Whether you’re mad about skincare or looking to treat someone this festive season, we’ve rounded up the best beauty advent calendars of 2022. Scroll to shop the ultimate edit…
We get it, it’s only September but this year’s beauty advent calendars are already causing a stir. There is the OG that is the Liberty London behemoth, premium selections from the likes of LOOKFANTASTIC and Cult Beauty, affordable options on the high street thanks to Next and M&S and a stellar debut from luxury London department store Harvey Nichols.
This year also sees plenty of one-brand options, so if you’re a longtime fan of Elemis or want to deck your bathroom out in the prettiest Susanne Kaufmann products, there’s an advent calendar for you.
Whilst some have hit the shelves already, the majority that are still to come have a sign-up or waiting list to ensure you get your beauty loving mitts on them when they do.
Read on for everything you need to know…
The Rolls Royce of beauty advents, Liberty’s iconic calendar is the most successful product in the London store’s 145-year history. When it first launched you’d see husbands, friends and beauty diehards snaking round the corners of the Regent Street store to get their hands on one. Now, thankfully, you can order online and have over £1,000 worth of beauty goodness delivered direct to you door – it retails at £245 so you make a decent saving.
Behind the beautifully designed Liberty store doors you’ll find a treasure trove of peacock printed boxes filled with some of the best names in the business, from Kate Somerville to Le Labo, Sunday Riley to Trish McAvoy.
P.S. We’re giving one lucky Handbook reader the chance to win the calendar. Enter our competition to be in with the chance of all your beauty Christmas’ coming at once.
Any bonafide beauty junkie knows Space NK is the beauty destination for sourcing everything from science-driven brands to innovative gadgets and niche cult heroes. Their 2022 advent embodies all of that, with a generous helping of brands inside – think Paula’s Choice, Sol de Janeiro and Olaplex. The calendar comes in at £215 but is worth an incredible £770.
The calendar is yet to hit stores and online, but sign up to join the wait list here.
The world’s most in demand makeup artist returns with her stunning advent calendar and this year it is more magical than ever. Pull open the sparkly drawers to find beauty secrets from Charlotte herself and some of the brand’s most iconic products, from the sellout Beauty Light Wand in Spotlight to the award-winning Mini Magic Cream and the globally-adored Airbrush Setting Spray
The chest is yet to hit shelves but be sure to add you name to the waiting list – run, don’t walk, people.
Discover some of Liz Earle’s best-loved products this festive season as you unwrap 12 carefully chosen skincare surprises, from the iconic Hot Cloth Cleanser to the refreshing Balancing Gel Mask. There are both full-sizes and luxury miniatures included in the calendar, helping you to keep your skin glowing throughout the festive period.
If you don’t want to commit to just one brand, the House of Fraser Beauty Advent Calendar is a solid choice. Filled with some of the beauty industry’s most trusted brands, including Charlotte Tilbury, Acqua di Parma and Estée Lauder, it’s worth a whopping £406 but retails at just £125. That’s beauty maths we like to hear.
Beauty advents don’t come much more stylish than NET-A-PORTER’s 25 Days of Beauty. The box is super chic, naturally, in the brand’s signature black, and is peppered with pops of red, pink and white. Behind each door you will find a wealth of luxury brands, from cult classics to niche newbies.
It’s also a great chance to get your hands on some of the world’s most expensive beauty products without blowing the whole Christmas budget – think Augustinus Bader’s The Face Oil, which is a favourite of Victoria Beckham, no less. Or the all-natural but hugely hardworking favourite of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Tata Harper.
The calendar also offers up some stunning makeup options, from Westman Atelier’s Lit Up Highlight Stick in Brûlée – a universally flattering cream bronzer that we love to slick on eyelids, too – to Charlotte Tilbury’s Look of Love Kissing Lipstick in Nude Romance.
There’s still a waiting list to get your hands on the box, so be sure to sign up to avoid disappointment come December 1st.
