Our guide to this year’s Christmas treats from Cult Beauty, Glossybox and more
With just weeks to go until Christmas, we’re making sure that we’re more organised than ever for 2021.
One of the best parts of the festive season is the advent calendars and, while we’ll always have a soft spot for the chocolate versions, it’s the beauty ones that have us hooked.
Every year, many of the biggest beauty brands and retailers kick off Christmas with a luxurious advent calendar filled with mini, travel-size and full-size products and indulgent treats across skincare, make-up, fragrance and hair.
The likes of Liberty, Charlotte Tilbury, Lush, Asos and Next all have their own, and in recent years beauty advent calendars have racked up huge waiting lists before selling out – often within just a few minutes.
Many brands release waiting lists you can sign up to in order to be notified when an advent calendar will be available. Typically this can be as early as September – but some brands keep theirs under wraps until October, while others open their pre-orders in August.
Read more:
As Christmas 2021 gets nearer, we’ve created an A-Z directory of the beauty brands and stores launching advent calendars this year, along with the launch dates and what exciting treats you can expect to find inside.
Aldi
Budget supermarket Aldi’s beauty brand, Lacura, is launching its first ever advent calendar for Christmas 2021. The calendar costs £54.99 and can be bought online or in-store.
What’s inside?
Aldi’s offering is filled with 24 Lacura beauty products including make-up, skincare and candles. Highlights include the brand’s iconic too legit mascara (£5.99, Aldi.co.uk) , which is said to be a dupe for Benefit’s “they’re real” lengthening mascara (£23.50, Boots.com) and the Lacura dewy lip balm, which has been compared to the Laneige lip glowy berry balm (£16, Selfridges.com).
Read the full Aldi 2021 advent calendar review
Amazon
Amazon is home to many cult-favourite beauty brands, ranging from Olaplex and ghd to Urban Decay and Maybelline, and is often an underrated hub of products worth adding to your virtual shopping basket. Read our guide to the beauty brands you didn’t know you could shop at Amazon for more.
This year, the retailer is back with another advent calendar filled with travel and full-size products worth more than £260.
What’s inside?
Costing £70, Amazon’s offering for 2021 features 24 beauty products from brands like Foreo, Elemis, Nivea and Elizabeth Arden. Inside you will find a host of treats including the Nip & Fab vitamin C fix sheet mask (£5.87, Amazon.co.uk), Neal’s Yard aromatic foaming bath (£15, Amazon.co.uk) and CeraVe’s reparative hand cream (£4.49, Amazon.co.uk).
Armani
If your beauty arsenal is in need of replenishing, consider this year’s Armani advent calendar, which contains 24 of the brand’s most popular products. Costing £249, it’s available to buy now exclusively at Lookfantastic.
What’s inside?
Worth £450, the calendar is filled with make-up and fragrance treats. Among the highlights are a mini bottle of “Si” eau de parfum (£55 for 30ml, Lookfantastic.com) and Armani’s latest scent “Icon My Way” eau de parfum (£55 for 30ml, Lookfantastic.com), as well as a lip maestro lipstick in the shade 400 (£24, Lookfantastic.com).
Asos
In the last few years, Asos has begun creating its own beauty advent calendars thanks to an ever-expanding face and body section that features brands such as Laura Mercier, Mac, Elemis, Aveda and more. This year, the retailer is selling not one, but two advent calendars.
What’s inside?
The first is the Asos face and body 24-day calendar, which costs £75 and is brimming with goodies. We’re talking Clinique’s take the day off balm (£27, Asos.com), a cult product our writer loved when she reviewed it claiming her skin felt “baby soft, smooth and soothed after use”. Plus, The Ordinary’s 100 per cent plant-derived squalane (£5.50, Asos.com), which took the top spot in our guide to the best squalane products, and Olaplex’s no.3 hair perfector (£26, Lookfantastic.com). You can also expect the Estee Lauder advanced night repair serum (£60, Lookfantastic). In our review of the product, our tester said that “after a few days’ use, our skin was noticeably brighter, less red and more even in tone, and better held moisture throughout the day.”
The second costs £40 and is a 12-day grooming calendar full of hair and skincare heroes. You can get everything from Bulldog original moisturiser (£6.39, Boots.com) to Johnny’s Chop Shop texturising cream (£7, Asos.com).
Both advent calendars can be recycled once each box is opened and they come with a reusable tote bag. But, the goodness doesn’t stop there because Asos has hidden a golden ticket within 36 advent calendars – if you find one, you’ll win a whole host of the retailer’s most popular items across its face and body collection.
Read the full Asos 2021 advent calendar review
Avant
For the ultimate indulgence, you can’t get much better than the Avant 12 days of beauty advent calendar, which launched online on 15 September for £350.
What’s inside?
Every product is full size and it includes some of the brand’s biggest hits such as its glycolic acid vivifying and firming body treatment (£90, Avant-skincare.com) and a pro-intense hyaluronic acid illuminating day cream (£98, Avant-skincare.com).
It’s one of the only beauty advent calendars where there are no minis or travel-size products in sight, so if you’re a fan of the brand, this is fantastic value – it’s worth over £900, according to Avant.
Beauty Pro
Budget-friendly sheet mask brand Beauty Pro is also getting in on the action with its 12 days of Christmas advent calendar.
What’s inside?
