas !

I am debating getting the gift with purchase next year instead- more ability to choose what you really want.

I only buy one if I'm pretty sure Im going to want to use the vast majority of it and its not too expensive. I bought a Latest in Beauty one a good few years ago, I think it was the first one they did. Haven't bought one for myself since. I was going to get Holland and Barrett but I dithered and they sold out. I actually buy very few beauty products in general including minimal toiletries.

My dds have BodyShop ones, they have swopped things they didn't like with each other and given me a coconut hand cream nobody wanted.

I got the amazon one & am left with loads of crap I'll never use, I'll regift it's where I can.

Why is it that on every single thread someone has to piss on everyone's chips?

If you think they are the ultimate consumerist crap, then post in AIBU and leave this thread for folk who genuinely enjoy them.

If you think they are the ultimate consumerist crap, then post in AIBU and leave this thread for folk who genuinely enjoy them.

Um, this thread was started to discuss being disappointed with beauty advent calendars. Doesn't sound very enjoyable to me!

The Harrods calendar was shite.

Didn't get one this year, but got an H&B one in the sale in January and I liked all of it.

thedevilinablackdress.
I agree with you.

DH bought me the L'Occitane one. It is beautiful and I know it was expensive. I think he got confused with Molten Brown which I love . I have enjoyed it, trying new products I have not bought before but they are tiny sample sizes. No full or even half sizes at all. Lots of hand cream which is lovely and several serums and moisturisers. They are really good sizes though for travel and we went away last weekend, hand luggage only so very useful to have nice products to take in tiny sizes. Will most likely use the contents for this reason. It contains two small perfume samples both of which I can not smell! One just looks and smells like water. I have had fun opening it and enjoyed it but would not purchase again as samples are so small.

Last year I had Estee Lauders 12 days of Xmas which was really lovely and I would buy again.

Although brownie points to DH for such a lovely gift this year

I had the Boots one, and I've been really disappointed with it compared to previous years.

Okay, so I got the Sleek one today and I love it, some full sized products, some minis (lots of lip stuff!) The eyeshadow palettes are really teeny, but I think they're sweet. I opened the last day on my Revolution calendar and love the eyeshadow palette, so there's that I suppose. (The last thing from my Profusion one was an eye primer which isn't very exciting.)