The best beauty advent calendars for Christmas 2023
Dazzle your way through the festive season with these luxurious beauty advent calendars
All products are chosen independently by our editors. Luxury London may earn commission on items purchased.
Beauty advent calendars have become big business over the past few years. Where once a morsel of chocolate in the shape of a snowman or Christmas tree would satisfy, now any window not hiding a Charlotte Tilbury eyeliner or mini Acqua di Parma fragrance is, frankly, a bit of a letdown.
And, with beauty advent calendars continuing to sell out year after year, an increasing number of brands, retailers and department stores are getting in on the action. Aside from stocking up your make-up bag and bathroom cabinet, they’re a savvy investment too, with many boasting products which are collectively worth far more than the calendar’s retail price. So, whether your passion lies in make-up, skincare or grooming (men aren’t immune to the allure either), these are the best beauty advent calendars for Christmas 2023.
Sephora Favourites advent calendar
The true joy of a beauty advent calendar is in trying a whole host of products you might never have otherwise discovered – and when it comes to trying new things, who better to take a recommendation from than beauty powerhouse Sephora? The 2023 Sephora Favourites advent calendar features 36 of the retailer’s best-selling products, worth a combined £1,045, from brands including Neom, NailsInc, Glow Recipe, Sunday Riley and Fenty Skin.
Fenwick 12 Days of Beauty advent calendar
Valued at nearly £800, Fenwick’s 2023 beauty advent calendar may be called 12 Days of Beauty but inside you’ll actually find 15 full or travel-size products from some of the department store’s most coveted brands. Expect fragrance from Parfums de Marly and Escentric Molecules, skincare from Augustinus Bader and Dr. Barbara Sturm and makeup from Charlotte Tilbury and Trinny London alongside many more beauty surprises.
Harvey Nichols Beauty advent calendar
Packed full of products worth over a massive £1,300, Harvey Nichols’ 2023 beauty advent calendar offers serious value for hardcore skincare and makeup fans. Unusually, there are a total of 45 products hiding behind its doors, 24 of which are full size, and all from brands tried-and-tested by Harvey Nichols’ beauty experts. Expect vouchers for Dermalogica facials and Fenty Beauty masterclasses, full-size skincare from Dr Barbara Sturm, Augustinus Bader and Eve Lom and makeup must-haves from Charlotte Tilbury, Opi, Hourglass and more. Plus, one in every 50 calendars contains a £100 Harvey Nichols gift voucher behind door 25 – good luck!
Cult Beauty advent calendar
A one-stop-shop for all things beauty, it tracks that Cult Beauty’s in-house advent calendar should be one of the most carefully curated on the market. Featuring 39 products with a total value of more than £1,000, it combines beauty icons with under-the-radar brands to promise a delightful surprise everyday. Alongside dressing table staples, such as Dr Barbara Sturm’s hyaluronic serum and Huda Beauty’s Cheek Tint Blush Stick, you’ll find new discoveries from Fable & Mane, 19/99 Beauty, Herlum and The Seated Queen.
Harrods Beauty Advent Calendar
For 2023, Harrods is offering two versions of its popular beauty advent calendar: one filled with a mix of skincare, fragrance and makeup and another dedicated wholly to perfumes and scents. It’s the former that’s caught our eye thanks to its gorgeously illustrated packaging and mix of products from world-class brands, including Ren, Living Proof, 111Skin and Acqua di Parma. Highlights include a full-size Kylie Cosmetics High Glossy Crystal, Laura Mercier Caviar stick and Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge.
Sensai advent calendar
Available from Harrods from October, Sensai’s 2023 advent calendar offers up some of the brand’s best-selling skincare, body care and makeup products in a sleek, modern box inspired by traditional Japanese kissho motifs. Among the coveted treats hiding inside, expect items from Sensai’s Silky Purifying and Absolute Silk skincare lines, Cellular Performance body care range and a whole host of high-performance must-haves from its targeted Expert offering.