There’s something for your face, under eyes, hands and feet to detox, exfoliate and hydrate skin, so you’ll be in tip-top condition for all those Christmas parties we missed out on in 2020. Costing £39, it’s one of the more affordable options for 2021.
Benefit Cosmetics
Calling all Bene-babes, the gift you’ve been waiting for all year is here. Just like last year, Benefit Cosmetics unveiled its advent calendar in September and is entering Christmas 2021 with a bang.
What’s inside?
Featuring 12 products, the calendar boasts of a mix of minis and fun size goodies (one step up from the miniatures last year). From its all-star porefessional primer (£29.50, Lookfantastic.com) and dandelion blush (£15, Cultbeauty.co.uk) to the trusty hoola bronzer (£15, Cultbeauty.co.uk) and real magnet mascara (£24, Lookfantastic.com) – it is the Aladdin’s cave of treats.
Read the full Benefits Christmas calendar review
Birchbox
This year Birchbox has packed its beauty advent calendar with 28 beauty products to help you make the most of the festive season. Valued at more than £350, it costs £75 if you’re a Birchbox subscriber but £85 for non-subscribers. There is only a limited number of calendars available though, so once they’re gone, they’re gone.
What’s inside?
Inside you’ll find a range of products from brands such as Sunday Riley, L’Occitane and Nuxe. Highlights include Sunday Riley’s ceramic slip cleanser (£26, Johnlewis.com), Neom’s perfect night’s sleep pillow mist (£20, Johnlewis.com) and Elemis superfood day cream (£35.70, Feelunique.com).
Bobbi Brown
For 2021, Bobbi Brown is making its advent calendar debut by launching a 12-day beauty filled treasure trove, which is packed full of minis and full-size products. The brand’s 12-day advent calendar is worth £227 and launches in October on the Bobbi Brown website.
What’s inside?
Hidden within the draws, you will find a whole host of treats to get you sufficiently glam for the festive party season, including a shimmer brick in bronze (£37, Bobbibrown.co.uk), a luxe lip colour in neutral rose (£30, Bobbibrown.co.uk) and a soothing cleansing oil (£35, Bobbibrown.co.uk) to name just a few. Certainly one to set a reminder for.
The Body Shop
Another brand that’s gone all out for 2021 is The Body Shop, with three advent calendars on offer for the festive season.
What’s inside?
The first is its share the joy advent calendar, costing £55 and filled with 24 little treats that are worth £77. You can expect to find travel-size body butters, sheet masks and bath bubbles for an affordable, pampering treat every day in December.
The second one on offer is called the share the love big advent calendar. Inside is a hearty mix of full-size and mini face and body products, including face masks, shea butter shampoo (£7.50, Thebodyshop.com) and an avocado body butter (£18, Thebodyshop.com). It costs just £80, but is worth £119.
The third and final option is the share love and joy ultimate advent calendar. Costing £140, this is one for the big spenders. In it, you can expect to find 25 full-size and mini bestsellers, such as the drops of youth concentrate (full size £28, Thebodyshop.com), a vitamin C glow-boosting moisturiser (full size £16, Thebodyshop.com), and miniature face masks, including the Himalayan charcoal purifying glow mask (full size £18, Thebodyshop.com).
Read the full Body Shop 2021 advent calendar review
Boots No7
Boots’s in-house beauty brand, No7, has one of the most popular advent calendars out there, with waitlists often numbering in the thousands as customers clamour to get their hands on it.
For 2021, there’s two to choose from. The first calendar is filled with No7 goodies worth £184 and costs £47, meaning you will get some of the brand’s most loved products for much less. If you’re willing to spend a little more, consider No7’s second calendar, which is even bigger, containing products worth £385 and retailing at £120.
Read the full Boots beauty advent calendar review
Chanel
Luxury French fashion house Chanel has launched its first beauty advent calendar for Christmas 2021 and it’s just as boujie as you’d expect. Shaped like an oversized bottle of its signature No.5 fragrance, it contains 27 products and costs a whopping £610.
What’s inside?
Chanel’s calendar features 27 boxes, each filled with either a beauty product or small Chanel-themed trinket, such as a key ring, bracelet, ceramic paperweight and mirror. Of the nine beauty products featured, six are full-size, with highlights including the No.5 hand cream (£52, Chanel.com) and rouge allure laque liquid lipstick (£33, Chanel.com).
Read the full Chanel beauty advent calendar review
Clarins
Clarins is well known for its 12 days of Christmas beauty advent calendars. Every year the beauty brand makes one for women and men, jam-packed with some of its bestselling products.
What’s inside?
The women’s calendar gives you the opportunity to discover some of the most loved Clarins products, including its beauty flash balm (£23, Boots.com), natural lip perfector (£18.50, Johnlewis.com) and cleansing micellar water (£23, Boots.com).
As for the men’s calendar, it’s also full of skincare treats, including two new launches, a moisture balm (£31, Boots.com), face wash (£20, Clarins.co.uk) and a face scrub (£26, Clarins.co.uk).
Read the full Clarins 2021 advent calendar review
Clinique
American beauty brand Clinique’s advent calendar is always a popular one, featuring a host of mini and travel-size products spanning skincare, make-up and fragrance.
The brand’s 2021 offering is called “24 days of Clinique” and contains 24 products worth more than £220.
