If you've never indulged in the joy of a luxury advent calendar, 2024 may well be the time to do so. Recent years have seen beauty calendars in particular grow from a nice-but-niche treat to a behemoth category, with everyone from Charlotte Tilbury to Harrods, and of course Liberty creating their own offerings.
Beauty advent calendars: what's all the fuss about?
So, what's the appeal? Really, the draw of the beauty calendar is two-fold. Firstly, there's the complete joy of unwrapping a hair, skin or make-up surprise every day throughout December: trust us, an unexpected bath oil is the perfect tonic to a manic festive schedule. Then, there's the savings: the best beauty calendars come packed with premium products, often at a tiny fraction of the usual cost. They really are the best way to discover a wealth of buzzy new launches and iconic classics, without having to invest in the full-size products.
Here, see our rolling guide to the biggest and best beauty calendars of the year, including the contents you can expect and the savings in store. It's never too early...
The best beauty advent calendars of 2024
For classic, high-end beauty, the Harrods beauty calendar always wins. This year's offering – which is available to pre-order now for delivery in September – is worth £1599, and comes stuffed with every prestige beauty brand under the sun.
High-luxury skincare is the highlight here, with brands including Orveda, Augustinus Bader, Dr. Barbara Sturm and 111 Skin all in store.
- On sale: Now
- Value of contents: £1599
- Price: £250
The Bazaar highlights
- Tom Ford Lip Color Matte
- Augustinus Bader The Retinol Serum
- 111 Skin Rose Gold Brightening Facial Treatment Mask
The Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar always causes a stampede come launch day, with eager customers queuing around the corner of Carnaby Street to bag theirs.
This year, the iconic retailer has launched its offering even earlier than usual, with members of its exclusive Beauty Drop subscription club able to pre-order now, ahead of the general release on September 4.
Not one to be outdone, Liberty’s 2024 calendar, which celebrates ten years of the annual tradition, is packed with £1205 worth of treats from that legendary beauty hall – that's even more than the year before.
The big names are ready and waiting – think Augustinus Bader, Byredo and Sunday Riley – but equally exciting are the new brands to discover, from Brazil's beloved Granado to a brand-new launch from Liberty's own fragrance brand, LBTY.
- On sale: Now.
- Value of contents: £1205
- Number of full-size products: 18
- Price: £260
The Bazaar highlights
- Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream
- Lisa Eldridge Liquid Lurex Eyeshadow
- Liberty Wild Flower Candle
First past the post this year is Fortnum & Mason, which has already launched its ultra-luxe beauty calendar for 2024.
Featuring 27 products, the collection is worth over £1080 in total (that's even more than last year) which means the £265 price tag is reasonable indeed.
The edit will appeal especially to fans of niche, natural and traditional luxury products, with a good mix of skincare, bodycare and luxury bath products to ensure you'll use and enjoy every single one.
- On sale: Now
- Value of contents: £1205
- Number of full-size products: 23
- Price: £265
The Bazaar highlights
- Cult 51 Molecular Hydration Elixir
- Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Body Oil
- Olverum Body Polish
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It might be a little early to be making such a bold claim, but we think Harvey Nichols might just steal the crown for the best beauty advent calendar of 2024.
The retailer's 2024 offering contains so many brilliant brands, with 18 of the 25 drawers containing a full-size product. Maison Francis Kurkdjian and Le Labo impress in the luxury fragrance arena, while La Prairie and Sisley Paris tick the ultra-luxe skincare box.
And to make someone's Christmas extra-special, the retailer has hidden a £250 store gift card within one in every 100 calendars.
- On sale: September 23
- Value of contents: £1000+
- Price: £250
The Bazaar highlights
- Fenty Eau de Parfum
- Le Labo Santal 33 Eau de Parfum
- Maison Francis Kurkdjian Gentle Fluidity Gold and Gentle Fluidity Silver Eau de Parfums
Space NK's beauty advent calendar is always one of the most decadent, and this year's is no different. For 2024, the retailer is ensuring it won't be outdone with a collection of 34 products, 23 of which are full size: all for £250.
Last year's collection read like a who's who of science-backed skincare and luxury make-up, and from what we've already seen, this year will be the same. Lisa Eldridge's Hollywood-approved make-up will make an appearance, as will skincare hits from Drunk Elephant and Ultra Violette, and of course, there's a new niche fragrance to discover too.
- On sale: September 12
- Value of contents: £1200
- Price: £250
- Number of full-size products: 23
The Bazaar highlights
- DS & Durga I Don't Know What Eau De Parfum
- Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream
- Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush
Cult Beauty's advent calendar is always one of the most in-demand: in fact, last year's sold out within mere hours. 2024's offering looks more impressive than ever, with a total of 40 products (almost half of which are full-size) worth over £1000.
While the retailer is keeping most of the contents tightly under wraps this year, we do know of a few inclusions that are sure to please anyone hoping to upgrade their make-up kit before the season of celebrations, with skin-sculpting products from Charlotte Tilbury, Saie and A-list make-up artist Patrick Ta all in store.
And that's not all: Cult Beauty will even help you clean up after Christmas, accepting your empty products back to ensure they're recycled correctly. As for the calendar itself? It'll fold effortlessly into your recycling bin.
- On sale: September 4 for those on the waitlist. September 5 general release.
- Value of contents: £1100
- Price: £235
- Number of full-size products: 19
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Anyone hoping for a little party-season respite this winter should look to Neal's Yard Remedies. The brand's first 24-day advent calendar, which was designed in collaboration with Morris & Co, contains enough skin, bath and body products to keep you looking and feeling bright right through to the new year.
Twelve of the 24 products are full size, and the contents together are worth more than twice the price tag: a savvy investment indeed.
- On sale: September 16
- Value of contents: £340
- Price: £150
- Number of full-size products: 12
The Bazaar highlights
- Rejuvenating Frankincense Hydrating Cream
- Wild Rose Eye Brightener
- Aromatic Foaming Bath
This year, Jo Malone has drawn inspiration from her own family tradition and created a ski-chalet of a calendar, stuffed with more products than ever before. The 2024 Jo Loves calendar contains a generous seven full-size products, from candles to fragrances and bodycare, and all those iconic fan favourites – including Malone's personal favourite, Pomelo – are in store. But the very best part? Every calendar comes with an exclusive voucher for a 100ml fragrance of your choosing.
- On sale: September 26
- Value of contents: £750
- Price: £375
- Number of full-size products: 7
The Bazaar highlights
- Fig Trees Home Fragrance
- Pomelo Fragrance Paintbrush
- Amber, Lime and Bergamot Candle
We all know someone who loves No7's iconic skincare and makeup, and the brand certainly knows how to create a winning Christmas calendar, with four selling every minute last year.
For 2024, the golden exterior contains 25 products spanning skin and make-up, with those iconic classics and buzzy new launches in store. With 12 products full-size, and the highest ever total value, you're getting major bang for your buck here.
- On sale: October 1 for those on the waitlist. October 2 general release.
- Value of contents £236
- Price: £60
- Number of full-size products: 12
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Lookfantastic's beauty calendar is always one of the most popular of the year (2023's offering saw over 150,000 people sign up to the waitlist).
This year's 25 Days of Iconic Beauty box contains 25 products from the e-tailer's roster, including classic formulas from Elemis Medik8, MAC and Estee Lauder. With plenty of beloved beauty heroes in store, it's a particularly good one for gifting.
- On sale: September 1
- Value of contents £565
- Price: £100
- Number of full-size products: 12
