I just unboxed Tropic's £299 advent calendar worth £668 – here's what I really think

Tropic's 24 Days of Pure Imagination advent calendar is available for pre-order, and it's officially the brand's biggest one yet. Behind the doors are 24 skincare, makeup, and wellbeing treats – including cult favourites, exclusive limited editions, and even a brand-new product that won't hit the shelves until 2027.

Priced at £299 – with the contents said to be worth £668 – it sounds deserving of a place in our best beauty advent calendar, so I got my hands on one early to answer the only question that matters: is it really worth the money?

The calendar is designed around the idea of entering Tropic's festive pâtisserie, with each drawer revealing another product. There are full-size products, limited editions, calendar exclusives and smaller treats spanning skincare, body care, fragrance, makeup and wellbeing.

There's no denying that it's a thing of absolute beauty; heavy, substantial and oh-so tempting to dive into. My 13-year-old daughter and I both gasped when our sample arrived – as luxury advent calendars go, this really is a showstopper.

But while it's beautifully executed, I still wanted to know whether there's enough inside of the sort of products that I'll actually use and truly enjoy. After all, nobody wants 24 miniature versions of things they neither want nor need cluttering up their precious bathroom shelves.

Here's everything you'll find inside:

• Full-Size Favourites
  • Hand Therapy Softening Superfood Cream, 80ml
  • Foot Remedy Softening Buttercream, 80ml
  • Glow Berry Brightening Serum, 30ml
  • Rainforest Dew Hydration Serum, 30ml
  • Body Smooth Refreshing Polish, 250ml
  • Sun Day Dewy Facial SPF 50, 40ml
  • Youth Potion Enriched Retinal Complex, 30ml
  • Eye Lift Exosome Midnight Balm, 15ml
  • Lashful Eyelash Growth Serum, 4ml
• Pâtisserie Exclusives & Festive Treats
  • Lip Silk Plumping Ceramide Serum | 5ml (limited edition)
  • Relax Inner Peace Pulse Point Roll-On | 10ml
  • Sleep Evening Unwind Pulse Point Roll-On | 10ml
  • Lamellar Milk Barrier Repair Essence | 30ml (launching in 2027)
  • Relax Inner Peace Purifying Mist | 30ml
  • All Eyes On You Face & Body Liquid Highlighter | 30ml
  • Cocoa Comfort Nourishing Ganache Mask | 45ml
  • Wild Mango & Blood Orange Hydrating Body Serum | 50ml
  • Bergamot Peel & Crushed Leaf Eau de Parfum | 50ml
  • Mandarin Blossom, White Tea & Cedar Smoothing Cleanser | 50ml
  • Mango Brûlée Cleansing Body Pebble | 75g
  • Coconut & Tonka Exfoliating Body Cleanser | 80ml
• Miniature Rituals
  • Skin Dream Firming Night Cream | 15ml
  • Skin Feast Nourishing Moisturiser | 20ml
  • Skin Re-Leaf Soothing Moisturiser | 20ml
  • Radiance Cleanser Pore-Refining Cleansing Oil | 30ml
  • Morning Mist Soothing Toning Essence | 30ml
  • Wild Mango & Blood Orange Gel Body Cleanser | 50ml

I have to say, I love the variety. This isn't a calendar full of slightly different versions of the same old thing. There are different products for all stages of your beauty routine, as well as treats to make December feel extra special.

I've been a shopping editor for more than 20 years, so there's very little that impresses me these days, but this calendar genuinely did. I think it's because the selection of products is so well curated – I want items I'll actually incorporate into my daily routine rather than products that look fancy but will end up gathering dust in a drawer. I have enough of those already.

The Glow Berry Brightening Serum, Rainforest Dew Hydration Serum and Youth Potion Enriched Retinal Complex are among the products that really wowed me – these are the kind of products that my dry, menopausal skin can't seem to get enough of.

It's not all about skincare, either. I was delighted to discover the Bergamot Peel & Crushed Leaf Eau de Parfum, and body-care products including Wild Mango & Blood Orange Hydrating Body Serum and Coconut & Tonka Exfoliating Body Cleanser. The wellbeing treats, such as the Relax Inner Peace and Sleep Evening Unwind pulse-point roll-ons, were also a lovely surprise that I popped straight into my handbag and on my nightstand.

Can we have a moment for the Cocoa Comfort Nourishing Ganache Mask? It sounds – and smells – like exactly what I want to slather my face in on a cold December evening.
In fact, I thought the face mask was my favourite item inside the calendar, until my daughter spotted a secret product hidden away that I had completely overlooked – and it's something you can't officially buy yet. Lamellar Milk Barrier Repair Essence isn't due to launch officially until 2027, so calendar owners get to try it first. I won't ruin the surprise by telling you how to find it, but this little detail adds a little something to the whole experience – who doesn't want to be among the first to try a new product before everyone else?

Should you buy it?

Honestly, before the Tropic 24 Days of Pure Imagination arrived, I wouldn't have even contemplated spending £299 on a beauty advent calendar – to me, it seemed like a fairly indulgent purchase at an already expensive time of year. But this is easily one of the loveliest products I've ever reviewed.

For someone like me, who already knows and loves Tropic, there's plenty to get excited about inside this beautiful box of delights. And if you're newer to the brand, it gives you a chance to try a really broad selection of Tropic's offerings, without committing to just one product.

Opening it for myself has completely changed how I see it; I've come to realise the point isn't whether £299 is 'worth it' for 24 products. I'm thinking about the little moment of me-time that a treat like this would create every day in December, when I'm more in need than ever of a bit of extra TLC. And aside from the daily dose of joy, there's the fact that you'll start the year with a whole new collection of products to test out and enjoy.

Still. it's not a small purchase, and I'll forever be of the opinion that items like this are a want, not a need, but it feels like something so much more substantial than the average beauty advent calendar.

There are products I already know and love, new ones I've enjoyed discovering and plenty of surprises that will get me trying things I'd probably never be drawn to otherwise.

Should you buy it? Yes, if the idea of having something luxurious to open every day in December appeals, and all the more so if you like the prospect of finishing the month with a new collection of 24 Tropic products, including some exclusive treats and a first look at what's coming from the brand in 2027.

Where can you buy it?

Tropic's 24 Days of Imagination advent calendar is currently available to pre-order, with calendars shipping from November and arriving in time for the December countdown.