What’s inside?
Full of travel-size treats, there’s a chubby stick moisturising lip balm (full size £18.50, Clinique.co.uk), a moisture surge 72-hour auto-replenishing hydrator (full size £38, Clinique.co.uk) and a deep comfort hand and cuticle cream (full size £21.50, Clinique.co.uk) to name just a few. Stockists include Clinique’s website, John Lewis, Selfridges and Lookfantastic.
Charlotte Tilbury
Every year, beauty advent calendars get bigger and more glamorous: and Charlotte Tilbury is a case in point. Its 2021 offering is a bejewelled chest of treasures, featuring 12 drawers with each containing a mix of full-size and mini products. The original calendar costs £150 or there’s also a £210 duo version – exclusive to the Charlotte Tilbury website – that comes with an instant eye palette (£60, Charlottetilbury.com). The original will also be available at Selfridges.
What’s inside?
You can expect some of the brand’s biggest sellers in the calendar this year, including a full-size version of the beauty light wand highlighter (£29, Charlottetilbury.com), a full-size matte revolution lipstick (£25, Charlottetilbury.co.uk), a travel-size walk of no shame eyeliner (£19, Charlottetilbury.com) and a travel-size multi miracle glow (£10, Charlottetilbury.com).
Read the full Charlotte Tilbury 2021 advent calendar review
Cohorted
Cohorted launched its first beauty advent calendar last year, and now it’s back for 2021 with more than £460 worth of products from the likes of Sunday Riley, This Works, and more. Inside you’ll find 12 luxury beauty treats to help you count down to the big day, including a Laura Mercier rouge essential lipstick (£22.10, Boots.com), an Irene Forte hibiscus night cream (£139, Niche-beauty.com), a Sunday Riley good genes glycolic acid serum (£85, Cultbeauty.co.uk) and a Floral Street ylang ylang espresso (£60, Floralstreet.com).
If you’re extra, extra lucky, you might even find a VIP pass in your calendar that wins you a Jacquemus leather cross-body bag worth £610. Stock is very limited, so make sure to grab yours quick.
Pre-order at Cohorted.co.uk now
Cowshed
If you’re new to a brand, a beauty advent calendar is ideal for discovering new products without committing to 24 full-size bottles. This year, Cowshed’s offering is designed with illustrative packaging featuring woodland animals, foliage and a poem to capture the magic of the festive season at Babington House, the original home of the brand.
What’s inside?
The perfect way to kick off the Christmas countdown, Cowshed’s deluxe calendar for 2021 contains a wide range of natural skincare and body products to pamper you throughout the holiday season. The products inside are suitable for vegetarians and contain no silicones or parabens.
Cult Beauty
Online beauty retailer Cult Beauty is your one-stop shop for all things skincare, make-up, haircare and fragrance, with thousands of products worth adding to your stash. As a result, its annual beauty advent calendar is one of the best money can buy.
Following on from the success of two sold-out advent calendars, the beauty destination is back for 2021 with another offering, which launched on 14 October. The calendar contains 38 beauty products, which are together worth a whopping £960, but will only set you back £215.
What’s inside?
Behind each door, you will find a host of products from big-named brands like Augustinus Bader, Victoria Beckham Beauty, Sunday Riley, It Cosmetics and more.
Highlights include Too Faced’s better than sex mascara (£12, Cultbeauty.co.uk), Vieve’s lip dew (£17, Cultbeauty.co.uk), Laura Mercier’s translucent setting powder (£20, Cultbeauty.co.uk) and The Inkey List’s tranexamic acid overnight treatment (£14.99, Cultbeauty.co.uk).
Read the full Cult Beauty 2021 advent calendar review
Decléor
Essential-oils-based skincare brand Decléor is home to many luxurious products for your face and body, which are an indulgent treat any day of the year.
It’s you’re not familiar with the brand, its annual beauty advent calendar is a great place to start. It’s already available on the Decléor website, getting us into the Christmas spirit early, but it will also be stocked at Lookfantastic and Feelunique from 1 September.
What’s inside?
The essential oils lab Christmas advent calendar (£120, Decleor.co.uk) has been designed with all skin types in mind, with 24 full-sized and deluxe minis to add to your routine. There are indulgent treats such as the neroli bigarade bath and shower gel (full size £19, Decleor.co.uk) and a neroli bigarade cleansing milk (full size £26, Decleor.co.uk) to enjoy.
Diptyque
French candle brand Diptyque has earned itself a cult status in the beauty and wellness sphere, counting Meghan Markle, Beyoncé and Kerry Washington as fans.
It’s typically one of the pricier calendars and, just like in 2020, this year’s offering will cost £320 – so if you have a bigger budget, it might be the perfect splurge.
What’s inside?
Diptyque’s 2021 calendar is filled with an eclectic mix of full-size and small candles, room sprays, perfumes and the famous carousel candle – a gold ornament that spins itself from the heat of the flame.
Dr. Hauschka
If you’re a skincare fanatic, you’ll want to mark 27 September in your calendar, as this is when Dr Hauschka – a brand loved by Jennifer Lopez – is launching its offering. It will cost £85 and be available to purchase on the brand’s website, as well as Feel Unique.
What’s inside?
