The beauty advent calendar has outgrown its novelty. What began as a handful of minis behind cardboard doors is now a December ritual that rivals the best gifting. This year’s boxes bring serious skincare, full size make-up, fragrance wardrobes and spa-at-home treats, wrapped in keepsake designs that earn a place on the dressing table long after the tree is down. Value matters, but so does curation. The standouts mix icons with discovery, build complete routines rather than drawer clutter and favour thoughtful details, from recyclable packaging to refillable formats. Below, the calendars that deserve a spot on your list, each chosen for what makes it different and why it is worth opening every single morning.

Benefit Cosmetics Glam Cube Advent Calendar

Benefit turns the countdown into a game with its twist-and-spin Glam Cube, a playful take on the classic advent that feels as collectible as it is practical. Inside are 24 brow, lash, lip, cheek and skincare treats spanning full size, mini and fun size, including three full sizes plus extra surprises, with a stated value of over £266 for a £135 spend. The curation leans into Benefit’s hall-of-fame bestsellers, so it is ideal for anyone who swears by the brand’s brushes, tints and primers, or wants a ready-made kit for party season. The cube format keeps your dressing table tidy and begs to be reused long after Christmas, which adds to the appeal. Strong value, a clear brand story and a genuinely interactive design make this one of the most joyful single-brand calendars to buy now.

Available at Benefit Cosmetics.

Charlotte Tilbury Advent Calendar

Charlotte Tilbury trades cardboard doors for a jewel-box of twelve drawers, each hiding one of the brand’s headline acts. The curation reads like a greatest hits album: Pillow Talk Lip Cheat and Collagen Lip Bath for instant pout polish, Exagger-Eyes Mascara and Rock ’n’ Kohl in Barbarella Brown for soft-focus definition, Beauty Light Wand for candlelit cheeks, plus the skincare power couple Magic Cream and Magic Serum to prime party skin. You also get icons like Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray and two mini lipsticks, so a complete night-out look comes together with very little effort. Priced at £175 and valued at £264, it is a focused, single-brand edit that favours guaranteed crowd-pleasers over filler, and the keepsake chest earns a place on the dressing table long after December.

Available at Charlotte Tilbury.

Neal's Yard Remedies Advent Calendar

Neal’s Yard brings a restorative mood to December with a 24-day line-up that blends certified organic skincare with aromatherapy rituals. You get 13 full sizes worth over £385 for a £165 spend, including brand icons like Wild Rose Beauty Balm and Frankincense Intense Age-Defying Cream, plus an Oat & Ceramide Barrier Repair Cream debut that nudges this beyond a simple sampler. The design leans into the brand’s apothecary heritage with a William Morris print keepsake, while the mix of boosters, cleansers, pillow mist and roll-on remedies turns the countdown into a nightly wind-down routine. It is the calendar to choose if you want skin comfort, sensorial textures and a greener gifting story in one generous box.

Available now at Neal’s Yard.

Molton Brown Advent Calendar

Molton Brown’s calendar is a polished fragrance wardrobe for December, mixing bath, body and home treats in 24 moments that feel hotel-luxe at home. Expect signature shower gels and matching body lotions, richly perfumed hand care, festive baubles that double as tree ornaments, mini eau de toilette refills and a candle created exclusively for this year’s edit, which extends the ritual from bathroom to living room. The appeal lies in the breadth of scent families, from citrus and sea-fresh to spiced woods, all in the brand’s unmistakable style and made with 100 percent vegetarian formulations. Priced at £199, it is a classic, single-brand calendar for fragrance lovers who want variety without filler and a smart keepsake box to reuse after the festivities.

Available at Molton Brown.

Lookfantastic Beauty Advent Calendar

LOOKFANTASTIC’s tenth anniversary edition reads like a beauty fan’s wish list, and the numbers tell the story. Twenty eight pieces with seventeen full sizes, worth over £655 yet priced at £105, spanning heavy hitters from MAC, Color Wow and Sol de Janeiro. The edit is notably practical, balancing party season staples with year round skincare and haircare, so you are not left with drawer fodder. The packaging is smart and sturdy, and the mix of sizes makes it easy to build complete looks without dipping into your own stash. As multi brand calendars go, this is exceptional value at a friendly price point, with breadth and depth that rivals far pricier boxes.

Available at Look Fantastic.

Liberty Beauty Calendar

Liberty’s calendar is the connoisseur’s pick, pairing the store’s design heritage with a high calibre beauty edit. Inside are 30 products with an unusually strong ratio of full sizes, and a line-up that moves from La Mer and Augustinus Bader to Trinny London, Jones Road and niche fragrance names. The value lands around £1,245 against a £275 price, which is compelling without leaning on filler. It is presented in a fully recyclable box illustrated by Clym Evernden, and this year includes a Liberty Ianthe print drawstring bag that turns the unboxing into a keepsake moment. If you want a single purchase that feels like a tour of a world-class beauty hall, this is the one to secure.

Available at Liberty.