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without mince pies, Mariah and a little bit of Fortnum’s magic. This year, the iconic London store have outdone themselves with the goodies behind each turquoise hued door.
Find treats from the likes of Aromatherapy Associates, Cult51, ESPA, Olverum, Bramley, and Elizabeth Scarlett, spanning across skincare, haircare, fragrance, bath, body, wellness and even accessories.
Cult Beauty are going big this year with 37 products behind those sugarplum pink doors. If that’s not enough, 13 of those are full size products – yes, you heard us right, FULL SIZE.
The list reads as a who’s who of the beauty world – 111SKIN, Charlotte Tilbury, Hourglass, Drunk Elephant, Dr Dennis Gross, Laura Mercier, REN, Sachajuan, The INKEY List… we could go on.
Retailing at £235 for over £1,000 worth of product, it’s a beauty cabinet investment if nothing else.
Sign up now to be one of the first to shop, or better still, enter our competition here to win one of the coveted calendars.
Twenty-five days, 26 products and a festive season full to bursting with beauty goodness, the LOOKFANTASTIC advent returns with over £500 worth of product inside.
Each door will take you on a beauty journey through skincare, hair and makeup, with the likes of Rodial, Christophe Robin, Elemis, By Terry and more.
If you know your Strobe Cream from your Prep+Prime, your Ruby Woo from your Velvet Teddy, we can hazard a guess you’re a MAC fan. The iconic makeup brand is back with their festive offering, enclosed in this stunning ruby red circular box.
Worth over £405, it retails at just £165 and is packed full with 24 indulgent treats, including 16 full-sized products, best sellers and even the brand new MACStack Mascara. Obsessed.
This charming advent comes with an incredible pop-up design inspired by the waste pickers of Bengaluru in India where The Body Shop’s Community Fair Trade recycled plastics come from. Some of those products have been used in the creation of the calendar itself and it offers a chance to give back at this special time of year.
Product-wise, expect a cornucopia of head-to-toe treats, from full-sized Moringa Shampoo and Conditioners to skin-tingling Himalayan Charcoal masks.
Worth over £804 for just £235, the Flannels advent comes stocked with some of the world’s leading brands – Augustinus Bader, NARS, Medik8, Bioeffect, Larry King, Acqua Di Parma and more.
The calibre of brands inside each door is seriously impressive and a great way to try before you invest in the real deal – although some of the products do come in full sizes.
Plus, (because it’s Christmas), Flannels have added a £500 gift card to one of the advent calendars for a real life Charlie and the Chocolate Factory moment.
Give someone (or yourself) the gift of self-care this December with Décleor’s indulgent advent. The Parisian brand is known for its rich formulations and spa-like products and we can bet every inch of this box smells divine.
Open a box a day, from the 1st’s Decléor Headband to Christmas Eve’s Rosemary Black Clay Mask and plenty of delights in-between.
Treat yourself this season to Soap & Glory’s kitsch offering bursting with 24 glorious moments of me-time. Hidden inside you’ll find some of the brand’s best-loved products from the Clean On Me Shower Gel to the Righteous Butter Body Butter, as well as some new additions like the Scrub Of Your Life Body Scrub and the Speed Plump Hydrating Day Cream.
Lush’s quirky offering comes with a rainbow coloured selection of bath time and skincare treats. Think Christmas pudding bath bombs, turmeric latte fragrance sprays (’tis the season after all), Elf shaped shower gels and candy cane bubble bars.
It’s not for everyone but it will certainly put a smile on your face and some fun into your bath all through December.
Plus, all the packaging is made from 100% recycled goods and designed by the talented ARTHOUSE Unlimited in a colourful abstract print, so can be used to store your beauty bits year-round.
Indulge in a moment of calm each day during what is typically the most hectic month of the year with Ritual’s mindful, relaxing and nourishing advent. The pretty design comes with twinkling branches, behind which are luxury treats such as The Ritual of Sakura Hand Balm, The Ritual of Namaste Anti-Aging Serum and The Ritual of Hammam Body Cream. Bliss.
