When it comes to advent calendars, there’s no such thing as too early in the beauty world. Be it Liberty’s artisanally designed box, M&S’s affordable offering, or Harrods’ luxury line-up, these countdowns for beauty lovers have become a contemporary Christmas tradition.
An indulgent – and longer-lasting – alternative to chocolate, beauty advent calendars reveal a make-up, skincare, haircare, or fragrance treat behind each door of December (if you restrain yourself from unboxing in one fell swoop). Whether it’s a Charlotte Tilbury foundation, a Byredo lipstick, or an Augustinus Bader cream, the gifts last long beyond party season.
While once considered excessive, beauty advent calendars have become an increasingly mainstream choice for Christmas gifting – and most sell out by late October. If you’re looking to add a touch of luxury to the festive season, it’s worth thinking about which calendar you want to invest in now. Yes, even in July.
As a shopping editor, I’ve covered beauty advent calendars for more than half a decade, reviewing line-ups from Selfridges, Cult Beauty, John Lewis, and Space NK. So far, heavyweights including Liberty and Harrods have already dropped their waiting list, while others are teasing details online.
The most wonderful time of the year in the beauty sphere, consider this your cheat sheet to this year’s best advent calendars – trust me, you’ll want to get ahead of the glamorous game.
Liberty London beauty advent calendar 2026
- Worth: £1,300
- Confirmed cost : £285
- Number of days: 25
- Number of products: 29 (21 full size)
- Advent calendar highlights: Augustinus Bader the face oil, Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C brightening serum, Lisa Eldridge baume embrace melting lip colour
- Available: Pre-orders from early August
When Liberty unveiled its beauty advent calendar in 2014, the modern mania began. A snapshot of its iconic beauty hall, the London department store’s annual offering is known for spotlighting more underground brands while delivering reliably luxurious skincare and fragrance staples. The box is worth the investment alone – it takes pride of place on any Christmas display.
This year, the retailer has confirmed that its calendar will be able to pre-order from early August, with the waitlist already open. In the line-up, you’ll find Sunday Riley CEO vitamin C 15 per cent brightening serum, Lisa Eldridge baume embrace melting lip colour, Augustinus Bader’s The Face Oil, and Davines Oi Shampoo, among other goodies.
Harrods beauty advent calendar 2026
- Worth: N.A
- Cost: £270
- Number of days: 25
- Number of products: 34 (21 full-size)
- Advent calendar highlights: Hourglass ambient lighting blush, By Terry tea to tan for face and body, Medik8 C-tetra advanced vitamin C gel serum
- Available: Pre-orders open in late August
The Harrods beauty advent calendar is always one of the earliest to launch – and it’s already revealed this year’s offering. Inside, there are 34 products – 21 of which are full-size – spanning make-up from Charlotte Tilbury, skincare from Augustinus Bader and Tatcha, haircare from Color Wow, and fake tan from By Terry. It’s shaping up to be this year’s most covetable calendar.
Selfridges beauty advent calendar 2026
- Last year’s worth: £1136
- Last year’s cost: £250
- Number of days in 2025: 25
- Number of products in 2025: 37 (25 full-size)
- Advent calendar highlights: Jo Malone London english pear and freesia, Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray, Hourglass Blush
- Available: Calendar teased but not yet announced
Many mistakenly believe Liberty was the first to debut a multi-brand advent calendar, but it was actually Selfridges in 2010. The retailer’s line-up has remained consistently excellent – and while the 2026 offering remains under wraps, I’m expecting the likes of Jo Malone, Hourglass, Nars, Aesop and Valentino to make an appearance.
Space NK beauty advent calendar 2026
- Last year’s worth: £1,150
- Last year’s cost: £260
- Number of days in 2025: 25
- Number of products in 2025: 35 (26 full-size)
- Advent calendar highlights: Tatcha The Brightening Serum, K18 repair hair oil, Kosas hotliner
- Available: Not yet announced
Space NK’s advent calendars are always a starry line-up of both cult classic formulas and viral products. Last year, beauty lovers were treated to Augustinus Bader, Sol de Janeiro, Color Wow, K18, Paula’s Choice and Summer Fridays, alongside popular brands including Refy, The Ordinary and Medik8. With an overall worth of more than £1,150, it was a sell-out success.
Cult Beauty beauty advent calendar 2026
- Last year’s worth: £1200
- Last year’s cost: £240
- Number of days in 2025: 25
- Number of products in 2025: 40 (20 full-size)
- Advent calendar highlights: Gisou honey lip oil, Medik8 C-tetra advanced, Charlotte Tilbury beauty light wand
- Available: Not yet announced
Cult Beauty’s 2025 advent calendar offered incredible value for money, with 40 products worth £1200 for less than £300. Who can argue with that? Overflowing with recognisable names, the likes of Gisou, Charlotte Tilbury, Hourglass and Summer Fridays were behind each door. This one sold out fast, so I’d suggest signing up for the waitlist to be in the know early this year.