Packaged within a luxurious gift box, the calendar contains 25 products, which are lovingly wrapped in a reusable cotton bag. You’ll find a host of skincare favourites like the soothing cleansing milk (£25.50, Feelunique.com) and rose day cream (£30.50, Feelunique.com), as well as a full-sized hydrating cream mask (£39.50, Feelunique.com).
Elemis
If you’re a fan of skincare brand Elemis, its annual beauty advent calendar should be on your radar. Costing £175, this year’s offering is the perfect seasonal surprise and promises to add some festivity to your daily skincare routine.
What’s inside?
Housed in stackable tins that are adorned with Georgian architecture-inspired patterns, this epic beauty advent calendar is the gift that keeps on giving with 25 skincare and body essentials. Among the products you can expect to find are a full-size pro-collagen marine cream (£87, Lookfantastic.com) and mini versions of the superfood AHA glow cleansing butter (£30, Johnlewis.com), papaya enzyme peel (£35, Lookfantastic.com) and balancing lavender toner (£20, Johnlewis.com). All in all, the goodies inside are worth an impressive £410.
Espa
Another festive fancy comes from Espa, a natural skincare brand that makes essential-oil-based products for the face, body and bathtime.
For 2021, it has launched a hidden treasures advent calendar worth £389 (an increase of £159 from last year’s offering) but retailing at just £160, meaning the limited-edition calendar has a saving of £229. Last year’s one sold out in three weeks, so you’ll need to act fast if you want to get your hands on it this time.
What’s inside?
Available to buy from Espa’s website now, it contains a mix of 25 mini and full-size products, including the active nutrients yuzu and ginger cleansing sorbet (£40, Espaskincare.com) and the clean and green detox mask (£40, Espaskincare.com), as well as a restorative bath and body oil (£32, Espaskincare.com) and a restful pillow mist (£24, Espaskincare.com).
Feelunique
Another beauty advent calendar bonanza for skincare, make-up and fragrance fans can be found at Feelunique. It’s already unveiled its 2021 beauty advent calendar (£119, Feelunique.com) which is available now, costing £119, with a value of £385.20.
What’s inside?
There’s a whopping 27 products inside, from Huda Beauty, Charlotte Tilbury, Philip Kinglsey, Sol de Janeiro, Clarins, Molton Brown, Tan-Luxe, Laura Mercier and more, so this is definitely one for the luxury beauty obsessives.
Fenwick
This year, Fenwick has launched a number of different advent calendars, including a beauty one that’s filled with luxurious products. It is available to buy in all Fenwick stores and online for £150.
What’s inside?
Fenwicks’s offering is worth a whopping £360 and contains popular products from brands like Guerlain, Salvatore Ferragamo, By Terry and Laura Mercier among many others. Highlights include Charlotte Tilbury’s magic serum crystal elixir (£51, Johnlewis.com), Clinique’s all about clean rinse-off foaming cleanser (£16.20, Boots.com) and Espa’s regenerating moisture complex (£70, Johnlewis.com).
Flannels
Luxury retailer Flannels has revealed its debut beauty advent calendar. Priced at £199, the contents are worth over £764 and it contains 25 products. To celebrate the launch, the brand has added a £500 Flannels gift card to one of the calendars.
What’s inside?
You will find a host of products spanning make-up and skincare, including 17 full-size items. Brands featured in the line-up include some of the biggest names in beauty, such as Augustinus Bader, Charlotte Tilbury, Acqua Di Parma and Nars.
Fortnum & Mason
Luxury department store Fortnum & Mason has pulled out all the stops for its 2021 beauty advent calendar (£225, Fortnumandmason.com) which is full of skincare, make-up and fragrance favourites from its beauty hall.
Worth more than £750, it’s the perfect opportunity to try new brands and products, and it’ll certainly make every day of December much more exciting.
What’s inside?
There are 20 full-size products, 16 deluxe samples and one travel-sized miniature, from the likes of Espa, Wildsmith Skin, Bramley, MZ Skin and Sol de Janeiro. Snap it up now before it sells out.
Fortnum & Mason has also launched its paper, wooden and food advent calendars for 2021, which are available to shop now, read our guide to them all here.
Glossybox
Beauty subscription service Glossybox also gets in on the action every year, releasing a new advent calendar full of beauty must-haves.
What’s inside?
As with all of its previous calendars, its 2021 festive offering features 25 doors, behind which you’ll find skincare, make-up and fragrance from cult-favourite beauty brands including Pixi, Sarah Chapman and Elemis.
This year it went on sale for subscribers on 10 September and on general sale for non-subscribers on 24 September.
For subscribers the calendar costs £85, while for non-subscribers it’s £105 – however, both have free delivery. The retailer is also introducing a bundle offer for subscribers that means when you buy three calendars, you’ll save £30.
Harrods
The Harrods beauty advent calendar is one of the most impressive you can buy, with 25 beautifully presented products wrapped in suede pouches.
What’s inside?
Worth a huge £1,166, this year’s Harrods advent calendar is designed to open like a fairytale book to reveal a host of skincare, haircare, and make-up treasures. Highlights include Wishful’s get even rose oil (£55, Harrods.com), Sunday Riley’s C.E.O cream (£20, Harrods.com) and Iconic London triple threat mascara (£19, Cultbeauty.co.uk).
