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The best beauty advent calendars of 2023: everything we know so far
When will you be able to buy the best beauty advent calendars from Liberty, M&S, Sephora, Charlotte Tilbury, Jo Malone and other big names?
As Christmas creeps closer, so does the annual fight to grab the best beauty advent calendars as soon as they go on sale. It’s no wonder: brimming with exclusive, limited edition minis and often full sized products, most of the best make-up advent calendars work as a Christmas gift in their own right.
If last year is anything to go by, the Liberty, Jo Malone, Charlotte Tilbury, MAC, Cult Beauty and Harrods calendars are likely to sell out fast, so it’s worth registering on their websites right now. Sometimes it still pays to wait, though: the famous Marks and Spencer beauty advent calendar cost £300 online last year but could be bought for just £40 if you spent £30 at M&S. You have to take your hat off to whoever came up with that marketing ploy.
Read on to find out everything we know about 2023’s advent calendars, including those already on sale, those available for pre-sale and exclusive reveals for calendars you can’t even pre-order yet. If you’re in a rush, here are our predictions for this year’s best beauty advent calendars, based on last year.
Which is the best beauty advent calendar? At a glance
- Best beauty advent calendar overall – Liberty London
- Best value beauty advent calendar – Look Fantastic
- Best beauty advent calendar for products – Fortnum & Mason
- Best beauty advent calendar to buy as a gift – The White Company
- Best affordable beauty advent calendar – Marks & Spencer
Which brands have a beauty advent calendar?
Most big beauty brands sell their own beauty advent calendar these days. For those wanting to splurge, Liberty’s is the ultimate treat, containing beauty gifts worth around five times its sale price – which is why it always sells out almost instantly. If you’re looking for a budget option, try Marks & Spencer, Next, Look Fantastic or The Body Shop.
Read on for reviews of this year’s full range of beauty advent calendars.
Best beauty advent calendars already on sale
1. Harrods Beauty Advent Calendar
- Products worth £1,173 (saving of £923)
- Available to buy now
Housed in its iconic moss green, Harrods’ beauty calendar will make the most luxurious gift and festive centrepiece in the run up to this year’s big day.
Its 25 gifts include the Hyaluronic Serum from Dr. Barbara Sturm, Elemis Pro-Collagen Overnight Matrix, Living Proof Advanced Dry Shampoo, Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Rosegold, Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Powder Pink and lots more. Harrods is also selling a Fragrance Advent Calendar.
2. The White Company Beauty Advent Calendar
- Products worth £273 (saving of £98)
- Available to buy now
The White Company brand is becoming pretty synonymous with Christmas and this year’s beauty advent calendar is stuffed full of signature goodies. The White Company superfans will spot four of the same products as last year: a Winter Signature Candle, Pomegranate Body Lotion, Wild Mint Hand Wash and Spa Restore Shower Gel.
Also inside are 21 new products to the calendar, including a Fir Tree Mini Home Spray, Tuberose and Cashmere Shower Gel, Lime and Bay Hand Bag Cream and Sea Salt Hand Wash. It’ll set you up for the whole year to come.
3. Elemis Ultimate Beauty Advent Calendar
- Products worth £551 (saving of £362)
- Available to buy now
Elemis is back with another 25-product skincare beauty advent calendar. This year there’s a twist: 15 calendars sold will also include a golden ticket with a voucher code for £1,000 to spend at Elemis.
To put the value of Elemis’ 2023 beauty advent calendar into context, it contains a full-size 50ml Pro-Collagen Marine Cream which is worth £89 alone. Also included is a 20g Pro-Collagen Cleasning Balm, a Pro-Collagen Glow Boost Exfoliator and a Superfood Glow Priming Moisturiser.
4. 12 Days of Liz Earle Beauty Advent Calendar
- Products worth £168.50 (saving of £93.50)
- Available to buy now
A great purchase for yourself, your mum or grandma, Liz Earle’s advent calendar is already on sale with a selection of 12 full size and travel sized products. It includes the famous Cleanse and Polish cleanser, a rich and nourishing cream containing chamomile and rosemary.
Also inside, you’ll find full sizes of the Cleanse and Glow Transforming Gel Cleanser, Orange Flower Botanical Wash, Superskin Alt-Retinol Booster and a Hydrating Cream Mask. Travel sizes include eye lotion, night cream and hand cream.
