The Body Shop Beauty Advent Calendar 2014 Sneak Peek

Earlier in the week, a large cardboard box arrived on my doorstep with my name on it, and oh was I excited to see it! Inside was the Body Shop advent calendar that I ordered for myself as an early Christmas present. Y'know, 'cause I'm good to myself like that. 

I know I blogged about The Body Shop's 24 Days of Joy advent calendar just last week (here), but I thought you guys might like a sneak peek at the real deal instead of relying solely on the stock photos. 

If you didn't see my last post and aren't familiar with the calendar, basically, 24 Days of Joy is a beauty Advent Calendar, which features a different The Body Shop product behind every window. It includes skincare, make up, and bath and body products, and features both old favourites and some of the newest additions to indulge in over Christmas. As a Body Shop fan it really appealed to me, and after missing out on last year's calendar, I actually squirrelled money away all year hoping for better luck this year! I'm so excited I got my hands on one!

It arrived in perfect condition last Monday, and I instantly fell in love with the traditional red, white, and silver packaging. The colours are gorgeous, and I adore that it's been designed to look like a house. The animals and festive characters at the windows add a lovely little touch.

I have to say, I was surprised by the sheer size of the calendar from the start. It's huge! I suppose it would be with all those lotions and potions inside. If you're wondering if you have space for one, it's about 34cm square, and 11.5cm wide (closed)! 

It opens on a hinge, like a book, and inside are twenty-four cardboard windows in traditional red and white, on a silver and white striped background. The numbers are big and easy to find, and the big windows suggest decent sized products inside.

It also has a handle on one end, to make picking up and carrying the calendar a lot easier. I've added my hand to the shot so you can get an idea of just how big the set is.

The back gives you a list of contents, tells you a little about their ingredients, and explains about the gift of education; for each calendar that is bought, a child in a war torn country will be able to attend a class! So not only will you or a loved one get to enjoy twenty-four lovely beauty gifts during Advent, but a child will benefit from it, too! Fantastic excuse to treat yourself, if ever I heard one!!

24 Days of Joy retails for £50, and it's currently still available on the Body Shop's website here. Last year's sold out super quick, so if you want one, snap one up fast!

I won't be revealing its contents today, as I'd like to enjoy the surprise every day during Advent, but here's the stock photo. 

If you'd like me to, I might reveal what's behind each window on Instagram every day from the 1st of December, and perhaps do a round-up post here on the blog every week, fortnight, or at the end of Advent. Thoughts? If you just can't wait that long, you can find the list of products included in the calendar here, and, of course, in the product listing. 

Will you be treating yourself to a Body Shop advent calendar this Christmas?

P.S. Apologies for the quality of the photos; it's not stopped raining all week and my camera is crap at the best of times!