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journalism → support → readers
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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, Lush and John Lewis, the biggest brands have unveiled their lineups – and calendars are already selling out.
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calendars → unveil → lineups
These countdowns for beauty lovers have become a contemporary Christmas tradition.
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countdowns → become → lovers
An indulgent alternative to chocolate, beauty advent calendars reveal a make-up, skincare, haircare, or fragrance treat behind each door of December (if you can refrain from unboxing in one fell swoop).
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you → reveal → swoop
Whether it’s a Charlotte Tilbury foundation, a Byredo lipstick, or an Augustinus Bader cream, the gifts last long beyond party season.
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gifts → ’ → season
While once considered excessive, beauty advent calendars have become an increasingly mainstream choice for gifting – flying off shelves before most of us have even thought about Christmas.
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most → consider → Christmas
For those adding a touch of luxury to the festive season, it’s worth deciding which calendar you want to invest in now.
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you → add → calendar
Consider this your cheat sheet to the best beauty advent calendars of 2026.
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this → consider → 2026
A beauty director’s verdict
“Let's be clear, we'd all be more than delighted to receive any one of these phenomenal calendars...
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we → let → calendars
That said M&S is doing such great thing across the board, and beauty is no exception.
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beauty → say → 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
★★★
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I → have → doors
☆
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
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 → unbox → 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 → ’ → cream
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
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 → ’re → 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
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
★★★★☆
Charlotte Tilbury’s annual beauty advent calendar is arguably the best for makeup lovers.
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calendar → feature → lovers
For 2026, this brand has stuck to tradition by offering 12 beauty favourites.
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brand → stick → favourites
All the CT classics are included – Beauty Light Wand in 'Pillow Talk', Lip Cheat Lip Liner in 'Pillow Talk', Magic Cream, Unreal Lips Glow Nectar Oil, and Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray – plus newer launches including the Unreal Blush Healthy Glow.
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classics → include → Glow
At £170, it doesn't boast the enormous £1,000+ total worth of a Harrods or Cult Beauty calendar selection.
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it → boast → selection
But for Charlotte Tilbury lovers or anyone wanting a curated and beautifully presented chest of reliable crowd-pleasers, it delivers plenty of festive joy.
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it → want → joy
Available now
- Worth: £325
- Number of days: 12
- Number of products: 12
- Advent calendar highlights: Unreal Blush Healthy Glow Stick, Beauty Light Wand in 'Pillow Talk', Lip Cheat Lip Liner in 'Pillow Talk'
★★★★☆
At less than £100, Asos’s beauty advent calendar packs in a lot of exciting beauty.
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calendar → pack → beauty
I’d challenge the 15 full-size claim – most of the products are teeny tiny – but the more than 70 per cent saving is sweet enough to forgive.
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saving → challenge → products
…and 53 more, not listed.
The Aporia
