Securing one of the best beauty advent calendars has become a competitive sport. No longer is it possible to wait until the week before December to select the one that you would like to unwrap each day in the lead-up to the 25th; now you have to start plotting and planning from as early as August to be able to get your hands on the quick-to-sell-out skincare, fragrance, hair and make-up-filled seasonal offerings.
’s top beauty advent calendars at a glance:
This is why, no matter that the sun is still shining and the summer holidays are in full swing, I am asking you to turn your attention to Christmas, even as I am equally reticent to think of days when my uniform will no longer consist of Bermuda shorts and sandals.
The advent calendar tradition has been transformed over the last decade by multi-brand retailers and hyped labels curating daily gifts behind beautifully illustrated facades. Each day of December reveals a full-sized, sample or travel-friendly mini carefully selected by experts to include bestsellers or new and exclusive product launches.
Few brands shy away from producing their own version of a beauty advent calendar, so there is a varied selection across all price points and categories. Some of the best dedicated offerings include the ones from Jo Malone and Diptyque, where the contents are not only a joy to spritz but have regift potential if you are looking to treat both yourself and others. Yet if discovery is your aim, department stores from Sephora to Selfridges, Harrods to Harvey Nichols and Cult Beauty to Liberty lean on the expertise and data from their hallowed beauty halls to serve up festive surprises – be it brightening balms, plumping potions, compact candles or fragrant flacons.
The editors have also thrown our hat into the ring with our own Festive Calendar (but more on that to come).
I have become somewhat of a beauty advent calendar expert in the decade that I have been reporting on the tradition. Ever since Liberty unveiled its bellwether version back in 2014, I have paid close attention to each iteration and the evolution of the now seasonal staple. I have found some years that brands have gone all out, packing incredible value with far more worth than the initial outlay (sometimes into four digits). Other times I have noticed mini-filled ones with deceptive worth values attached – determined by whether the products were actually full-sized.
This has made it challenging for the everyday consumer to work out which are worth the investment (because let’s be honest, some truly are an investment) and which should be left on the virtual shelf. That is where I come in. Much like last year, I will be leading the testing process at in my capacity as senior beauty shopping writer – and I take this job very seriously. In my selection process, I look at everything from the quality of the contents to the quantity of full-sized products to sustainability. In terms of the latter, I take note of whether they are refillable or at least recyclable. Product-wise, it’s not just a case of whether there are buzzy brands but the products themselves; their texture, scent and effectiveness. I review beauty products for a living, so I look out to see if I would incorporate the included hair, make-up, skin, fragrance and body into my routine. And importantly, I consider whether they offer value for money. Are the value prices authentically based on the sizes of the formulas within?
In this edit, which will be updated as the 2026 beauty advent calendars are unveiled, I will select which are worth their spot under your tree. Christmas plotting starts now.
- Best for: Quantity of products
- Release date: Available now
- Number of products: 40
- Number of days: 25
- What’s inside? Discothèque Lola at Coat Check Candle, Summer Fridays Blush Butter Balm and Medik8 Niacinamide Peptides
- Why it’s As soon as you start to unbox the Sephora Advent Calendar, you will understand why it’s so weighty. Like a trunk, it opens to reveal 40 products, 10 of which are retailer exclusives, including Tower 28, Makeup by Mario, Haus Labs, Topicals, and Tarte.
- In terms of full-size products, there is Danessa Myricks Beauty’s Yummy Skin Glow Serum (RRP £39), Discothèque’s Lola at Coat Check Candle (£54 and currently sold out), the cult K18 Leave-in Molecular Repair Hair Mask that is beloved by the team (£70), the Kosas Shiny Objects Wet Glisten Powder Highlighter (£32) and most awe-inducing of all, the Makeup by Mario Ethereal Moonlight Eyeshadow Palette (£69). These five products alone are worth £264, making the advent calendar’s £235 price very appealing, especially with 35 additional make-up, skincare, hair, and fragrance items. Honourable mention goes to the inclusion of the viral ONE/SIZE Beauty On ’Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray (£32), Sol de Janeiro body wash (£23) and Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting Eyebrow Gel (£19), all of which are also in full size.
- Best for: Excellent return on investment
- Release date: Available now
- Number of products: 27
- Number of days: 25
- What’s inside? Medik8 Total Moisture Cleanser, Clinique Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator and LANEIGE Vanilla Lip Glowy Balm
- Why it’s To create its three advent calendars for 2026, beauty retailer Lookfantastic has taken an interesting approach. It has reached out to 25 beauty experts – from big beauty names to its own buying team – each of whom has selected an inclusion. These include the likes of hairstylist Sam McKnight and Dom Seeley, and creators Ash Holme and Gary Thompson. In The Beauty Advent Calendar, there are 27 products with a value of £665 and brands like Medik8, Clinique, Laura Mercier and Elemis. The edit leans on cult buys like Medik8 Total Moisture Cleanser, Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Night Cream and Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder, as well as hyped heroes like Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 40 Perfume Mist and Color Wow’s Kale Cocktail.
- The Fragrance Advent Calendar, which sold out in three days last year, has a reported worth of £530 and costs £150. The brands to know include Jo Malone, YSL and Rabanne. Enduring bestselling aromas include Jo Malone London’s Pomegranate Noir Cologne, Issey Miyake’s L’Eau d’Issey Eau de Parfum and Juliette Has A Gun Not A Perfume.
- Last but the most value-packed of all, The Grooming Advent Calendar costs £90 and has £469 worth of products inside, according to the retailer.