We hate to say it but Christmas is basically here. We know it’s only November, however Christmas adverts are on TV and lights are going up along highstreets across the UK, so we’d say it’s kind of official. Yes it’s early, but we think you’ll forgive us for getting ahead of ourselves once we reveal the subject at hand. Beauty advent calendars have grown in popularity over the last few years, and for many brands, including Net-a-Porter, Liberty,Elemis and Cult Beauty, the beauty advent calendar has become one of their most in-demand launches.
In fact, beauty advent calendars have proved so popular over the years that you’ve got to be quick if you want to get your first choice. Our inboxes started to fill way back in September with imagery and press releases from some of our favourite brands, each message pertaining to their beauty advent calendars. Considering now is about the time people actually start thinking about Christmas, we decided to make it easier for you to find the perfect beauty advent calendar by listing them all in one place.
We’ve laid everything out, from prices to products, so keep scrolling to discover and shop (providing you’re quick enough) the best beauty advent calendars this year has to offer.
The countdown to Christmas is magical in itself, but imagine how special it’ll be if you have Net-a-Porter’s 25 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar to look forward to. Perhaps the most coveted calendar of 2021, Net-a-Porter’s offering is filled with the chicest beauty treats, which have a collective value of £1,300. Yes, you read that right. It launches on 4 October (mark your diaries), and inside each of the numbered drawers is a beauty best-seller just waiting to be discovered. With products from Augustinus Bader, Charlotte Tilbury, Sunday Riley, 111Skin and Dr. Barbara Sturm, its contents read much like our own wish lists.
Bursting with essentials from one of our all-time favourite skincare brands, Elemis’s 2021 advent calendar includes some longtime icons as well as some new products from the label’s impressive new line-up. It’s available exclusively on the Elemis website, and the fact that it contains a full-sized portion of Pro-Collagen Marine Cream is reason enough to invest in this offering. Its contents are worth £402, and it’s on sale now, so grab it while you can.
Possibly the most beautiful advent calendar of the lot, Dior’s 2021 offering has been created in collaboration with artist Alice Shirley for a truly luxurious experience. Behind each of the 24 windows, you’ll find a Dior beauty surprise, including a mix of the brand’s beloved fragrances, bath and body products, skincare and makeup. We’ve got our eyes on the best-selling Lip Glow and the petite bottle of Miss Dior. Christmas just got a whole lot chicer.
We can always count on our favourite makeup artist to turn our beauty dreams into a reality. Charlotte Tilbury’s beauty advent calendar contains every hero item from the expansive collection, including a tub of the best-selling Charlotte’s Magic Cream and the iconic Pillow Talk lipstick and liner. We need it.
Consistently one of the most in-demand beauty advent calendars, John Lewis & Partners’ 2021 option lives up to our (extremely high) expectations. It has products from Charlotte Tilbury, Nars, Elemis, Esteé Lauder, Aromatherapy Associates, Laura Mercier and Hermes, so opening each drawer is set to be a luxurious experience. Launching on 4 October, expect this beauty advent calendar to sell out fast.
Behind the doors of Liberty’s 2021 beauty advent calendar, you’ll find a selection of some of the most sought-after products from its iconic beauty hall worth over £840—Liberty’s highest-value edit ever. Among them are an array of cult favourites from the likes of Dermalogica, 111Skin, and Le Labo, Decree, Uoma Beauty and Votary. This is a beauty advent calendar with serious clout in the industry. Every editor wants one and will be waiting with bated breath for its release on 6 October. Of course, we’ll keep you in the loop.
Did someone say luxury? Jo Malone’s beauty advent calendar is one of the most coveted, and 2021’s take definitely won’t disappoint those who have previously invested in the brand’s iconic calendar. In fact, this beauty advent calendar is so stylish you’ll want to leave it on-show well into next year. It features colognes, candles, soaps, creams and even a special surprise, so it’s little wonder that this is the beauty advent calendar that put the trend into motion. Available online now, it’ll be rolled out nationwide in Jo Malone boutiques starting on 14 October.
The edit of products in this beauty advent calendar couldn’t be more up our street. Containing some of our favourite products ever, including Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream, Susanne Kaufmann St. John’s Wort Bath Soak and Sunday Riley CEO Vitamin C serum, it’s a beauty-lover’s dream.