5. LUSH Advent Calendar
- Available to buy now
LUSH’s beauty advent calendar is filled with 25 vegan products. The box has been designed by Andre Williams, an illustrator known for retro typography. Inside you’ll find the usual suspects from LUSH’s line-up: bath bombs galore, shower gels, bubble bars and body scrubs.
To get you in the Christmassy mood, you’ll find the iconic Snow Fairy shower gel, Strawberry Santa foaming shower wash, Snow Angel bath melt and even a Christmas Eve scented candle.
6. L’Occitane Reusable Advent Calendar
- Products worth £230.50 (saving of £50.50)
- L’Occitane is also selling an Advent Calendar (£62), Luxury Advent Calendar (£115) and advent calendar refill (£120)
L’Occitane is selling three main advent calendars this year, at three different price points. The advent calendar pictured above is the Reusable Advent Calendar, which comes in a refillable calendar. Those who bought the calendar last year can buy a refill set for a £60 discount at £120 and refill it themselves.
Inside you’ll find the Herbae par L’Occitane Eau de Parfum, Shea Butter Hand Cream, Verveine Shower Oil and Lavande Foaming Bath, among others.
7. The Body Shop The Advent Calendar of Wonders
- Products worth £173.50 (saving of £78.50)
- Available to buy now
The Body Shop’s advent calendars are always popular and this year it’s selling three. This Advent Calendar of Wonders is the midrange option. It’s packed with 25 own brand products inside a stylish three-layered box.
Inside you’ll find the Camomile Cleansing Butter, Aloe Calm Hydrating Sheet Mask, Nicaraguan Coffee Intense Awakening Mask and Shea Body Butter, among others.
8. Next 25 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar
- Products worth more than £355 (saving of £260)
- Available to buy now
Don’t dismiss Next as a highstreet offering - almost every item in its 2023 beauty advent calendar is from a luxury beauty brand. Inside are 25 products worth £355 and it’s only the second on this list to cost less than £100. It’s worth noting that most products are travel sized, rather than full-size, although I still think it’s excellent value.
The products include a Bobbi Brown Longwear Shadow Stick, Living Proof Shampoo, Clarins Lip Perfector, Ren Cleanser and L’Occitane Hand Cream. Next will also sell a 12 Days of Grooming Advent Calendar this year, for men.
Best beauty advent calendar available to pre-order
1. Fortnum’s Beauty Advent Calendar 2023
- Products worth more than £1,020 (saving of £760)
- Pre-order open, dispatch after September 21
This is only the fifth beauty advent calendar from the 315 year-old department store, but it’s already leading the pack. Their 22-product calendar has been available for pre-order since August 10 and is worth almost £800 more than what you pay, thanks to each product being full-sized.
It has one of the best ranges of any we’ve seen yet, with skincare, haircare, fragrance, home accessories, a makeup bag and eye mask. The curated selection includes Aromatherapy Associates Revive Bath and Shower Oil, Acqua Di Parma shower gel and body lotion, a Delilah Travel Brush Set and a Fortnum & Mason Votive Candle.
2. Look Fantastic Beauty Advent Calendar
- Products worth £565 (saving of £466)
- Pre-order open, launching September 11
Last year, we considered the Look Fantastic beauty advent calendar to be the best value out there and this year looks set to top it. Products this year are worth £565, despite it being one of the few beauty advent calendars to cost less than £100.
Inside are 27, yes, 27 products from Look Fantastic’s most luxurious brands including NARS, M.A.C and Elemis. The collection includes 12 full sizes - Avant Hyaluronic Acid Eye Cream worth £97 and an ICONIC London Day to Slay Palette, worth £45. Medik8’s Surface Radiance Cleanse Serum and Coco & Eve’s Like A Virgin Hair Masque are other highlights.
- Products worth £465
- Waitlist open now, available to buy from October 3
No. 7 has had quite a year after its Future Renew range had people queueing out of Boots doors off the back of promising to replace botox. In 2022 the No. 7 calendar was Boots’ bestselling advent calendar and this year the brand is launching three separate calendars depending on your skin’s needs: Protect and Perfect, Lift and Luminate and Restore and Renew, based on No. 7’s three hero franchises.
