Twenty-four bath and body products, not twenty-four samples. Seven hand creams, four bath salts, four hand and body washes, three bath foams, three fizzers, a body cream and a pulse point oil — enough to carry you well past Christmas rather than running out on Boxing Day. Heathcote & Ivory put the contents at over £80 of product, against a £45 calendar.
The design is the reason to choose this one over any other beauty calendar. Oak & Willow is drawn from a rare embroidery by May Morris, William Morris's daughter, held in the William Morris Gallery archives: squirrels among oak leaves, willow and hazelnuts. It's printed onto a case built like a hardback book that opens into three sections, each lined in a different Morris pattern and tied with a velvet ribbon. It's genuinely nice enough to keep on a shelf afterwards rather than flatten into the recycling.
Nine fragrances run through the twenty-four doors, so it doesn't become repetitive: Festive Clementine & Clove with toasted cinnamon, Sunlit Tomato with tomato leaf and green stems, the honeyed patchouli and leather of Iceland 1871, bright Purple Basil, the award-winning Beautiful Sleep, fruity Green Davana, crisp Citronella Grass, Patchouli & Red Berry with warming cardamom, and Bergamot & Vetiver built on a twelve-essential-oil blend.
Everything inside is vegan friendly and cruelty free, and the outer wrap is plastic free, made from wood pulp. Every design in the William Morris At Home range comes from the William Morris Gallery archives, and every purchase supports the gallery, which is a not-for-profit.
At £45 this is a main present rather than a stocking filler, and it's the one to buy for someone who'd rather have something to use every morning than something to eat in ten seconds. We have it at 22 Burgate in Canterbury — worth seeing the print in person, because it photographs flatter than it looks. Order online for UK delivery.
What's inside — all 24
- 7 x 15ml hand creams
- 4 x 40g bath salts
- 4 x 30ml hand & body washes
- 3 x 30ml bath foams
- 3 x 10g bath fizzers
- 1 x 30ml hand cream
- 1 x 15ml body cream
- 1 x 10ml pulse point oil
Key features
- 24-day bath and body advent calendar from William Morris At Home
- Contents valued by the brand at over £80
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Oak & Willow design, from a May Morris embroidery in the William Morris Gallery archives
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9 fragrances across the 24 products
- Vegan friendly and cruelty free
- Hardback book style case opening into three ribbon-tied sections
- Plastic-free outer wrap made from wood pulp
- Supports the William Morris Gallery, a not-for-profit
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Box size: 21.3cm high x 28.1cm wide x 12cm deep
- Made in China for Heathcote & Ivory
FAQ
Is it chocolate?
No — every door holds a bath or body product. There's nothing edible in it.
Are these miniatures or full size?
A mix, and generous for an advent calendar. The hand creams are 15ml, the washes and foams 30ml, the bath salts 40g, plus one full 30ml hand cream. It's real product rather than sachets, which is how the contents come to more than £80.
How many different scents are there?
Nine, spread across the 24 items, so you're not opening the same thing repeatedly.
Is it vegan?
Yes — vegan friendly and cruelty free.
What is the Oak & Willow pattern?
It comes from a rare embroidery by May Morris, William Morris's daughter, in the William Morris Gallery archives. The motifs are squirrels, oak leaves, willow and hazelnuts.
Does buying it support anything?
Yes. Every design in the range is drawn from the William Morris Gallery archives, and every purchase supports the gallery, a not-for-profit organisation.
How big is the box?
21.3cm tall, 28.1cm wide and 12cm deep — substantial, and it stands up like a book.
Would it suit someone with sensitive skin?
The range is fragranced throughout, so it suits someone who enjoys scented bath products rather than anyone avoiding fragrance.
