The idea of discussing the best beauty advent calendars in July might seem absurd but, given the popularity of these annual cosmetics collections, a number of retailers actually start launching waitlists around this time of year.
Most notably, Liberty London has already opened its calendar waitlist, with an early image of the 2026 offering revealing plush inclusions from Augustinus Bader, Grown Alchemist and more. Likewise, Harrods has asked beauty buffs to join its rewards programme, subscribers of which will be first to discover the all-important calendar details.
This time last year, Liberty had already begun a brief pre-order period for Beauty Drop members – the store’s quarterly subscription box. While the 2026 selection (which is set to be worth more than £1,300) isn’t available to shop just yet, I’ll be updating this page as soon as it – plus those from other big names in beauty – is.
As a beauty expert who’s been reviewing calendars for years, here’s everything I know so far about 2026’s beauty advent calendars, plus my predictions for Cult Beauty, Sephora, Space NK and more.
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Liberty beauty advent calendar 2026
Worth: £1,300
Number of days: 25
Number of products: 29 (21 full-size)
Advent calendar highlights: Augustinus Bader the face oil, U Beauty resurfacing compound, Lisa Eldridge baume embrace melting lip colour
Available: Not yet announced, waitlist open now
Arguably the most coveted of the calendars, Liberty’s beauty advent first launched more than 10 years ago in 2014. Now, it offers an incredible saving of more than £1,000, with the contents worth £1,300+ with a total spend of just £285.
Liberty is the only brand of 2026 to reveal the contents of its calendar so far – and they definitely warrant getting excited about. Not only are there 21 full-sized products from the likes of Sunday Riley and Violette FR, but there are no less than seven fragrances to enjoy.
Admittedly, the brand selection is relatively similar to 2025, with inclusions from Matiere Premiere, Zelens and more. However, the retailer has promised 26 products that aren’t in competitor offerings.
I’ll be getting my hands on all 29 products as soon as possible, so watch this space for my full review. In the meantime, make sure to join the waitlist to avoid missing out – this calendar sells out every year.
Buy now £285, Libertylondon.com
Harrods beauty advent calendar
2025 worth: Not disclosed, estimated to be £1,500+
Number of days in 2025: 25
Number of products in 2025: 32 (14 full-size)
Advent calendar highlights from 2025: 111SKIN cryo sheet mask, Hourglass veil translucent loose setting powder, Medik8 crystal retinal
Available 2026: Calendar not yet announced
Harrods beauty advent calendar 2026 is the one I’m most excited about, largely because it was the first one to sell out last year. Its key draw? Harrods straddles the lines of beauty discovery, premium beauty and big-name beauty wonderfully, so cosmetics obsessives can enjoy the brands they know and love (think: Mac and Bobbi Brown) along with some luxury treats (say, La Mer and Tatcha), and a handful of products they’re not yet familiar with (for instance, Moncho Moreno and Skin Cycles).
Last year’s offering featured all of these brands, plus some true 2025 best-sellers, so you can rest assured you’re taking home the year’s must-have products.
In 2026, I’m hoping to see some Harrods exclusives, such as the Matiere Premiere blackcurrant EDP or the Augustinus Bader x Harrods ‘the cream’. Elsewhere, the retailer has added Beauty Works to its brand roster, as well as Korean perfumers BORNTOSTANDOUT, so I anticipate one of these newbies featuring in the 2026 calendar – if only in the retailer’s dedicated fragrance or hair and body advents.
Buy now £250, Harrods.com
Space NK beauty advent calendar
2025 worth: £558
Number of days in 2025: 25
Number of products in 2025: 35 (26 full-size)
Advent calendar highlights from 2025: K18 molecular repair hair oil, Phlur vanilla skin eau de parfum, Westman Atelier baby cheeks blush stick
Available 2026: Calendar not yet announced
In 2025, Space NK’s beauty advent boasted more full-size items than any other brand, and was one of the first calendars to sell out.
In 2026, Space NK has onboarded a number of new brands, so I’m expecting to see inclusions from Korean skincare brand Biodance, and Takami Japanese skincare. More broadly, Phlur is likely to pop up once again, given how few brands stock the fragrance house, and I’d be surprised not to see Refy in the 2026 bundle – hopefully some of the new water blush and bronzer compacts.
While we await more news of this year’s calendar, I’d suggest joining Space NK’s free member programme, Ndulge, as members in 2025 were the first to learn of the products included and the dates for purchase.
Buy now £260, Spacenk.com
Cult Beauty advent calendar
2025 worth: £1200+
Number of days in 2025: 25
Number of products in 2025: 40 (20 full-size)
Advent calendar highlights from 2025: K18 leave-in molecular repair hair mask, Summer Fridays jet lag mist, Gisou honey infused lip oil
Available 2026: Calendar not yet announced
The Cult Beauty advent calendar usually sits neck and neck with Space NK’s offering. Much like Space NK, the CB calendar showcases the very best of each year’s beauty launches – so it’s rare to find tired products or brands where interest has waned. For instance, in 2025, the 40-product selection included the recently-launched Elemis toning mist and Gisou cherry edition lip oil.
