Advent calendars have come a long way from the little cardboard calendars filled with a square of chocolate behind each door.

These days, you can find an advent calendar for almost everything. Beauty advent calendars, skincare advent calendars, makeup advent calendars, candles, jewellery, stationery, food and drink, toys and even luxury lifestyle advent calendars all compete for our attention as soon as Christmas starts appearing on the horizon.

But with some advent calendars costing £50, £100 or considerably more, it does make me wonder: are advent calendars actually worth the money?

There is nothing wrong with treating yourself at Christmas. In fact, I think having something small to look forward to each day in December can be a lovely way to make the festive season feel special.

But when you’re spending a significant amount of money, I think it’s worth looking beyond the excitement of opening those little doors and asking whether you’re actually getting good value for money.

From chocolate advent calendars to luxury beauty calendars

What happened to the days when we would get a little square of chocolate each morning and be perfectly happy with it?

I remember having chocolate advent calendars as a child, although I have to admit that I’ve never been a huge chocolate lover. I’m sorry, but I’m not!

There were countless mornings when I’d completely forget to open the window of my advent calendar before school because, in reality, I just wasn’t that excited about what was behind it.

My mum clearly knew this because she came up with a much better idea.

Rather than buying me a traditional chocolate advent calendar, she made her own.

She collected different chocolates, sweets and little accessories that she knew I would actually like and enjoy. Each day brought something different, from Fry’s Turkish Delight — one of my favourites — to mint humbugs, festive earrings and hair bobbles.

And honestly, I loved it.

It wasn’t necessarily about how much everything had cost. It was the fact that my mum had thought about what I liked and created something specifically for me.

That made opening each door feel much more exciting.

And I think that’s something we can sometimes forget when it comes to advent calendars today.

The most expensive option isn’t necessarily the one that will bring you the most enjoyment.

The rise of beauty advent calendars

As I got older, I started noticing a completely different type of advent calendar becoming popular.

Beauty advent calendars began appearing everywhere.

Bloggers and YouTubers were unboxing them, sharing their contents and reviewing the products, and naturally, I was sucked in.

At the time, my blog was very much focused on product reviews, so a beauty advent calendar seemed like a brilliant idea.

It was an opportunity to build up my beauty collection, discover new products and try brands or products that I wouldn’t necessarily have bought individually.

And, of course, there was the excitement of opening a new product every day in December.

My first beauty advent calendar was a Sanctuary Spa one. I paid around £20 for it and absolutely loved it.

In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I would wake up earlier than usual just so I had time to open the door and see what was inside.

It felt like such a luxury at the time.

What surprised me was how quickly prices seemed to increase.

Only a couple of years later, I noticed a similar calendar retailing for around £40.

Are beauty advent calendars worth the money?

My second beauty advent calendar was the ASOS one.

This time, I paid £70.

Looking back, that sounds like an enormous amount of money to spend on an advent calendar, but at the time I was genuinely happy with what I received.

The products were useful, I enjoyed trying different brands and the sample sizes gave me an opportunity to test products that I might not otherwise have purchased.

There was also an unexpected benefit.

Because I was blogging about the products I received, I was able to write individual reviews and share my experiences with a wider audience.

Over time, those reviews helped introduce new people to my blog.

So for me, that particular advent calendar wasn’t simply £70 spent on 24 little doors. It also provided content, products to try and experiences that were useful to me at the time.

However, I think that distinction is important.

A beauty advent calendar was worth it for me because I was genuinely going to use the products and had a reason to try them.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the same calendar would be worth £70 to somebody else.

I even bought a beauty advent calendar for my mum

That same year, I decided to treat my mum to a beauty advent calendar too.

I bought her the M&S one, which at the time had a promotion where you spent £35 to receive the calendar for £35.

Again, I felt that was worth the money.

Not only did she receive a selection of beauty products, but I also got to watch her open the little boxes each morning.

And sometimes, that is what makes these things worthwhile.

The experience can be just as important as the products themselves.

If you’re buying an advent calendar for somebody you love and know that they’ll genuinely enjoy opening it every day, that can make it feel like much better value than simply looking at the price tag.

But are luxury advent calendars becoming too expensive?

This is where I think things have become a little more complicated.

Beauty and lifestyle advent calendars seem to get more elaborate every year.

There are beautifully designed boxes, full-size products, luxury brands and impressive-looking contents. The marketing is designed to make you feel as though you’re getting an incredible deal compared with buying everything individually.

And sometimes you are.

But “worth £X” doesn’t automatically mean “worth £X to you.”

That’s an important distinction.

Imagine an advent calendar says that the contents are worth £300 but costs £100.

On paper, that sounds like a bargain.

