In theory, Advent calendars, whether bought at the supermarket or made at home, allow us to wait without frustration until the end-of-year holidays. But for some time now, on the contrary, they have become synonymous with abundance and haste, not to say indecency, especially for those interested in the world of cosmetics.

On YouTube, the Christmas tradition has even become a staple: Every year, in the run-up to the holidays, dozens of beauty videographers post footage of massive unboxings of calendars sold by make-up brands.

Forget the rules your parents taught you as a child. Here, boxes aren't opened one by one but in series, right from the start. Whether they're stars of the beauty game, like Sananas, or more private video creators, the influencers film themselves revealing the entire contents of the compartments, highlighting the products and adding their comments and reactions in real-time.

"Today, I'm going to compare two 2024 Advent calendars. (...) I've spotted these two, which are must-haves every year," said LOdoesmakeup, whose impartiality is questionable from the jump: Right at the start of the recording, she thanks her partner Amazon for providing all the equipment. Between September 1 and the end of October, the cosmetics-savvy Youtuber has already made some 15 calendar-unboxing videos. Some creators have even taken this to the absurd, like Un Garçon Stupide, who, as recently as 2023, went so far as to rip open a different calendar every day.

@ungarconstupide

Réponse à @✧????????Chloé????????✧ JOUR 6 : On ouvre le calendrier de l’avent @La Compagnie de Provence !???????? À demain, pour un nouveau calendrier de l’avent !????✨ (Pour me suivre : @ungarconstupide) #makeup #BeautyTok #CalendrierDeLAvent

♬ son original - Un Garçon Stupide!

The stated aim of these frenetic unpackings is to see if the value contained is greater than the purchase price. Does the calendar contain only samples, or also larger formats? Are the products best-sellers, or even exclusives, or are they items the brands are having trouble selling? And can we expect to find attractive gifts in the larger boxes? These are just some of the questions the serial openers promise to answer.

While some popular brands offer an array of surprises for around €40, other offerings, notably from luxury brands, are priced in excess of several hundred euros. That's a lot of money for a surprise pouch and a pretty perfume.

This curious online shopping doesn't always mention whether the unpackers have bought their products or they have been gifted by brands. What is certain, however, is that companies have clearly understood the value of fueling such promotional formats, which have developed over the last 10 years or so: Virtually all well-known cosmetics brands now offer their own calendar.

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