Beauty Advent calendars for 2026 are already on sale or open for preorder, and according to Guardian writer Sarah Matthews, several of the most popular are likely to sell out well before December. Matthews, who tested 20 of this year’s biggest releases after longlisting 30, said she judged each calendar on the range, quality and usefulness of its contents as well as the packaging it arrived in.
Her overall pick is the Cult Beauty Advent Calendar Signature Edition, priced at £245.
Best overall: Cult Beauty Advent Calendar Signature Edition, £245
The calendar holds 33 products, 19 of them full-size, with a claimed overall value of more than £1,100. Matthews described it as the strongest combination of high-end makeup and skincare in this year’s field, noting that she had previously tried and recommended many of the items inside.
Standouts she listed include the Westman Atelier Eye Want You mascara, the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish setting spray, the Patrick Ta Major Headlines Double-Take cream and powder blush duo, the Saie Dew blush, the Medik8 Advanced pro-collagen peptide cream and the Augustinus Bader the Rich Cream in a 15ml size.
She advised introducing two of the skincare products gradually and separately — the Paula’s Choice Retinaldehyde treatment and the Allies of Skin Azelaic serum — because both target anti-ageing, acne and hyperpigmentation and carry a risk of irritation if added at once.
On the downside, she said only four of the products are hair care, no perfume is included, and the Patrick Ta blush duo runs almost highlighter pink, so it will not suit every taste. The shell is recyclable card with reusable gold ribbons. Status: available.
Best value: Lookfantastic Beauty Advent Calendar, £120
This vault-style calendar contains 27 products, 19 of them full-size, with a claimed value of more than £665. Each drawer has been curated by a different celebrity or influencer, and Matthews said the selection leans on familiar beauty staples rather than expensive specialist treatments.
Her picks include the full-size Medik8 Total Moisture daily cleansing gel, the Elemis Pro-Collagen night cream, the Ameliorate Transforming body lotion, a full-size Benefit Roller Lash mascara in black, the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze styling wax in clear, the White Company Amalfi Lemon room spray, full-size Aveda Cherry Almond shampoo and conditioner and the Color Wow leave-in strengthening treatment.
Criticisms were the absence of any nail care and the calendar’s large footprint, which she said requires considerable display space. The shell is recyclable. Status: preorder.
Best under £100: Anthropologie 24 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar, £98
Matthews described this one as 25 small luxuries behind 24 doors, all of them staples that slot into an existing routine, and said it represents sensible upgrades at a sensible price. It contains 17 full-size and eight mini products, with a claimed value of £400.
Included are a full-size Grown Alchemist Regenerating serum worth £60, the Espa Clean & Green Detox mask, three fragrances — the Malin+Goetz strawberry perfume oil, Phlur Father Figure and a 10ml Floral Street Wild Vanilla Orchid — the Hair Syrup Superfoods prewash oil, a Slip silk scrunchie, the This Works Deep Sleep pillow spray, a L’Occitane hand cream and a mini candle from Plum & Ashby.
She flagged that only one makeup item is included, that Trip electrolytes sachets feel out of place as a beauty treat, and that the Malin+Goetz strawberry perfume oil is an acquired taste. The shell is recyclable. Status: available.
Best for full-size products: Space NK Beauty Advent Calendar, £275
Last year’s top pick carries the most full-size items of any calendar Matthews reviewed — 26 full-size against nine minis — with a claimed value of more than £1,200. Standouts include the Skin Rocks cleansing balm, the Medik8 Exo-PDRN Prismatic+ serum, La Mer Crème de la Mer, the K18 HeatBounce conditioning heat protectant, the Color Wow Carb Cocktail, the Olaplex No3 Plus Complete Repair treatment, Augustinus Bader the Body Cream, the Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Dark Spot serum, the Kosas Soulgazer mascara, the Kulfi Lassi lip staining oil, Naturium the Booster hyaluronic acid body wash, Refy Lash Sculpt and the Saltair Salt Water Vanilla body oil.
The calendar was narrowly beaten to the top spot, Matthews wrote, because its skincare skews heavily towards anti-ageing. She also noted that all the makeup is cream- or liquid-based, so powder fans are not catered for, no nail care is included, and the line-up may hold too few basics for younger users or those who prefer a simpler routine. The shell is recyclable. Status: available.
Also tested: Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar, £285
Matthews called the Liberty offering a taste of the store’s beauty hall at home, with a claimed value of more than £1,300 across 21 full-size and eight mini products. Eight fragrances feature, from houses including DS & Durga, Bibbi and Ex Nihilo, with Molecule 01 and Liberty’s own Tana Meadow among them.
Makeup picks she highlighted include a dusky pink Lisa Eldridge lipstick, a conditioning mascara from Ilia and a berry-red lip stain from Violette FR. Skincare and hair care include the Maria Nila Gloss Coat anti-frizz treatment, the MZ Skin Bio-Placenta eye cream, a brightening vitamin C serum from Sunday Riley and an Augustinus Bader face oil.
She noted that the Davines shampoo is not paired with a matching conditioner and that nail care is absent — something she described as oddly common among this year’s releases. Status: available.
Other categories
The Holland & Barrett Beauty Advent Calendar was named best for skin and body care, while the W7 Beauty Blast Advent Calendar took the title for teens and tweens.
How the calendars were chosen
Matthews said she works in beauty product testing and holds a certification in cosmetic science, which she uses to assess products for different skin and hair types. She looks for a mix of skincare, makeup, body care, hair care and nail care unless a calendar is dedicated to one category, and checks how readily items can be folded into a normal routine.
Packaging counts: a calendar is ruled out if it arrives wrapped in plastic bags and polystyrene, and she verifies that materials are recyclable at home or genuinely reusable. She acknowledged that testing every individual product is impossible, so calendars are assessed on the range, quality and usefulness of their contents.
This year she donated the contents of the calendars she tested to the Redbridge Reach Out service, which supports people experiencing domestic abuse.
Matthews said more calendars will be released before December and that the guide will be updated as they appear. The Guardian earns a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in the article.
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