Holland & Barrett’s advent calendar has been branded ‘underrated’ with many saying it’s ‘slept on’ compared to other brands, so the Mirror’s Danielle Kate Wroe tried it out and gave her verdict…
Each year, we’re bombarded with advent calendars that go above and beyond the picture or little chocolate behind the door we were brought up on.
From LUSH to Charlotte Tilbury, ASOS, and Glossybox, there are too many to choose from – and often, the price points are ridiculous. But when I saw Holland and Barrett’s advent calendar for just £45, and the praise it was getting online, I knew I had to give it a whirl for myself – because it turns out H&B isn’t just a store for supplements.
People had taken to social media to say it was their “favourite” advent calendar each year and specifically praising this year’s offering, saying it looked ” even better” than the 2023 version. People were even messaging Holland & Barrett in August asking when it would go live as they “didn’t want to miss out.”
It’s been branded as a “clean beauty” advent calendar by social media users thanks to the fact that all the products inside are vegan, so I was curious about what was inside. The advent calendar has also been branded “underrated” by people on TikTok including @gracebooth97 who described it as “slept on” because people don’t realise how good it is.
The Holland & Barrett website reads: “Worth over £200 in total, all products within the advent calendar are vegan and include ‘me-time’ relaxation must-haves, such as sumptuous oils, fragrant bath salts and nourishing creams.”
So, what’s actually inside? The Beauty Advent Calendar contains:
- So Eco Scalp Massage Brush – Full Size
- Salt of the Earth Lavender Vanilla Spray 100ml – Full Size
- Tisserand Restore Balance Roller Ball 10ml (Without Box) – Full Size
- Dr Organic Ageless Eye Contour Serum 15ml – Full Size
- Q+A Ceramide Body Lotion 50ml
- Super Facialist Vitamin C+ Brighten Skin Renew Cleansing Oil 100ml
- Gallinée Face Vinegar 50ml
- Evolve Multi-Peptide 360 Anti-Aging Cream 30ml
- Balmonds Super 7 Serum 30ml – Full Size
- Vitaskin Vitamin A Night Cream 60ml – Full Size
- Trilogy Rosehip Oil 5ml
- Faith in Nature Lavender and Geranium Shampoo Mini 100ml
- Faith in Nature Lavender and Geranium Conditioner Mini 100ml
- Dr Paw Paw Lip and Eye Balm 8ml – Full Size
- Faith in Nature Mint Body Wash 400ml – Full Size
- Ecodenta Black Cinnamon Toothpaste 100ml – Full Size
- So Eco Wrist Wash Bands – Full Size
- Magnitone Wipeout Swipes (2 pack)
- Sukin Scalp Scrub 200ml – Full Size
- Weleda Skin Food Cleansing Balm 75ml – Full Size
- Miaroma Lavender Candle 50g
- Ethique Body Care Discovery Set 45g – Full Size
- Holland Barrett Biotin 120 Tablets 300ug – Full Size
- Disciple Dreamy Skin Retinyl Oil 20ml – Full Size
- Wild Cotton and Sea Salt Soap 100g – Full Size
- Sea Magik Dead Sea Sap Salts 250g OR Sea Magik Himalayan Spa Salts 250g OR Sea Magik Magnesium Flakes 250g
There’s no denying the advent calendar is worth the £45 you pay, and I was astounded at how generous the gifts inside were. There were plenty of full sizes, and if there was something you weren’t too fond of, many items came in boxes so could be easily re-gifted as an addition to a present for a loved one.
I was particularly impressed by the eye cream from the calendar, the scent of the fresh cotton and sea salt soap, and let’s be honest, everybody loves a little candle you can pop on your desk to fill the room with dreamy aromas.
Number 12 even contained a shampoo and conditioner duo in one box which felt like a real treat. Often, whoever curates advent calendars will make the decision to put them on separate days, but this made it feel really luxurious and it felt like a real treat. Getting a 400ml body wash was great as well, because it’s so huge it’ll last ages, and it’s something that you literally always need in – and it’s for showers or baths.
However, there was one issue in my opinion, and that was with the actual December 25 gift. In the past, when I’ve had advent calendars of a similar ilk they’ve gone all out for December 25.
However, this advent calendar’s number 25 was a rather measly offering. A 5ml rosehip oil just didn’t feel in keeping with the generosity of the rest of the calendar, and it left me feeling slightly disappointed. I would’ve been happy with it on another day because not everything can be full-sized, but it just made me question why this had been chosen for the final day.
Overall, I’d highly recommend this advent calendar – especially if you’ve made a commitment to yourself to use more fully vegan products this year. It’s a great way to easily and quite cheaply discover some new favourite products that you can repurchase, and anything you don’t love can be given as bonus gifts for friends and family. It’s a win-win.