Best Beauty Advent Calendars For 2026, Reviewed

• Best for: Quantity of products
• Worth: Over £1,000
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 40
• Number of days: 25
• What’s inside? Discothèque Lola at Coat Check Candle, Summer Fridays Blush Butter Balm and Medik8 Niacinamide Peptides
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: As soon as you start to unbox the Sephora Advent Calendar, you will understand why it’s so weighty. Like a trunk, it opens to reveal 40 products, 10 of which are retailer exclusives, including Tower 28, Makeup by Mario, Haus Labs, Topicals, and Tarte.
• In terms of full-size products, there is Danessa Myricks Beauty’s Yummy Skin Glow Serum (RRP £39), Discothèque’s Lola at Coat Check Candle (£54 and currently sold out), the cult K18 Leave-in Molecular Repair Hair Mask that is beloved by the Vogue team (£70), the Kosas Shiny Objects Wet Glisten Powder Highlighter (£32) and most awe-inducing of all, the Makeup by Mario Ethereal Moonlight Eyeshadow Palette (£69). These five products alone are worth £264, making the advent calendar’s £235 price very appealing, especially with 35 additional make-up, skincare, hair, and fragrance items. Honourable mention goes to the inclusion of the viral ONE/SIZE Beauty On ’Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray (£32), Sol de Janeiro body wash (£23) and Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting Eyebrow Gel (£19), all of which are also in full size.

• Best for: Excellent return on investment
• Worth: £665
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 27
• Number of days: 25
• What’s inside? Medik8 Total Moisture Cleanser, Clinique Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator and LANEIGE Vanilla Lip Glowy Balm
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: To create its three advent calendars for 2026, beauty retailer Lookfantastic has taken an interesting approach. It has reached out to 25 beauty experts – from big beauty names to its own buying team – each of whom has selected an inclusion. These include the likes of hairstylist Sam McKnight and Dom Seeley, and creators Ash Holme and Gary Thompson. In The Beauty Advent Calendar, there are 27 products with a value of £665 and brands like Medik8, Clinique, Laura Mercier and Elemis. The edit leans on cult buys like Medik8 Total Moisture Cleanser, Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Night Cream and Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder, as well as hyped heroes like Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 40 Perfume Mist and Color Wow’s Kale Cocktail.
• The Fragrance Advent Calendar, which sold out in three days last year, has a reported worth of £530 and costs £150. The brands to know include Jo Malone, YSL and Rabanne. Enduring bestselling aromas include Jo Malone London’s Pomegranate Noir Cologne, Issey Miyake’s L’Eau d’Issey Eau de Parfum and Juliette Has A Gun Not A Perfume.
• Last but the most value-packed of all, The Grooming Advent Calendar costs £90 and has £469 worth of products inside, according to the retailer.

• Best for: The ratio of full-sized products
• Worth: Over £1,200
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 35
• Number of days: 25
• What’s inside? Color Wow Dream Cocktail, LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask, Ole Henriksen Peptide Lip Treatment, Summer Fridays Pink Dew Gel Cleanser
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: Space NK always impresses with its ratio of full-size to minis in its annual advent offering – and 2026 is no different. The calendar itself is weighty and when you start to open the drawers, you’ll see why. First and foremost, there is a full sized Naturium The Booster Hyaluronic Acid Body Wash (RRP £19), one of the Vogue team’s favourite body washes in an epic 500ml. There is also the Color Wow Carb Cocktail in its full size (£26.50), Augustinus Bader’s The Body Cream (£92), the newly launched Medik8 Exo-PDRN Prismatic+ (£79), Olaplex’s No.3 PLUS Complete Repair Treatment (£32) and Summer Fridays Pink Dew Gel Cleanser (£28), so that each step of your skin and bodycare routines is accounted for. Purchasing the aforementioned items individually would set you back £276.50, which makes the remainder of the items – including the Skin Rocks The Cleansing Balm (£58) – free. No girl maths even needed.