Each will contain 11 deluxe minis, 14 full size products and new limited edition products. Meanwhile, the Ultimate Calendar will contain products from Boots’ Future Renew range.
2. Charlotte’s Lucky Chest of Beauty Secrets
- Waitlist open from August 1, available to buy from September 12
Charlotte Tilbury is being rather coy about its beauty advent calendar, hence the unrevealing image above. You’ll have to check the brand’s new app to see Charlotte herself opening a drawer every day for 12 days, from September 1.
Here’s what we do know: the 12-day advent calendar will contain both travel and full-size products including a travel size Magic Cream, a travel size Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray and two full size Hot Lips 2 Lipsticks.
3. Liberty London Beauty Advent Calendar
- Products worth £1,043 (saving of £793)
- Waitlist open now, available to buy September 27
Last year’s Liberty London beauty advent calendar was the brand’s fastest selling product in its 147 years. The 2023 calendar is already one of the most hotly anticipated Christmas buys anywhere. Liberty’s beauty advent calendars are known for their excellent value, often containing products worth four to five times more than the price.
This year isn’t set to disappoint, with products including Augustinus Bader’s The Cream, Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, Dr. Barbara Sturm Face Cream, Le Labo Rose 31 Liquid Balm, Larry King Hair Oil plus a mystery new Liberty product.
4. Jo Malone
- Waitlist open now, available to buy September 29
This year, Jo Malone London’s 25-drawer calendar is housed in an elegant gingerbread inspired case and is filled with miniature colognes, travel candles, bath and body products and one 30ml cologne.
You can look forward to a Myrrh and Tonka Cologne Intense, Blackberry and Bay Hand Cream, Wood Sage and Sea Salt Body and Hand Wash, Ginger Biscuit Cologne and an English Pear and Freesia Body Creme, among lots more.
5. Space NK Beauty Advent Calendar
- Products worth £1,008 (saving of £770)
- Waitlist open now, available to buy September 14
This year’s curated collection offers everything Space NK is known for: products from Paula’s Choice, Summer Fridays, Olaplex and Necessaire. It’s worth an impressive £1,008, making it one of the best value options so far this year.
Inside you’ll find a Milk Hydrogrip Primer, 111 Skin Eye Masks, Kate Somerville Goat Milk Cleanser, JVN Instant Recovery Serum, a Laneige Sleeping Mask, a Tatcha Dewy Skin Mist and more.
6. Selfridges Beauty Advent Calendar
- Products worth £1,094 (saving of £874)
- Waitlist open now, available to buy September 21
Including over 16 full sized editor-approved products and 32 overall, Selfridges’ 2023 calendar will allow you to delve into its famous beauty hall in your bathroom and beyond.
Among the 32 gifts you’ll find REFY Brow Sculpt, Gisou Hair Fragrance, Penhaligon’s Halfeti eau de parfum, 111SKIN Rose Quartz Liquid Mask, Charlotte Tilbury Setting Spray and Sam McKnight Conditioner.
7. Cult Beauty Advent Calendar
- Products worth more £1,084 (saving of £859)
- Waitlist open now, available to buy September 25
Having released three showstopping sold out calendars, Cult Beauty has yet to disappoint. This year’s set will include 39 beauty expert-approved products (including 20 full sizes) and on day 25 there were no fewer than seven beauty products, for the ultimate Christmas pamper day.
The 39 gifts will include a Jo Loves Roasted Chestnuts candle, Paula’s Choice Clear Cleanser, bareMinerals Mineralist Gloss Balm, a Huda Beauty Cheeky Tint Blush Stick and a Verden Herbanum Bath Oil.
8. Neal’s Yard Remedies 12 Days of Beauty and Wellbeing Advent Calendar 2023
- Products worth more than £180 (saving of £85)
- Waitlist now open, available to buy from September
Packaged in a keepsake box, Neal’s Yard’s 2023 beauty advent calendar is packed with seven full-size products and five minis. Inside you’ll find bestsellers like the Goodnight Pillow Mist and Geranium and Orange Hand Cream as well as a Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Booster. As ever, all ingredients are natural and sustainably sourced.
Even better, anyone who bought last year’s Neal’s Yard’s beauty advent calendar can buy a cheaper refill version for £89. Instead of receiving the products inside the box, you’ll just receive the products in individually wrapped and numbered boxes, so you’ll still have one to open per day.