The Cult Beauty Advent Calendar

Cult Beauty delivers the thrill of a beauty hall in a box. This year’s calendar packs around 35 products with more than twenty full sizes, drawing on a who’s who of brands from Hourglass and Huda Beauty to Medik8, K18, Gisou and Laneige. The value lands at about £1,100 against a £240 price, and there are two edits to choose from, with a classic curation for crowd pleasers and a limited edition for those who like the new and niche. Three boxes hide a £1,000 Cult Beauty Golden Ticket, which turns unboxing into a genuine win moment. If you want a multi brand calendar that feels considered rather than cluttered, this one balances skincare, makeup and haircare with a level of discovery that lasts well beyond December.

Available at Cult Beauty.

Sephora Favourites Advent Calendar

Sephora’s hero calendar reads like a greatest hits tour of the retailer’s beauty hall, with 41 products and an unusually generous 24 full sizes across skincare, makeup, hair and fragrance. The draw is discovery with clout: 31 Sephora exclusives from names like Summer Fridays, Glow Recipe, Merit, Tower 28 and Kayali, curated into a line up that feels current rather than copy-paste. Priced at £225 and valued at over £1,025, it is a savvy way to stock a year’s worth of favourites while testing cult launches you might have missed. If you want breadth, full sizes that actually get used and the thrill of opening brands you will not find everywhere, this is the multi brand calendar to beat.

Available at Sephora.

Dermalogica Advent Calendar

Dermalogica’s calendar is a skincare syllabus disguised as a festive treat, bringing 24 clinic grade formulas into a neat daily ritual. The draw is substance over sparkle. You get three full sizes with a supporting cast of travel and deluxe minis, so you can build a complete cleanse, exfoliate, treat and hydrate routine without guesswork. The mix spans icons such as Daily Microfoliant and PowerBright brightening care alongside newer texture refiners and eye refreshers, which makes it ideal for someone serious about results rather than one off pampering. At £229 with a stated value of about £510, it is strong value from a professional brand, and the sizes are generous enough to road test properly before committing. If your beauty advent needs to deliver measurable skin benefits through December and beyond, this is the pragmatic pick.

Available at Dermalogica.

ELEMIS Wonders Advent Calendar

Elemis brings spa energy to December with 25 skincare treats anchored by two full size Pro-Collagen icons, supported by Superfood radiance boosters, Dynamic Resurfacing favourites and indulgent body care. The value lands around £690 for a £225 price, which makes this a smart way to stock a results driven routine without guesswork. Sizes are generous enough to road test properly, the line-up builds a complete cleanse, treat and hydrate ritual, and the snowy keepsake design feels giftable even for loyal fans who buy every year. If your advent brief is visible glow and serious hydration rather than novelty, this is the one to circle.

Available at Elemis.

ESPA Wellness Advent Calendar

ESPA turns December into a spa-at-home ritual with 25 self-care treats for skin, body and mind, now refreshed with 15 new additions and seven full sizes. The line-up moves from soothing Restful Bath Milk and aromatherapy pulse oils to Tri-Active skincare, Clarifying Clay Mineral Mask and the cult Pink Hair & Scalp Mud, so every door opens onto a different mood reset. At £175 with contents worth about £435, it delivers genuine value from a professional spa brand without padding the edit. If your countdown brief is calm, restored and softly glowy, this is the wellness-first calendar to choose.

Available at ESPA.

The Fragrance Shop

A crowd pleasing scent wardrobe for the season, this 25 day calendar mixes designer favourites with new discoveries, so you can switch your mood with every door. Expect a blend of travel minis and three full size stars, with highlights that span Boss Bottled, Marc Jacobs Daisy Wild, Givenchy L’Interdit and Rabanne Lady Million, plus a small lifestyle extra that nudges it beyond fragrance alone. Priced at £150 or £120 for MyTFS members, the contents top £400, which makes it an easy win if you love variety and want a line up you can share. The balance of him, her and unisex picks is thoughtful, turning December into a daily trial run for your new year signature.

Available at The Fragrance Shop.

111SKIN 11 Days of Radiance

A couture take on the countdown, this 11 day set trades trinkets for serious skin change. The edit reads like a mini regime curated by Dr Yannis Alexandrides, pairing full sizes of Eye Lift Gel NAC Y² and Black Diamond Vitamin C Booster with targeted masks, Repair Serum and Day Cream, plus a contouring gua sha to seal the ritual. It is a shorter run than classic calendars, which means fewer doors and stronger formulas, and the value lands high for a luxury brand with contents worth about £660 and UK pricing around the mid-£400s. If your brief is lifted eyes, brighter tone and a polished glow by New Year, this is the spa grade choice that earns every day it includes.

Available at 111SKIN.

24 Days of Kiehl’s Advent Calendar

Kiehl’s turns the countdown into a clinic grade routine, packed with 24 skincare and body classics that actually get used. The line up moves from Ultra Facial Cream and Calendula Toner to Midnight Recovery Concentrate, Rare Earth mask and Amino Acid haircare, so you can build a gentle cleanse, treat and hydrate ritual that suits most skin types. Priced at £120 and worth about £244, it is strong value for a pharmacy heritage brand, and the illustrated box has a cheerful, gift ready finish. If you want a calendar that prioritises dependable formulas over filler and sets you up for healthy skin into January, this is the smart pick.

Available at Kiehl’s.