If the price of most beauty advents leaves you bleary eyed, L’Occitane’s is a little more pocket-friendly whilst still giving the gift of a daily indulgent treat. At £55 (it’s worth over £100) it offers a generous selection of L’Occitane favourites in an array of travel sizes, from the iconic Almond and Verbena ranges to the Shea Butter and many more. The perfect way to count down the holidays.
For diehard Elemis fans out there you can forget chocolate this year and gift them this 25-day countdown full of skincare and wellness goodies.
Expect heroes from the renowned Pro-Collagen range, nutrient-packed serums from the Superfood line and spa-worthy scents from the iconic Frangipani collection.
The beautiful box is sturdy and not overly festive, so can be used again to store your faves.
This eponymous skincare range is known for its holistic approach with organic, active plant ingredients, as well as the hard working formulas that feel luxurious on the skin. Kauffman’s packaging is nothing short of beautiful too, and we’d quite happily open up one of these little boxes every day in December.
This calendar showcases the very best of the line in generous sizes and even four full-size product icons. In line with the brand’s commitment to sustainability, the calendar is made with recycled and recyclable cardboard packaging. It even comes with a secondary refill option, making for thoughtful, sustainable gifting year after year.
Jam-packed with 12 of Benefit’s top-sellers in pocket-friendly mini and fun sizes, this is a fun and more affordable option if you want to jump on that beauty advent train.
Expect to find some of Benefit’s most celebrated products, from the Badgal Bang Volumising Mascara to the Hoola Matte Bronzer, all wrapped up in a unique keepsake box.
Make bath and shower time more indulgent with the Molton Brown Advent Calendar. Open 24 festive doors to find some of the brand’s most iconic products, from invigorating shower gels to nourishing hand creams and intense fragrances. This is one way to make your bathroom feel like a five-star hotel throughout the festive season.
Who better to put together a beauty advent than the team behind one of the world’s best-loved fashion and beauty magazines. Elle’s annual advent is back, priced at £175 but worth over £755 and jam-packed with editor-approved brands such as Dr. Barbara Sturm, FOREO, Sisley and 111SKIN.
Expect 12 full size beauty products, 15 more cult beauty products (including a candle which is enough to sell it to us TBH), and a year’s ELLE digital subscription.
Refresh your fragrance collection with the Acqua di Parma Advent this festive season. The sunflower yellow box has been designed in collaboration with Emillio Pucci and will serve as a chic hat box, jewellery store or beauty kit long after the 25th December.
Brighten your bathroom shelfies and make your space and your skin smell divine with the 25 little gifts inside, from Colonia to Blu Mediterraneo, Le Nobili to the precious Signatures of the Sun fragrances and the Home collection.
It’s not cheap but it sure is dreamy – Diptyque’s 2022 milky-way inspired calendar is a work of art and houses some of the fragrance brand’s best-loved scents. Each day is represented by a different constellation, making way for an indulgent Diptyque treat each day throughout December. Plus, the calendar includes three limited-edition Christmas scents: a small pine tree scented candle and miniature neige, and an étincelles candle. Heaven.
Retailing at £85, and to the value of £280, open 12 days of beauty surprises from Jurlique; including their Softening Shower Gel, Rare Rose Lotion and Signature Eye Serum.
And if you want to get your hands on one before it’s even launched online, enter our exclusive competition, where one lucky Handbook reader will win this year’s offering. Enter the competition here.
Aromatherapy and wellness pioneers, ESPA are keeping their 2022 calendar under wraps but you can sign up to be notified as to when it’s dropping online.
Expect to find some of the brand’s best-loved pampering products designed to rest and recoup the mind, body and spirit. Oh, and we can guarantee it will make your home smell like a spa.
Whether you’re new to the CBD scene or looking to spoil a loved one who swears by the stuff, the OTO Rituals Calendar is a riff on the usual beauty advent. The brand specialise in CBD – from skincare to sleep sprays, oils to drinks – and their immersive 12-day Christmas calendar will help you relax, rejuvenate and glow both on the outside and from within.
