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Each year, the beauty advent calendar market seems to grow bigger, glossier, and more extravagant. What began as a handful of luxury skincare brands offering festive countdowns has blossomed into a booming beauty tradition – and one I can’t help but get involved in.
For 2025, brands have truly raised the bar, and it might just be the best lineup I’ve seen. Whether you’re after the best value beauty advent calendar or a premium self-care countdown, this expert-curated guide covers the must-have calendars worth your money this year – all of which have been personally unboxed and thoroughly reviewed by yours truly.
This year, the calendars I’ve got my mitts on range from £48 to £199, ensuring there’s a perfect pick for every personality and price point. These are the ones worth the investment, and exactly who they’ll delight most.
At a glance:
- Best Value: Glossybox Beauty Advent Calendar
- Best High-Street Pick: Boots Premium Beauty Advent Calendar
- Best for Makeup Lovers: Benefit or LookFantastic
- Best for Skincare Enthusiasts: Avant
- Best for Wellness: Rituals, Gaia or Arran
- Best Luxury: Molton Brown and ESPA
- Best Budget: Soap and Glory
Glossybox Beauty Advent Calendar – £90, worth over £624
Glossybox has outdone itself this year with an unbeatable combination of variety and value. Containing 27 products from brands like Medik8, Natasha Denona and Rituals, this calendar saves shoppers an astonishing 85% off RRP – the highest of any this year.
With 19 full-sized items and a mix of luxury and everyday staples, Glossybox proves that affordable doesn’t mean underwhelming. The inclusion of a full-sized Commodity Milk Expressive fragrance (£68) and Natasha Denona Glam Face Palette (£60) alone justifies the price. Medik8 skincare, Rituals minis, and Glow Hub essentials round out a lineup that is both thoughtful and genuinely useful.
Glossybox consistently delivers premium beauty without the high end price tag, proving you don’t have to compromise quality over quantity.
Top pick for: Value hunters and beauty magpies.
Read more: I opened every drawer of the Glossybox beauty advent calendar early – here’s why you should buy it
Boots Premium Beauty Advent Calendar – £150, worth over £612
Boots continues to dominate the high-street scene with its 2025 Premium Beauty Advent Calendar, cementing its status as the UK’s number one beauty retailer. The circus-themed offering features 25 products, including 17 full-sized products across 25 days, and is packed with cult favourites from Elemis, Fenty, NARS, and Drunk Elephant.
Standouts include Drunk Elephant’s Protini Moisturiser (£62), MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick, NARS Light Reflecting Primer, and Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 76 Perfume Mist. With their expertly-curated haul, the health and beauty favourite has struck the perfect balance of trusted icons and trending favourites. Plus the code SAVE20 currently gets shoppers 20% off the price.
Top pick for: High-street shoppers who crave top tier brands and top-tier value.
Read more: Every single product inside Boots premium beauty advent calendar worth over £600
Soap & Glory House of Glory Advent Calendar – £48, worth over £92
Bright, bubbly, and full of charm, Soap & Glory’s House of Glory advent calendar is a Christmas staple for a reason. The three-tier tower houses 24 days of bodycare, skincare, and fragrance favourites, including Hand Food, Clean On Me, and Heel Genius.
This year introduces a limited-edition Berry & Bright scent alongside classics like Original Pink and Call of Fruity. With rollerball perfumes, bath fizzers, and the standout Cloud of Dreams Whipped Night Cream, it’s a joyful collection that proves a festive beauty doesn’t need to break the bank.
Top pick for: Teen beauty fans and stocking stuffers.
Read more: Inside Soap & Glory’s 2025 advent calendar and how to get extra 10% off
LookFantastic Beauty Advent Calendar – £105, worth over £655
Celebrating 10 years of festive countdowns, LookFantastic’s 2025 edition is its most ambitious yet. Inside are 28 products – 17 of them full-sized – from beauty powerhouses including Elemis, Medik8, REN, MAC, and The White Company.
The Medik8 Hydra B5 Intense serum (£59), Avant Glycolic Acid Exfoliator (£92), and REN Radiance Eye Cream (£49) are among the skincare heroes, but it’s MAC’s three-piece Christmas Day lip combo that was my favourite drawer to unpack. Throw in Sol de Janeiro’s Cheirosa 62 Mist, some Myvitamins supplements, and LookFantastic once again cements its status as the go-to for variety and prestige, delivering one of the best-curated multi-brand calendars of the season.
Top pick for: Beauty lovers who love diversity and discovering a mix of brands.
Read more: Unboxing LookFantastic’s beauty advent calendar with highest ever value in 10 years
Rituals Classic Advent Calendar – £103, worth £164.50
Few brands master the art of relaxation like Rituals, and their advent calendar is no exception. Shaped like a hanging wreath, it doubles as Christmas décor, making it festive, thoughtful, and brimming with pampering essentials.
Inside are 24 miniatures spanning Rituals’ most-loved collections, including The Ritual of Jing for relaxation, Ayurveda for nourishment, and Karma for radiance. Standouts include the Jing Foaming Shower Gel, Overnight Body Mask, Karma Shimmering Body Oil, and four scented candles to elevate winter evenings.
Travel-friendly sizes make this a versatile choice, ideal for gifting, sharing, or discovering new favourites. Plus, it’s actually better value than the brand’s more premium countdowns this year, espeically since it’s currently got 25% off at LookFantastic, taking it under £80.