Holland and Barrett
Health and wellbeing store Holland and Barrett was one of the first stores to unveil its 2021 beauty advent calendar, and it’s home to many organic, vegan and sustainable beauty brands for the eco-conscious shopper.
What’s inside?
Worth over £170, it costs just £45, making it one of the more budget-friendly options for this year. In it you can expect to find products from Ren, Dr Paw Paw, Q+A, Weleda and more. Highlights include a Faith In Nature dragon fruit shampoo bar (£4.34, Hollandandbarrett.com), a Dr Organic guava body wash (£6.99, Hollandandbarrett.com), a Ren ready steady glow tonic (£24.30, Lookfantastic.com) and an UpCircle eye cream with maple and coffee (£14.99, Lookfantastic.com).
Huda Beauty
Many of Huda Beauty’s products can be found across a handful of beauty advent calendars every year, but the brand also has its own version that it launches annually too.
Last year it came in a hot red lips box that opened up to reveal 12 products including make-up, skincare from its sister brand Wishful and fragrance from perfume brand Kayali, another arm of the Huda Beauty empire. For 2021, the calendar is inspired by rose quartz and features 12 bestsellers from Huda Beauty and Wishful Skin. The contents are worth £238 but the advent calendar will only set you back £151.
What’s inside?
Inside the calendar, you will find plenty of make-up and skincare products, including the haze obsessions eyeshadow palette (£27, Selfridges.com), Life liner quick ‘n easy liquid eyeliner (£16, Selfridges.com) and thirst trap juice ha3 and peptide serum (£41, Selfridges.com).
Jo Loves
In 2009, Jo Malone set up her second fragrance brand, called Jo Loves, after selling her eponymous brand to Estée Lauder in 2006. Jo Loves has since expanded into a range of candles, home fragrances and luxurious scents. It also makes an impressive fragrance advent calendar every year, which often sells out.
What’s inside?
For 2021, you’ll get to enjoy 24 deluxe travel products and a full-size surprise on Christmas day. It’s shaped in a pretty star design that can also be hung up using the attached red ribbon.
Containing a mix of votive candles, hand washes, perfume bottles and brushes, it costs £325, but is worth £485, and will be available to shop in the Jo Loves Belgravia store and online.
Jo Malone London
Every year without fail, Jo Malone London launches a luxury fragrance advent calendar in its ultra-chic cream and black packaging.
Often a sellout success, last year’s version presented a magnificent collection of mini candles, perfumes, hand wash and soaps. While the advent calendar is currently out of stock, you can sign up to be notified when it’s back.
What’s inside?
This year, it’s launching online on 30 September and in stores from 18 October, costing £325 and featuring a new refillable design, so it won’t go to waste once December is over. There are 24 treats to indulge in, including mini fragrances and soaps in bestselling new scents such as fig and lotus flower (full size £102, Jomalone.co.uk), as well as a 30ml cologne, the very first time this has been included.
Read the full Jo Malone 2021 advent calendar review
John Lewis & Partners
While John Lewis stocks beauty advent calendars from brands including Jo Malone London, Diptyque and Rituals, it also has its own version too, that’s equally as impressive.
For 2021, the calendar contains a huge £600 worth of beauty products, with it retaining the same colourful pink and purple design as last year. Designed to be refilled and reused, the box is entirely recyclable too.
What’s inside?
The calendar has 12 full-size products behind its doors, as well as mini goodies. Highlights from the full-size treats include a Ren daily AHA tonic (£15, Cultbeauty.co.uk), an Estée Lauder advanced night repair serum (£60, Esteelauder.co.uk), a Neom luxury scented candle (£32, Neomorganics.com), Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow palette (£40, Charlottetilbury.com), and a Mac satin lipstick (£17.50, Maccosmetics.co.uk). And the excitement doesn’t end on Christmas day – there are two bonus beauty gifts ready to be unveiled on 25 December.
Read the full John Lewis 2021 advent calendar review
Kiehl’s
Skincare stalwart Kiehl’s is back for 2021 with another advent calendar bursting with 24 of its bestselling products. Specialising in bold colours and graphic compositions, the calendar has been designed by French illustrator and artist Marylou and is also fully recyclable, made with FSC-certified paper and zero plastics.
What’s inside?
You will find a range of skincare products from the beauty brand that have been repackaged for the festive season. Highlights include ultra facial cream (£48, Kiehls.co.uk), midnight recovery concentrate (£54, Kiehls.co.uk) and crème de corps (£18.50, Johnlewis.com).
La Mer
Luxury beauty brand, La Mer, is famed for its premium line of skincare and this year it’s back with a seriously impressive advent calendar worth £586.
Housed in a green and gold limited edition keepsake box, the calendar is brimming with products worthy of a spot in your bathroom cabinet. But you’ll need to act fast if you want to get your hands on one, as we predict it will sell out fast.
What’s inside?
Inside “the world of La Mer” calendar you will find 12 of the brand’s most popular products including minis of the treatment lotion (£90 for 100ml, Cremedelamer.co.uk), intensive revitalising mask (£128 for 75ml, Cremedelamer.co.uk) and moisturising cool gel cream (£68, Cremedelamer.co.uk).
Liberty
Arguably the most coveted beauty advent calendar of them all is by Liberty, as the independent department store is home to one of the biggest, most luxurious festive offerings.
Every year it sells out, sometimes in minutes, while eager customers wait in long queues outside the store on the day of launch too.