Harrods

Beauty Advent Calendar Collection 2026

• Best for: an at-home spa
• Worth: £624
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 25
• Number of days: 25
• What’s inside? Positivity Bath & Shower Gel, Winter Spice Candle and Tri Active Regenerating Smooth & Firm Body Butter
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: Within the ESPA advent calendar are bestsellers like the brand’s Pink Hair and Scalp Mud and a selection of beautifully scented body oils designed for different purposes. Wake up with the reviving aromas of Positivity that layers notes of jasmine, gardenia and rose geranium with bergamot and sweet orange or wind down with the myrrh, rose geranium, and frankincense that make up the Soothing blend – both of which are featured inside the calendar. But alongside sumptuously fragranced bodycare are ESAP’s high-performance skincare favourites too, namely heroes from the Tri-Active collection that harness the power of nature with plant and marine actives but always with ESPA’s signature aromatherapy twist so that while you are treating the complexion to nourishing ingredients, you are also igniting inner calm. For 2026, the advent calendar has £200 more value than the previous year, and each item has been selected with intention to bring tranquillity and a moment of care to the always hectic festive season.

• Best for: Restocking Charlotte Tilbury favourites
• Worth: £325.50
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 15
• Number of days: 12
• What’s inside?  Pillow Talk Velvet Organiser Bag, Pillow Talk Lip Cheat, Mini Magic Cream, Charlotte’s Magic Sculpting Gua Sha Tool
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: Every single year, Charlotte Tilbury brings the glamour to the Christmas countdown with its magical chests – and 2026 is no different, with a red-hued mini advent that is a delight to open. Each star-adorned drawer reveals one of the bestsellers from the universally adored make-up and skincare collections, including the Lip Cheat, Magic Cream, Magic Serum and Beauty Light Wand, and when it comes to shade, they are offered in the versatile Pillowtalk hue. There are 15 items inside, four of which are full-sized. Honourable mention goes to the addition of the Unreal Blush Healthy Glow Stick, the newly launched glow-giving blush in the handy stick format.

• Best for: A true keepsake
• Worth: £595
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 25
• Number of days: 25
• What’s inside? Tangerine and Honey Cologne, Ginger Biscuit Scented Candle, Myrrh and Tonka Cologne Intense and Limited Edition Scents
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: Pictures cannot do the Jo Malone advent calendar justice. The fragrance house has outdone itself with its 2026 iteration. The trunk-like exterior has multiple drawers, one of which is filled with numbered crackers that open to reveal Jo Malone goodies. The bottom one has tartan-swathed boxes, while the lid opens to reveal the pièce de résistance. Much to the delight of the entire Vogue office, there are mini stockings, each of which contains vials of the brand’s bestselling colognes. They’re completely adorable. Alongside the fragrances are candles and bath and body delights, scented with the layerable notes that the London fragrance house is known for, as well as seasonal exclusives like Tangerine & Honey and Ginger Biscuit. The advent is endlessly giftable, while the contents can be shared among your loved ones – but you’ll be loath to part with them.

• Best for: Multiple goodies a day
• Worth: Over £1,100
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: x
• Number of days: 38
• What’s inside? Westman Atelier Eye Want You Mascara, Medik8 Advanced Pro-Collagen+ Peptide Cream and Allies of Skin Azelaic & Kojic Advanced Clarifying Serum
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: Cult Beauty’s seasonal advent calendar is a more pared-back design than previous years, but it is still packing an impressive quantity of beauty favourites with one of the largest selections for 2026. Among them are brands exclusive to the retailer like Saie and Patrick Ta, as well as products across the spectrum of hair, fragrance, make-up and skincare. There are 17 full-size products, and 12 of the selection were unveiled in the last year, so it provides a fantastic opportunity to get hands-on with new launches. I was excited to see the Westman Atelier Eye Want You Mascara (£42), Medik8 Advanced Pro-Collagen+ Peptide Cream (£82) and Allies of Skin Azelaic & Kojic Advanced Clarifying Serum (£94), which, between them, almost equal (£208) the cost of the calendar (£245).

• Best for: A foolproof gift
• Worth: Over £1,300
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 29
• Number of days: 25
• What’s inside? ILIA Beauty Limitless Lash Mascara, Violette_FR Lip Nectar and Sisley Paris Sisleÿa Essential Skin Care Lotion
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: Each year, Liberty sounds the klaxon for advent calendar season as the first to launch – and it is always one of the most highly anticipated and fan-favourite selections. The beauty buying team go all out to curate skincare, fragrance, makeup, haircare and wellbeing from the stellar line-up that you’ll find in its Great Marlborough Street-based store. Before we get to the contents, however, a moment must be had for the beautiful illustration that reimagines the facade of the department store with a seasonal feel and turns the calendar into a true keepsake.
• Inside, one of the items I am very excited about is the Violette_FR Lip Nectar, which comes in the bestselling Bêtise shade that is challenging to find in stock. There is also a lotion from Sisley that is worth £114 alone. That, paired with the Augustinus Bader Face Oil (£80), Votary Luminous Skin Liquid (£37), Verden Nocturne Magnesium Body Spray (£30) and Trinny London Eye2Eye (£20) and you have the cost of the calendar, which makes everything else free. Honourable mention goes to the Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum (£70), which I use daily and discovery sizes of cult fragrances like D.S. & Durga Debaser Eau de Parfum, LBTY – Tana Meadow and Matière Première Crystal Saffron Eau de Parfum.

