What pisses me off about these things is that they’re basically giving you samples that someone would otherwise get for free by other means, like through Sephora points or just by asking nicely at a beauty counter. It’s all just testers designed to hook you on the products and they’re acting like they’re giving you some kind of bargain. Almost nothing is actually full size. For that reason I’d pay $50 for this, tops.
see this is exactly the problem. I always thought they looked like those tiny travel sized versions of shampoo, but make up instead. It just didn't seem worth it
These are "travel size" products which for $325 is utter bull refuse. If my favourite small business sticker company can give full size and even double products in their advent calendar then a retail giant should be able to provide full size products for that price.
The worst part about these beauty calendars is that stores (like Bloomingdale’s) give these samples out for free. So the cost they’re going off of is the full size and then scaling it down. For example if the full size is 1oz and you get 0.1oz and the full size is $200 the “sample” will be valued at $20, despite it being given out free. These advent calendars just remind me of when my grandma used to do her makeup shopping at Macy’s and gave me all the goodies that came with. By the end of the year I’d have 3x as much as this and it would all have been free.
I find it interesting that beauty products are usually "your unique skin biome needs the products that will help your specific beauty needs" until it's time to shill samples. Then you can use random products and rapidly changing them as the sample runs out in a few days.
skincare samples are kinda weird like that, since you're probably looking for long term effects when picking skincare products. they would only be good for checking for immediate reactions, like allergy or acne.
As an esthetician i find them helpful so i can recommend the product thats best for someone and let them see for themselves that it's better if theyre on the fence. But i would never randomly give them out for this exact reason
My advant calendar growing up (80s/90s) was half a posterboard my mom drew a santa face on. She would then trace around a pill bottle 24 times in his beard and once on the ball of his hat. Rach day we got to glue a cotton ball to the corresponding circle. My sister and I each had one and it is thrilling. I just can't justify something like this, but I do love watching videos of them. Thanks for sharing.
Me and my sister had reusable advent calendars that were felt Christmas tree wall hangings. Each day we would get a new ornament in the same little box that we then got to hang on the trees. On Christmas day, we got a little felt star to put on top. There was a clear hierarchy of the ornaments--the bell ornaments were the best. My mom had to give us bells on the same day to avoid one of us getting jealous!
Mine was a card and you opened the window and LOOKED AT THE PICTURES. My Ain’t & Uncle always sent me one and my Mom always got me a lifesaver sweet storybook. Until she passed away, I always got one. At a point, she would have to have a friend shop it for her.
So they’re claiming that the average price of each day is $36, some have more than one product so I’ll estimate (I’m not gonna go back and count) 30 products. Which means the average price of those samples is $30. Claiming that it’s got a value of $900 is criminal, no way those tiny little perfumes with like 3 sprays is worth $30.
For the Creed perfume specifically they are extremely expensive the small sample ones are definitely worth more than 30$. Same with the Dr Strum hyaluronic serum.. a 30ml bottle of the stuff is 325$.
In regards to the leftover empty boxes, I keep them to make treat puzzles and foraging mats/boxes for my cats. Not necessarily relevant to dog owners, but for people who have cats, this kind of waste can at least be put to use in enrichment items (if anyone is looking for something to do with them other than trash/recycle).
The only advent calendar I will consider worth it is those little dollar chocolate ones and the bonne maman jam calendar. No waste and a fun little jam to try every day!
I like the coffee and hot chocolate ones. Target has a 12 day one with coffee for $15. It's a nice way to try different coffees without having to try a whole box. Otherwise, I think these things are a waste.
As a dude that usually smells like burnt motor oil, coffee and dust, Swells videos are fascinating. I have no idea what she is talking about on these types of videos but i sure find them interesting.
As someone whose interests align a lot with Amanda's, this is so interesting (and wholesome lol). Like someone else said, curious what other creators you watch!
I couldn’t explain it but I feel like this is a really good video to show people to give them, like, a good idea of how Amanda acts in videos. Like if I were trying to get a friend into the channel I’d show them this because there’s so many good Swell-isms in this one that usually aren’t this condensed?? This is just SUCH a Swell Entertainment video. It’s great
Definitely prefer mixed up advent calendars so it's like a passive puzzle I get to solve with finding where each day is. Makes it a bit more fun for me.
I just had a flashback to a book I read in elementary school where the enemy of the main character put different scents in her hair so she could flip her hair one way and you'd smell a different scent. I have no idea what book it was, or anything else that happened, I only remember that
That box could potentially be used for small craft supplies, but it would be annoying to open each section to find where you put the dang blue beads each times
Immediately when I saw the big empty box it would be perfect for a curiosities box where each component is a little scene 😮 or just cool tiny stuff or rocks or craft supplies
12:42 If the boxes are differently shaped, I like them being in a different order. Long 17 next to chunky 6? I like that. If it is just a bunch of the same sized squares? Just have them in order so it works as a calendar. Basically either go max chaos or max order.
