I have to admit, I look longingly every year at all the amazing beauty and fragrance advent calendars and gift sets and whilst I know they are all exceptional value, they are all sadly still super expensive and out of my reach at a time of year when your mind and wallet are focused on buying for others. The Caroline Hirons skincare sets look amazing, but both, (if you can actually get your hands on one,) are £300 or more. The Liberty advent calendar is £215, Jo Malone £320, Harrods £250 and so it goes on.

This year however, I saw the Selfridges beauty gift set at £100. Now, this is way more than I would normally spend on myself in one go, but it is worth £450. It was last weekend when I spied it scrolling through Instagram, I was tired, about to embark on a second lockdown and I felt my willpower weaken. I’ve worked really hard this year, not had any holidays or purchased much other than ‘loungewear’, (see, I’m justifying it even as I type,) and I thought I deserved it, so I clicked to buy and felt the pang of guilt immediately, but also the elation. There is something to be said for treating yourself once in a while, (as long as you’re not running into debt,) and I was excited for the parcel to arrive.

Arrive it did the very next day – on a Sunday! – swift and excellent service. I don’t know who curated it for Selfridges, but the brands and products are fantastic. So many I have wanted to try for ages; Dr Dennis Gross Peeling Pads, Pixi Glow Tonic, Dr Barbara Sturm serum, Eve Lom Rescue Mask, Rodial Pink Diamond mask, the list goes on, all in a beautiful black washbag. They have a men’s box too, they’re currently sold out of the women’s, they have restocked a couple of times so I thought they might be bringing it back, but it’s not online now unfortunately.

I have started to use the products and do you know what? Just unpacking it all, re-organising my bathroom cabinet to accommodate such newness and exclaiming at each product I opened, really did spark pure joy. Beauty products make me happy, what can I say?! I don’t regret this purchase at all and if I can, I am going to treat myself to one Christmas beauty box every year, I think it’s good for the soul. Do you usually buy yourself a Christmas present? Are you doing it this year? Let me know.

(P.S. A really good value one is the Nadine Baggot edit for Superdrug, a great starter skincare kit and only £25!)

Hannah x