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journalism → support → readers
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we → purchase → commission
When it comes to advent calendars, there’s no such thing as too early in the beauty world.
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it → come → world
From Liberty, Harrods and Sephora to Cult Beauty, Charlotte Tilbury, and John Lewis, the biggest brands and retailers are swapping chocolate for skincare, makeup, fragrance and haircare – and some have already sold out.
Whether it’s a Charlotte Tilbury foundation, a Byredo lipstick, or an Augustinus Bader cream, the daily treats last long beyond party season.
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treats → swap → season
While once considered excessive, beauty advent calendars have become an increasingly mainstream choice for Christmas gifting.
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calendars → consider → gifting
Adding a touch of luxury to the festive period, consider this your cheat sheet to the best beauty advent calendars of 2026, whether you’re indulging yourself or gifting another.
“Let's be clear, we'd all be more than delighted to receive any one of these phenomenal calendars...That said, M&S is doing such great things across the board, and beauty is no exception.
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beauty → add → board
Its advent calendar is a fab way to discover great products and brands without spending a fortune, and it feels like excellent value.
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it → discover → value
Liberty has to be my ultimate beauty advent calendar and has been for many years.
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Liberty → have → years
Its beauty hall has long held my heart, with its incredible mix of heritage, cool and cult picks, and this calendar feels like a little piece of that magic.
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calendar → hold → magic
Having it propped up in my kitchen is part of Christmas in our house, and I love treating festive guests to a gift from one of its doors.
– Rose Beer, The London Standard’s beauty & health director
How I tested
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tested → have → doors
As a shopping editor who’s reviewed the best beauty advent calendars for six years, I know what makes a brand or retailer worth investing in.
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brand → review → years
When unboxing each calendar, I compared everything from product variety to value-for-money, packaging and festive flair.
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I → unbox → money
From multi-brand lineups to 12-day own-brand countdowns, I enlisted the help of fellow beauty obsessives for this ultimate guide.
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I → enlist → guide
☆
When Liberty unveiled its beauty advent calendar in 2014, the modern mania began.
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mania → unveil → 2014
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.
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offering → know → staples
The box is worth the investment alone – it takes pride of place on any Christmas display.
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it → take → display
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.
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you → find → goodies
After unboxing the calendar, I can confirm it's characteristically luxurious, with niche-focused treats, excellent full-size value and standout fragrances – but makeup lovers and anyone wanting to try trending, more household names may find it lacking.
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it → unbox → names
Beauty buffs will love the thoughtfully curated lineup come December, while just about anyone can appreciate the uniquely beautiful box on display this Christmas.
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anyone → love → display
Read More
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.
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I → read → filler
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 Neal's Yard’s frankincense intense age-defying cream, making it a calendar both mother and daughter would enjoy.
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mother → ’ → cleavage
Among the full-size skincare products, you’ll be treated to L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil, Liz Earle’s Cleanse & PolishTM, and Medik8’s Hydr8 B5, while make-up heroes span the Sculpted by Aimee Line and Shine Lip Liner and Gloss Duo, Fenty Beauty Hella Thicc Volumising Mascara, and Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand.
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heroes → treat → Duo
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.
Available now
- Worth: Over £1,160
- 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
★★★★★
The Boots 24-day beauty advent calendar is a much underrated option.
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calendar → ’ → products
Always affordable, it costs £150 again this year – but is worth £100 more.
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it → cost → 150
With a generous mix of full-size products alongside luxe minis, Boots’ 24 Days of Luxe Beauty Advent Calendar 2026 covers almost every corner of a beauty routine.
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Days → cover → routine
Whether you’re most excited by the everyday make-up, cult skincare, indulgent fragrances or haircare, there’s plenty behind those 24 doors to make the countdown feel genuinely luxurious.
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countdown → ’ → doors
The Boots calendar will stock you up on beauty for the new year ahead while adding some glamorous excitement to your festive countdown – what more could you want for £150?
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you → stock → 150
While I was expecting a lot of good makeup staples, I didn’t expect so many beloved skincare formulas to make an appearance.
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formulas → expect → appearance
The calendar sets you up with a full routine for 2027: think Medik8’s pro-collagen peptide cream, Sunday Riley tidal deep hydration and plumping serum, and The Ordinary multi active delivery essence, Byoma’s foaming rice deep cleanser, Paula's Choice dual-retinoid treatment, and Anua’s PDRM cream.
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calendar → set → cream
If skincare doesn’t excite you, the formulas are excellent enough to make some family members very happy this Christmas.
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members → excite → you
Makeup products span Charlotte Tilbury’s travel-size Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray, a full-size Patrick Ta Double Take Powder Blush Duo, a full-size Huda Beauty lip contour in warm brown, a full-size Westman Atelier mascara, and a full-size Hourglass Satin Crème Lipstick.
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products → span → brown
Available now
- Worth: Over £1,100
- Number of products: Both calendars feature 16 full-sized favourites and 9 new arrivals from the last 12 months
- Advent calendar highlights: Charlotte Tilbury setting spray, Westman Atelier mascara and Hourglass lipstick
★★★★★
Sephora is somewhat synonymous with viral brands and formulas – and its beauty advent calendar has sold out four years in a row.
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calendar → feature → row
This year, pre-orders are open, and the brand is offering 41 treats, including 27 full-size products and lots of exclusives.
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brand → offer → exclusives
As per tradition, plenty of viral products feature – including the Biodance PDRN Sheet Mask, K18 Leave-in Molecular Repair Hair Mask, One/Size On 'Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray, Dr Sam's Flawless Cleanser, Merit Beauty Flush Balm Cream Blush, and Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream.
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plenty → feature → Mask
The skincare and beauty goodies really lead the way in the calendar this year – it’s overflowing with luxury products at a fraction of their usual price, and plenty of them come in good sizes.
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plenty → lead → sizes
Each drawer is equipped with considered and well-curated picks that feel like a genuine treat and will make you glad you forked out to get the box.
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you → equip → box
Costing £235, but worth more than a grand and full of beauty holy grails, I think Sephora will be well on the way to selling out for a fifth year in a row.
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Sephora → cost → row
- Worth: Over £1,100
- Confirmed cost: £235
- Number of products: 41, including 27 full-size products
- Advent calendar highlights: Biodance PDRN Sheet Mask, K18 Leave-in Molecular Repair Hair Mask, and Discothèque Lola at Coat Check Candle,
★★★★★
The M&S beauty advent calendar is packed with household brands and familiar favourites – from fragrances and make-up to elevate your festive looks, to skincare and haircare to combat the effects of one too many parties.
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calendar → confirm → parties
It’s also among the cheapest calendars available, at £75.
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It → ’ → 75
Haircare (Color Wow, Aveda, Philip Kingsley, Sam McKnight) and makeup (Benefit, Iconic, Bare Minerals and Estee Lauder) are where the calendar really excels, but the skincare offering offers great value for money with two full-size formulas from M&S’s in-house Formula brand and The Organic Pharmacy.
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offering → excel → brand
…and 62 more, not listed.
The Aporia
