There's no need to wait for Santa, whether you love candles, make-up or skincare essentials, there's a beauty advent calendar that'll put a smile on even Scrooge's face! So, what are you waiting for? Put that Santa hat on and jump into the festive season with these perfect Christmas gifts. With big brands like Cath Kidson, No7 and Charlotte Tilbury making beauty advent calendars, it's easy to feel spoilt for choice.
Don't worry, we're riding our reindeer to your rescue with our ultimate buying guide to help you find a Christmas advent calendar full of fabulous treats to fit your budget. Read to the very end for our ranking of the top 10 best in the UK, so you can look and feel fabulous this winter.
Quick List - Top Beauty Advent Calendars
William Morris At Home
Beautifully Packaged Luxury Treats at a Discount Price
As a professional make-up artist of ten years, Marie's job has taken her all over the UK working at top events, on TV shows and making up beautiful brides. For all her clients she loves emphasising their natural beauty by creating a flawless base that still looks like skin.
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As a professional makeup artist of ten years, Marie's job has taken her all over the UK, working at top events, on TV shows and making up beautiful brides. For all of her clients, she loves emphasising their natural beauty by creating a flawless base that still looks like skin.
Find out more about Marie and what are her favourite makeup products are through her Instagram! She even shares some industry tips on makeup application too. And if you're interested in getting your makeup done by Marie, you can contact her via her email found at the top of her page.
Advent Calendars filled with make-up are some of the most popular, after all, it's a whole lot cheaper than buying everything separately. Many focus on one type of product, for example, if you want your lips to be ready for that kiss under the mistletoe, a lipgloss advent calendar will be right up your street. Looking to banish your inner Grinch with Christmas nail art? Choose a nail polish one!
An all-in-one advent calendar is ideal if you live for convenience. No more spending hours trawling through the internet, you can get everything you need with just one purchase. It's a win-win deal! Just remember to pay attention to the shades to make sure any foundation, lipgloss or eyeshadow matches your skin tone. You don't want to look like you had an accident with some orange paint.
Skincare advent calendars can contain anything from body lotion to under eye cream formulated to tackle different concerns such as anti-ageing, dry skin or an oily complexion. Although these advent calendars usually contain a mix of products, you can take a close look at the picture to see what type of gifts you can expect.
Pay attention to your skin type when picking the right one for you. Not all beauty products work the same for everyone, so it can help to stick to what you know. If there's a particular skincare brand you know you can rely on, you might want to pick an advent calendar from them.
On the other hand, if you don't currently have a skincare routine, or don't know where to start, you may prefer a beauty calendar with a mix of different products. That way you can sample the selection to find what works for you.
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If you've got a tub, there are lots of fun advent calendars with relaxing bath-time treats. There's so much you can do to make a bath special, from using a bath fizzer to turn the water a sweet-smelling colour, to using an indulgent shampoo. Remember if there are one or two that you won't use, consider gifting these to a friend or family member as an extra treat.
It's rare that you will use and love every single option in a calendar and you can be sustainable whilst spreading festive cheer! Bathroom essentials are normally found in mixed advent calendars, as you probably wouldn't know what to do with five different bottles of shower gel. However, there are a few that specialise in bath-related beauty products, like ones that have bath bombs or fizzers.
When choosing one of these calendars, make sure you check who the products are for. If you have brown hair, a shampoo that's aimed at blondes isn't going to be the best. If in doubt, most sites will give you a full list of everything that's included!
Christmas is all about those relaxing nights in cuddled up on the sofa, surrounded by candles and sparkly fairy lights. This year, you can get your whole supply of Christmas candles from your advent calendar. Although not technically a beauty product, your December could soon be filled with relaxing candle-lit bubble baths!
During the cold winter nights, candles not only create warmth but also a cosy atmosphere. If you don’t need any more make-up or skincare, a candle calendar is an alternative treat to the usual chocolate countdown.
When choosing a candle advent calendar, pay attention to the scent. They have a whole variety of different smells, so you might want to opt for ones specific to Christmas, like cinnamon scents. Lots of candles even have fun seasonal names like Holiday Hearth and Christmas Magic. What better way to spark that festive feeling?
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Traditional chocolate advent calendars tend to have 24 doors for you to open, but these are slightly different - It's common that beauty calendars have 12 doors. It’s up to you when you want to start opening your calendar, but most will start on the 12th and finish on the 24th ready for Christmas day.
You may have fewer days, however, this is usually made up for in the quality of the gifts you receive. Some advent calendars with more doors will offer smaller sample sizes, whereas those with fewer doors can give you larger or even full-size products. Check which gets you the most grams of product for your money If that's a deciding factor.
Some advent calendars do come with 24 unique beauty gifts, which is great if you still have that childlike sense of excitement when counting down to the big day. Just make sure you pay close attention to those little doors to make sure you know what you're buying!