• Best for: The number of products
• Worth: Over £1,160
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 41
• Number of days: 25
• What’s inside? Foreo UFO 3 Mini and Jo Loves Mini Candle
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: Where the John Lewis advent calendar excels this year is with the volume of products and brand selection, including the Foreo UFO 3 Mini (worth £129) that you can use alongside the Foreo UFO Mask to advance your traditional face mask experience. There are 41 included in the 25-day countdown, but it is worth noting that all are under 100ml. Enduring bestsellers like the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil, Clarins Lip Comfort Oil and Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand have been stashed within in deluxe sizes, as well as excitingly La Mer’s The Lip Balm. In mini form, discover Shiseido, Sisley Paris, Gucci, Elemis and Estée Lauder too. Plus, one in 41 customers can win a prize like a Shark tool or Clarins Spa Treatment.
• For 2026 and for the first time for the department store, there is a 12-day fragrance advent calendar with brands like Memo Paris, Essential Parfums, Kilian Paris and Frederic Malle.

• Best for: K-beauty
• Worth: £302
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 26
• Number of days: 24
• What’s inside? Biodance Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask, Medicube PDRN Peptide Eye Cream, Tirtir Milk Skin Toner, Dr Reju-all Advanced PDRN Rejuvenating Lip Serum
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: Over the last year, Boots has been quietly filling its shelves with skin, hair and fragrance favourites direct from South Korea, now housing one of the largest offerings on the UK market. It is fitting then that the retailer has launched a dedicated advent calendar for the holiday season as the ultimate way to discover some of the most popular labels – we’re talking Biodance, Dr.Reju-All, Medicube and beyond. As you may hope and expect, the Biodance Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask is included, as well as Dr.Reju-All’s Advanced PDRN Rejuvenating Cream that is formulated with an optimal concentration of PDRN for skin repair. What excited me most is the inclusion of Centellian24’s Madeca Cream Time Reverse, an instant shine and soothing formula that has just launched at the retailer, as well as TOCOBO’s Bio Watery Sun Cream SPF50+, one of my favourite Korean SPFs.

• Best for: Clarins bestsellers
• Worth: £272.97
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 24
• Number of days: 24
• What’s inside? Hydra-Essentiel Cream, Lip Perfector and Hydra-Essentiel Lip Balm
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: Bundled into a bumper pack, Clarins has selected its bestsellers and cult favourite products in two advent calendars with varying durations. The 12 Day Advent Calendar (£98, worth £173.83) includes travel minis of heroes like the Hand & Nail Treatment Cream, plus full-sized versions of the Hydra-Essentiel Cream, Lip Perfector, and Hydra-Essentiel Lip Balm. The extended 24 Day Advent Calendar (£165, worth £272.97) offers a broader selection, including make-up and body care. It is still predominantly minis but includes the Lip Comfort Oil and Wonder Volume XXL Mascara in full-size.

• Best for: New launches
• Worth: Over £336
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 25
• Number of days: 25
• What’s inside? Seychelles Shampoo and Conditioner and Festive Scented Fragrances and Candles
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: The White Company advent calendar features two calendar-exclusive launches: the Seychelles aroma, with notes of bergamot, bright orange, and fresh coconut, as a shampoo and conditioner. But that’s just the start. There is also a full-size Winter Signature Candle and Lime & Bay Signature Candle before you even get to the bath and body goodness. The Sea Salt Body Lotion is also in a full size, as are two fragrances: Santa Rosa as an eau de toilette and Amalfi Lemon as a room spray.