*for anyone reading this, just know that i commented this at the midway point of the video, so i haven't seen if she's mentioned what I've mentioned* something that i think is also important to note when it comes to beauty/perfume advent calendars is that: there are possible allergens and irritants in the products the makeup will probably be in the wrong shade (specifically for people who have darker complexions & people who are in-between shades) the hair products probably won't be for people who have 3 or 4 curl patterns (i have 4a) also you made a good point about the skincare and I'm glad that you brought it up because not everything in the advent calendar is for one specific person. i feel like they shove a variety of products in one package to make it feel more extravagant than it actually is. most of these products are sample size as well. for $325 you can get some of those products at a normal size and be satisfied. as long as you know what you're getting and you're happy about it, it's fine. i just think it's a scummy business practice to have these kinds of products.
i thought this too, immediately when she pulled out the first tinted product... cos like i assume someone w/ skin sensitivies isn't likely to get these kinda calendars bc if you've a medical issue you know to look out for that. but if i was tan/dark skinned or had more textured hair why would i think to assume a "generic" gift calendar would still have items i can't use? like isn't literally one in four people in this country not white lol. far from the only criticism of these things, but i didn't expect "unintentionally mildly racist" to be one of em
So this immediately popped into my head when you were talking about collecting perfume samples and I felt like I wanted to tell you. There's a company I love called Immortal Perfumes, woman owned and based in Seattle, that I have several scents from and they're great. And they have the cutest little sample bottles! And the perfume is just really nice, oil based instead of a spray. I don't even know if Swell will read this but *shrugs* no harm in sharing a small business I suppose right? 😂
Omg thank you!! I'd heard about them ages ago and totally forgotten that I wanted to get a friend something from them. The whole concept is so cool! Thanks for the reminder & hopefully Swell checks them out!
I’m glad more people are finding out how much advent calendars inflate their value. Im excited for my first swellmas. By the way a channel I would recommend that yearly does advent calendar reviews and researches the prices of each item is Alexandria Ryan. I love her series, recently she found out about vogue having lesser quality products in theirs
That box is so cool tho! If you have small craft items this would be great storage. Another idea is without the box inserts, the black box looks like a fun oddities shelf. You could cut the box into the three segments, and then display other items (like rocks, figurines, other con stuff, etc). And those little box inserts have such a beautiful pattern id keep those for gift boxes! Place a holiday name tag sticker over the number and then tuck your gift in some coordinating tissue paper! Otherwise it was interesting to see what those big advent calendars have in them 😊👍🏻
I recommend anyone with sensitive or oily eyes try tubing mascara. It’s the only kind that doesn't smudge because oil doesn't break it down like other mascaras. It also doesn't flake or irritate my eyes quite as badly.
thanks Dadmanda! there's only one advent calendar box that I come close to buying every year: the Yesstyle one, because it's all full size products... one day they'll finally get me
some advent calendars are saying the prices are one thing, and actually its smaller and cheaper - including this year's VOGUE. Alexandria Ryan has done some research on it in her videos on advent calendars!
So glad you mentioned how it's difficult to review skin/make-up products because I'm someone who can bad reactions to stuff and everyone's skin will react differently too. Also advent calendars like this aren't really my thing but I do think it is a fun idea if you give multiple little gifts in a advent calendar. Maybe making your own could work for say like kids with small cheap toys/chocolate or friends with mix of fun things they might like instead of christmas gift (though it would get pricey). I would however maybe like to see a stationary one or like you said a store one with a mix of own brand products. really enjoyed your review for this
@@abbey5288 ahh bummer but honestly no surprise. Shits gotten out of hand and it's just highway robbery at this point. I don't even bother seeing any of the well known bands I love. Its pretty much the indiest or punkest of my favorites if I'm lucky enough that one of them comes through the local areas :p
Swellmas is helping me not fall into the December and general state of the world blues! (especially as a trans* person) Thank you Swell for always making amazing content for us!
Wow that is an extravagant advent calender if there ever was one. When i was growing up i would always get two simple advents that i loved- one on the fridge that was a drawn picture of a natural scene with animals, each door having a random little object and a message, and the other was that classic chocolate one you see everywhere. If i could somehow get that Blooming box itself or a similar box, i would love to put trinkets in for one of my close friends to have a funner month. Or 2 people who lived together could fill it with fun junk for each other to take turns opening every day. Box has potential but it certainly wouldnt be my cup of tea off the rack haha
I had a friend who bought a perfume advent calendar (can't remember which one but it was like $300) and then gifted the individual items to friends and family because it was such a good deal and some of the minis you can't buy outright. I still haven't been able to decide if this was unethical, kinda dumb, or pure genius. Edit: maybe unethical is the wrong word, but gives me the same side-eye vibes as regifting. Like, you didn't get a gift for the person, you gave the person a gift you had on hand. Maybe it's just because this particular "friend" would often say things like "I got that just for you!" or "This is special" when I knew full well they just grabbed something at random.
Ooh interesting! On one hand, perfume is a good category of product to get in a mini - easier for travel, and you may use it very slowly anyway. On the other hand, it’s so personal and if you don’t like the scent, that’s that!
I have the cult beauty (a Sephora-like website) advent calendar this year and checked beforehand that I’d already planned on purchasing enough of these items for the price to be worth it. It was 275€ for products worth over 1000€, and I wanted to buy about 400€ worth of the items anyway. All of the other items sounded either intriguing enough for me to try or like something I can gift to my mum.
Why do I want to save the box and paint it to look like a steamer trunk in blue and bronze and put all my apothecory bits and bobs in the little drawers?