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Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Cath Kidston Beauty Advent Calendar | ![]() | 24 Vegan and Cruelty Free Christmas Self-Care Goodies | |
2 | NIVEA Ski Lodge Advent Calendar | ![]() | Cute Christmas Scene and a Range of Hydrating Toiletries | |
3 | William Morris At Home Dove & Rose Beauty Christmas Advent Calendar | ![]() | Beautifully Packaged Luxury Treats at a Discount Price | |
4 | No7 Advent Calendar | ![]() | From Base to Full Face: Get a Range of Skinare and Make-up | |
5 | Dove Ultimate 24 Day Advent Calendar | ![]() | Christmas Bath-Time Pampering from Dove's Most Adored Brands | |
6 | QKI London Makeup Beauty Advent Calendar | ![]() | From London to New York, Look Good No Matter Where You Are with These Metropolitan Themed Calendars | |
7 | Tilz Sunkissed Beauty Makeup Advent Calendar | ![]() | Ideal for Teenagers and Young Women to Achieve a Sunkissed Make-up Look | |
8 | Clinique 24 Days of Clinique Advent Calendar | ![]() | Protect Dry Skin from the Winter Weather with Clinique | |
9 | NYX Professional Makeup Gimme Super Stars! 24 Day Holiday Countdown | ![]() | A Perfect Selection of Subtle Nude Lips and Shimmering Eyeshadows | |
10 | Aifanciey 2021 Christmas Beauty Advent Calendar | ![]() | A Wide Range of Beauty Products to Make Anyone Feel Like a Disney Princess |
The Cath Kidson advent calendar is selling out fast, so you'll want to get yours quick! What makes this calendar such a popular choice is the collection of 24 exclusive bath and body treats.
It's a definite must for any self-care lover, and it's 100% vegan and cruelty-free. Yes, no animals were harmed in the making of this advent calendar. Cath Kidson is committed to using less plastic in their packaging. So, let's join together and save our environment whilst still getting in the Christmas mood.
Are you looking for a beautifully designed, yet affordable calendar? It's time to wrap up warm and head to the ski lodge this advent! For those going for that seasonal red and green look this year, the box is decorated with a traditional Christmas scene that will look great in your home.
This advent calendar features all kinds of beauty products like lip balm, a sleeping mask and shower cream. With 24 unique gifts, you certainly won't regret it when you open up one of your doors to find a brand new face mask - and no, we're not talking about the medical kind.
This calendar is popular, has good reviews and is selling out fast! The 24 bath and body treats will have you covered right up until Christmas eve, with everything from bath bombs and salts to hand creams.
The design is totally gorgeous and one of the best we've seen on the market, so it'll make for a wonderful gift for someone special in your life. Plus, with paraben-free formulas in all products, you won't have to worry about irritation.
This calendar is a solid pick if you're dipping your toes into the beauty advent calendar trend for the first time as it comes with a whole range of make-up and skincare products. Are you looking for concealer, lip liner or blush? This advent calendar has you covered.
Plus, it's from a trusted and well-loved brand. No7 have been making quality beauty products for decades, so why not have them brighten up your holiday season this year?
This advent calendar comes with 24 different products, including body wash and shampoo. This set is especially good if you're suffering from dry skin, as it's full of hydrating beauty essentials. There are lots of bath bombs and lip care products too.
The products are uniquely packaged in a hexagonal box, with each item slotted inside in an individual gift box. If you don't like wasteful packaging, this might not be ideal, but we have to admit that it's quite the showstopper.
These make-up calendars from QKI contain everything you'll need for a full face on Christmas morning. They come in London and New York themes so you'll have a choice of two styles.
They do seem to be more targeted towards younger customers, but if you're looking for something for the kids or you're just starting to get into make-up yourself, these calendars would be a great choice.
This 24-piece calendar is ideal for starting out a new make-up journey. Targeted toward teenagers and young adults, it strikes the perfect balance between sophisticated luxury and youthful experimentation.
Unfortunately, some customers have been a little disappointed with the quality of the products, but at such a budget price, it could still make a great gift for someone who is just getting into the world of cosmetics.
Clinique's 24-day calendar is ideal for anyone with dry skin who struggles with the changing weather. Protect your skin and prep for the cold with these wonderful skincare products to keep you hydrated and comfortable.
It is one of the more expensive products on the market, so it won't be ideal for all shoppers. Still, if you have dry skin and you're willing to invest, this is the perfect festive solution.
This 24-piece calendar from NYX includes their best selling products, including 12 lip colours, 6 eyeshadows, and 6 skin products. Plus, this well-renowned brand is selling all this for a bargain price!
The only drawback is that there isn't much variation when it comes to the lip colours. They do come in matte and gloss, but most of them are nude tones with only one or two brighter colours. If nudes are your go-to look, though, you won't be disappointed.
This calendar is packed full of everything from lipsticks to nail varnishes, with 24 exciting presents to enjoy in the run-up to the big day. It's perfect for any Disney fan thanks to its magical castle-themed packaging.
Unfortunately, the brand isn't particularly well known, so the make-up will likely be of slightly lower quality than some of the other brands on this list. Still, it'll make anyone feel like a princess this holiday season.
The release dates for advent calendars will vary from brand to brand, but luckily most beauty advent calenders start to hit the shelves as early as October. It'll be tough to resist cracking into them in the run-up to the festive season though!
Since most advent calendars are designed to be opened from December 1st, much of the stock is subject to huge price reductions after the first week of December. If you don't mind catching up on a few days, grabbing a calendar after December 7th could be a bargain.
Written and researched by Rosa Fairfield
No. 1: Cath Kidston|Beauty Advent Calendar
No. 2: NIVEA| Ski Lodge Advent Calendar
No. 3: William Morris At Home|Dove & Rose Beauty Christmas Advent Calendar
No. 4: No7|Advent Calendar
No. 5: Dove|Ultimate 24 Day Advent Calendar
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