Top pick for: Mindful beauty lovers who value wellness rituals.
Read more: I’m a Rituals addict – their advent calendar is such a treat for self-care enthusiasts
ESPA Advent Calendar – £175, worth over £435
ESPA has long been synonymous with spa-level indulgence, and its 2025 advent calendar reaffirms why it remains a favourite among self-care devotees. Housed in a reusable navy box with a full 25-day countdown, this year’s edition feels as premium as the products it contains.
Inside are 25 skincare, bodycare, haircare, and home fragrance treasures, including seven full-sized items and 15 brand-new launches for 2025. Standouts include the Optimal Skin Cleansing Oil, a silky, makeup-melting cleanser that leaves skin radiant, and the Overnight Hydration Therapy, a rich cream that transforms winter skin overnight. With classics like the Pink Hair and Scalp Mud and Restful Bath Milk, ESPA offers a well-rounded ritual for mind and body.
A true investment in wellness, this calendar is one of the most luxurious for 2025, with products to elevate daily routines. Everything from the aromatherapeutic scents to lush textures make this a treat to use.
Top pick for: Spa lovers seeking daily serenity.
Read more: ESPA’s advent calendar is the ultimate upgrade to your winter wellness routine
Benefit Cosmetics Glam Cube – £135, worth over £266
We can always rely on Benefit to bring the festive feel-good factor. This year’s Rubik’s cube-style Glam Cube calendar is an instant winner for presentation alone – three twistable layers revealing 24 boxes packed with Benefit favourites and cult classics.
Expect a full face of glam inside, from the 24 Hour Brow Setter (one of the best clear brow gels on the market) to a generous lineup of mascaras,and blushes. There’s also a travel-sized Hoola bronzer, Benetint lip and cheek stain, and even skincare treats from Benefit’s POREfessional range.
It’s a playful, beautifully branded edit, ideal for beauty lovers who want both fun and function.
Top pick for: Makeup enthusiasts and mascara obsessives.
Read more: Benefit’s £135 advent calendar nails festive fun factor and contains something for every beauty fan
ARRAN Sense of Scotland Advent Calendar – £85, worth £180+
For those who prefer a more sensory countdown, ARRAN’s 2025 advent calendar is a great budget-friendly option. Inspired by the landscapes of Scotland’s Isle of Arran, it features soaps, lotions, and fragrances from iconic ranges such as After the Rain and Kildonan.
This year introduces two limited-edition festive scents – Jasmine, Cedar & Cassis and Amber, Myrrh & Tonka – both of which are delightfully cosy and festive. Effectively the cottagecore aesthetic in advent calendar form, it’s a comforting, heritage-rich edit ideal for gifting or keeping.
Top pick for: Fragrance lovers and fans of cosy, nostalgic formulas.
Read more: Unboxing Arran Sense of Scotland’s cosy fragrance-focused advent calendar
Molton Brown Advent Calendar – £199, worth £346
The most expensive offerings I unboxed this year was Molton Brown’s calendar, and it really is pure sophistication. The gold and mushroom box opens to reveal 24 impeccably presented drawers filled with the brand’s signature bath, body, and fragrance products.
Beyond the expected shower gels and lotions, the calendar includes eight travel-sized perfumes and fragrance baubles, showcasing scents like Fiery Pink Pepper, Bluebell & Wild Strawberry, and Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel. Hand creams, candles, and even a fragrance travel case make this a complete lifestyle set. As ever, Molton Brown delivers understated glamour and quality. It’s indulgent, practical, and unmistakably British.
Top pick for: Perfume enthusiasts and fans of the old money aesthetic
Read more: Molton Brown advent calendar is one of the most luxurious countdowns of 2025
Gaia Wellness Advent Calendar – £160, worth over £300
Returning for 2025, Gaia’s Wellness Advent Calendar is as calming as it is beautiful. The minimalist, refillable design houses 24 bath, body, and skincare treats centred around the brand’s aromatherapy-based ethos.
Each drawer offers something for every mood, from Awakening citrus oils to Balancing blends and Calming bath rituals. Hero products include the Face Serum and Eye Serum, both worth £55 each, alongside purifying masks and bath salts designed to soothe the senses.
While the 2025 edition mirrors last year’s, its quality and ethos remain unmatched. For anyone seeking tranquillity and mindfulness amid the festive chaos, Gaia offers an elegant escape.
Top pick for: Wellness enthusiasts and lovers of sustainable self-care.
Read more: Gaia’s wellness calendar makes my bathroom feel like a spa for £160
Avant Wonders Advent Calendar – £99, worth £935
Avant’s 12-day Wonders calendar may be smaller in size, but it’s big on luxury. Each drawer reveals a full-sized skincare essential, making it one of the most generous and targeted offerings available.
Focusing on hydration and anti-ageing, every drawer reveals a treatment powered by hyaluronic acid, rose extract, or glycolic complexes. Skin-loving picks include the Pro-Intense Hyaluronic Acid Illuminating Day Cream (£97) and Damascan Rose Serum, both promising smoother, more radiant skin.
With its compact but curated countdown, Avant proves that less can absolutely be more.
Top pick for: Luxury skincare enthusiasts with a minimalist streak
Read more: Avant’s advent calendar that gets shoppers a luxury skincare routine for under £100
