When it comes to Christmas, as with many things in life, Robert Louis Stevenson’s adage, ‘to travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive’ holds true. For me, the magic of Christmas so often lies in the build-up; the anticipation rather than the day itself, which can often be somewhat anticlimactic. From childhood, the enjoyment of looking forward to Christmas is heightened by advent calendars, and some of my happiest memories of the festive season are bound up with the daily ritual of opening a perforated cardboard door on a calendar depicting a classic Christmas scene each frosty morning and punching through some coloured foil to reveal some chocolate or other tasty treat. After reaching adolescence, advent calendars fell out of fashion, and it wasn’t until I had my own children that I realised how much I missed having one. The good news is that the market for grown up advent calendars has proliferated, and there is almost any conceivable type – dog advent calendars, foie gras etc. As a beauty product enthusiast, for me the biggest appeal lies in beauty advent calendars: a couple of dozen curated beauty products in one month: heaven! One of the most popular calendars over the past few years, and certainly one of the most luxurious, is the Fortnum & Mason Beauty Advent Calendar, which, for beauty fans, is the pièce de resistance of advent calendars.
It represents phenomenal value: it costs £245 which might seem a lot, but when you consider that the contents are worth over £844, it is an incredible bargain. This year, without giving away too many spoilers, there are some incredibly pampering goodies, including a 30ml bottle of Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 Fragrance, an Elizabeth Scarlett make-up bag, and Penhaligons Rose Lip Balm. I had one last December, and it really was a sheer delight to have a daily smidgeon of excitement to brighten up the some of the gloomiest, greyest mornings of the year, when everyone has fallen prey to yet another cold or bug. I cannot think of a better treat to give to a friend or loved one to celebrate the approach of Christmas. What is more, this beautifully madecalendar can be reused and refilled every year, becoming a cherished annual tradition. The calendars are so highly sought-after that they tend to sell out well before the start of December, so buy now to make you can get your hands on one!
Fortnum & Mason Beauty Advent Calendar, £245
