Noone is ever too old for an advent calendar. And when it’s packed with beauty treats and treatments, then we reckon every midlife woman deserves one. We’ve rounded up the best beauty advent calendars for 2021 so that you can buy one as a gift – for yourself perhaps, or someone else.
Beauty advent calendars are grown up version of childhood advent calendars. They swap the milk chocolate baubles of your youth for the most coveted beauty goodies around. Expect luxurious skincare, fabulous make-up and lavish self-care products that will really get you in the festive mood.
READ MORE Best menopause skincare for midlife skin.
What is the most popular beauty advent calendar?
From fragrances to skincare to nail varnish there is an advent calendar out there for every kind of beauty addict, no matter what your vice of choice. Love ritzy skincare? Dr Barbara Sturm has you covered. If it’s candles you crave, Diptyque is the one for you.
However, the most popular beauty advent calendar of them all has to be the one that started it all: Liberty’s beauty advent calendar. Since being launched in 2014, people have queued the length of Carnaby Street to get their hands on it. And who can blame them when it’s filled with the likes of Augustinus Bader, Le Labo, and 111 Skin.
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How much is the Liberty’s advent calendar?
This year the Liberty’s beauty advent calendar is retailing for £225. While a little pricier than its chocolate counterparts, 2021’s calendar is Liberty’s highest-value calendar ever, worth a whopping £844. For your money you can expect the highest quality beauty products from haircare brands like Olaplex and Davines, skincare including Dr Sebagh and make-up from the likes of Uoma Beauty.
Is M&S doing their beauty advent calendar this year?
Another cult favourite when it comes to beauty advent calendars is the M&S one. This year will prove no different. More affordable than many others but still full of treats, the M&S advent calendar costs £40 although you must spend at least £30 on clothing, home or beauty in-store or online to get your hands on one.
The calendar is worth around £300, however, and features products from brands including Stila, L’Occitane, This Works, Emma Hardie, and Philip Kingsley.
Got a perimenopause or menopause question?
How much is the White Company advent calendar worth?
If you go bonkers for body care then you can’t go wrong with the advent calendar from the White Company. Filled with hand creams, body lotions, shower gels and bath products, as well as two full size seasonal candles, the advent calendar is the perfect treat for everyone looking for daily indulgences.
This year the White Company advent calendar will cost you £160 and is worth a total of £254. It is currently sold out, but check back in soon because the brand has promised to restock in early November.
So what are the best beauty advent calendars of 2021? We’ve rounded them all up below so can take your pick.
Best for festive glamour: Charlotte Tilbury’s Beauty Dreams & Secrets, £150
Charlotte really knows how to do Christmas and her festive collections never disappoint. This year it’s a glitzy chest of beauty treasures that will leave you ready for even the most glamourous of Christmas parties.
Expect to find a full-size Hollywood Beauty Light Wand to give you that festive sparkle, as well as a Matte Revolution lipstick in the universally flattering shade Pillow Talk, and a travel size pot of her incredible Magic Cream.
Best for skincare lovers: Dr Barbara Sturm Advent Calendar 2021, £405
For everyone who like their skincare luxurious, look no further than Dr Barbara Sturm’s advent calendar. Inspired by the advent calendars her mother used to make every holiday season, behind every door lies one of the brand’s most loved products.
Featuring cleansers, serums, masks, eye creams, moisturisers and the everything else you could possibly need for your routine.
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Best for your wallet: M&S Beauty Advent Calendar, £40
A lower price tag doesn’t have to mean missing out on top brands. At just £40 this advent calendar from M&S is a steal and still features products from L’Occitane, Philip Kingsley, Stila, Aveda and many more.
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Best for discerning noses: Diptyque Advent Calendar, £320
If being gifted a new Diptyque scent every day in December sounds like your idea of heaven, we have good news for you.
The 2021 calendar includes a mix of candles, fragrances, body creams and holiday decorations all wrapped up in a stunning box that you can store your valuables in when the festive season is over. Bliss.
Got a perimenopause or menopause question?
Best value for your money: Net-A-Porter 25 Days of Beauty, £255
This year’s offering from Net-A-Porter is ultra luxe, and we’d expect nothing less. The products read like our dream shopping list, including cult favourites like the Augustinus Bader, Barbara Sturm, Tata Harper and Victoria Beckham Beauty.
While not the most affordable advent calendar on the list, with a total value of £1,300 it is definitely the best value for your money.
Best for display: Dior Advent Calendar, £340
If you are after an advent calendar that doubles up as Christmas decoration then look no further than this magical offering from Dior. Illustrated by Alice Shirley and illuminated with golden accents, it was created to be displayed front and centre.
The insides are just as good as the outside, with gifts spanning the house’s skincare, fragrance and make-up collections.
READ MORE Does menopause cause itchy skin?
Best for pampering: The White Company Beauty Advent Calendar, £160
From full sized candles to bath oils and body creams, The White Company beauty advent calendar is the ultimate in pampering and relaxation.
Expect plenty of festive scents, including Fir Tree and Winter to really make it feel like Christmas.
Best for giving back: Cult Beauty Advent Calendar, £215
Cult Beauty has built its success on its impeccable taste and expert curation, and its advent calendar boasts both. From from Drunk Elephant to Westman Atelier, each product will make everyday feel like Christmas.
Not only that, but Cult Beauty will be donating £40,000 from sales of the calendar to the Beauty Backed Trust, and have also enlisted carbon-offset movement Climate Partner to help it plant one tree for every calendar sold.
READ MORE Cult Beauty co-founder Alexia Inge picks her beauty favourites.
Best for sustainability: Kiehl’s Holiday Advent Calendar, £99
Who doesn’t love Kiehl’s? This year’s advent calendar from the brand features festive designs by artist Marylou Faure and is packed with all your favourite skincare products.
With sustainability in mind, the advent calendar has been created with FSC-certified materials that use zero plastics and tied with a ribbon made from post-consumer materials.
Best for the beauty insider: Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar, £225
The original (and perhaps still the very best) beauty advent calendar comes courtesy of Liberty London’s Beauty Hall. Like a pick and mix of their most sought-after brands, expect full-sized products from Dr Sebagh, 111 Skin and Le Labo.