With that in mind, I’ve a good idea of what we can expect for 2026. For starters, Gisou’s hair and body mists are at the top of every hair fanatic’s wishlist. Likewise, Dr. Barbara Sturm recently launched bronzing drops, which are the talk of the tanning town. Lastly, it’d be great to see some more K-beauty offerings – perhaps from Skin1004, Medicube or Dr. Althea, all of which have been big in 2026 so far.
Buy now £240, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Harvey Nichols beauty advent calendar
2025 worth: More than £1000
Number of days in 2025: 25
Number of products in 2025: 37 (20 full-size)
Advent calendar highlights from 2025: Le Labo eucalyptus 20 eau de parfum, Augustinus Bader the rich cream, La Mer the renewal oil
Available 2026: Calendar not yet announced
It’s all quiet on the Harvey Nichols front so far in 2026, but last year’s box was announced in August, so we probably don’t have too long to wait.
As a premium London departmental, Harvey Nichols stocks a plethora of coveted beauty brands, including Daylesford’s bodycare brand, Bamford, as well as Jo Malone, Olaplex and too many others to count. Harvey Nichols has introduced a few new beauty names to its line-up in 2026, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see drawers with Bob Beaute, Typebea or Joonbyrd products nestled within.
Based on 2025, I think we can expect to see the return of La Mer, Augustinus Bader and Rodial, all three of which are repeat advent calendar inclusions across a number of retailers.
Much like last year, I’m predicting Harvey Nichols members will once again have first access to shop the 2026 advent calendar. The programme is free to join and boasts exclusive access, offers and more, so there’s no harm in signing up.
Buy now £250, Harveynichols.com
Sephora beauty advent calendar
2025 worth: £1,025
Number of days in 2025: 25
Number of products in 2025: 41 (24 full-size)
Advent calendar highlights from 2025: K18 astrolift restorative volume spray, Drunk Elephant C-luma hydrabright serum, Color Wow money masque
Available 2026: Calendar not yet announced
The Sephora beauty advent combines quantity and quality expertly and, in fact, was the calendar with the most products in 2025. The Sephora calendar is a top pick for trending beauty fanatics, blending a selection of TikTok-viral products – such as the Tower 28 hypochlorous acid – with long-standing cosmetics favourites from Laura Mercier, Elemis and more.
As for the Sephora beauty advent calendar 2026, I have high hopes for one brand in particular: Rhode. These calendars are curated months and months in advance, so when Rhode joined the retailer in November 2025, it was likely too late to secure a last-minute advent inclusion. Given that Sephora is the only third-party retailer to stock Hailey Bieber’s brand, skincare and lipcare addicts (myself included) will be chomping at the bit to see one of the peptide-fuelled formulas nestled within their Sephora haul this Christmas.
Otherwise, Sephora’s onboarding of Phlur will likely spur a luxe fragrance inclusion (fingers crossed for vanilla skin), and I’d love to see new Merit tubing mascara earn a spot in the line-up, as well as all the usual contenders from Medik8, Sol de Janeiro and the like.
Buy now £225, Sephora.co.uk
M&S beauty advent calendar
2025 worth: £330
Number of days in 2025: 25
Number of products in 2025: 25 (8 full-size)
Advent calendar highlights from 2025: Living Proof full shampoo and conditioner, Benefit benetint, Clinique high impact mascara
Available 2026: Calendar not yet announced
Last year, the M&S beauty advent calendar was the last of the big-name retailers to launch, so we likely won’t be seeing the 2026 offering for several months yet. But that’s not to say it doesn’t deserve its moment in the spotlight. On the contrary, it’s a really great value bundle.
For frequent M&S shoppers the premise is that you spend £35 in-store or online and you can secure the calendar for just £60. This puts its price tens, if not hundreds of pounds lower than competitors. While you’d be forgiven for thinking the contents must be sub-par to ensure such a reasonable price, this simply isn’t the case. M&S’s beauty department has a stellar brand offering, these days, with everything from Estee Lauder and Color Wow to Medicube and Aveda.
In the M&S beauty advent calendar 2026, I’ll be expecting a couple of brands the retailer has included before – namely, Philip Kingsley – as well as some new additions to the department’s line-up, such as Beauty of Joseon.
Buy now £60, Marksandspencer.com
Boots beauty advent calendar
2025 worth: £600
Number of days in 2025: 24
Number of products in 2025: 24
Advent calendar highlights from 2025: Drunk Elephant protini polypeptide cream, Benefit hoola bronzer, Laniege lip balm
Available 2026: Calendar not yet announced
If your budget is strictly under £200, then chances are the Boots beauty advent calendar 2026 will meet your requirements – particularly given how much it punches above its weight.
