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Evening Standard

Daisy Lester

The John Lewis beauty advent calendar could be my favourite of 2026

John Lewis Gucci Elemis Charlotte Tilbury Estee Lauder Fenty Beauty Harrods Liberty Medik8 Shiseido

The calendar includes beauty tech for the first time - (Daisy Lester/The Standard)

The most wonderful time in the beauty world is nearly here. Joining the likes of Liberty and Harrods, John Lewis has unveiled this year’s advent calendar. Having unboxed the entire lineup before September even arrived, I think it’s the retailer’s best lineup yet – and potentially even the best calendar of 2026.

Replacing sweet treats and chocolate with skincare saviours, luxury fragrances and make-up staples, John Lewis is promising a particularly pampered festive period. Worth over £1,000 but setting you back £250, the calendar features 41 products – 23 of which are full-size – spread over 25 days.

From Molton Brown, L’Occitane and Clinique to Medik8, La Mer, Charlotte Tilbury and Benefit, the full-size roster packs in plenty of household names, while deluxe-size goodies span Gucci scents and Elemis skincare.

John Lewis beauty advent calendar at a glance

Worth: Over £1,160
Confirmed cost : £250
Number of days : 25
Number of products: 41 (23 full size)
Advent calendar highlights: Medik8 Hydr8 B5, Foreo Mini UFO, Elemis Pro-Collagen Future Restore Serum
Available: Pre-orders shipped from 3 September, general sale from 7 September

Rivalling department stores including Harvey Nichols and Selfridges, John Lewis is always among the most anticipated calendars – particularly thanks to its mature skin offering, high ratio of full-size products and mystery vouchers.

This year, perfumistas will also be treated to John Lewis’s first-ever 12-day fragrance calendar, featuring luxury brands such as Memo Paris, Essential Parfums, Kilian and Frederic Malle. Priced at just £99 but worth £305, the calendar is perfect for those looking to find a new signature scent for 2027. But back to the beauty advent calendar – here’s my full tried and tested review.

How I tested

I committed the cardinal Christmas sin and unboxed the entire John Lewis advent calendar to review this year’s lineup. Considering the ratio of deluxe to full-size products, I assessed whether the overall worth (£1,160) reflected the products inside.

I also assessed the usefulness of each formula beyond Christmas: from skincare saviours to makeup staples, I didn’t want products that clutter my bathroom cabinet. When it comes to packaging, I noted whether the box was festively designed or useful for year-round storage. Spoilers ahead.

John Lewis beauty advent calendar: £250, Johnlewis.com

★★★★★

What we love: Excellent full-size to deluxe ratio, more unique products than other calendars, genuinely useful formulas, beauty tech, vouchers and plenty of premium names

Take note: It’s obviously still expensive with 18 deluxe sizes, and while there’s a good makeup selection, some might not be in your desired shades

This year, the John Lewis calendar is more dazzling than ever. There are 41 products in 25 drawers to count you down to Christmas Day, including a huge 23 full-size goodies and 18 deluxe minis. If you consider the premium products on offer – Medik8, Skin Rocks, La Mer, Dermalogica, Laura Mercie and Charlotte Tilbury – paying just £6 for each one isn’t to be sniffed at.

Ensuring each day of December is a decadent surprise, 10 drawers feature more than one product. A showcase of the best brands in John Lewis’s beauty hall, Trinny, Fenty Beauty, Elemis and Gucci feature alongside beauty tech for the very first time. Foreo’s UFO mini, worth £129 alone, is an intriguing addition that helps it stand apart from other calendars.

Among the full-size skincare products, personal favourites include the L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil, Molton Brown’s red berry hand wash, Jo by Jo Loves mini candle and Liz Earle’s Cleanse & PolishTM, which can turn bathroom rituals into a pampering experience.

The full-size skincare offering will set you up exceptionally well for 2027, from Medik8’s Hydr8 B5 and Clinique’s brightening serum concentrate to Malin+Goetz niacinamide restorative cream, La Mer’s lip balm, Dermalogica’s Daily Microfoliant.

Serving you through party season and beyond, full-size make-up heroes span the Sculpted by Aimee Line and Shine Lip Liner and Gloss Duo, Fenty Beauty Hella Thicc Volumising Mascara, Clarins’ comfort lip oil, Benefit cream blush, and Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand. The much-underrated Laura Mercier translucent hydrating setting spray seals it all in.

The deluxe products offer an opportunity to sample formulas without committing to a full-size – think the Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Eau de Parfum Intense, Sisley Paris black rose mask, and Lancome’s Absolue The Eye Cream.

Haircare includes a full-size Aveda leave-in treatment and Philip Kingsley frizz-fighting gloss – less exciting but genuinely useful – and Wella’s travel-size smoothing shampoo.

Is the John Lewis beauty advent calendar 2026 worth it?

As I unboxed the calendar, I failed to come across a product I wouldn’t love to receive, whether as a stocking filler or gift. As always, there’s attention paid to mature skin too – from Trinny’s bounce back mini to This Works’s perfect cleavage, Shiseido’s vital perfection uplifting and firming advanced cream, and Neals Yard’s frankincense intense age-defying cream, making it a calendar both mother and daughter would enjoy.

What’s more, one in 41 customers is in the running to win a mystery voucher: prizes include a Shark face or hair tool, and a Clarins spa treatment. The hand-painted, celestial-style box feels evergreen enough for year-round beauty storage, too.

The John Lewis beauty advent calendar is available to pre-order now. Orders will be shipped from 3 September, before going on general sale from 7 September. Meanwhile, the fragrance calendar will be available to buy for MyJL members from 21 September, ahead of general sale on 25 September.