Space NK Beauty Advent Calendar
Widely regarded as the authority on all things luxury beauty, the Space NK advent calendar has become one of the most coveted (and fastest selling) each year. This year’s features a roster of brands that reads like a who’s who of the high-end beauty world, with products from Sunday Riley, Drunk Elephant, Eve Lom and Olaplex all present and correct. You’re also likely to make a few new discoveries: we can’t wait to try out the Complete Instant Recovery Serum from JVN Hair (the brand by Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness) and Rare Beauty’s Perfect Strokes liquid liner.
YSL Beauty Advent Calendar
Available exclusively at Selfridges, YSL Beauty’s 24-day advent calendar is packed full of best sellers from the brand’s highly-regarded make-up, fragrance and skincare lines. Across the mix of full- and travel-size products, you’ll find eight lipsticks from the Rouge Volupte and Rouge Pur Couture collections, five eau de parfums and a whole host of YSL’s coveted beauty treats.
Sisley Beauty Advent Calendar
Sisley is renowned as much for its focus on impeccable design as it is for its effective skincare and makeup formulas – and its highly-anticipated advent calendar doesn’t skimp on this promise. Each and every one of its 25 products is packaged in an eye-catching patchwork-style calendar designed by Isabelle d’Ornano. So, what’s in the recyclable cardboard box? Full-size versions of the So Curl mascara, Phyto-Lip Twist, and Sisleÿa L’Integral Anti-Age Eye and Lip Contour Cream, alongside miniature heroes including the Black Rose cream Mask, Precious Hair Care Oil, All Day all Year moisturiser and much more.
Acqua di Parma Advent Calendar
Acqua di Parma’s hat box-style advent calendar is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful on the market this year. If you’re familiar with the Italian brand, you’ll know the focus here is on fragrance, with signature perfumes and colognes, such as Colonia and Blu Mediterraneo, offered alongside limited edition shower gels, body lotions, soaps and candles.
Selfridges Beauty advent calendar
If you’re liable to wander into the Selfridges Beauty Hall and accidentally lose an hour or two browsing its impressive collection, this is the advent calendar for you. Featuring make-up, skincare, haircare and fragrance products worth far more than £220 price tag, it represents a fantastic opportunity to work new brands and formulas into your beauty regime, especially with a host of full-size items in the mix. Highlights include Lisa Eldridge’s Luxuriously Lucent lip colour, an Augustinus Bader Rich Cream, a Malin + Goetz Dar Rum candle and a gift card for the Selfridge’s Beauty Concierge.
Armani Beauty Advent Calendar
Armani’s distinctive scarlet-and-gold advent calendar is brimming with best-sellers, including the Lip Power Lipstick, My Way Eau de Parfum and Eyes To Kill Classico mascara. You’ll also get full-size versions of the cult Lip Maestro Liquid Lipstick, Crema Nera eye cream, Eyes To Kill Stellar eye shadow and Eccentrico mascara.
John Lewis Beauty Advent Calendar
If you usually head straight to Space NK to refill your make-up bag, it may come as news that high street stalwart John Lewis has been stealthily building up an incredible beauty offering over the last few years. For a sample of what’s available look to its annual beauty calendar, which this year is worth over £920. Inside you’ll find 31 full- and travel-size products from Susanne Kaufmann, Charlotte Tilbury, Dermalogica, Murad, Sunday Riley, Rodial, Nars, Laura Mercier and more. Plus, behind door 25, 15 lucky winners will receive either a £500 John Lewis gift card or money-can’t-buy experiences including trips to Rome, spa breaks, and expert pampering sessions.
Elemis First Class advent calendar
Putting the focus squarely on skincare, Elemis’ First Class advent calendar comes in the form of an adorable snow-covered postbox (hence the name). Far more exciting than a letter to Santa, however, inside you’ll find fan-favourite products including the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, Clarifying Clay Wash, Dynamic Resurfacing Gel Mask and many, many more.
