Well, my advent calendar surprises have finally come to an end, and I have to say I’m a little bit sad, but there’s always next year…Now, before I’m preparing for Christmas Eve with my family here are the last few products that I got.

Douglas Stay Care Gel Top Coat

If we got the gel-like nail polish, we also got the second step for a gel manicure, the top coat. The top coat promises to make the nail polish last up to 7 days. It’s a full-size 10 ml product. I don’t know how effective it is yet. I did my nails 2 days ago and so far the nail polish hasn’t chipped, therefore so far so good. The top coat has a retail value of 7,3 euros.

What I got last year

For the 21st of December, I got a sample size of the Daytox Clay Mask, which I remember that I liked but honestly I like most clay masks because they’re good for oily and combination skin. There are plenty of other drugstore options, so I can’t say I would splurge on a more expensive one. The sample contained 20 ml and had a retail value of 3,5 euros.

Annyake Lift Contour Reshaping Serum

This is another Annayahe product but I’m very glad I got it because it’s the most expensive item in the calendar. The full-size serum has a retail value of 99,9 euros and it’s not available in the Douglas stores in Romania. I would never spend so much on just one skincare product but it does feel amazing on the skin and it makes it look so smooth and soft and I dare to say you can’t even skip on the foundation when using it – if there aren’t any particular problems, of course. The sample size contains 7 ml and has a retail value of 23,3 euros – approximately what I paid for the entire calendar.

What I got last year

For the 22nd of December, I got a Douglas nail polish that I still have, a red one in the color Heartbreak Red. It’s different from the color I got this year because it’s brighter red-orange opposed to the dark blood red I got this year. The nail polish had a retail value of 7,3 euros.

Face Love Santa Claus Mask

While Face Love masks are available in different variants, the Santa Claus one is specific for the advent calendar and it’s also a repeat product. I had fun using this sheet mask, but again, I can’t say I’ve seen any particularly amazing effects. Similar masks from the brand have a retail value of 5,5 euros.

What I got last year

For the 23rd of December, I got another Annayake serum, the anti-wrinkle perfecting one which I also loved and it also had a retail value of 23,3 euros.

First Instinct by Abercrombie & Fitch EDP

This is what I call a purse perfume because it’s quite a big bottle. It has 15 ml. I’m not that crazy about the scent, but I’m always happy to try out new perfumes. I can’t really describe what it smells like, but to me, it’s like a mix of floral and citrus, notes. A big 100 ml bottle is sold for 85 euros in Douglas stores, so this mini bottle is worth about 12,7 euros.

What I got last year

For the 24th of December, I also got a purse perfume, a My Honey EDP by Toni Gard. It was a fresh perfume, more suitable for summer and it’s the only one I used up because it was one of the minis I had with me while I was on vacation. The mini perfume had a retail value of approximately 11,9 euros.

Comparing the last days of the advent calendar, I liked the products I got in both of them. Each year I got 1 perfume and 1 serum and I like the nail top coat and the sheet mask, as well as the clay mask and the nail polish.

By adding up everything, this year’s calendar had products in it that had a retail value of 141,2 euros. Considering that I paid only 24,8 euros for it, I’ll let you be the judge if it’s worth it or not. Now, money-wise I think we can agree it was great, but let’s recap what you should know about this Douglas advent calendar after my second-year experience with it.

• I got 7 full-size products – 1 mascara, 1 nail polish, 1 nail polish top coat, 1 lip mask, 1 sheet mask, 1 pair of undereye patches, 1 face mask
• I also got 3 repeat products – the Douglas mini eye pencil, the Santa sheet mask, and the Douglas hydrating mask
• I got 3 perfume samples in decent sizes – two 10 ml ones and one of 15 ml
• I got some skincare products in decent samples as well – the Daytox charcoal mask and the face cream and the Annayake serum
• I got some bath and body care samples in decent sized samples – the Douglas shower foam, the Douglas protein hair mask, and the mini pack of Douglas makeup wipes
• I was disappointed with the shower cream from Annayake because I could use it only once and the tiny sample of Douglas body milk

I think I covered about everything I had and I must say that overall I’m happy with the calendar, although it got a little repetitive not only because of the products because there were only 3 repeats, but because I already knew there were going to be 3 perfume samples, one full-size makeup item and so on. I also find that the number of brands featured this year seemed to be lower.

I don’t know if I will also buy the advent calendar next year, but it’s hard to resists because at least there are no stickers or other crappy filler items like in other advent calendars – I’m looking at you Sephora – and I already have a Douglas card and they offer frequently reduced prices and shipping is free all the time for card owners so…We’ll probably do this again next year as well.

Regardless of what you’re celebrating tomorrow or if you don’t celebrate anything at all, I wish you all the best and lots of joy and happiness in your life.