The concept of beauty advent calendars first began around 2010, when Selfridges released one in collaboration with L’Oréal. In 2014, Liberty London then dropped its first calendar and now, more than 10 years on, its offering – which is traditionally modelled on the Regent street department store – is widely considered the gold standard of beauty advents. The thing is, with 16 years of advent calendars having flooded the market from almost every cosmetics company, beauty buffs are beginning to tire of the same old selections.
Going into my third year testing beauty advent calendars for IndyBest, I’m well versed in what to expect from the line-ups. Be it Dr Paw Paw in years gone by or, more recently, Color Wow haircare, the same brands crop up time and again – and when you're paying upwards of £250 (as you do for Liberty, Harvey Nichols and Harrods), it's fair to wonder whether you're being short-changed by the repeats.
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In the comments section of a recent advent-related TikTok from creator Alex Tolmie (@hiyaimalex), beauty fans lamented the same products cropping up in their calendars on repeat. “Please no more Philip Kingsley, bum bum cream, Shiseido serum, Paw Paw lip balms and mini Molton Brown shower gels,” wrote user @kzermatt. Meanwhile, others reported frustration at seeing Percy and Reed, Votary, Malin + Goetz, Weleda and even luxe skincare brand Augustinus Bader. Admittedly, the latter brand – albeit worth more than £100 for most formulas – featured in no less than four calendars in 2025.
Repeats aren't inherently a problem – every beauty fan has a cult product they'd be happy to receive twice. For me, Augustinus Bader actually falls into this camp. But when luxury advent calendars command luxury price tags, familiarity can quickly start to feel like complacency.
For instance, this year, Harrods has increased the price of its calendar by £20, while Liberty's has risen by £25. Granted, both retailers have also boosted the overall value of their product rosters. Even so, I’ve seen some familiar faces back once again, from Vyrao, Charlotte Mensah and Verden in Liberty's edit to Shiseido, Moncho Moreno and Skincycles in Harrods'.
If retailers want shoppers to keep upgrading year after year, they'll need to prove they're curating, not simply recycling. And so far, the only retailer I’ve seen showcasing a truly thoughtful advent haul is John Lewis.
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