The box is the most value I would have of that advent, it would be cool to store part of the stupid amount of crafty stuff I hoard. Would not be worth that ridiculous price, of course.
man i dont think thats worth $325 at all. if it had the same price tag but all the products were in like one clear bag, i doubt they would get many sales
@@rainy-matchaI know you didn't ask but this routine really took care of my AA: buy tubes of acne spot medication with .05 benzoyl peroxide -- I mostly used Neutrogena On-the-Spot--but slather it all the heck over your whole face after washing it every night. Moisturize to hell and back because of course that stuff'll dry your skin and if you have fancy bedding switch it out for a while cause it will bleach fabrics too. This worked as well as Pro-Activ for me (meaning GREAT) and was a lot less $$
You could start a tradition with friends or something. You could find a bunch of stuff to fill up the calendar, give it to a friend next year, and then they do the same thing the year after that. You could also fill it with different dog treats and let your dog open a door everyday. That is the best I've got.
As someone who frequently forgets to actually open advent calendars, i like when they’re in order. I don’t want to be bothered to go hunting for the number on the off chance i actually remember to open it
Well, we in the Philippines celebrate Christmas as soon as the "ber months" come (September to December). We have like a day or two break to celebrate All souls Day and All Saints Day, but the rest are all in Christmas cheer.
Same here as a Norwegian XD People always invite me to do stuff on the 24th and I have to explain that's literally Christmas Day/the main celebration for my family 😅
In my family, and from what I've observed in my area (New England) Christmas starts the evening/afternoon of the 24th and goes until around mid day on the 25th. This seems pretty common, on rare instances that I've been with my extended family presents are opened on the 24th -- after Christmas eve mass. In my immediate family though we wait until the morning of the 25th. A formal Christmas dinner can happen either night, it seems like a bit of a toss up.
Loving the daily uploads Swell!! Thank you and thank you editor Will and for all of your hard work to make these fun videos for us to watch! Shout out Father Swell for the advent calendar, Happy Swellmas 🎉🎉
no lie, i have watched this video every night and fallen asleep every time.... i suppose amanda's voice is like asmr because i genuinely have become so relaxed every time i watch this
Thank you Amanda, I’ve been listening to your videos while I get used to a long drive home from a new job. I love the way you just talk like it’s in your head so it’s coming out! This is the first video I’m actually watching. Standard Amanda! …… you just got a new subscriber 😀
On a positive note, I do like sample sizes especially for makeup because I don’t use up my products before they expire. For skincare, if it’s something you like they’re handy for travel or when you run out of your full size to tide you over. But I’m pretty careful about what sample bags/bundles whatever I get because I hate throwing them away. This year I got a free beauty bag with purchase from Sephora and I’m definitely using a couple of them and the rest are going to be stocking stuffers.
17:57 if you or a friend collects little figurines like smitski or the one they look like babies (creepy) this box might be good for that. I have a cutlery drawer tray insert, stood on its end, I use for my random collection of figurine things like a ballerina Lego Batman
They really ought to do more exclusive items for these things, especially at that price point. As it is this seems like you're paying to be advertised to, which is absurd and insulting. Just throw in like...a custom print scarf one day, a custom holiday themed pendant necklace or pair of earrings, not all skincare samples that as other comments have mentioned, you can often get for FREE.
These kinds of advent calendars would feel way more worth it if they did what Sephora does with their sampler sets and included a coupon you can redeem for the full size version of 1 item from the box…
Is the blush that was in the calendar the one you are wearing now? I´ve been noticing your blush the last couple videos and was gearing up for asking for the brand and color :) It´s so pretty!!!
I don't buy advent calendars but I love watching unboxing! Alexandria Ryan is doing her annual advent calendar openings and I love it! You really start to see what a waste most are but there are some good ones.
If you really enjoy perfumes, I would love to see you try out the Demeter fragrance collection. They have some of the most accurate scents, but for the quirky themes. They also have design your own fragrance collections.
i love how the "hey i'm amanda" has gotten so much faster that now she just says "hey amanda". i love being assigned a name whenever i watch swell entertainment!!!
I had fun watching this video, but also: I WANT THAT BOX I could make my own adorable, personalized advent calendar for a friend! Wonder if I could replicate it 🤔
The SK II mask is actually so good. I bought the essence at the duty-free on my way back from Hawaii, and it came in a gift set. After almost 24 hours of travel, my skin was very dry and dull. That mask almost instantly revitalized my skin, and it felt so nice. I don't normally spend money on stuff like that unless it's something like duty-free, but it was so good!
My mom got me one that had a bunch of different samples of loose leaf tea in it and I’m definitely keeping the jars that the tea came in for like organizing small stuff like rhinestones for craft projects
i'm so glad you have proper closed captioning; it seems so difficult to find youtubers with significant audiences who have accurate closed captioning. thanks for thinking of the deaf & hoh
Sk-ii is nice but yeah, it is expensive. Occasionally those travel sizes are part of sets around Christmas though, which is a bit less expensive. Kiehl's is a bit too rough for me though, it is a nice cleanser but it really dried my face out (I have really fair skin)
Swell, that lipstick looks gorgeous on you. Also, aside from the rubbish I think most of the products are pretty good in this calendar. I would personally worry about the fragrances for me because sometimes I put on a fragrance and it smells terrible on me. I have an allergy to allium so Lilly’s are a problem. And your dad is amazing .
The box setup is really pretty imo, and I think the scattered, mixed sized boxes are fun! The amount of waste would sap a lot of the fun out of it for me, though. Even gift wrapping paper bothers me. I could maybe see reusing it as an advent calendar for future years with a partner or friend? Just put treats and trinkets in the boxes for them. Its big enough that it would be a pain to store, though...