But if half of the products are things you wouldn’t normally buy, colours you won’t wear, scents you don’t like or products that will sit unused in a drawer, you’re not really getting £300 of value.

You’re getting £300 of retail value.

Those aren’t necessarily the same thing.

What about budget-friendly advent calendars?

I’ve also looked at more affordable beauty advent calendars.

At one point, I considered buying a budget-friendly calendar from Wilko. However, after watching an unboxing video, I quickly realised that the products weren’t really what I was looking for.

They looked quite cheap and, to me, seemed more suited to a younger audience.

That experience made me realise that cheaper doesn’t automatically mean better value either.

There’s no point buying a £20 advent calendar simply because it’s affordable if you don’t actually want what’s inside it.

I’d much rather spend £20 on something I genuinely want than £20 on 24 products that end up forgotten in a drawer.

How to tell if an advent calendar is worth buying

If you’re tempted by a beauty or lifestyle advent calendar this year, I’d recommend asking yourself a few questions before buying it.

1. Would I buy these products individually?

This is probably the biggest question to ask. Look at the contents if they’re available and be honest with yourself. Would you actually buy these products? If the answer is yes to most of them, that’s a good sign. If you’re looking at the list thinking, I’ll probably never use that, don’t let the excitement of an advent calendar convince you otherwise.

2. Will I actually use everything?

A good advent calendar should contain things that fit into your lifestyle. If you’re buying a skincare advent calendar, will you use the skincare? If it’s a makeup calendar, are the colours suitable for you? If it’s a candle calendar, do you actually enjoy candles? It’s very easy to get caught up in the excitement of receiving lots of products, only to find yourself with a drawer full of things you don’t use.

3. Check the actual sizes of the products

Don’t just look at how many products are included. Check whether you’re getting full-size products, travel sizes, samples or miniature versions. A calendar containing 24 products sounds impressive, but 24 tiny samples may not be particularly good value compared with a calendar containing fewer full-size products that you’ll actually use.

4. Don’t be distracted by the “total value”

As mentioned above, a calendar might have a huge advertised retail value. But ask yourself how much you would have paid for those products. If you wouldn’t have spent £30 on a particular product normally, receiving it as part of an advent calendar doesn’t suddenly mean you’ve saved £30.

5. Think about what happens after Christmas

This is something I think is particularly important. Will you still be using these products in January? What about February? If the answer is no, consider whether you’re buying the calendar because you genuinely want the contents or simply because the festive packaging and daily reveal are exciting. There’s nothing wrong with buying something purely for enjoyment, of course. Just be honest with yourself about what you’re paying for.

Sometimes the experience is the point

Despite everything I’ve said, I’m not against advent calendars. Far from it. I actually think they can be a lovely part of Christmas. There is something rather magical about opening a little door each morning and discovering a surprise inside. And that’s particularly true when somebody has chosen the calendar specifically for you.

My mum’s homemade advent calendar is a perfect example. It probably wasn’t the most expensive advent calendar I’ve ever had, but I remember it because she had gone out of her way to choose things she knew I would enjoy. That meant more to me than a box full of expensive products ever could.

So if you’re considering buying an advent calendar this year, don’t feel as though you have to choose the biggest, most luxurious or most expensive one.

A small chocolate calendar, a homemade advent calendar, a beauty calendar filled with products you genuinely love or even a calendar containing little notes and activities can all be wonderful.

Are advent calendars worth the hype?

So, are advent calendars worth the hype?

I think the answer is: sometimes.

There are some fantastic advent calendars available, and if you find one where you’ll genuinely use and enjoy the majority of the contents, it can be a lovely festive treat.

But I don’t think something becomes good value simply because it has a high advertised retail value.

For me, the best advent calendar is one that gives you something you actually want.

I’d rather have a smaller calendar tailored to my interests than spend a huge amount of money on 24 products that will eventually end up sitting unused in a drawer.

And that is probably the biggest lesson I’ve taken from my own advent calendar experiences.

Don’t buy an advent calendar because everyone else is buying one. Buy it because you’ll genuinely enjoy what’s inside.

At the end of the day, Christmas is about enjoying the little things.

Sometimes that can be a luxury beauty product.

Sometimes it’s a candle.

Sometimes it’s a piece of chocolate.

And sometimes, it’s a homemade advent calendar filled with little things chosen by somebody who knows you really well.

What do you think?

I’d love to know your thoughts on the beauty and lifestyle advent calendar craze.

Do you think advent calendars are worth the money?

Do you plan to buy one this year, or do you prefer a traditional chocolate advent calendar?

And if you are buying a beauty or lifestyle advent calendar, what makes you decide whether it’s good value for money?

Let me know in the comments — I’d love to hear what you think.