As a whole, the set is worth £599 but retailing at £299 so worth the investment if you’re looking to up your CBD collection. It will have you feeling revamped well into 2023.
The instantly recognisable creamy packaging with jet black trim gets just about any beauty or fragrance aficionado hot under the collar. Say hello to the Jo Malone 2022 advent calendar. Not officially released until 29th September, you can already pre-order it to ensure you’re on the list to receive 25 treats leading up to the big day. Think signature fragrances, luxury soaps, indulgent bubble baths and even Christmas decorations.
Dive into the fun holiday-inspired box designed by Made By Radio and find a plethora of favourites from this trusted skincare line, including cleansers, face masks, facial serums, moisturisers and more.
Longtime lovers of the brand will be pleased to hear it includes most of Kiehl’s most iconic products like the velvety Midnight Recovery Concentrate and the nourishing Creme de Corps body lotion.
Nordic beauty brand Lumene has become an under-the-radar favourite of beauty editors and skincare influencers and their Christmas wonders advent is the perfect way to introduce newbies to the brand.
Behind each door hides a delightful surprise, one of either 17 skincare or seven make-up favourites, from the Nordic-C Clear Glow Cleansing Gel Scrub to the Invisible Illumination Instant Illuminizer.
This is a calendar that will see your through the festive season, from cosy pampering nights in to full-on party makeup mode.
Here’s a calendar that’s going to counteract all the fun and frivolity party season brings with it, with 12 helpful doses of me-time magic. From the Neal’s Yard signature sleep spray to their aromatic foaming bubble bath and rose-infused eye brightener, you’ll feel rested, rejuvenated and at least look like you’ve been catching your eight hours each night, even if you haven’t.
A first from the luxe London department store and it certainly won’t disappoint. Harvey Nichols makes a stellar debut onto the beauty advent scene with this chic navy and colour popping design.
Inside, pull open the little drawers to reveal 34 products – 23 of which are full size (23!) from brands like Augustinus Bader, Dr Barbara Sturm, Fenty, La Mer, M Z Skin, Sarah Chapman and Sunday Riley. You don’t really get a better list when it comes to beauty so if you’re a bonafide skincare addict, or shopping for one, this is a great option.
Now to something really sexy and YSL’s Christmas advent offering which launches on 14th September. The textured black box trimmed with luxe gold details plays host to 24 festive treats across lips, eyes, face and fragrance. Including four full-size gifts, 19 minis and an extra special YSL gift.
A great choice if you’re looking to refresh you makeup collection for party season and beyond.
Soon to launch at Harvey Nichols is this seriously luxe advent from the innovative Kate Sommerville. Her products are born in her iconic Skin Health Experts Clinic in the heart of Hollywood (her clients include the likes of Jessica Alba, Olivia Wilde, Kate Hudson and Meghan Markle) and use active ingredient combinations to deliver visible results without the downtime.
Inside the chic gold and white boxes you’ll find some of the line’s best-loved products, such as the Goat Milk Cleanser, Retinol Vita C Power Serum, ExfoliKate Resurfacing Body Scrub, KateCeuticals Eye Cream and the KateCeuticals Peel.
If it’s good enough for the A-List, it’s good enough for us.
Christmas is all about giving back and M&S certainly do that for any beauty junkies out there with the affordably priced festive calendar. Retailing at just £40 when you spend £30 at M&S, the box is worth £300 and includes some of the high street stalwart’s best-rated brands. Think hair care from Living Proof, hardworking skincare from Emma Hardy and Parisian pharmacy magic by way of NUXE.
If you thought Next was only good for its Boxing Day sale and affordable homeware finds, think again. The high street store is worth checking out for their beauty advent too. Over £300 worth of product for just £85 with brands such as MAC, Elemis, Emma Hardie, NEOM and Benefit included – what’s not to love?
The products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however, The Handbook may make a small commission on some of the products purchased through affiliate links.
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