Rituals Advent Calendar review: “Smells divine and feels luxurious”

RITUALS has launched not one, but four Advent calendars for 2024.

The lineup comprises the Classic Advent Calendar, the Deluxe Advent Calendar, the Premium Advent Calendar and a Men’s Advent.

At a smidge over £90, the Rituals Classic Advent Calendar is the most affordable.

I’ve done a Rituals Advent Calendar review to see if it’s worth the price.

Rituals Classic Advent Calendar, £91.90 (worth £166.90)

The Classic calendar includes a selection of home scents, bodycare and haircare products, alongside a few surprising treats.

But is the bundle worth it?

I was lucky enough to get my hands on the Rituals Classic Advent Calendar ahead of the festive season. I opened all 24 doors to discover what this year’s Christmas countdown offers.

Pros:

• Festive packaging
• Varied fragrances 
• Samples from different Rituals collections 
• Unique and rare gifts inside
• Includes 24 Rituals bestsellers across a range of product categories
• Features limited edition samples
• Saves over £70 compared to buying each product individually
• Unisex contents
• Daily descriptions behind each door explain the product and its function
• Features a handle at the top
• Universal scents and not all festive fragrances, which I prefer

Cons:

• Heavy
• The majority of items are miniature
• Expensive in comparison to other beauty advent calendars
• Some duplicate products

Rating: 4/5

Rituals Classic Advent Calendar, £91.90 (worth £166.90)

Rituals Advent Calendar review: how I tested

Every year I place an Advent calendar (or three) on my chest of drawers in my bedroom. It instantly brightens my day.

Childish? Maybe. But who doesn’t revert to being a big kid at Christmas?

Over the years my Advent calendars have gone from chocolate-filled to beauty-filled (or both, on a good year).

As a beauty journalist, I’m lucky enough to test calendars ahead of their official release.

This year I have been fortunate enough to test Calendars from Glossybox, Lookfantastic, Revolution, and more.

This isn’t the first time I’ve tried the Rituals Advent Calendar, so I’ve compared this year’s edition to those from previous years.

I’ve also compared it to other beauty calendars on the market.

On a wet and windy September day, I blasted Mariah Carey and peeled back all 24 doors of this year’s calendar.

I pored over all products, marking down any duplications, new items, bestselling products or limited editions.

Beauty Advent calendars vary in size, but most include a mixture of full-size and “travel-size” products. Rituals is no different, so I took note of the ratio of full-size products to sample-size.

I also considered the design, structure and weight of the calendar itself.

I don’t have all of Rituals’ Advent Calendars (that would be greedy), but I compared my calendar to the brand’s other festive offerings, too.

Rituals Advent Calendar review: quick summary

Rituals Classic Advent Calendar, £91.90 (worth £166.90)

At first glance, it’s safe to say this calendar looks as premium as you would expect from Rituals.

The packaging is super sleek, beautifully illustrated and festive, which I think is paramount for an Advent calendar.

Rituals’ Advent calendars have been quite bulky in recent years (last year’s iteration resembled a 3D Christmas tree). This year’s calendar is more simply designed and easier to lift, which I appreciate.

Similar to Liberty’s Advent calendar, Rituals has decided on an architectural design this year.

The design captures a winter’s day in Amsterdam with snow setting outside and warm, candle-lit shopfronts. The attention to detail is impressive.

The contents in the bundle are varied, and feature items from several of Rituals’ collections.

However, there are too many miniatures and duplicate products — specifically candles, shower gels and body creams.

The Classic Advent Calendar offers a saving of £75 compared to buying the products included separately.

While that sounds good, it’s nowhere near the best-value beauty calendar for 2024.

Rituals Advent Calendar review: full review

First impressions

Rituals Classic Advent Calendar, £91.90 (worth £166.90)

Rituals Advent calendars are always showstoppers.

This year is no different, thanks to its festive illustrations and bow-inspired slip.

Admittedly the Deluxe and Premium Advent calendars do have more wow factor, though, popping out into light-up miniature villages.

The calendar design is similar to last year’s, which depicted a snow-tipped House of Rituals flagship store.

Rituals has fitted the calendar with a plastic top handle, making the weighty box easier to carry.

The numbers were clear enough to see on the front of the Advent calendar too, which is a bonus.

What’s inside the Rituals Advent calendar?

Rituals Classic Advent Calendar, £91.90 (worth £166.90)

Like its exterior design, the contents of Rituals’ Classic Advent Calendar don’t stray too far from previous years.

Every year Rituals’ Classic Calendar features four mini candles. These arrive every Sunday in December.

I was happy to learn that this year’s calendar also features a mix of shower foams, which are my favourite products from Rituals.

You’ll also find an array of body scrubs, lotions, haircare, fragrance and hand care, plus much more.

The calendar features 24 products — or 25 if you include the spoon accompanying The Ritual of Namaste Wonder Mask.

Rituals has primarily packed the calendar with travel-size home and beauty products.