This year, we’ve seen heaps of K-beauty triumphs from Boots, be it within the brand’s sell-out Korean skincare bundle or in the onboarding of numerous viral products, such as the Dr. Melaxin peel shot. I’d be surprised if the high-street stalwart didn’t capitalise on the popularity of these formulas in its 2026 advent, especially considering the joy its Laneige inclusion brought to calendar customers in 2025.
Elsewhere, I’m hoping to see the return of core beauty brands like Fenty, Milk and Nars, perhaps with one more full-size treat as the calendar enters its fourth year on the market. For those that don’t know, it’s somewhat of a tradition for the beauty advent calendars to get bigger and better with each year.
Buy now £150, Boots.com
John Lewis beauty advent calendar
2025 worth: £1,000+
Number of days in 2025: 25
Number of products in 2025: 36 (23 full-size)
Advent calendar highlights from 2025: Medik8 advanced night restore rejuvenating multi-ceramide night cream, Chantecaille faux cils longest lash mascara, Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood vixen matte revolution lipstick
Available 2026: 2026 calendar not yet announced
For long-standing beauty fans who remember the days before online beauty browsing, John Lewis’s beauty advent calendar 2026 may be more to your liking. In fact, our tester in 2025 described the offering as “put together with mature skin in mind” and praised the choice of anti-ageing formulas from Dermalogica, Kate Somerville, Estee Lauder and more.
John Lewis hasn’t spilled any of its secrets for 2026 just yet, but the retailer has an ‘advent calendars 2026’ web page live and waiting, so here’s hoping it drops some titbits soon.
Much like competitors, John Lewis has upped its Korean beauty offering in 2026, partnering with Skin Cupid to bring skincare enthusiasts a selection of Biodance, Purito, Erborian and Beauty of Joseon (to name a few) products to indulge in. Glass skin sheet masks – a K-beauty phenomenon – have been big this year, too, so I wouldn’t be surprised to find one of the viral at-home treatments in the 2026 calendar.
Likewise, John Lewis rolled out Trinny London in-store counters in 2026, as well as hands-on Dermalogica Pro Skin clinics, so it’s likely that these business moves will translate to this year’s advent also. Fret not, I’ll update this page as soon as I know more.
Buy now £235, Johnlewis.com
Next beauty advent calendar (luxury)
2025 Worth: £779
Number of days in 2025: 25
Number of products in 2025: 26 (12 full-size)
Advent calendar highlights from 2025: Liz Earle eyebright soothing eye lotion, Living Proof triple bond complex, Murad retinol youth renewal eye serum
Available 2026: Calendar not yet announced
Last year Next launched two beauty advent calendars, but it’s the luxury iteration (vs. the standard) that earned my favour in 2025. Not only did it feature brands overlooked elsewhere, such as Noble Isle, but the variety of formulas chosen allowed you to enjoy a complete skincare regimen, with everything from an eye lotion to vitamin C serum.
Next’s beauty offering – though often overlooked – is fruitful, to say the least. The retailer stocks no less than 300 beauty brands with everything from luxury Dyson haircare to affordable skincare from The Ordinary.
As such, Next’s beauty advent calendar for 2026 is the hardest to pin down; however, if its mid-year beauty bundles are anything to go by, I’ll be expecting fake tan from Coco & Eve, home scenting from Neom and indulgent bodycare from Rituals. Fingers crossed.
Buy now £185, Next.co.uk
When will 2026’s beauty advent calendars go on sale?
So far, we’ve had no confirmed dates for the release of the best beauty advent calendars in 2026, but Liberty London is currently on track to drop its offering first. The retailer has already revealed the contents of its advent for this year and, if 2025 is anything to go by, it should launch later in July for Beauty Drop subscribers. Other big-name beauty retailers – such as Harrods – usually follow Liberty, scheduling their advent calendars to go on sale through August and September.
Are beauty advent calendars worth it?
In short, yes, beauty advent calendars are always worth more than what you’ll pay; however, you have to consider whether they’ll be worth it for you personally. I’ve been diving into the best beauty advent calendars since 2015 (my first was from M&S) and I can say with confidence that some brands undoubtedly offer a better haul than others. Key things to consider are:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
As a senior shopping writer, this will be Lucy Smith’s third year reviewing the best beauty advent calendars for IndyBest. Prior to her professional coverage, Lucy has been purchasing beauty advents from M&S, The White Company and more since 2015, putting her experience in the category at more than 10 years. Elsewhere, Lucy covers all the latest beauty launches – such as the Dyson supersonic travel dryer – year round, so she knows what the must-have products of 2026 are for this year’s advent offering. Plus, having reviewed everything from the best foundations to the best hyaluronic acid, she’s well versed in the brands that pop (and the ones that flop), so you can trust that her round-up of the best beauty advent calendars for 2026 isn’t full of hot air.
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