The only advent calendar i get (and not every year) is the STICKII sticker advent calendar. They give exclusive sticker sheets that are not christmas themed so that they can be used all year, and they usually come in something more useful. A few years ago they were envelopes, but this year they were 6-ring mini binders with envelopes. I’m kinda sad that the paper i have was too big for the binders, but definitely more useful to many than a giant cardboard box
This calendar is gold for the price know everything is small but I’m on the third item everything is soo expensive and there’s certain times of the year skin breaks out or like you mentioned gifting it’s amazing. These brands so far are all extremely exprensive!
This is completely unrelated to the topic of the video but omg I recognize your Bottling Sunshine desk mat, I love their artwork!! I appreciate your taste HAHA
I feel like the advent calendar itself would make a great desk organizer if you are looking to repurpose it (box 1 is paper clips, box 2 is erasers, etc.)
You can always fill the box next year and pass it to someone. Or better yet play some version of pin the donkey but instead open the box obstacle corse. Everyone gets a gift and you don't need to wrap anything. Just drop it in the box.
Might be aging myself here, but I remember when advent calendars were just pretty cardboard and you'd open the doors for pretty pictures. Then came the chocolate ones, now all of these beauty and tea and jewelry ones and it's just not worth it to me--especially seeing videos like this. It's a rip off, I'll stick to the pretty picture ones and be perfectly happy at a FRACTION of the price and none of the disappointment.
i can think of a couple of friends of mine who, like you, may not use everything in the calendar but likely have enough friends who use skincare products who would make use of what they wouldnt. beyond that, the crafty friends of mine would adore those drawers/boxes, so some of the waste would not become waste for a fair bit of time. that aside, though... isnt this just an easy way for companies to offload excess promotional samples? thats how it feels. absolutely not worth that sort of cost, though idk maybe it is nowadays. cost aside tho... my skincare loving friends (myself included, dont get me wrong) would love an advent calendar like this, though maybe not... That expensive...
5:20 me w aquabomb moisturizers or similar products lately, theyre so spendy but i can often find a bunch of samples out in the wild... definitely useful when living out in the desert...
What pisses me off about these things is that they’re basically giving you samples that someone would otherwise get for free by other means, like through Sephora points or just by asking nicely at a beauty counter. It’s all just testers designed to hook you on the products and they’re acting like they’re giving you some kind of bargain. Almost nothing is actually full size. For that reason I’d pay $50 for this, tops.
see this is exactly the problem. I always thought they looked like those tiny travel sized versions of shampoo, but make up instead. It just didn't seem worth it
Yes!! Exactly! It's really hard to judge the "value" when it's just a sample size
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These are "travel size" products which for $325 is utter bull refuse. If my favourite small business sticker company can give full size and even double products in their advent calendar then a retail giant should be able to provide full size products for that price.
@adorabell4253 !! Exactly!!
That jo malone perfume - that EXACT size. I got for free with Sephora points. Wow.
isn't 1 point=$1
@@RoseJKersyes but you get points for buying other things, so it is technically free
How many oz is that size??
Did it take a while to get?
The worst part about these beauty calendars is that stores (like Bloomingdale’s) give these samples out for free. So the cost they’re going off of is the full size and then scaling it down. For example if the full size is 1oz and you get 0.1oz and the full size is $200 the “sample” will be valued at $20, despite it being given out free. These advent calendars just remind me of when my grandma used to do her makeup shopping at Macy’s and gave me all the goodies that came with. By the end of the year I’d have 3x as much as this and it would all have been free.
I also wouldn't be surprised if the companies actually pay Bloomingdale's to have their products be one featured in the calendar itself!!??!!
I find it interesting that beauty products are usually "your unique skin biome needs the products that will help your specific beauty needs" until it's time to shill samples. Then you can use random products and rapidly changing them as the sample runs out in a few days.
T H I S
skincare samples are kinda weird like that, since you're probably looking for long term effects when picking skincare products. they would only be good for checking for immediate reactions, like allergy or acne.
Good point
As an esthetician i find them helpful so i can recommend the product thats best for someone and let them see for themselves that it's better if theyre on the fence. But i would never randomly give them out for this exact reason
My advant calendar growing up (80s/90s) was half a posterboard my mom drew a santa face on. She would then trace around a pill bottle 24 times in his beard and once on the ball of his hat. Rach day we got to glue a cotton ball to the corresponding circle. My sister and I each had one and it is thrilling. I just can't justify something like this, but I do love watching videos of them. Thanks for sharing.
Me and my sister had reusable advent calendars that were felt Christmas tree wall hangings. Each day we would get a new ornament in the same little box that we then got to hang on the trees. On Christmas day, we got a little felt star to put on top. There was a clear hierarchy of the ornaments--the bell ornaments were the best. My mom had to give us bells on the same day to avoid one of us getting jealous!
Mine was a card and you opened the window and LOOKED AT THE PICTURES. My Ain’t & Uncle always sent me one and my Mom always got me a lifesaver sweet storybook. Until she passed away, I always got one. At a point, she would have to have a friend shop it for her.
So they’re claiming that the average price of each day is $36, some have more than one product so I’ll estimate (I’m not gonna go back and count) 30 products. Which means the average price of those samples is $30. Claiming that it’s got a value of $900 is criminal, no way those tiny little perfumes with like 3 sprays is worth $30.
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For the Creed perfume specifically they are extremely expensive the small sample ones are definitely worth more than 30$. Same with the Dr Strum hyaluronic serum.. a 30ml bottle of the stuff is 325$.
@@laurachristensen3201it’s only 10ml of the HA serum and why even include it if it’s that much more expensive than everything else in the calendar?