After selling out in record time last year, The White Company’s beauty advent calendar is back, and it’s better than we could have imagined. With a potent blend of skincare, fragrances, bath, body, fragrances and, of course, candles, it’s available now, but we guarantee it won’t be for long.
Back with its fifth advent calendar, Harrods almost has us in the mood to crack out the tinsel and start sipping on eggnog. It’s worth an incredible £1166, and you can expect to find brands like Charlotte Tilbury, Aromatherapy Associates, 111Skin, Dr. Barbara Sturm and more inside. It goes on sale on 14 October, so put it in your calendar. This will sell out fast.
Is it an extravagant splurge? Absolutely. However this one from Diptyque is guaranteed to keep your fragrance needs met for a really long time. Containing a selection of 25 candles, perfumes and body products, there isn’t a single product in here that you won’t use up in its entirety.
This is the fourth year that Glossybox has gotten in on the beauty advent-calendar action, and we were certainly excited to see what it has in store for 2021. Made up of cult products from the likes of Huda Beauty, Pixi and Sarah Chapman, it contains something for everyone. Plus, Glossybox subscribers can snap it up for a cool £85—not bad considering it has a total worth of £465.
Buckle up for this one. If you want to buy this calendar outright, it will cost you £300 (which is probably about right considering the calibre of brands in there, including Aveda, Emma Hardie and Alpha-H). However, this little guy is all yours for just £40 when you spend £30 on clothing, home or beauty at M&S. This one usually sells like hotcakes and is widely considered to be the best beauty deal of the year.
If last year’s offering was anything to go by, then Feelunique’s 2021 beauty calendar is likely to sell out soon. Worth over £385, it contains 27 beauty products, including full-sized treats from the likes of Huda Beauty, Grown Alchemist, Rodial and Wishful. Sold.
Available online now and in exclusive stores, The Body Shop’s beauty advent calendar is back this year, and it’s better than ever. In fact, The Body Shop has multiple advent calendars to choose from. Worth £204, this is its biggest offering, and it’s sure to delight any fans of The Body Shop. With everything from shower gels and body creams to sheet masks and lip butters, this product assembly is a must for any TBS devotee. Plus, inside every calendar you’ll find a little act of kindness, so you can share some of the love.
The Body Shop’s mid-sized offering contains a whole host of head-to-toe treats, including a full-sized version of the new Avocado Body Butter, skin-tingling face masks and nourishing hand creams.
ASOS’s beauty advent calendar is impressive to say the least. Highlights include cult products from Dr. Jart, MAC, The Ordinary and Origins, but we think the recyclable packaging is also worth a mention.
With an impressive and ever-expanding makeup, skincare, and haircare offering, Next’s beauty calendar is easily one of 2021’s most-anticipated after its sell-out success last year. With hero products from Elemis, Liz Earle, Esteé Lauder, Benefit, BareMinerals, Philip Kingsley and L’Occitane, all for a cool £69, this calendar is guaranteed to please anyone lucky enough to get their hands on it.
Our favourite boutique, Space NK, has outdone itself with its 2021 beauty advent calendar. Launching on 15 October with pre-order available now, the calendar is a beauty journey through some of the brand’s favourite products. It’s worth over £700, and you can expect to find goodies from top brands like La Mer, Augustinus Bader, Rose Inc and more.
Launching on 1 October, Lookfantasic’s beauty advent calendar has sold out five years in a row, so you’ll definitely want to add your name to the pre-order list. It features products across makeup and hair, but we think the skincare offering is particularly special, with pieces from the likes of Kate Somerville, Shiseido and ESPA inside.
With a whopping worth of £975, Cult Beauty’s advent calendar is a hard one to match. While the October release date is yet to be confirmed, you can add your name to the wait list now—something we definitely advise, seeing as the brand’s beauty advent calendars have been known to sell out in under two hours.
Worth over £750, Fortnum & Mason’s 2021 beauty advent calendar does not disappoint. It’s available to buy today with an expected dispatch at the end of October, and we predict this ensemble of amazing beauty products won’t be sticking around for long. With products from Aromatherapy Associates, Sol de Janeiro and a gorgeous makeup bag from Elizabeth Scarlett, this beauty advent calendar just might be one of the best out there.
