The 20 Best Beauty Advent Calendars for a Little Surprise and Delight This Holiday
Unsure what to gift someone who loves beauty? We don't blame you. There are so many brands and products to choose from. Enter beauty advent calendars, which allow the giftee to try loads of products throughout the entire month of December. You can opt to go all in on a single brand (like Charlotte Tilbury or La Mer) or try a mix of bestselling skincare, makeup and hair picks from a retailer (like Net-a-Porter and Saks Fifth Avenue). From the makeup beginner to the full-blown skincare connoisseur, we've rounded up 20 of the best beauty advent calendars for everyone on your list.
RELATED: These Are the 18 Best Advent Calendars to Buy This Holiday Season
1. Ciaté London Mini Mani Month Advent Calendar
Best for the Nail Tech in Training
Make time for an at-home mani (or several) with these 22 mini polishes from Ciaté London. In addition to the wide range of colors, this advent calendar also sweetens the deal with one full-size glitter polish and a mini primer.
2. Glossybox ‘Surprise Me’ Advent Calendar
Best for the All-Around Beauty Fan
Why settle for just 25 gifts when you can get two additional items with this Glossybox calendar? Enclosed you'll find a mix of 16 full and 11 travel sized items from some of the biggest beauty brands like Glow Recipe, First Aid Beauty and Elemis. Whether you're into skincare, makeup or haircare, it’s a must-have no beauty fan can pass up. Did we mention it’s filled with $550 worth of products?
3. NYX Gimme Super Stars! 24 Day Holiday Countdown Advent Calendar
Best for the Butter Gloss Collection Fans
Don’t worry, NYX is making sure your holiday looks covered this year. The 24-day calendar has all the makeup you’ll need straight from the best sellers list. From the Butter Gloss collection to the Born to Glow! Liquid Illuminator to six shimmering eyeshadows. Hidden behind each door is a full or mini size product to last you through the season and beyond.
4. Molton Brown Advent Calendar
Best for the Fragrance Lover
Eplore a world of fragrance with Molton Brown's advent calendar. The gift set includes home and body products like bath gels, body oils and even candles in rich scents of elderwood, muddled plum and citrus.
5. The Body Shop Share the Joy Advent Calendar
Best for the New Parent
Know any new parents in need of an at-home spa day? Treat them to this pampering calendar from The Body Shop. Filled with sheet masks, bath bubbles and shower gels, each item will bring them some much needed TLC (and holiday cheer).
6. Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Beauty Dreams & Secrets
Best for the Fancy Friend
Featuring a blend of full and travel size goodies from this highly coveted brand, this comprehensive box set includes top rated items like the Magic Serum Crystal Elixir, the Goddess Skin Clay Mask and the new Pillow Talk eyeshadow pencil in "Color Chameleon." Also, can we talk about the bejeweled box? It’s like an extra gift in and of itself.
7. Rituals The Ritual of Advent 3D Calendar
Best for the Christmas Fanatic
This festive calendar will prep your gift recipient with everything they need to keep their skin hydrated this winter. Aside from shower gels, body creams and mists, there are also four mini candles to light up their homes. Plus, the calendar itself turns into a 3D model of a Christmas village to add to their holiday decor. And there’s no need to wrap it either; it comes ready to go in a red box (with a gold bow) so it can simply be handed to the lucky person on your list.
8. Elemis No. 25 Beauty Advent Calendar
Best for Global Beauty Fans
Treat your well-traveled friend to a set of hydrating creams, gentle exfoliators and nourishing masks from across the pond. Bonus: Everything comes in chic, floral boxes to keep long after the holidays are over. Oh, and all the items are worth $562 (!). Sounds like a smart deal to us.
9. Saks Fifth Avenue Ready, Set, Refresh! 14-Piece Advent Calendar
Best Value
Don’t sleep on Saks Fifth Avenue’s calendar, which is stocked with skin and haircare minis. Discover cult favorites like Briogeo's Scalp Revival Shampoo, Augustinus Bader's The Rich Cream, and Sunday Riley's CEO Glow Vitamin C and Tumeric face oil. Oh, it also includes a travel-sized Foreo facial cleaning device.