@@Purplesquigglystripe dunno 🤷🏼♀️ but the 10ml bottle on their website is still 110$
@laurachristensen3201 that's so insane, I really feel like it's a scam
In regards to the leftover empty boxes, I keep them to make treat puzzles and foraging mats/boxes for my cats. Not necessarily relevant to dog owners, but for people who have cats, this kind of waste can at least be put to use in enrichment items (if anyone is looking for something to do with them other than trash/recycle).
Probably useful if you have kids/siblings who have art projects for elementary or middle school
I do the same for my dog. It's less sliding the container open in a clever and brain teasing way and more shredding it, but she's happy.
@@Cat-fz1uu Oh yeah! Good shout.
The only advent calendar I will consider worth it is those little dollar chocolate ones and the bonne maman jam calendar. No waste and a fun little jam to try every day!
My friend got her (French) stepdad the bonne maman calendar last year and it received rave reviews
I have never heard of the jam calendar, thank you for adding this bit of joy to my day!
I like the coffee and hot chocolate ones. Target has a 12 day one with coffee for $15. It's a nice way to try different coffees without having to try a whole box. Otherwise, I think these things are a waste.
Aldi had a cheese calendar this year that I've been enjoying.
A coworker got my the bonne maman a couple years ago. It's fab.
Legally advent calendars have to tell you exactly what is in it. As a gift receiver you’re just supposed to ignore that part.
That's why it's on the slip cover, so you can see it when you buy it, but then remove it when you gift it
As a dude that usually smells like burnt motor oil, coffee and dust, Swells videos are fascinating. I have no idea what she is talking about on these types of videos but i sure find them interesting.
As someone who does know what she's talking about, I am now curious which mix of creators you watch
This is exactly how I feel when Swell reviews fast cars haha
Same, I know about 30% about what Swell is taking about but I did learn what hyaluronic acid was today so that’s pretty cool
I just think they're neat!
As someone whose interests align a lot with Amanda's, this is so interesting (and wholesome lol). Like someone else said, curious what other creators you watch!
I couldn’t explain it but I feel like this is a really good video to show people to give them, like, a good idea of how Amanda acts in videos. Like if I were trying to get a friend into the channel I’d show them this because there’s so many good Swell-isms in this one that usually aren’t this condensed?? This is just SUCH a Swell Entertainment video. It’s great
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Definitely prefer mixed up advent calendars so it's like a passive puzzle I get to solve with finding where each day is. Makes it a bit more fun for me.
I just had a flashback to a book I read in elementary school where the enemy of the main character put different scents in her hair so she could flip her hair one way and you'd smell a different scent. I have no idea what book it was, or anything else that happened, I only remember that
Dear Dumb Diary by Jim Benton
@raeraeven8706 thank you! I have no plans of rereading it but it's good to know it wasn't just a dream lol
ah yes, the technique of zone shampooing
Lol does that really work? Perfume on each side of the hair flip?
0:22 “I’ll put it here” *doesn’t do that* LOL
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Never let them know your next move
Going to be honest, your rose gold/copper nails are super pretty and suit your really well.
Agreed! She looks good in that shade of brown too, she’s def an autumn color kind of person
As a hoarder of different items I would’ve definitely taken that box and used it as a nice display drawer for stationary and small trinkets 😊
That box could potentially be used for small craft supplies, but it would be annoying to open each section to find where you put the dang blue beads each times
Maybe labels could help or a legend of some sort, but I definitely thought the same thing!
A lot of these giant advent boxes look like cute mini storage units lol
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@@ville-c4u no u
@@dylnpickl846 right?? That’s what I think about every time I see them lol
Immediately when I saw the big empty box it would be perfect for a curiosities box where each component is a little scene 😮 or just cool tiny stuff or rocks or craft supplies
"Yapping is my love language." Aw, Amanda loves her audience.
12:42 If the boxes are differently shaped, I like them being in a different order. Long 17 next to chunky 6? I like that.
If it is just a bunch of the same sized squares? Just have them in order so it works as a calendar.
Basically either go max chaos or max order.
*for anyone reading this, just know that i commented this at the midway point of the video, so i haven't seen if she's mentioned what I've mentioned*
something that i think is also important to note when it comes to beauty/perfume advent calendars is that:
there are possible allergens and irritants in the products
the makeup will probably be in the wrong shade (specifically for people who have darker complexions & people who are in-between shades)
the hair products probably won't be for people who have 3 or 4 curl patterns (i have 4a)
also you made a good point about the skincare and I'm glad that you brought it up because not everything in the advent calendar is for one specific person. i feel like they shove a variety of products in one package to make it feel more extravagant than it actually is. most of these products are sample size as well. for $325 you can get some of those products at a normal size and be satisfied.
as long as you know what you're getting and you're happy about it, it's fine. i just think it's a scummy business practice to have these kinds of products.
i thought this too, immediately when she pulled out the first tinted product... cos like i assume someone w/ skin sensitivies isn't likely to get these kinda calendars bc if you've a medical issue you know to look out for that. but if i was tan/dark skinned or had more textured hair why would i think to assume a "generic" gift calendar would still have items i can't use? like isn't literally one in four people in this country not white lol. far from the only criticism of these things, but i didn't expect "unintentionally mildly racist" to be one of em
Yay Swell's dad👍 Box for young relatives to organize their stuff into?
