PSA: These Fun Advent Calendar Games Will Level Up Every Holiday Get-Together

We get them, we gift them, they’re the first thing to go on our holiday wish lists every single year. Yes, we’re talking about beauty advent calendars. But what if we told you there’s so much more you can do with a beauty advent calendar than just open up a door every day in December. Introducing advent calendar games!

Lucky for you, this year we’re bringing you two IPSY-curated beauty advent calendars we know you’ll love. Snag our 25-Day Advent Calendar, and unwrap 25 days of beauty bliss with full- and sample-size merry makeup and skincare surprises worth more than $650 all for just $149. Or pick up the 8-Day Holiday Calendar collab with Kate Somerville (the clinical skincare expert), which features eight full-size, best-selling skincare surprises (worth more than $440 for just $99) that’ll leave your skin healthy and glowing. 

Look, we get it. When you can get upwards of $440 worth of products for a steal (some spoiler faves here), why would you want to share? So pick up one for yourself and one to share with your family and friends during a holiday-themed game night. Ready to get the party started? Keep reading for three beauty advent calendar game ideas.

1. Steal or Surprise

• For every person in the game, put a piece of paper with a number written on it into a big bowl (e.g. for 5 friends, there should be 5 pieces of paper numbered 1–5). 

• Take turns pulling out a piece of paper until everyone has a number. 

• Whoever pulls #1 will get to pick any door from the beauty advent calendar to open first. 

• #2 can either steal #1’s product or pick a new door in the advent calendar to open

• An item can only be stolen twice, so once it’s stolen the second time, it can no longer be poached. 

• Continue taking turns playing until all the products have been pulled from the advent calendar.

2. Roll the Dice

• To start, all the players form a circle around the advent calendar, two oven mitts, and a pair of dice. 

• The player going first will wear the oven mitts and try to unbox as many days in the advent calendar as they can while the player to their left rolls both dice as fast as they can, trying to hit doubles (the same number on both dice). 

• Once the player with the dice rolls a double, they will pass the dice to their left and steal the advent calendar and oven mitts from the player on their right. Then they will begin trying to open as many boxes as they can while the player on their left begins rolling for doubles.

• Continue until all the advent calendar doors have been opened and the products have been claimed. 

3. Story Time Game

• To begin, designate a narrator, then the rest of the group will be players. 

• All the players should sit in a circle, and one player in the circle will hold the advent calendar. 

• The narrator will read/tell a story. Every time they read the words “left” or “right,” the advent calendar in the circle should be passed that direction. 

• The narrator should take pauses in the story, and the player holding the beauty advent calendar during that pause can open a door and keep the product inside. 

• Continuing playing until the story is finished and all the advent calendar doors have been opened. 

Need some help coming up with a story? We’ve got you. Right click on the pages below, and save them to your computer to use during your advent calendar games.

Feeling the holiday fomo, and want in on all the IPSY fun? Take our Beauty Quiz now to get started with your own IPSY beauty subscription. Already an IPSY member? Refer your friends to earn points, which you can use toward products. Either way, don’t forget to check us out on Instagram and TikTok @IPSY.

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