Buying guide · Updated ·
Beauty advent calendars 2026 UK, compared
Short answer: the GLOSSYBOX 2026 calendar at £85 (worth over £645) is the best value we found, and the Liberty calendar at £285 (worth over £1,300, 21 full sizes) is the pick if you want a big luxury one. On a smaller budget, the Superdrug 24 Days of Beauty calendar is £60 for £160 of products.
Advent calendars rarely get cheaper before December, and the popular ones sell out first, so if one on this list suits the person you're buying for, it's usually safer to buy now than wait for Black Friday. Prices were checked on 25 October 2026.
GLOSSYBOX 2026 Advent Calendar (worth over £645)
The best ratio of price to stated contents value on this list, at about £3.30 a door. GLOSSYBOX subscribers pay £75.
Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar 2026 (29 products, 21 full size)
Expensive, but stated as worth over £1,300 with mostly full-size products and a Liberty print bag. The luxury calendar we'd choose. In stock today.
Superdrug 24 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar (worth £160)
A Superdrug exclusive at £2.50 a door. A sensible choice for a teenager or someone who likes trying high street brands.
ELEMIS The Ultimate Beauty Advent Calendar (25 pieces)
ELEMIS puts the contents at £662, so about three times what you pay. Best for someone who already likes the brand's skincare, as it's all one brand.
L'Occitane Classic Advent Calendar 2026 (24 treats)
Stated as worth £192, so less of a saving than the mixed-brand calendars. You're paying for the hand creams and body care people know. The Prestige version is £169 (worth £269).
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Beauty Wonderland Advent Calendar (15 items)
Worth £325.50, with a mix of full-size and travel-size make-up and skincare. Only 15 items, so it's more of a gift box than a daily calendar.
Revolution Advent Calendar 2026 (24 doors, worth £100)
In stock at £50. Superdrug's page shows a Revolution calendar at £40 (worth £101) but says it's no longer available online, so it may be worth checking your local store first.
How to choose a beauty advent calendar
Start with the person, not the 'worth' figure. A calendar full of products they'll never use is poor value however big the saving looks. A few quick checks:
- Single brand or mixed? Brand calendars (ELEMIS, L'Occitane, Charlotte Tilbury) suit someone who already loves that brand. Retailer calendars (Liberty, GLOSSYBOX, Superdrug) are better when you're not sure what they use.
- Full sizes: the more full-size products, the more they'll actually get used. Liberty has 21 full sizes out of 29 products.
- Skincare, make-up or both: make-up shades are personal. Skincare, haircare and body care are safer for a gift.
- Number of doors: some calendars have 12 or 15 items, not 24. Work out the cost per door before comparing.
Value versus contents
Every calendar claims a 'worth' figure, which adds up the full retail price of everything inside. It's a useful guide, but treat it with care. Deluxe minis are valued pro rata, and some products are rarely sold at their full price.
Here's how the calendars above compare, using each retailer's own figures:
- GLOSSYBOX: £85 for over £645, about 7.6 times the price.
- Liberty: £285 for over £1,300, about 4.6 times.
- ELEMIS: £225 for £662, about 2.9 times.
- Superdrug: £60 for £160, about 2.7 times.
- Revolution: £50 for £100, twice the price.
- L'Occitane Classic and Charlotte Tilbury: about 1.9 times.
A good rule: a mixed-brand calendar should be worth at least three times what you pay. Single-brand calendars usually offer less, so only buy one if the brand is the point.
Target prices
There's no single 'good price' for an advent calendar, because they range from £50 to well over £500. Rough guides from what's on sale now:
- Under £60: expect mostly high street make-up and minis, at about £2 to £2.50 a door.
- £80 to £100: mixed-brand calendars with a few full sizes. GLOSSYBOX at £85 is the one to beat.
- £200 to £300: luxury calendars. Look for at least 15 full-size products and a stated value of four times the price or more.
When do beauty advent calendars sell out?
Most launched in late August and September, and several were already sold out or on waiting lists by late October, including some of the fragrance calendars. The big retailer calendars tend to go first, especially in the run-up to Black Friday on 27 November.
Some calendars do get cut around Black Friday, and leftover stock is sometimes reduced in December or after the 1st, once the countdown has started. But that's a gamble on the calendar still being in stock. If you need it as a present by 1 December, buy it when you see it at a price you're happy with.
Are beauty advent calendars worth it?
They are if most of the products would get used. Check the full contents list (most retailers publish it) and count how many items the person would actually like. If it's fewer than half, a gift set or a single full-size product is better value.
Will beauty advent calendars be cheaper on Black Friday?
Sometimes, but popular ones often sell out first. A modest Black Friday discount isn't worth risking the calendar you want, so we'd only wait on the cheaper, widely stocked calendars.
What's the best beauty advent calendar under £100?
Of the ones we checked, GLOSSYBOX at £85 offers the most for the money. The Superdrug calendar at £60 is the pick under £60.
When should you open a beauty advent calendar?
Most start on 1 December and run to the 24th or 25th. If you're giving one as a gift, hand it over in late November so it's ready for day one.
More gift ideas
See our Christmas gift guides for more ideas by budget. If you'd rather give a fragrance, our perfume gift set Black Friday guide has current prices, and our Amazon Prime free trial guide explains how to get free delivery on Christmas shopping.