So this immediately popped into my head when you were talking about collecting perfume samples and I felt like I wanted to tell you. There's a company I love called Immortal Perfumes, woman owned and based in Seattle, that I have several scents from and they're great. And they have the cutest little sample bottles! And the perfume is just really nice, oil based instead of a spray. I don't even know if Swell will read this but *shrugs* no harm in sharing a small business I suppose right? 😂
Idk about swell but I’m checking this out! Thanks for sharing!
Ooooh taking notes about this for later!!!
Omg thank you!! I'd heard about them ages ago and totally forgotten that I wanted to get a friend something from them. The whole concept is so cool! Thanks for the reminder & hopefully Swell checks them out!
With a little redecorating you could reuse that box as a treat advent calendar for someone else.
Merry swellmas!
Chronological order is sooo preferred for advent calendars for me!
I’m glad more people are finding out how much advent calendars inflate their value. Im excited for my first swellmas. By the way a channel I would recommend that yearly does advent calendar reviews and researches the prices of each item is Alexandria Ryan. I love her series, recently she found out about vogue having lesser quality products in theirs
That box is so cool tho! If you have small craft items this would be great storage. Another idea is without the box inserts, the black box looks like a fun oddities shelf. You could cut the box into the three segments, and then display other items (like rocks, figurines, other con stuff, etc). And those little box inserts have such a beautiful pattern id keep those for gift boxes! Place a holiday name tag sticker over the number and then tuck your gift in some coordinating tissue paper! Otherwise it was interesting to see what those big advent calendars have in them 😊👍🏻
I recommend anyone with sensitive or oily eyes try tubing mascara. It’s the only kind that doesn't smudge because oil doesn't break it down like other mascaras. It also doesn't flake or irritate my eyes quite as badly.
I agree! Tubing mascara is the only type I've found that doesn't smudge
100%. I have very dry skin but oily eyelids. Tubing mascaras are the only ones I can wear. Otherwise i look like a panda in under 3 hours.
thanks Dadmanda!
there's only one advent calendar box that I come close to buying every year: the Yesstyle one, because it's all full size products... one day they'll finally get me
Why not Amandad?
I believe he called himself SwellDad? Or SwellDaddy?
some advent calendars are saying the prices are one thing, and actually its smaller and cheaper - including this year's VOGUE. Alexandria Ryan has done some research on it in her videos on advent calendars!
So glad you mentioned how it's difficult to review skin/make-up products because I'm someone who can bad reactions to stuff and everyone's skin will react differently too.
Also advent calendars like this aren't really my thing but I do think it is a fun idea if you give multiple little gifts in a advent calendar. Maybe making your own could work for say like kids with small cheap toys/chocolate or friends with mix of fun things they might like instead of christmas gift (though it would get pricey). I would however maybe like to see a stationary one or like you said a store one with a mix of own brand products.
really enjoyed your review for this
Watching this while waiting in line for Kendrick tickets
Wow nice, hope the show is a great time!
@@roryrousseau111unfortunately the tickets were insanely expensive 😢so not going to
Watching this while doing the dishes
Giiiiirrrrrlllll i heard the tour announcement but i didnt even wanna try
@@abbey5288 ahh bummer but honestly no surprise. Shits gotten out of hand and it's just highway robbery at this point. I don't even bother seeing any of the well known bands I love. Its pretty much the indiest or punkest of my favorites if I'm lucky enough that one of them comes through the local areas :p
Swellmas is helping me not fall into the December and general state of the world blues! (especially as a trans* person) Thank you Swell for always making amazing content for us!
Happy December! Thank you for giving the world the gift of your beautiful soul ❤
I hope your December is awesome, keep rocking!
hope you have a great month friend
So glad you're here watching content you enjoy! I hope December goes easy on you. ❤
I feel safe with you in the comments so I'm reporting you stop making toxic comments...,
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Wow that is an extravagant advent calender if there ever was one. When i was growing up i would always get two simple advents that i loved- one on the fridge that was a drawn picture of a natural scene with animals, each door having a random little object and a message, and the other was that classic chocolate one you see everywhere. If i could somehow get that Blooming box itself or a similar box, i would love to put trinkets in for one of my close friends to have a funner month. Or 2 people who lived together could fill it with fun junk for each other to take turns opening every day. Box has potential but it certainly wouldnt be my cup of tea off the rack haha
As a crafty person, my favorite part is the box because I'd recycle it and use it for crafts 😍
Also who would feel bad receiving diptyque candles? HAVE Y'ALL SMELLED THEM?? and their prices!!!!! That's love
I had a friend who bought a perfume advent calendar (can't remember which one but it was like $300) and then gifted the individual items to friends and family because it was such a good deal and some of the minis you can't buy outright. I still haven't been able to decide if this was unethical, kinda dumb, or pure genius.
Edit: maybe unethical is the wrong word, but gives me the same side-eye vibes as regifting. Like, you didn't get a gift for the person, you gave the person a gift you had on hand. Maybe it's just because this particular "friend" would often say things like "I got that just for you!" or "This is special" when I knew full well they just grabbed something at random.
Ooh interesting! On one hand, perfume is a good category of product to get in a mini - easier for travel, and you may use it very slowly anyway. On the other hand, it’s so personal and if you don’t like the scent, that’s that!
I say pure genius I love perfumes and would love this idea especially if they’re nice perfumes
i say for perfume it probably was worth it !
if the math shook out then it’s genius! i can’t find a reason that it would be unethical
I have the cult beauty (a Sephora-like website) advent calendar this year and checked beforehand that I’d already planned on purchasing enough of these items for the price to be worth it. It was 275€ for products worth over 1000€, and I wanted to buy about 400€ worth of the items anyway. All of the other items sounded either intriguing enough for me to try or like something I can gift to my mum.
