Turnover at beauty etailer Feelunique.com grew by 50% over the Christmas period.

In December, online sales hit £3.2m, up from the previous December which had sales of £2.2m.

Its busiest day of the year was 28 November when Feelunique.com posted sales of £169,000. In total, almost 172,000 items were shipped in December.

The online retailer, which aims to be the “Asos of the online beauty market”, said its performance was driven by rising numbers of customers combined with stocking a more diverse range of high-end brands.

Feelunique.com chief executive Aaron Chatterley said the etailer is on track to meet its revenue target of £27.5m for 2011/12.

“Our Christmas performance in the current economic climate is an amazing achievement,” said Chatterley.

“Other retailers were discounting heavily, while we waited until Boxing day. It’s true that if we had been more aggressive with discounting, we may have sold more products but by staying firm we ensure we keep our credibility with our brands and customers.”

Chatterley said Feelunique.com will be targeting the luxury brands such as Chanel, Dior, Lancomb and Clinique in order to deliver the etailer’s 60% to 70% growth target for 2012/13, which translates into revenue of £42-£45m.

The company, which has been trading for around seven years, also operates three stores and two spas. Although the stores are not part of its core offering , Chatterley said he would not rule out opening more “if necessary”.