I’m a beauty editor – advent calendars could save you £865 on products and why M&S’ £50 version is the best value
Beauty Editor Tara Ledden reveals her top advent calendar picks and which one is best value for money.
Most options will save you hundreds on products.
M&S Beauty Advent Calendar
Cost: £50* Worth: £300 Value: 6 x cost
HOUSED in a gorgeous and reusable velvet vanity case, this one will have a life long after Christmas Day.
Once again, this year’s M&S calendar proves to be one of the best value on the high street.
The 25 products prioritise self-care, with highlights including a full-size This Works deep sleep body whip.
Buying just two of the products inside – Floral Street wild vanilla orchid eau de parfum 10ml (RRP £29) and Benefit fan fest mascara 8.5g (RRP £27) – would cost more than the full set, so it’s truly great value.
There are also several miniatures – better for travelling than everyday use – including the cosy Relax bath & body shower gel from skincare brand Cowshed, a favourite of posh hotels and high-end restaurant loos.
*When you spend £35 on clothing, home and beauty.
Average cost per item: £2
What’s inside: 25 products, 6 full-size
Launch date: 24/10/24
Lookfantastic Beauty Advent Calendar
Cost: £100 Worth: £565 Value: 5.6 x cost
THE brand says this is its biggest advent calendar yet, and with more than 500 products stocked on its website, there were certainly plenty to choose from.
It opens like a doll’s house, but rather than tiny people inside, it’s a treasure trove of TikTok-famous products.
They include a full-size Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 59 perfume mist, worth £22 on its own, a duo of Lookfantastic x Trigwell Cosmetics powder puffs and Anastasia Beverly Hills soft glam palette, which has an RRP of £48, nearly half the cost of the entire calendar.
Nestled inside Day One is a Medik8 Press & Glow tonic and a £30 gift voucher for skincare device brand Foreo, which has been spotted on bathroom shelves in Netflix hit Emily In Paris.
A must-have for social media-savvy beauty lovers.
Average cost per item: £3.70
What’s inside: 27 products, 13 full-size
Launch date: Out now
Cult Beauty Advent Calendar
Cost: £235 Worth: £1,100 Value: 3.7 x cost
THERE are two versions this year. Both are the same price and value, with the same core full-sized items.
But the Scent With Love option has 45 items in total, compared with 42 for the Curated With Love version.
That means on most days you’ll get two goodies instead of one.
There are six Cult Beauty exclusives, including Krave Beauty Great Barrier Relief, Saie Glow Sculpt multi-use cream highlighting blush and Tower28 ShineOn milky lip jelly, as well as brands such as Tatcha, Olaplex and my personal favourite skincare brand, Naturium.
Traditionally, calendars end on day 24, but this has a 25th door with SIX beauty goodies inside. Plus, three winners will find a Golden Ticket worth £1,000 to splash online.
Now, that’s a Christmas present you won’t forget.
Average cost per item: £5.60
What’s inside: 42 products, 19 full-size
Launch date: Out now
Next Beauty Advent Calendar
Cost: £90 Worth: £383 Value: 4.2 x cost
IT’S a compact calendar but it manages to squeeze in an eclectic mix of products.
Its cute size means it will fit neatly on your mantelpiece (a nice change, compared to the more bulky ones).
From the viral glow-giving Made by Mitchell Blursh Lights in Drip Drip to the classic Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Booster restoring conditioner and Emma Hardie Moringa balm, the luxe treats keep coming.
You’ll also discover a NUXE Reve de Miel nourishing honey lip balm, a soothing formula infused with precious oils that typically costs £13.
Next only counts the RRP of products you can actually buy, so if you factor in all the marvellous minis, it’s worth far more than the £383 value advertised.
Plus, ten calendars have a ticket to win £213 worth of ICONIC London goodies.
Average cost per item: £3.33
What’s inside: 27 products, 12 full-size
Launch date: Out now
Sephora Favorites Advent Calendar
Cost: £199 Worth: £1,000 Value: 5 x cost
THE French retailer knows how to inject ooh-la-la into Christmas. This year’s calendar contains the most full-sized products, with one for every day. It also features 20 exclusives, making it a unique offering.
Think Makeup By Mario Rosy Glam Quad eyeshadow palette and Topicals Slather exfoliating body serum.
There are two Glossier products, including the cult fragrance Glossier You eau de parfum rollerball.
In fact, there are so many cult products that it’s tough to cherry pick a winner, but the sculpting Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Beauty light wand just about takes the crown.
The calendar’s unique packaging – shaped like an old-fashioned jewellery box – will double up as a handy set of drawers for your stash once Christmas is done and dusted, too.
Average cost per item: £4.97
What’s inside: 40 products, 24 full-size
Launch date: Pre-order now, dispatched 31/10/24
Space NK Beauty Advent Calendar
Cost: £250 Worth: £1,200 Value: 4.8 x cost
IT doesn’t get much more luxe than this, with super high-end brands such as Augustinus Bader, Sisley Paris and Sunday Riley.
But the biggest draws have to be the full-size Drunk Elephant Lala Retro whipped cream, Skin Rocks The Cream cleanser and Summer Fridays’ lip butter balm in brown sugar.
The shade might be too dark for some but its glossy finish and moreish sugary scent will appeal to all.
The busy design makes the products tricky to spot, but the full-sized ones included come in their original packaging, meaning you can easily re-gift any you don’t love.
Plus, there are five Dyson Golden Tickets behind door 25 up for grabs, which could make you the owner of an Airwrap hair styler and the new Chitosan post-style serum.
Average cost per item: £7.14
What’s inside: 35 products, 23 full-size
Launch date: Pre-order now, dispatched 11/10/24
Boots 24 Days Of Skincare Advent Calendar
Cost: £65 Worth: £242 Value: 3.7 x cost
MY biggest advent calendar gripe is that the skincare usually comes in mini formats that run out before you can see results.
But two-thirds of the products in this one are full-sized, which is impressive.
With buzzy brands like Bubble, Starface, Byoma and Coats alongside stalwarts No7, Dove, Garnier and Super Facialist, the majority of the goodies are great for all skin types and gentle enough for all ages, so you don’t need to worry about anything being unsuitable.
Another highlight is the skin-brightening Pixi Glow Tonic, which now has such a cult following that several brands have tried duping it.
The packaging is similar to Sephora’s – and more luxe than you expect for the price. But the bauble design means you might not choose to use it for storage all year round.
Average cost per item: £2.70
What’s inside: 24 products, 16 full-size
Launch date: Out now
Revolution Beauty Advent Calendar
Cost: £48 Worth: £97 Value: 2 x cost
IF you are only interested in make-up, then this is the best calendar for you.
It looks and feels the cheapest of the ones on this list – because it is.
There’s no skincare, haircare or bodycare behind the 24 doors, but there’s everything you could possibly need to nail your party season make-up.
The set includes nine products for lips, six for eyes and six for complexion.
Inside, you’ll discover the viral Revolution baking Powder in translucent, which reached Insta-stardom thanks to its blurring, oil-absorbing finish.
Plus, there’s a powder puff, beauty blender and NYE-ready rhinestone stickers.
At just £2 per item, it won’t feel too disappointing if there’s one you don’t like. Last year’s sold out in weeks and had a 25,000-name waiting list, so add it to your basket ASAP.
Average cost per item: £2
What’s inside: 24 products, unknown full-size
Launch date: Out now