9. Bobbi Brown’s 12 Days of Glow Advent Calendar
- Products worth £264 (saving of £69)
- Available to buy October 5
Bobbi Brown’s Advent Calendar contains 12 skincare and make-up products packed with shimmer, perfect for creating day-to-night looks during the holiday season, all housed inside a golden bauble.
Inside you’ll find the Tiktok sensation, the Vitamin Enriched Face Base, along with a full-size Smokey Eye Mascara, one full-size Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick and two deluxe sizes of the same, a lip tint and other bestsellers.
10. ESPA Wellness Advent Calendar
- Products worth £418 (saving of £243)
- Waitlist now open, available to buy from October 2
ESPA’s 2023 beauty advent calendar is set to be full of all the holistic and aromatherapy products the brand is known for - designed to bring the spa experience home. If you’re a bath a day kind of person, this is the advent calendar for you.
Inside you’ll find cleansers, creams and essential oils in the form of Positivity Pulse Point Oil, Nourishing Lip Treatment, Depuff and Sooth Eye Gel, SOS Skin Clearing Serum and more, with 25 products in total.
11. GLOSSYBOX Feel The Magic Advent Calendar
- Products worth £473 (saving of £393)
- Available to buy September 20, or September 27 for subscribers
Beauty subscription service GLOSSYBOX works with more than 100 brands globally, so it’s no surprise its beauty advent calendar for 2023 is full of cult classics. This year’s calendar is packed with 28 products with luxury brands including Medik8, Color Wow and Floral Street.
Highlights include a Floral Street Wonderland Peony Eau de Parfum, ICONIC London Triple Threat Mascara, Fresh Soy Face Cleanser and Rituals’ The Ritual of Sakura Candle. It’s worth considering that the advent calendar is £10 cheaper for subscribers.
12. MAC
- Products worth £487 (saving of £317)
- Waitlist open now, available to buy September 25
MAC’s advent calendar this year is bursting with surprises. You can expect both familiar favourites and impressive newness for all the contours of the face.
Its 21 full-sized gifts will include five lipsticks, two lip pencils, three eyeshadow pots and two Mac LipGlasses. The advent calendar will be sold on Look Fantastic, Brown Thomas and Selfridges as well as MAC’s website.
Best beauty advent calendar with a waitlist, but no details
The waitlist is open, but no information has been announced yet about its contents or when it will be on sale. Our picture shows last years’ calendar. We’ll keep you updated as and when news is released.
Sephora
- Last year’s products (above) worth £186
Last year was the first time Sephora sold an advent calendar in the UK. It was quite a debut. Each product was full-sized and some of the cosmetic giant’s bestsellers were behind the doors, including one of our favourite mascaras, The Big By Definition Mascara. It made a big splash and we can expect something similar this year.
Other beauty advent calendars coming in 2023
We know what’s in them, but you can’t buy or pre-order them yet...
1. M&S Beauty Advent Calendar
- Products worth £310 (saving of £270)
- Available to buy from October 28
Marks and Spencer’s advent offering shows you didn’t need to burn the Christmas budget all in one go. Thanks to the ‘spend £25, buy the calendar for £40’ deal, you could do the Christmas shopping for everyone on your list, whether online and in store, and reward yourself with your very own calendar.
Its 25 gifts include Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Boosting Restore Conditioner, L’Occitane Verbena Shower Gel, Benefit’s Roller Las Curling Mascara, REN Clean Skincare Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Gel and Clinique Moisture Surge.
2. Fresh Advent Calendar
- Products worth £387 (saving of £89)
- Available from October 1
Fresh began as a little apothecary shop in Boston and is now owned by LVMH, the French luxury goods company responsible for Louis Vuitton. So you can expect quality and a price to match. But Fresh’s advent calendar is worth around £387, so there’s a definite saving to be made.
Inside you’ll find a Sugar Lip Treatment in Papaya, Soy Face Cleanser, Floral Recovery Calming Mask, Rose Face Mask, Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence, a Recovery Lip Mask and more.
3. Molton Brown Advent Calendar
- Products worth £310 (saving of £100)
- Available from September 19
A favourite of the late Queen, Molton Brown is known for its luxurious bath and body products. The calendar box uses 100 per cent recycled materials while the ribbon is made from 70 per cent recycled ribbon.