Dr. Barbara Sturm’s skincare line is one of the most high-performing we’ve ever tried and boasts an incredibly impressive A-list fanbase. While this beauty advent calendar might have a higher price point, we think it’s the perfect way to try out some of the brand’s cult products, allowing you to hone in on the items you genuinely love afterwards.
Ciaté was one of the first brands to really embrace the beauty advent-calendar movement, and this year’s offering rightly deserves a place on our edit of the best. Featuring 22 mini polishes, a face product, and a full-sized polish, this advent caldendar will appease manicure lovers of all ages. Plus, all of the nail varnishes inside feature Ciaté’s new “plant pots” formulation, meaning they are made with up to 80% natural ingredients and biodegradable glitters.
Susanne Kaufmann is nothing if not elegantly classic, and that’s exactly what we thought when we saw the brand’s 2021 beauty advent calendar. Available now, it contains a variety of award-winning skincare alongside body and bath products. Expect to find cult classic like the Eye Rescue Stick and Enzyme Peel as well as new favourites.
The perfect pre-Christmas gift for French skincare lovers far and wide, the Clarins calendar contains 24 cult Clarins products worth £259.
Founded by the Pixiwoo sisters, Sam and Nic Chapman, Real Technique is known in the industry for its brushes. (Chances are your makeup bag already contains some of them.) Now, it’s time to up your application ante with the Real Techniques beauty advent calendar. Inside, there are 25 brilliant items, including miniature brushes, sponges, brush cleansing gel, tweezers, and just about every other beauty tool you can think of.
Christmastime is wonderful—there’s no doubt about it. But it can also be stressful. With presents to buy and meals to cook, you need to ensure you carve out some much-needed pamper time for yourself in the run-up. And what better way to do so than with Rituals’s beauty advent calendar? It comes with 24 calming treats, so you can make every evening a spa-like experience with the treasures found inside. Available now.
If like so many others, you’re loyal to Benefit’s beauty products, then this is the beauty advent calendar for you. It contains an edit of the brand’s must-have buys from over the years, and our favourites include the best-selling They’re Real mascara and Gimme Brow+.
If skincare is your thing, then look no further than ESPA’s epic derma-focused beauty advent calendar. Launching on 1 October with 25 products, every day will feel like a spa day with this collection of potent, holistic treats.
Give the gift of gorgeous skin by bestowing someone truly special (be it yourself or someone else) with Decléor’s 2021 beauty advent calendar. The delightful contents span across the French brand’s face, body and bath ranges. It’s the ultimate treat for any skincare obsessive.
With its iconic yellow branding serving as its chic exterior, Acqua di Parma’s beauty advent calendar is an absolute must for anyone who considers themselves to be a fragrance fan. Inside, you’ll find products from across Acqua di Parma’s scent collections by way of candles, body creams and, of course, perfumes.
Available now, the Kiehl’s beauty advent calendar features 23 customer favourites, including Creme de Corps, Midnight Recovery Concentrate and the cult-favourite Ultra Facial Cream.
Yes, beauty advent calendars are the best, but before you purchase one it’s worth considering how much unnecessary packaging your calendar of choice comes with. This adorable option from L’Occitane is not only super-pretty to hang on the wall but is also reusable for years to come.
If you ask us, we’d say this is one hell of a good deal. Not only do get 24 Clinique minis, including a 30ml of the iconic Dramatically Different™ Moisturising Lotion+, for just £95, but if you buy at John Lewis, you can also use the code CLINIQUE40 to receive the Best of Clinique Skincare & Makeup Gift Set for just £60 (which is worth over £200).
With contents worth £450, we’d say this is a great option for those that love luxury makeup. Considering Armani Beauty is one of our go-tos for high-end makeup that really delivers, we’d say this one is a sure-fire hit.
Usually, we’re reluctant to recommend single-brand makeup calendars as it can be challenging to find one that contains products you will actually find yourself using regularly. However, this one from By Terry is an exception to the rule. Not only are all of the products perfect for everyday use, but it is also the perfect way to try out all of By Terry’s cult buys (hello, CC Serum in Sunny Flash) before you splurge on the full-size product. We challenge anybody to not fall in love with this one.