Harvey Nichols beauty advent calendar 2026
- Last year’s worth: £1000
- Last year’s cost: £250
- Number of days in 2025: 25
- Number of products in 2025: 37 (20 full-size)
- Advent calendar highlights: Augustinus Bader the rich cream, La Mer renewal oil, Le Labo eucalyptus 20 eau de parfum
- Available: Not yet announced
The Harvey Nichols advent calendar was as luxurious as you’d expect in 2025. With 20 full-size products out of 35, every day of December promised skincare, makeup, haircare, and fragrance. Personal highlights included La Mer’s renewal oil, Le Labo’s eucalyptus 20 eau de parfum, Color Wow’s conditioner and a Jo Loves candle. The crowd-pleasing lineup was great for individual gifting, too.
Lookfantastic beauty advent calendar 2026
- Last year’s worth: £655
- Last year’s cost: £105
- Number of days in 2025: 25
- Number of products in 2025: 25 (15 full-size)
- Advent calendar highlights: Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense Serum, Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Marine Cream, Mac lip liner
- Available: Not yet announced
I’ve reviewed Lookfantastic’s advent calendar for several years now – and I’m always impressed with how many covetable formulas are packed in at such a low price point. At £105, the calendar was among the cheapest for 2025. From Elemis and Medik8 to Mac, Color Wow and Aveda, it delivered on all fronts.
Boots beauty advent calendar 2026
- Last year’s worth: £600
- Last year’s cost: £150
- Number of days in 2025: 24
- Number of products in 2025: 24 (17 full-size)
- Advent calendar highlights: Estée Lauder advanced night cleanser, Drunk Elephant protini polypeptide cream, Benefit hoola bronzer
- Available: Not yet announced
The Boots beauty advent calendar is a much underrated option. Always affordable at less than £150, last year’s calendar was brimming with premium names and genuinely useful products. Think Estee Lauder cleansers, a full-size Drunk Elephant cream that lasted me into the spring, and a Nars primer. Boots can always be relied on.
M&S beauty advent calendar 2026
- Last year’s worth: £330
- Last year’s cost: £60
- Number of days in 2025: 25
- Number of products in 2025: 25 (8 full-size)
- Advent calendar highlights: Benefit benetint, Clinique high impact mascara, Living Proof shampoo and conditioner duo
- Available: Not yet announced
Widely considered the best value beauty advent calendar each year, M&S’s lineup reflects its ever-growing beauty hall. In 2025, the box was designed by Bella Freud while the contents spanned haircare, make-up, fragrance and skincare from top brands including Clinique, Color Wow, Living Proof and Cowshed. If you’re dipping your toe into the world of beauty advent calendars, M&S’s is perfect.
John Lewis beauty advent calendar 2026
- Last year’s worth: £1,000+
- Last year’s cost: £235
- Number of days in 2025: 25
- Number of products in 2025: 36 (23 full-size)
- Advent calendar highlights: Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood vixen matte revolution lipstick, Elemis pro-collagen marine cream, Medik8 advanced night restore rejuvenating multi-ceramide night cream
- Available: Not yet announced
Packaged in a beautifully designed box that rivalled Liberty, John Lewis’ beauty advent calendar for 2025 was worth more than £1,000. With 23 full-size products and plenty of premium names, those who nabbed it before it sold out enjoyed Le Labo, Charlotte Tilbury, Trinny London and Chantecaille beauty. Providing pampering during party season and staples to last you into the new year, the calendar was carefully curated.
Sephora beauty advent calendar 2026
- Last year’s worth: £1,025
- Last year’s cost: £225
- Number of days in 2025: 25
- Number of products in 2025: 41 (24 full-size)
- Advent calendar highlights: K18 astrolift restorative volume spray, Drunk Elephant C-luma hydrabright serum, L'Occitane almond supple skin oil
- Available: Not yet announced
Sephora is somewhat synonymous with viral brands and formulas – and its beauty advent calendar is among the more youthful offerings. Make-up included Rare Beauty, Merit and Huda Beauty cult products, while the skincare offering comprised Glow Recipe and Drunk Elephant. Fragrances such as Neom and Malin + Goetz featured alongside hair and body care from Sol de Janeiro and K18. If you’re shopping for a daughter or young family member, this is the calendar to bookmark.
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