What’s the attraction with beauty advent calendars?

[TableNiner]

Just been looking at a feature about the best calendars this year and some of them are so expensive! I imagine some of the bits wouldn’t suit you and although I love skincare, mixing products up constantly is not good for your skin. If I am going to spend £100 plus (sometimes way more) then I want to buy skincare and make up products tailored to my skin type and colouring. Some of them are full sized products so not samples. Just seems a lot would go to waste so then it doesn’t seem value for money but they are really popular so just wondering why?

They're good fun. They usually are a discount for expensive brands, even taking into account sample sizes / minis (although some are rip offs, I agree with that). They usually stock fairly generic stuff so things like foundation, concealer etc are not included so you don't need to worry about colouring/matching. Whatever you don't use can make good stocking fillers for others! You might find something you hadn't thought to buy, or get to try out something you've not been able to justify buying. Having said all that, I've never actually bought one but every year I browse them wistfully and watch the unboxings on YouTube!

It’s fun to try new things. Obviously less fun if you religiously stick to one make up look or have very reactive skin but most people don’t.

Its just fun to try new things and to have a little treat every day!

It's a treat and it's Christmassy plus some are beautiful; I've ordered the F&M one this year as Christmas last year was pretty naff and I intend to keep the box and reuse it next year because it's lovely.

It also gives me a chance to try things I would never be able to afford or at least wouldn't risk buying blind - the perfume in the calendar is a 10ml of 1707 Lilas (at £295 for a full size 100ml bottle) which is out of my league altogether, but there's other stuff I will buy if I like it.

Mostly it's just fun

I can see the the fun and novelty of them, particularly for those who don’t really stick to a single regime but then I have a word with myself, think of the environmental impact of all those little plastic bottles, packaging, etc and can’t bring myself to buy one.

I never got the attraction either & a lot of isn’t cruelty free either.

Some people love samples. I've been tempted in the past.

But I always remember a thread on here which was a challenge to use up samples and some people had accumulated about 50 - 100 various samples of cream and lotion and soaps etc.

That snapped me out of it!

I usually buy one as a Christmas present for a friend. I don't get one for myself any more, although I might have a look at the M&S one.

For me, advent calendars are a fun way to try lots of different high end products without feeling overly invested because you’ve spent £££ on one thing. When they sell 30ml of a serum for £235 you might never try it. When you get 10ml in a calendar you have enough to see if it suits your skin and if you feel that it’s actually worth the price tag. For less than that £235 you can try 24 products. The contents are always listed online before they even go on sale so you can pick the one you’ll make the most use of.

I’ve never gone for a beauty box subscription because I think I’d end up with loads of stuff I’d never use. I pick an advent calendar and occasionally buy a ‘beauty edit’ where I know exactly what I’m getting. I avoided the recent SpaceNK and Liberty GWPs because there was too much I just wouldn’t use (though I may have dithered about it and repeatedly loaded up baskets to the minimum spend before emptying them.)

I've put myself on the Cult Beauty list for one... even though I don't think I'll get it as it is soooo expensive. I like the idea of trying new things. I'd probably land up giving stuff to a friend too. It just feels luxurious.

The indecision is part of the joy! I’m on the list for 3 but I’ll only buy one. Liberty or SpaceNK this year for me.

I agree OP, especially as they aren’t a surprise cos people know what is in them.

I have a weird dislike of samples/mini plastic beauty things so the whole thing would stress me out.

OTOH I really wouldn’t mind one of the Diptyque boxes with the candles…that makes more sense to me…

Can you put a link to the article about advent calendars? I'd be interested to read it.

Mother of all beauty advent, box, GWP sites

beautyadventcalendar.net/

You can go to the A-Z, search by shop and look at previous years contents too.

’they aren’t a surprise cos people know what is in them’

I don’t want surprises I have to pay for

I've had a couple in the past and they are fun but you do end up with lots of clutter and I can't stomach all the unnecessary plastic any more

They're fun and generally you buy the one that has items in it that you do want and will use.

A lot of the calendars are fully recyclable now and you can reuse them.