10. Huda Beauty House of Huda 12-Door Advent Calendar
Best for the IG Influencer
Gift the makeup maven in your life some new lashes, eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks. It also includes skincare staples from Kinship. Plus, the 3D calendar comes fully packaged in a box that's shaped like rosy pink lips—all you need to do is fill out a card.
11. Clarins Winter Wonders Collection Advent Calendar
Best for Skincare Lovers
Get everything you'll need to keep your skin nourished and hydrated from head to toe with this boxed set. The calendar includes an eye cream, a cleanser, a face moisturizer, a hand cream, a body lotion *and* pretty extras like lip gloss, blush and mascara.
12. L’Occitane Holiday Advent Calendar
Best Budget
Calling all L’Occitane fans.This set gives you 24 ways to cleanse and moisturize your skin. Whether you’re looking for a hand cream, a shower oil or a shampoo, the signature calendar has it all. And for a $115 value, you can't go wrong with nourishing their skin in key ingredients (aka shea butter, almond oil and citrus essential oil).
13. LookFantastic Advent Calendar
Best for Popular Brands
OK, your skincare and makeup routines are set with this advent calendar. Packed with masks, treatments and more from some of our favorite brands like NARS, Aveda and Kate Somerville, you'll definitely get the most bang for your buck with this set considering the face value of each item individually.
14. NET-A-PORTER 25 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar
Best for Luxury Brands
This is for the beauty lover in your life who appreciates the finer things in life. Think: Luxury brands like Sachajuan, Tata Harper and Oribe, to name a few. From serums to cleansers, there are 24 surprises behind each door. BTW, the entire set is valued at $1,700 (gulp), which is three times what you're paying.
15. It Cosmetics 12 Days of Confidence Collection Advent Calendar
Best for Beauty Newbies
For the person seeking a new beauty routine, this limited edition set includes all of your daily essentials. From a hydrating cleanser and moisturizer to a lengthening mascara and a flattering lip gloss, everything you need can be found behind each of the 12 doors.
16. Dr. Barbara Sturm Advent Calendar
Best Splurge
Considering a single moisturizer from Dr. Barbara Sturm's line will cost you a third of this advent calendar's total price, the initial splurge is (slightly) more palettable. Whether you're a long-time fan or are simply curious about the beloved A-list brand, there are 24 treatments in full and travel sizes to try.
17. W7 Beauty Blast Advent Calendar
Best for Makeup Beginners
Any makeup newbie would be excited to experiment with the lipsticks, highlighters and powders in this calendar. It even comes with a few hair accessories so they can dabble in new looks all month long.
18. Perricone MD Dozen Delights Advent Calendar Set
Best for Gen X/Boomers
This cult-favorite skincare brand is giving us 12 days of its bestselling products. From the No Makeup Easy Rinse Makeup-Removing Cleanser to the Cold Plasma+ The Intensive Hydrating Complex Moisturizer, there’s a Perricone MD product waiting behind each door. Your mom would appreciate the classic collection dedicated to her mature skin.
19. Florence by Mills Advent Calendar
Best for Teens
This limited edition calendar caters to the teen or young adult in your life. The buzzy brand was founded by Gen Z celeb Millie Bobby Brown and offers fun products like a peel-off face mask and a body highlighter (both of which are included in this set).
20. La Mer The World Of La Mer 12-Piece Holiday Advent Calendar Set
Best for the VIP in Your Life
La Mer is one of the most luxurious skincare brands out there with a celebrity fan list that includes the likes of Beyoncé and Blake Lively . This limited edition calendar comes with all of the most popular products in the line—from the iconic Crème de la Mer to The Regenerating Serum—in generously sized samples to take on-the-go.
RELATED: These Are the 8 Best Gift Sets to Buy at Sephora This Holiday Season
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