Espa wellbeing advent calendar
- Worth: £488
- Number of days: 25
- Number of full-sized products: Seven
- Advent calendar highlights: Espa overnight hydration therapy, Espa muscle relief balm, Espa winter spice mini candle, Espa nourishing lip treatment, Espa positivity pulse point oil
- Why we love it
- Plenty of full-size products and even the smaller sizes aren’t tiny
- A wide variety of skincare and body care options
- Take note
- Box itself could be a bit more exciting
While the price of this advent calendar is £175, we were impressed to discover the contents are worth a whopping £488. That’s a massive saving of more than £300. However, an advent calendar’s worth can seem a bit obscure – especially when some calendars are stuffed with miniature versions of full-size products, making them pretty much impossible to price.
With this in mind, we took a closer look at Espa’s offering and were pleased to unwrap several full-size products (seven to be precise): the isotonic hydration mask (£40, Lookfantastic.com), tri-active resilience pro-biome eye treatment (£69, Lookfantastic.com), positivity pulse point oil (£23, Lookfantastic.com), optimal skin instant facial (£60, Lookfantastic.com), nourishing lip treatment (£21, Lookfantastic.com), pink hair & scalp mud (£10, Lookfantastic.com), and a headband. Alongside these, the smaller items included aren’t teeny tiny, either.
All the products are housed in a Christmassy-red box, which features golden details, including an illustrated Espa frontage on the inside lid. Opening the box reveals a top layer and drawer underneath, containing 25 numbered boxes, each with a different treat hidden inside. The packaging has a stylish simplicity to it, which we liked, and it is in keeping with Espa’s branding but, if we were to be really fussy, we think it could be a little bit more exciting.
However, it’s the contents that matter most, and our standout favourites are the supremely soothing and moisture-boosting overnight hydration therapy; the hydrating, gloss-giving nourishing lip treatment; muscle rescue balm, for relieving aching limbs; a medicinal gel, and the calm-inducing aromatherapy-infused positivity pulse point oil.
If you’re a candle fan, you’ll also be pleased to discover Christmas Day’s gift is a 70g travel-sized winter spice candle, which combines clove, sweet orange and cinnamon, for a warming, invigorating festive fragrance.
There’s also shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, body butter and exfoliating body polish to uncover, as well as the popular cleansing oil, instant facial, and cleanser from the optimal skin range.
All in all, we were pleased to note the wide range of products for everyday use, as well as TLC treats such as the isotonic hydration mask and rejuvenating hand cream for a spa-style pick-me-up. There’s a full and comprehensive routine included, with so many gorgeous product options to dip into daily or turn to for some pampering. Plus, thanks to their generous sizes, the products should last a while, so, we think this splurge buy offers both satisfying indulgence and value for money.