What’s inside?
The 2021 calendar is its highest value offering to date. Inside there are 25 products worth more than £840, with the calendar costing just £225. It contains some of the most sought-after buys in the Liberty beauty hall.
With 19 of the 25 drawers containing full-sized products, we’re in for a treat. Brands included in 2021’s edition include Le Labo, Augustinus Bader, Decree, Olaplex and UOMA Beauty as well as those exclusive to Liberty, such as Vilhelm Parfumerie, Surratt and QMS Medicosmetics. And there’s even a glamorous golden ticket that’s hidden inside one calendar – the lucky winner will receive £5,000 to spend at Liberty.
Read the full Liberty 2021 advent calendar review
Lookfantastic
Another online beauty retailer that pulls out all the stops for its annual advent calendar is Lookfantastic, which each year creates 25 drawers stuffed with goodies from big-name brands such as Espa, Caudalie, Eve Lom, Elemis, Natasha Denona, Tan-Luxe and more.
What’s inside?
The retailer has new and exclusive products for 2021 from Kate Somerville, Nars, Philip Kingsley and more. Containing six full-size products, 17 deluxe minis and two travel-size products, it’s full to the brim with cult favourite treats. In our review of this year’s calendar, our tester said one of the “standout skincare products” included is the celebrity favourite, Bioeffect EGF serum (£104, Lookfantastic.com). “Just a couple of drops on the face at night makes skin smoother and brighter within six weeks, thanks to the added epidermal growth factor, which prompts ageing skin cells to behave like young ones,” they said.
Read the full Lookfantastic calendar review
Lumene
If you’re a fan of Finnish skincare brand Lumene, its annual beauty advent calendar is always a treat for your skin and your senses. And this year’s is looking seriously good.
What’s inside?
This year’s calendar is inspired by a Nordic winter wonderland. Inside are 24 vegan beauty favourites, including a moisturiser (£15.75, Lookfantastic.com), gel scrub (£14.90, Lookfantastic.com) and an overnight cream (£17.24, Lookfantastic.com) from its cult-favourite Nordic-C collection. There’s also an eye gel (£14.63, Lookfantastic.com) from its equally as hyped hydra range.
Lush
Loved for its bath bombs and environmentally friendly products and packaging, Lush’s beauty advent calendar is usually a sight to behold, with bright colours, vibrant prints and an eye-catching design jam-packed with indulgent treats.
What’s inside?
For 2021, we can share that it’ll be made in a keepsake box with 25 vegan products – some exclusively made for it, and plenty of the brand’s bestselling face and body bits – and it will cost £185.
Available online and in Lush shops, it is designed with reusable and recyclable packaging too.
Read the full Lush advent calendar review
L’Occitane
French face and body brand L’Occitane doesn’t do things in a low-key way, and this year it’s launching not one but three beauty advent calendars.
What’s inside?
The first for 2021 is the reusable advent calendar, created in collaboration with UK illustrator Kitty McCall and inspired by nature. Costing £160, but worth £236, there are 25 pockets, each made from recyclable cotton and home to a bestselling product from the brand, including the well-loved almond supple skin oil (£36, Loccitane.com) and the immortelle overnight reset serum (£50, Loccitane.com).
Second in the line-up is the classic advent calendar, which has a more traditional design with 25 cardboard doors that can be torn open. In recent years its ditched the plastic interior and opted for sustainable cardboard. Costing £55, but worth £99.50, it’s full of gorgeous travel minis and a full-size shea butter hand cream (£21.50, Loccitane.com).
The third is a luxury advent calendar, costing £99, but worth £141. Featuring the brand’s 25 bestselling products, each week you’ll be treated to one full-size item to add to your shower, bath, bodycare or skincare routine.
Mac
A favourite among make-up lovers and professionals, Mac is back for 2021 with an impressive advent calendar worth over £340. With red, pink and black swirls, the products are housed in an optical-illusion-adorned keepsake that’s filled with mini and full-sized surprises to unbox daily. The calendar is available to buy exclusively online at Mac or Lookfantastic now and will launch nationwide in Mac stores, Selfridges and Harrods from 21 October.
What’s inside?
Inside the calendar, you will find a range of Mac’s most loved products including a full-size matte lipstick in shade “mehr” (£17.50, Maccosmetics.co.uk), a mini strobe cream (£26.50 for 50ml, Maccosmetics.co.uk) and a powder kiss soft matte eyeshadow in the shade “devoted to chilli” (£17.50, Maccosmetics.co.uk).
Read the full Mac advent calendar review
Molton Brown
Concluding the beauty brand’s 50th-anniversary celebrations, Molton Brown’s advent calendar is filled with £313’s worth of luxury bath and body products, from oils to salts and creams. It’s currently only in stock on Molton Brown’s website, but you can sign up for stock notifications at Cult Beauty.
What’s inside?
Filled with 24 of its signature scents, bath and shower gels, bath salts, hand creams and bathing oils, you’ll find the brand’s rhubarb and rose fine liquid hand wash (£20, Moltonbrown.co.uk), mesmerising oudh accord and gold precious body oil (£45, Moltonbrown.co.uk), orange and bergamot bath and shower gel (£22, Moltonbrown.co.uk) and its coastal cypress and sea fennel bath salts (£22, Moltonbrown.co.uk).