Why do I want to save the box and paint it to look like a steamer trunk in blue and bronze and put all my apothecory bits and bobs in the little drawers?
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The box is the most value I would have of that advent, it would be cool to store part of the stupid amount of crafty stuff I hoard. Would not be worth that ridiculous price, of course.
Thanks for this swell Swellmas video, Swell!
1:30 I agree - instantly thought of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Girlie! That brushing perfume through your hair move is so cvnty!
I’m stealing it
The empty calendar (with boxes removed) could look cute on a shelf with little trinkets and such in each section
This confirms my theory that a huge purchaser of these advent calendars is people with daughters buying them as gifts, very sweet of your dad
man i dont think thats worth $325 at all. if it had the same price tag but all the products were in like one clear bag, i doubt they would get many sales
I want to do Acutane because I get bad adult acne, but also because it turns your bones green, and green is my favorite color.
Have you tried head and shoulders?
@@MidniteSpectreI think head and shoulders is specifically fungal acne, while acutane can treat other kinds (such as hormonal) acne
Green bones?!? I took it years and years ago, and I never knew that.
@@rainy-matchaI know you didn't ask but this routine really took care of my AA: buy tubes of acne spot medication with .05 benzoyl peroxide -- I mostly used Neutrogena On-the-Spot--but slather it all the heck over your whole face after washing it every night. Moisturize to hell and back because of course that stuff'll dry your skin and if you have fancy bedding switch it out for a while cause it will bleach fabrics too.
This worked as well as Pro-Activ for me (meaning GREAT) and was a lot less $$
You could start a tradition with friends or something. You could find a bunch of stuff to fill up the calendar, give it to a friend next year, and then they do the same thing the year after that. You could also fill it with different dog treats and let your dog open a door everyday. That is the best I've got.
As someone who frequently forgets to actually open advent calendars, i like when they’re in order. I don’t want to be bothered to go hunting for the number on the off chance i actually remember to open it
17:19 In Sweden we celebrate Christmas on the 24th. This is the first time I realize that Americans get one more day on their calendar….
Well, we in the Philippines celebrate Christmas as soon as the "ber months" come (September to December). We have like a day or two break to celebrate All souls Day and All Saints Day, but the rest are all in Christmas cheer.
Same here as a Norwegian XD People always invite me to do stuff on the 24th and I have to explain that's literally Christmas Day/the main celebration for my family 😅
A lot of advent calendars in the US only have 24 days even though we don’t celebrate until the 25th. Some are even only 12 days.
in Ireland we celebrate on Christmas Eve too, then Christmas Day is purely for relaxing and finally St. Stephen's Day is for the shopping discounts 😂
In my family, and from what I've observed in my area (New England) Christmas starts the evening/afternoon of the 24th and goes until around mid day on the 25th. This seems pretty common, on rare instances that I've been with my extended family presents are opened on the 24th -- after Christmas eve mass. In my immediate family though we wait until the morning of the 25th. A formal Christmas dinner can happen either night, it seems like a bit of a toss up.
Loving the daily uploads Swell!! Thank you and thank you editor Will and for all of your hard work to make these fun videos for us to watch! Shout out Father Swell for the advent calendar, Happy Swellmas 🎉🎉
I am absolutely loving swellmas so far! Thank you so much fr all the effort put into making it happen, much appreciated
happy swellmas!! the true gift is you posting this video right when my lunch break started ❤
I think you could repurpose that box into a gift for a friend. Fill each day with a different candy or snack.
no lie, i have watched this video every night and fallen asleep every time.... i suppose amanda's voice is like asmr because i genuinely have become so relaxed every time i watch this
Thank you Amanda, I’ve been listening to your videos while I get used to a long drive home from a new job.
I love the way you just talk like it’s in your head so it’s coming out!
This is the first video I’m actually watching.
Standard Amanda! …… you just got a new subscriber 😀
On a positive note, I do like sample sizes especially for makeup because I don’t use up my products before they expire. For skincare, if it’s something you like they’re handy for travel or when you run out of your full size to tide you over. But I’m pretty careful about what sample bags/bundles whatever I get because I hate throwing them away. This year I got a free beauty bag with purchase from Sephora and I’m definitely using a couple of them and the rest are going to be stocking stuffers.
the box itself without the squares looks like a perfect trinket shelf tbh
17:57 if you or a friend collects little figurines like smitski or the one they look like babies (creepy) this box might be good for that. I have a cutlery drawer tray insert, stood on its end, I use for my random collection of figurine things like a ballerina Lego Batman
They really ought to do more exclusive items for these things, especially at that price point. As it is this seems like you're paying to be advertised to, which is absurd and insulting. Just throw in like...a custom print scarf one day, a custom holiday themed pendant necklace or pair of earrings, not all skincare samples that as other comments have mentioned, you can often get for FREE.
These kinds of advent calendars would feel way more worth it if they did what Sephora does with their sampler sets and included a coupon you can redeem for the full size version of 1 item from the box…
Is the blush that was in the calendar the one you are wearing now? I´ve been noticing your blush the last couple videos and was gearing up for asking for the brand and color :) It´s so pretty!!!
You can use the box for Christmas decoration storage
You can use the empty big boxes as a trinket shelf
I don't buy advent calendars but I love watching unboxing! Alexandria Ryan is doing her annual advent calendar openings and I love it! You really start to see what a waste most are but there are some good ones.