• Best for: Kiehl’s minis
• Worth: £237
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 24
• Number of days: 24
• What’s inside? Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum, Full-Size Lip Balm and Ultra Facial Cream
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: Stock up on your travel-ready Kiehl’s minis with the brand’s dedicated advent calendar. Inside, the bestselling heroes are stashed and ready to pack in your holiday washbag. You will find the beloved Creme De Corps – an ultra-nourishing body lotion, the overnight radiance-boosting Midnight Recovery Concentrate and cult squalane-boosted Ultra Facial Cream, as well as newer launches like the Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum, which was proven in a clinical study to minimise the appearance of fine lines by 100 per cent.

• Best for: Spa-like experience at home
• Worth: £672
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 24
• Number of days: 24
• What’s inside? Geranium Candle, B Silent Candle and B Silent Bath Salts
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: Bamford’s 2025 advent calendar was one of the Vogue team’s favourites last year, with notes of geranium so deliciously potent that they emanated from the box before you even opened a drawer. The 2026 iteration is equally as relaxation-inducing, with 24 products, 12 of which are full-sized. These span across the wellness brand’s collection of skincare, body, home fragrances and tools. In one door, you will even find ritual cards inviting you to be intentional about relaxation through the festive season. Highlights include the two candles listed above as well as the Geranium Hand & Body Wash that transforms daily ablutions into a moment of calm.

• Best for: Winning an overnight stay
• Worth: £547
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 24
• Number of days: 24
• What’s inside? The Log Cabin and Refresh Hand Wash
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: It was one of my favourites for 2025, and I can confirm that Cowshed’s 2026 take on an advent calendar will not disappoint. The Soho House-owned label eschews the traditional calendar set-up for a wicker basket, a sustainable alternative that can be reused for stylish storage or further gifting. Nonetheless, you still get a thrill of daily unboxing with each product individually wrapped and numbered in boxes inside. 2026 has been a huge year for the brand, which has undergone a total reimagining, from the packaging to the fragrances, and this is the perfect opportunity to sample the new selection across the scope of body, hand, hair and home. It must be noted too that every single item in the 24-strong selection is deluxe (50ml/100ml) or full-sized for a total transformation of your ablution practices. This extends to the three candles inside as well as the hand creams, body washes and body lotions – and if you don’t like the scent, think of the regifting potential. To round it off, stashed within two of the 2,800 in stock will reveal a vintage hotel key, and if you’re lucky enough to find one, you will unlock a one-night stay at Babington House.

Best for: Pro-Collagen collection
Worth: £662
Release date: Available now
Number of products: 25
Number of days: 25
What’s inside? Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash and Pro-Collagen Rose Marine Cream
Why it’s Vogue-approved: There are 25 skin and bodycare goodies inside Elemis’ advent calendar and you can be sure that you will find beauty editor favourites like the brand’s Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm (a cleanser beloved by the Vogue team), which is full-size and worth £55 as well as the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream (voted one of the top moisturisers time and time again), which is worth £100. When it comes to nourishing our limbs, the Frangipani Monoi Body Cream deserves its place in your bodycare arsenal, and it comes in a full-sized 200ml (worth £20).

Best for: Science-backed skincare minis
Worth: £546
Release date: Available now
Number of products: 24
Number of days: 24
What’s inside? Daily Microfoliant and Pro-Collagen Banking Serum
Why it’s Vogue-approved: A true discovery set to introduce the Dermalogica collection, there is more than just the bestsellers hidden within the numbered boxes in this skincare trove. Of course, the skin-smoothing Daily Microfoliant will be a welcome surprise in its mid-size form, as will the full-sized versions of the Pro-Collagen Banking Serum to combat dehydration and Phyto Nature Lifting Eye Cream for firming tired eyes, but the calendar invites you to try lesser-known gems from the range. These include the underrated Stabilizing Repair Cream, which is a treat for stressed-out or irritated complexions and the Sound Sleep Cocoon, which boosts your skin while you slumber.

• Best for: calming scents and nourishing bodycare
• Worth: £399
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 25
• Number of days: 24
• What’s inside? (Highlights): Real Luxury Essential Oil Blend, Ceramic Shooting Star Natural Diffuser and Great Day Magnesium Body Butter
• The Vogue verdict: Start the Christmas season as you mean to go on: enveloped in sumptuous scent. For the 2026 festive season, NEOM has housed a beautifully fragranced selection of candles, a diffuser, essential oils and bodycare in a daily advent calendar. One of the full-size candles (there are two!), alongside a mini candle, the diffuser, and a tree ornament, are seasonal limited-edition favourites with suitably festive scents, while the remainder are bestsellers like the magnesium-infused body butter and luxury bath milk. These come in mini form, which are great for curating a calming spa-like environment when you’re travelling or for sampling the collection with heroes from each of the Better Sleep, More Energy, Mood Boost and Less Stress collections.