This year’s advent calendar includes classic scents like Orange and Bergamot, Re-charge Black Pepper and Heavenly Gingerlily along with deluxe sizes of the brand new Mandarin and Spice collection.
4. Jo Loves Advent Calendar by Jo Malone CBE
- Products worth £580 (saving of £215)
- Available to buy from October 5
A piece of Jo Malone every day throughout December? Yes please. Packed with home fragrance, perfumes and body mists, the Jo Loves 2023 calendar comes packaged inside a giant bauble designed by Warner House. You’ll also find five exclusive Jo Malone x Warner House baubles inside.
The 25 fragrant treats include the Christmas Trees Candle, Roasted Chestnuts Candle, Lime and Bergamot Fragrance 10ml, Pomelo Fragrance 10ml and Fig Hair Mist.
5. Sisley Paris Advent Calendar
- Products worth £830 (saving of £235)
- Available to buy from September 15
French skincare, haircare and perfume brand Sisley Paris is launching its first beauty advent calendar this year inside a collector’s case. Each drawer is decorated with a collage taken from Sisley founder Isabelle d’Ornano’s hand-embroidered cushions.
Among the 25 products you’ll find a Black Rose Cream Mask, Revitalising Volumising Shampoo, a Pocket Mirror, Revitalising Fortifying Serum and a Phyto-Lip Twist.
6. Harvey Nichols Beauty Advent Calendar
- Products worth £1,300 (saving of £1,050)
- Available to buy September 25 (with a pre-sale September 21 - September 24 for HN Rewards members)
Harvey Nichols’ advent calendar contains an entire 45 items from 35 brands, making it the best value buy on this list - based on saving. It’s obviously still quite an outlay, at £250, though it sits around the average price of beauty advent calendars I’ve looked at.
Inside you’ll find a Maison Francis Kurkdijan 724 Eau de Parfum, MZ Skin Hydra-Bright Gold Eye Mask, Radial Vitamin C Drops, Sisley Express Treatment, Slip scrunchies, Sunday Riley Good Genes and Sol De Janeiro Bum Bum Cream, to name just a few.
Last year’s best beauty advent calendars
And finally, here are five advent calendars which we enjoyed last year, but haven’t heard any news of so far for 2023...
1. Fenwick beauty advent calendar
£195, Fenwick
- Last year’s products were worth £700
Fenwick, the 140 year-old department store with a reputation for class, continued the tradition with this bespoke festive box designed by Andy Singleton, containing some extremely high-end treats for face, hair and body.
Its 25 gifts included Versace and Frédéric Mall scents, MAC and NARS eye shadow, Bobbi Brown mascara and miniatures from Clinique, Dr Sebagh and Parfums de Marly.
2. John Lewis Beauty Advent Calendar
£179, John Lewis
- Last year’s products were worth over £771
All the big names, with all the best products. Last year John Lewis rounded up the best of its beauty department with a familiar edit of full size and deluxe bestsellers along with a few new entries to warmly welcome the festive season.
Its 27 gifts included Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge, Votary Brightening Hyaluronic Serum, Givenchy L’Interdit Eau de Parfum and Clarins Hand and Nail treatment.
3. ASOS
£85, ASOS
- Last year’s products were worth £315
ASOS’s calendar was packed with all the beauty goodies a loved one would need for an indulgent night-in - including hydrating sheet masks, intensive hair treatments and a few products to replenish the make-up bag too. Plus, if you were a new customer to ASOS, you could get 20 per cent off your first order.
The 29 gifts (yes, 29) included a make-up bag, Olaplex No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask, and Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Superfusion Facial Oil.
4. House of Fraser
£125, House of Fraser
- Last year’s products were worth £406
Last year’s calendar included everything you needed to create your festive look, from the beginning of December and beyond, with 25 gifts including Sweed false eyelashes, Laura Mercier Caviar eyestick and MAC Mehr Matte Lipstick.
5. Flannels
£235, Flannels
- Last year’s products were worth £800
The Flannels Beauty Advent Calendar was one of the most luxurious around last year. Featuring 25 industry-approved products, including 18 full sizes - this edit was the definition of value for money. Last year’s offering included Sarah Chapman’s Morning Facial, Neom Happiness candle, and Medik8 Crystal Retinal.