M&S
A very underrated beauty destination, M&S stocks some brilliant brands including Aveda, Emma Hardie, Ren and Percy & Reed – all of which you will find in this year’s advent calendar.
What’s inside?
Costing £40 when you spend £30 on clothing, home and beauty either in-store or online, this year’s offering is filled with beauty treats worth £300. The curated edit includes 25 products from both M&S Beauty and a selection of third-party brands. Highlights include the L’Occitane precious cream (£55, Marksandspencer.com), Philip Kingsley’s elasticizer (£35, Marksandspencer.com) and the This Works stress check breathe in rollerball (£18, Marksandspencer.com).
Read the full M&S advent calendar review
Net-A-Porter
Luxury fashion retailer Net-A-Porter is also home to one of the most glamorous Christmas products, despite being relatively new to the advent calendar game. The 2021 calendar contains 17 full-size and eight travel-size products.
What’s inside?
You can enjoy cult favourite brands including Augustinus Bader, Dr. Barbara Sturm and 111 Skin while also looking forward to the Charlotte Tilbury walk of no shame eyeliner (£25, Charlottetilbury.com), a Victoria Beckham beauty lipstick in sway (£38, Victoriabeckhambeauty.com) and Oribe’s power drops colour preservation booster (£54, Cultbeauty.co.uk) for your hair.
Read the full Net-a-Porter advent calendar review
Next
Last year, Next bowled us over with its £69 beauty advent calendar that boasted an impressive line-up of skincare, haircare and make-up products from the likes of ghd, St Tropez, Esteé Lauder, Nails Inc, Benefit and By Terry, and you can expect similar goodies from its 2021 calendar too.
This year, the retailer is launching two advent calendars – one for men and one for women, both costing £69. Both calendars are currently sold out but keep checking back here for updates.
What’s inside?
Inside the women’s calendar, you’ll find make-up and skincare must-haves such as Mac’s ruby woo lipstick (£17.50, Lookfantastic.com), Bobbi Brown’s smokey eye mascara (£26, Lookfantastic.com), the Clarins moisture-rich body lotion (£33, Feelunique.com) and much more. Meanwhile, the men’s offering contains a host of grooming products like the Elemis deep cleanse facial wash (£25, Cultbeauty.co.uk), Bull Dog original bamboo razor (£12, Lookfantastic.com) and even a mini version of Paco Rabanne’s one million eau de toilette (£42.50, Lookfantastic.com).
As one of the more affordable beauty advent calendars on the market, make sure you run to snap this up.
Read the full Next advent calendar review
OPI
OPI’s festive advent calendar has arrived, and it’s perfect for the nail polish obsessive in your life – if you can get your hands on one, that is. You better be quick, it’s always popular.
What’s inside?
It costs £69.90 and comes with 25 x 3.5ml nail varnishes in a mix of classic shades such as “big apple red” (£13.90, Opiuk.com) and “bubble bath” (£13.90, Opiuk.com) as well as colours from OPI’s limited-edition celebration collection.
You’ll also receive a rapidry top coat (£15.50, Opiuk.com), and a bottle of nail envy (£20.50, Opiuk.com), the brand’s bestselling nail-strengthening treatment.
Penhaligon’s
British fragrance brand Penhaligon’s has a well-loved collection of luxury perfumes, with opulent bottles to match.
What’s inside?
It’s launched its advent calendar on 1 September, costing £375, and is available from its website. Behind 25 doors you’ll find mini versions of Penhaligon’s most recognisable scents, with fragranced extras such as lip balm, hand wash, body wash and even a candle.
The Pip Box
A great way to discover new cruelty-free and vegan beauty brands, subscription service The Pip Box’s advent calendar for 2021 is filled with treats across skincare, make-up and haircare.
What’s inside?
Worth more than £426, the calendar costs £135 and features 26 vegan and cruelty-free items from some of the biggest names in beauty, including Nails Inc, Lime Crime, This Works and more. While the advent calendar is available to buy now, shipping won’t begin until November 2021.
Rituals
This year Rituals is offering two beauty advent calendars so you’re truly spoilt for choice. Launching on 6 September online and 4 October in Rituals stores, there’s no waitlist either, so it’s first-come, first-served.
What’s inside?
The first is called the ritual of advent 3D calendar, and as the name suggests it is a stunning gold festive village with 24 luxurious gifts including the ritual of oudh foaming shower gel (full-size £9.50, Rituals.com) and the ritual of mehr body mousse-to-oil (full size £12.50, Rituals.com). It costs £89.90, but the products are worth £150.
The second is the ritual of advent 2D calendar, which costs £59.90, but is packed with 24 gifts worth £120. Behind each door is a mix of fragrance, skincare and bodycare, ranging from the ritual of jing hand lotion (full-size £9.90, Rituals.com) to mini candles from the brand’s premium private collection.
Read the full Rituals advent calendar review
Buy now
Selfridges
Luxury department store Selfridges pulls out all the stops for its annual beauty advent calendar, and this year is no different. Costing £210, 2021’s offering contains products worth £700, which come housed in a mammoth case printed with an illustration of the retailer’s famous London store
What’s inside?