• Best for: Playful design
• Worth: £400
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 25
• Number of days: 25
• What’s inside? Joonbyrd Mini Sofa Body Butter, Phlur Father Figure and Malin & Goetz Strawberry Perfume Oil
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: A vibrant addition to your holiday decor, Anthropologie has, in the brand’s signature style, gone all out with its advent calendar design this year with a brightly coloured festive illustration by British-Filipino illustrator Nephthys Foster. Inside you’ll find skincare, fragrance, haircare and more, and 17 products are full sized. The selection includes L’Occitane’s Almond Hand Cream, Patchology’s Cool Eye Gel, Mario Badescu’s Facial Spray with Aloe and PHLUR, the latter of which is a sample of the hugely popular Father Figure aroma. Explore too a body butter from Joonbyrd, one of the Vogue team’s top bodycare brands, nail polish from premium vegan label Manucurist and SPF from the chic suncare experts at Darling.

• Best for: A mix of K-beauty and British brands
• Worth: £360
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 25
• Number of days: 25
• What’s inside? Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand, Sam McKnight Cool Girl Volume Blow Dry Foam, Medicube PDRN Peptide Serum, Gisou Honey Infused Lip Oil
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: In this advent calendar from ASOS, there is a combination of K-beauty bestsellers and homegrown British brands worth sampling. The Medicube PDRN Serum (RRP £20) is one of my favourite formulas for glass skin, especially when combined with the Biodance PDRN Sheet Mask (£5). Highlights include the Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand (£30), Gisou Lip Oil (£24) and Benefit Benetint (£23.50). The above bring you to £102.50, and then you have hero minis like the Haruharu Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence, Sunday Riley CEO Oil and Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturiser to discover.

• Best for: Decorating the mantel
• Worth: TBC
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 24
• Number of days: 24
• What’s inside? J’Adore Eau de Parfum, Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil and Dior Prestige La Micro-Huile de Rose Activated Serum
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: An advent calendar you’ll want to display pride of place among your seasonal decorations, Dior has designed its Christmas countdown with a nod to its flagship store at the legendary 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris. The Dior star is embellished with the facade of the shop and dotted with drawers that open to showcase the fragrance, skincare, make-up, candle and tree decorations that will mark each day in the lead-up to 25 December. The viral Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil is inside, as well as minis of all the beloved fragrances, from Miss Dior to Sauvage.

• Best for: Sensorial skincare
• Worth: £290
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 12
• Number of days: 12
• What’s inside? The Longevity Memory Cream and The Melting Lip Balm
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: The wonderful thing about the Tatcha advent calendar is that there is not a single day when you will be disappointed to open a door; such is the benefit of a brand-based option where each item in the collection has a stand-out formula. While Tatcha is likely best known for its Dewy Skin Cream (the moisturiser is an instant, nourishing glow booster), this calendar allows you to discover some of the lesser-known in the Japanese-inspired range, namely my favourites, The Matcha Foam Cleanse and firming The Longevity Serum. There are also two newly launched SKUs: The Longevity Memory Cream and The Melting Lip Balm. The calendar is almost entirely filled with minis, which is very helpful if you have travel upcoming with skincare staples like a cleanser, serum and eye cream to stash in your hand luggage, and each is just so adorable. However, there are only 12 days, and these are minis in the true sense of the word – aka 15ml rather than my preferred 100ml. The box is bright and fun in a lilac hue and was designed by a Japanese illustrator who goes by the Instagram handle foxco.

• Best for: Nailing the skincare basics
• Worth: £578.50
• Release date: Available now
• Number of products: 24
• Number of days: 24
• What’s inside? Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser
• Why it’s Vogue-approved: Liz Earle is likely best known for its Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, and you can be sure that it is featured inside both of its advent calendars. For Christmas 2026 (and like previous years), there are two versions from the brand: the 12 Days of Liz Earle Beauty Advent Calendar (£79, worth £203.10) and the 24 Days of Liz Earle Beauty Advent Calendar (£175, worth £578.50). Alongside the iconic formula, there are newer launches to discover, like the Superskin Advanced Nourishing Cleansing Balm, but beyond simply skincare, there is bodycare too, with full-sized iterations of both the body wash and cream, which are scented with a suitably festive mandarin and nutmeg fragrance.