Is the luxury beauty advent calendar a rip-off?

They’re all over your TikTok and Instagram, people unwrapping the latest gorgeous and beautiful advent calendars.

Influencers excitedly wonder what kind of eyeliner, serum, or hand cream might be behind the door, then munch on the beautiful box containing it.

But are these products that cost hundreds of pounds really worth paying for?

So says Manchester-based TikToker Sissy Jones.

It’s only been a week since November, but the 27-year-old social media manager for fashion brand PrettyLittleThing, who also makes her personal TikTok account, has already posted 12 advent calendar videos. We have everything from chocolate to beauty products, wine and even a Pets At Home calendar for your dog.

“There is one product that is exclusive to Harrods for 12 days, and everything there is exactly what I want to buy,” she says. “That’s why I’m saving money.”

The idea of ​​saving money is something that brands incorporate into their marketing. They say the calendar costs £250, but when you add up all the individual items it’s actually “worth £1,000”.

“But we definitely want the actual product,” Sissy says. “Otherwise, it would be a bit of a waste of money.”

Analysts say retailers can afford to make such seemingly good offers because of the large margins built into beauty products.

And rather than aiming to make big profits with their advent calendars, they see them as a marketing tool to get people to buy more products afterwards.

“Many retailers are finding that advent calendars are a great way to introduce new products to consumers and drive conversion,” said Natalie Berg of NBK Retail.

However, Sarah Johnson of Flourish Retail says that while there are plenty of great bespoke calendars out there, “many businesses are simply using advent calendars instead of discounting unpopular stock. ” he says.

Advent calendar items vary in size, with some offering full-sized bottles, some smaller versions, and some having a mix of the two bottles.

But Berg says people may want a smaller size because it’s common to want to try something out before committing.

Lorraine Hogan has been buying beauty calendars for several years. It’s something she and her daughter do together.

“There was a little bit of excitement when we got the beauty calendar. It was something we shared together around Christmas. It was our little treat.”

She believes they represent value for money.

“It allows people to sample items that they wouldn’t necessarily choose on their own.”

With so many products out there, Sissy Jones’ advice is to look for brands you like and look for value for money in terms of the total cost of each item relative to the price of the calendar.

But even if the product looks like good value for money, for some people spending over £200 on an advent calendar is simply a luxury out of their reach.

As a result, a number of fraudulent websites have sprung up that try to take advantage of people looking for great deals on expensive items.

Emma Jones and Nihal, who did not want us to use her last name, contacted the BBC after falling for a fake ad claiming to sell Space NK’s £250 advent calendar for £28.99 . Both women said they were attracted to the obvious discount and didn’t want to pay full price.

“I’m reluctant to spend that amount of money, mainly because I don’t have that amount of spare cash,” Emma says.

“They can be very expensive. I’m not the type to pay full price,” says Nihal.

“I don’t think it’s worth it. If you’re going to use all the products, maybe it is. But in some cases, with these pre-packed products, maybe two of these products. Or you’ll only use three.”

But one reason beauty advent calendars are so popular is because shoppers are still looking to treat themselves, says Natalie Berg.

And many people are willing to pay full price.

Major calendars such as Space NK, Harrods and Sephora have already sold out.

Harrods’ beauty calendar costs £250 but was claimed to contain items worth £1,600, while Sephora’s £199 calendar was said to contain items worth £1,000.

But on eBay, someone is selling them for as much as £550 for Harrods and £399 for Sephora.

“It goes back to supply and demand, or dynamic pricing,” says Sarah Johnson.

If a retailer is sold out and you can’t get it anywhere else, it may make sense to buy it even if it’s too expensive, especially if you think you’ll still save on the total value of all items, she says. say. .

But this raises the question of why companies don’t just increase profits.

Johnson points out that this is a seasonal product, and you don’t want to over-order and end up with excess inventory that you have to discount.

Space NK told the BBC it had produced 30% more stock this year than last year, but it still sold out within two-and-a-half weeks due to “unprecedented” demand. The company plans to increase production next year.

Despite the beauty calendar’s high price, Ms. Johnson says there is a “value” to it.

“People can buy it to break it down and give (individual items) as gifts. There’s an element of saving money.”

It was thought a few years ago that advent calendars might have reached their “peak”, as more and more of these calendars are now being sold.

However, Sissy does not agree with this and believes that the opposite is true.

“We sell out every year, so I feel like we still have room.”