From religious pictures in the 1800s to miniature chocolates that we couldn’t wait to open – the history of the advent calendar has certainly evolved, says Humairaa Habib.
The beauty industry has had no trouble keeping up with this, but are these beauty advent calendars worth the hype and hefty price tag?
First up we have MAC. Worth over £405, their limited-edition advent calendar is retailing at £165 (saving of £240).
It contains 16 full-sized products and eight miniatures.
In total, there are 11 lip products and the best part is… they are not 11 shades of red!
Ranging from balms, mattes, liquid lips and glosses, MAC has included some of its best-selling shades, Velvet Teddy and Mehr (although these two are miniatures).
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They’ve included nudes, pinks, and deeper tones which are wearable, everyday colours – suitable for a range of different skin tones.
They have included four eyeshadows from matte to glittery finishes in neutral, earthy tones which are again suitable for everyday wear.
You’ve got a full-sized (100ml) prep + prime fix+ which is incredibly generous, a full-sized facial oil, brow products and liners in black.
Launched in 2022, we would have liked to see their latest MACStack mascara in full-size, as mascara is an essential beauty product.
Next up we have Charlotte Tilbury’s Diamond Chest, worth £245 and retailing for £150 (saving of £95).
It includes 12 products, five of which are full-sized and seven miniatures.
The packaging is beautiful and could certainly be reused to store your beauty favourites.
However, what happened to 24 days to a beauty-filled Christmas?
Charlotte’s take on an advent calendar has us missing out on an extra 12 products!
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Full-sized products in the calendar include lip oil, highlighter wand, brow gel, cream eyeshadow pencil and a nude lipstick.
These are a mix of beauty products that you can use in your routine and feature their best-sellers.
The minis include Charlotte’s magic cream, setting spray, lipliner and more.
Whilst minis are handy for travelling and testing products, for £150, we would have liked to see more full-sized products.
A more affordable option is Benefit’s calendar.
Worth over £134, it is retailing at £59.50 (saving of £74.50).
It features 12 of their best-sellers, including four mascaras, three brow products, a roller liner, two primers – pores and hydration, a hula bronzer, and a blush in the shade ‘Dandelion’.
If you’re not a fan of black mascara, stay away from this set as it contains four of them.
In addition, if you’re not a shade three in their brow products, you won’t be able to use the brow gel and pencil.
This set could be perfect for the right brow shade, however, spending £59.50 and not being able to use two major products is a big no.
Benefit is loved for their brow products, why didn’t they create the calendars in different shade ranges?
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No one can deny the excitement of opening tiny doors and receiving shiny new gifts.
The anticipation, sparkly Christmas packaging and yearly, limited edition releases keep influencers busy and beauty lovers excited and provide gift-givers with plenty of choices.
MAC have pulled it out of the calendar this year, with their 16 full-sized products, wearable shades and giant £240 saving.
Costing only £15 more than Charlotte Tilbury, you receive more than double what Tilbury is offering.
Buying beauty calendars is so much fun and we can get so carried away with the aesthetics on offer.
If you are purchasing, try to look for one with 24 doors and full-sized products.
Also, ensure they include shades that you would wear and products that you would regularly use to get the best value for money.
Lead image: Jan Romero on Unsplash