I’m a beauty expert – my favorite beauty advent calendars of 2024

NOTHING says ‘Christmas’ better than a box full of beauty products, right?

Celebrating Advent has humble beginnings and meant lighting a candle every day in December.

Fast forward to now, and beauty fans are adding beauty advent calendars to their shopping carts.

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Call me crazy, but I’ve been opening the doors of the Advent calendar since July. But it’s all for your benefit, honestly!

There are hundreds of beauty advent calendars on the market this year – with options starting from a tenner and going up to over £500 – and I’m determined to find the very best.

So here are the fruits of my labor and the best calendars of 2024.

They’ve all impressed me with their value, substance and – most importantly – festive sparkle, but which one do you like?

Best for bargain hunters

LookFantastic advent calendar

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LookFantastic Advent Calendar, £100 (Worth over £565)

RATING: 5/5

This is one of the most affordable And impressive advent calendars on the market.

The glittering walls (which feel more sci-fi than festive) house 27 beauty products, ranging from a cult body mist to a £48 eyeshadow palette.

With a total saving of 82%, compared to buying each product separately, LookFantastic is the best value for money beauty calendar of 2024.

My favorite pick can be found in Door 1, where you’ll discover a full-size Medik8 Press and Glow Tonic and a £30 Look Fantastic x Foreo gift voucher.

Best for trend followers

Cult Beauty Advent Calendar

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Cult Beauty Advent Calendar, £235 (worth £1,100)

RATING: 4.5/5

Best known for offering vibrant new launches and it-girl essentials, the Cult Beauty catalog is undeniably cool.

The retailer has poured its crème de la crème into the 2024 Cult Beauty Advent Calendar, featuring Augustinus Bader, ColorWow and Sol de Janeiro.

With its beautiful, chest-like design, this sturdy calendar can be reused next Christmas or used in a storage box for beauty products.

You will discover 40 products in it, much more than in other boxes, and you will benefit from a saving of 79%.

And if that’s not good enough, Cult Beauty is also throwing in a £10 Cult Beauty voucher with every purchase.

The best for beauty hoarders

Space NK Beauty advent calendar

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Space NK Beauty Advent Calendar, £250 (worth £1,200)

RATING: 4/5

Space NK crushed it this year, as people literal I can’t stop talking about this advent calendar.

While the striking design of the Christmas sweater isn’t for everyone (myself included), you’ll definitely love what you find inside.

With a plethora of 35 products, 23 of which are full size, you’ll discover a wealth of beauty products including a Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow pencil and a Drunk Elephant moisturizer.

Instead of drawers or doors, the calendar has 25 stacked boxes that, while beautiful, are a bit flimsy, meaning it will likely be destined for the trash in January.

What is in the Space NK Advent Calendar 2024?

Here’s everything you’ll receive during the countdown to Christmas…

• Amika Nighttime dream routine treatment
• Augustine Bader The serum
• Chantecaille Cheek Gelee in Lively (FULL SIZE)
• Charlotte Tilbury Color Chameleon in Pillow Talk (FULL SIZE)
• Color Wow Extra strong dream coat (FULL SIZE)
• Drunk elephant La La Retro Whipped Cream (FULL SIZE)
• DS & Durga I don’t know which Eau de Parfum
• Eva Lom Cleaning agent + washcloth
• Shinier G Suit Soft Touch Lip Cream in Jet (FULL SIZE)
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush
• ILIA Beauty Boundless Mascara (FULL SIZE)
• K18 Leave-in molecular repair hair mask (FULL SIZE)
• Kate Somerville Exfolikate Intensive exfoliating treatment (FULL SIZE)
• KOSAS Airbrow in transparent (FULL SIZE)
• Laneige Resilient and firm sleeping mask
• Lisa Eldridge Luxurious Lucent Lip Color in Painterly (FULL SIZE)
• Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense (FULL SIZE)
• Milk makeup Hydro-Grip Primer (FULL SIZE)
• Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum (FULL SIZE)
• Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil (FULL SIZE)
• Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant (FULL SIZE)
• Rare beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil in Hope (FULL SIZE)
• Rodial Glass highlighter
• Sam McKnight Happy Endings nourishing balm
• Sisley Paris Cream mask with black roses
• Sisley Paris Velvet sleeping mask
• Skin rocks Cream Cleansing Fragrance (FULL SIZE)
• Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 62 Mist (FULL SIZE)
• Space NK Nordic Wilds body wash
• Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in Brown Sugar (FULL SIZE)
• Sunday Riley CEO Glow Vitamin C + Turmeric Facial Oil
• Supergoop Glow Screen SPF30 (FULL SIZE)
• Tatcha The serum stick (FULL SIZE)
• The ordinary Multipeptide + HA (FULL SIZE)
• Ultraviolet Queen Screen SPF 50+ (FULL SIZE)

Best for luxury lovers

Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar

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Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar, £260 (Worth £1205)

RATING: 4/5

The Liberty Advent Calendar is so beautiful, I almost it doesn’t matter what’s in it.

But as a beauty writer, it’s my job to look beyond pretty packaging and analyze whether it offers value for money and the all-important excitement factor.

Fortunately, this calendar meets both requirements and is filled with 28 products, 18 of which are full-size.

Inside you’ll discover a shimmering Lisa Eldridge eyeshadow, Liberty scented candle and Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, alongside a plethora of luxury beauty buys.

The calendar will save you a whopping 78% or €945, and that’s even before you consider the beautiful packaging it’s presented in!

Best for sharing

M&S Beauty Advent Calendar

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M&S Beauty Advent Calendar, £50 (worth £300)

RATING: 5/5

If you were to purchase the entire contents of this calendar separately you would have to pay over £300.

Although M&S isn’t synonymous with bargains, they’ve pulled out all the stops for Christmas and you can get your hands on this luxury calendar for just £50.

Inside you’ll find six full-size beauty gifts bundled in a soft velvet toiletry bag.

Ranging from an indie perfume from Floral Street to a Benefit Mascara and a Clinique Cleansing Balm (the retailer’s #1 makeup remover), this calendar is filled with crowd-pleasing beauty gifts that will appeal to the whole family.

You’ll have to wait until October 24, 2024 to get your hands on it, and I expect it to sell out quickly – find out more here.