Behind each door you’ll uncover luxury treats spanning skincare, make-up and body products, including Charlotte Tilbury’s bestselling pillow talk mascara (£12, Selfridges.com), Sunday Riley’s CEO vitamin C brightening serum (£70, Cultbeauty.co.uk) and an Ex Nihilo candle (£55, Selfridges.com), to name a few.
Read the full Selfridges advent calendar review
Shiseido
Japanese beauty brand Shiseido is back for Christmas 2021 with another spectacular advent calendar worth £336. Housed in a red and white box, this year’s offering is inspired by festive fireworks and contains 24 products spanning make-up, skincare and fragrance.
What’s inside?
Inside the calendar you will find a selection of full and mini-sized Shiseido treats, including an uplifting and firming cream (£122 for 70ml, Lookfantastic.com), clarifying cleansing foam (£39 for 180ml, Lookfantastic.com), controlled chaos mascara ink (£26, Shiseido.co.uk) and ginza eau de parfum roll-on (£70 for 50ml, Harrods.com).
Space NK
Building on the success of its 2020 advent calendar – its fastest selling yet (at a rate of 2.6 units per minute) – popular beauty destination Space NK is back with another offering for 2021. This year’s calendar has a value of £744 but can be yours for £199.
What’s inside?
Behind each of the calendar’s 24 doors, you will find little luxuries to indulge in from make-up and skincare brands such as Crème de la Mer, Olaplex, Augustinus Bader and more. Among the products you will find inside are Charlotte Tilbury’s pillow talk mascara (£12, Spacenk.com), the Nars dolce vita lipstick (£22, Spacenk.com) and Olaplex no. 3 (£26, Spacenk.com).
Spotlight Oral Care
One of IndyBest’s favourite dental care brands – it took the top spot in our round-up of the best teeth whitening kits – Spotlight has launched its first advent calendar for Christmas 2021. It contains 12 products worth £270 and is available to buy now for £160.
What’s inside?
The calendar is filled with products designed to improve your dental health, as well as beauty products to line your bathroom shelf. Inside you’ll find the Spotlight Oral Care sonic toothbrush (£71.50, Spotlightoralcare.com), whitening strips (£39.95, Spotlightoralcare.com) and floss (£5.95, Spotlightoralcare.com), all of which contain the active whitening ingredient, hydrogen peroxide, which is clinically proven to brighten teeth without sensitivity. Other highlights include an exfoliating lip brush and lip scrub, hydrating lip mask as well as a facial roller, gua sha and scrunchie.
The White Company
Known for its luxury homeware and coveted fragrances, The White Company’s advent calendar is a popular hit each and every year. And we predict 2021’s will be no different. The classic white packaging always reminds us of Christmas, not to mention the brand’s signature winter scents. The calendar is currently sold out but it is expected to be re-stocked at the end of October, so keep checking back here for updates.
What’s inside?
You’re in for a real treat with this one as there are 25 pull-out drawers, each filled with a different surprise. For the first year ever, it will include two full-sized signature candles in its festive fragrance, but you’ll also find its bath and body minis too. The calendar’s contents are worth £254 but costs £160, meaning you’re getting a lot for your money here.
Read the full The White Company 2021 advent calendar review
Voucher codes
For the latest offers on make-up and other beauty products, try the discount codes below:
Read more about the best beauty advent calendars for 2021
Fortnum & Mason advent calendar – from traditional to 3D pop-ups versions, food fit for a feast and of course, the beauty advent calendar, you’re spoilt for choice
The Body Shop advent calendar – this year’s calendar features a selection of the ethically conscious brand’s cult classics
Cult Beauty advent calendar – it’s overflowing with skincare and make-up from Charlotte Tilbury, Sunday Riley and more
Benefit advent calendar – calling all Bene-babes, the gift you’ve been waiting for all year is here
Lookfantastic advent calendar – brimming with skincare, haircare, make-up and bath treats from all your favourite brands
Charlotte Tilbury advent calendar – the luxury beauty brand has gone all out for 2021, but is it worth the money?
The White Company advent calendar – sink into 25 days of utter indulgence with the brand’s seasonal offering
Clarins advent calendar – there are festive options for men and women this year and both are busting with cult products
Lush advent calendar – the eco-conscious brand has revealed its joyous gift set with a sustainable focus
Asos advent calendar – we got our hands on the fashion retailer’s festive box and there’s plenty to shout about
Next advent calendar – this year’s offering is packed with treats from big names such as Clarins and Mac
Liberty advent calendar – with treats from Augustinus Bader and Olaplex, this year’s calendar lives up to the hype
Jo Malone advent calendar – it’s stuffed with bestselling candles and bougie bathroom treats
Diptyque advent calendar – the French perfume house has unveiled a cabinet of curiosities
John Lewis advent calendar – with £600 worth of beauty products, is it worth the hype?
Mac advent calendar – packed with bestsellers, this one will sell out fast
Net-A-Porter advent calendar – with £1,300 worth of products for just £255, this is worth considering
Selfridges advent calendar – this one comes with a 45-minute beauty concierge appointment
Rituals advent calendar – this year’s offering is a 3D set up in the style of a Nordic festive village
Aldi advent calendar – the budget supermarket’s first-ever beauty advent calendar is full of cult brand dupes
M&S advent calendar – the retailer’s festive treat for 2021 delivers luxury beauty on a budget
Boots No7 advent calendar– the high street beauty brand’s offering is packed with skincare and make-up for all