Your dad is awesome and generous! The box was super fun. I’ve never had an advent box.
You can use the advent box to make something cute for your dad next year
For the lotion one (4:34) it may be a japanese brand. Lotions tend to be toner/emulsion thickness/watery
My dad got me a Pokémon advent calendar it’s awesome I got pikachu and lost my mind lol
If you really enjoy perfumes, I would love to see you try out the Demeter fragrance collection. They have some of the most accurate scents, but for the quirky themes. They also have design your own fragrance collections.
4:28 sometimes toners are called lotion
i love how the "hey i'm amanda" has gotten so much faster that now she just says "hey amanda". i love being assigned a name whenever i watch swell entertainment!!!
I had fun watching this video, but also: I WANT THAT BOX
I could make my own adorable, personalized advent calendar for a friend! Wonder if I could replicate it 🤔
I got that exact Oribe texturing spray in a birchbox like 7 years ago lmao they haven't changed their go-to PR product, huh?
I remember beauty UA-camrs raving about it about 10 years ago lol
The SK II mask is actually so good. I bought the essence at the duty-free on my way back from Hawaii, and it came in a gift set. After almost 24 hours of travel, my skin was very dry and dull. That mask almost instantly revitalized my skin, and it felt so nice. I don't normally spend money on stuff like that unless it's something like duty-free, but it was so good!
My mom got me one that had a bunch of different samples of loose leaf tea in it and I’m definitely keeping the jars that the tea came in for like organizing small stuff like rhinestones for craft projects
4:08 "all the waste all the things" lmao
i'm so glad you have proper closed captioning; it seems so difficult to find youtubers with significant audiences who have accurate closed captioning. thanks for thinking of the deaf & hoh
God I love being this spoiled by Swell. These Swellmas videos have been fantastic so far.
that art deco styling is giving great gatsby AI
Yes its true, variety in the tchotchke collection is delightful
Sk-ii is nice but yeah, it is expensive. Occasionally those travel sizes are part of sets around Christmas though, which is a bit less expensive.
Kiehl's is a bit too rough for me though, it is a nice cleanser but it really dried my face out (I have really fair skin)
Swell, that lipstick looks gorgeous on you. Also, aside from the rubbish I think most of the products are pretty good in this calendar. I would personally worry about the fragrances for me because sometimes I put on a fragrance and it smells terrible on me. I have an allergy to allium so Lilly’s are a problem. And your dad is amazing .
The box setup is really pretty imo, and I think the scattered, mixed sized boxes are fun! The amount of waste would sap a lot of the fun out of it for me, though. Even gift wrapping paper bothers me. I could maybe see reusing it as an advent calendar for future years with a partner or friend? Just put treats and trinkets in the boxes for them. Its big enough that it would be a pain to store, though...
20:09 **waves**
The only advent calendar i get (and not every year) is the STICKII sticker advent calendar. They give exclusive sticker sheets that are not christmas themed so that they can be used all year, and they usually come in something more useful. A few years ago they were envelopes, but this year they were 6-ring mini binders with envelopes. I’m kinda sad that the paper i have was too big for the binders, but definitely more useful to many than a giant cardboard box
This calendar is gold for the price know everything is small but I’m on the third item everything is soo expensive and there’s certain times of the year skin breaks out or like you mentioned gifting it’s amazing. These brands so far are all extremely exprensive!
obsessed with how much better this was than the chanel and sephora calendars
I love the Recreation of your new intro you look really pretty❤
Thank you Mr Swell for sponsoring this video!!!
This is completely unrelated to the topic of the video but omg I recognize your Bottling Sunshine desk mat, I love their artwork!! I appreciate your taste HAHA
This is the first time I’ve noticed the new intro (been just listening to a lot of videos recently) but I gotta say….10/10 great work
I feel like the advent calendar itself would make a great desk organizer if you are looking to repurpose it (box 1 is paper clips, box 2 is erasers, etc.)
46 seconds ago is a new record for me
You can always fill the box next year and pass it to someone. Or better yet play some version of pin the donkey but instead open the box obstacle corse. Everyone gets a gift and you don't need to wrap anything. Just drop it in the box.
Might be aging myself here, but I remember when advent calendars were just pretty cardboard and you'd open the doors for pretty pictures. Then came the chocolate ones, now all of these beauty and tea and jewelry ones and it's just not worth it to me--especially seeing videos like this. It's a rip off, I'll stick to the pretty picture ones and be perfectly happy at a FRACTION of the price and none of the disappointment.
former nordstrom employee here
if you are nice to your makeup counter person more than likely they will be happy to throw you samples
i can think of a couple of friends of mine who, like you, may not use everything in the calendar but likely have enough friends who use skincare products who would make use of what they wouldnt. beyond that, the crafty friends of mine would adore those drawers/boxes, so some of the waste would not become waste for a fair bit of time. that aside, though... isnt this just an easy way for companies to offload excess promotional samples? thats how it feels. absolutely not worth that sort of cost, though idk maybe it is nowadays. cost aside tho... my skincare loving friends (myself included, dont get me wrong) would love an advent calendar like this, though maybe not... That expensive...
5:20 me w aquabomb moisturizers or similar products lately, theyre so spendy but i can often find a bunch of samples out in the wild... definitely useful when living out in the desert...
I wish you showed us each product and the packaging more clearly!
What do you use for dry skin? I use Aveeno but looking for other products. Your dad is definitely happy he got this for you, I bet lol
I love your dad’s energy!
Going from filming under a door to filming on a loft, that's badass