Minis are a great way to sample products and reduce the weight of the Advent calendar, and they’re also travel-friendly.

However, many other beauty Advent calendars feature a better mix of full-size and deluxe products. For example, Glossybox’s Advent calendar features a better ratio of products than Rituals and retails for £15 less.

It might seem obvious, but Rituals has also filled the calendar exclusively with its own products. If you’re hoping for a variety of beauty brands in your Christmas countdown, this may not be the one for you.

However, the calendar does include Rituals’ most popular items, making this calendar a worthy investment for devoted Rituals fans. The brand has also included some exciting limited-edition products.

Rituals has added a Christmas-themed headline, description, and detail of each product behind every door on the calendar. I loved this attention to detail.

Many of the headlines to the festive season, and the descriptions are informative and punchy.

One example I particularly loved was day four, which read “A good Lump of Coal”.

The description continues: “A purifying and exfoliating charcoal Wonder Mask for those who have been nice this year. With easy-to-use spoon.”

I know it’s only a small thing, but these sorts of small gestures make Rituals stand out in a packed market.

Rituals Classic Advent Calendar, £91.90 (worth £166.90)

Other beauty Advent calendars I’ve tested have placed shampoo and conditioner on different weeks. Rituals reveals them on consecutive days, which just makes sense.

Day five might just be my favourite of all, as it featured the sell-out Foaming Shower Gel from Rituals’ Amsterdam Collection. The scent blends fresh botanical notes of tulip, jasmine and yuzu, bringing a light freshness to the winter season.

Because I love Rituals’ Foam Shower Gel I had hoped for a full-size can, but having said that, a little goes a long way.

There are a couple of dud days, too. Behind one door of the calendar is a single lonely exfoliating mitt, which is disappointing.

Rituals’ wordplay amused me though — the door was labelled “Winter Mittens”.

Another day contains the brand’s laundry softener, which will divide opinion.

The following day revealed another miniature candle, which is a tradition I appreciate. Opening a candle every Sunday encourages shoppers to take time out, light it and enjoy a long soak in the bath. (Though some may see it as a religious nod to Sunday mass).

Even Day 11’s Micellar water has a festive spin. Rituals has infused it with holy lotus, which is a subtle Christmassy nod.

Day 20 was The Ritual of Hammam’s Body Lotion Mousse, which is a new favourite of mine. It has a similar texture to the Foam Shower Gel, but you don’t wash it off. It’s non-greasy and hydrating but also smells divine.

This, once again, proved how well Rituals has curated its calendar. Day 19 is a body scrub, while Day 20 is a mousse designed to rehydrate the skin.

Ritual has packed a coin bracelet behind door 21, which is both surprising and touching. It’s a welcome change to the other beauty and home products included — you could also use it as a last-minute gift.

How much is the Rituals Advent calendar?

The Classic Advent Calendar is the most affordable calendar Rituals has released this year.

It retails for £91.90. However, if you were to buy every product separately you’d spend £166.90.

This means the bundle could save shoppers £75.

The Deluxe Advent Calendar fetches £114.90 but contains £196 worth of products. Meanwhile, the Premium Advent Calendar costs £172 but contains £314.90 worth of items.

There’s also a 12-day calendar specifically for men, which costs £103 and contains £174.50 worth of grooming products.

These prices and values align with other single-brand beauty advent calendars we’ve seen this year. For example, Charlotte Tilbury’s Advent Calendar costs £170 but is worth £243.

For the best value, it’s worth looking at calendars made by beauty retailers, which include a mixture of brands. For example, Look Fantastic’s Advent Calendar costs £100 but is worth £565, while Space NK’s sell-out calendar costs £250 but is worth £1200.

Where to buy the Rituals Advent Calendar

All Rituals Advent Calendars are available to buy online directly from the Rituals website.

All calendars come with free delivery.

The Ritual of Advent Classic calendar is also available from retailers including John Lewis, Amazon and Look Fantastic.

I’d recommend buying your calendar sooner rather than later, as they have sold out in previous years.

The verdict: Is the Rituals Advent Calendar worth it?

Rituals Classic Advent Calendar, £91.90 (worth £166.90)

Whether it’s worth splurging almost £100 on Rituals’ Classic Advent Calendar depends on your personal preference and budget.

If you love home scents and bodycare more than make-up and you’re an existing fan of Rituals, I’d recommend this bundle.

The array of products included, as well as the range of collections featured, was exactly what I hoped for.

But considering its price and competition, I was expecting to find a few full-size items or additional treats.

Admittedly the Deluxe and Premium designs include full-size Rituals products. However, many rival calendars include full-size products and retail for under £100 (I’m looking at you, Glossybox).

I noted there were four scented candles, which is on brand for Rituals and a tradition the brand maintains every year.

But the bundle also featured two shower foams, two hand creams, and essentially three body creams.

Despite some similarities in products, though, I still appreciate the quality of the items. The selection is impressive, useful, smells divine and feels luxurious on my skin.

The products are perfect to keep in the home, take on the go, or even re-gift.