'Tis the season of opportunity for beauty brands with Advent calenders!

Traditionally, Advent calendars have been associated with the confectionary space and have often been targeted at younger consumers. However, analysts say this concept is expanding as innovation traditionally found in food and drink migrates into the personal care space.

According to Datamonitor researcher, Jamie Mills; beauty versions are tapping into demand for 'affordable luxury' as consumers can pay a single price to sample a wide range of premium cosmetics rather than experimenting with the full size, while also being a personal 'treat' for the festive season.

"This segment benefits brands by improving awareness of their wider portfolio, as they can combine established products alongside recent launches in order to capture consumer interest with products they are familiar with while also being able to experiment with new ranges​," Mills tells Cosmetics Design.

The market analyst also notes that this is particularly useful for more expressive categories such as make-up or nail care where consumers may wish to change their appearance on a daily basis depending on the occasion, their mood, or their outfit, especially in the festive season, which is associated with socializing.

This year's ones to watch for...​

Beauty brands like Dermalogica and Jo Malone jumped on the bandwagon this year while Benefit returned with its' quirky £60 calender, following high demand last Christmas.

Nail polish brand Ciaté was one of the first beauty players to invest in the segment two years ago with a 24 piece collection including nail art & sprinkles. 

“We wanted to create something exciting and beautiful that adults could embrace for the festive season and advent calendars were the perfect way to give a daily treat to the beauty-obsessed​,” says company founder Charlotte Knight.

L’Occitane 13 Desserts Of Christmas, £45 ​

OK, it’s not technically an Advent calendar, but L’Occitane’s miniatures collection will still make a luxurious countdown. Inspired by the Provencal tradition of serving a selection of Christmas desserts, there's a petite pampering treat behind each of the 13 windows.

The Body Shop Beauty Advent Calendar, £50​

Worth £83, the Body Shop’s advent calendar has been updated this year to include products like the Glazed Apple Body Lotion and a Colour Crush Nail Varnish, alongside bestsellers from the Vitamin E and White Musk ranges. Plus, for every calendar sold, a charity donation will go to War Child.