Unlike traditional chocolate advent calendars or picture advent calendars, beauty and makeup advent calendars often have twenty-five gifts inside. Unless you go for one that focusses specifically on makeup products or hair care, you’ll usually get a good range of treats and plenty of thought goes into their curation. They also deliver great value, giving you 24 products for a fraction of the price that you'd get them for if you bought them indvidually.
In this buyer's guide, we'll tell you what you usually get as part of a makeup advent calendar, the top calendars available this Christmas, and finding the best makeup advent calendar to buy for yourself or for a friend or family member.
While many of us grew up with simpler advent calendars that featured little festive messages, and at best, small pieces of chocolate, the last few years has seen the humble advent calendar morph into something else. Luxury advent calendars package things not traditionally found in an advent calendar to make a for more memorable packages, while still (mostly) retaining the wholesome feel of an advent calendar. While the earliest luxury advent calendars centred around alcoholic drinks like wine advent calendars or beer advent calendars, the newest trend has seen makeup advent calendars take centre stage.
While the first makeup advent calendars appeared in 2012, it was in Christmas period leading up to 2016 that they got their big start. It was during this season that biggers outlets like Lush, Jo Malone and L'Oreal started offering their own, more affordable calendars that the average punter could buy for somebody as an early Christmas gift. The market for beauty and makeup advent calendars has since exploded in the last few years, with even the likes of Amazon now offering their own affordable models.
While you shouldn't expect to find 24 full-sized products in advent calendars (although some calendars over the £200 mark do exclusively have full–sized products), you should expect to find a mixture of fi sample-sized products from a range of beauty products, including:
Lipsticks and Lip Balms – Any makeup advent calendar worth its price tag should include one or two lipsticks. These include flavoured lip glosses, as well as high-end lipsticks great for your Christmas night out.
Mascaras and Eye Shadows – Eye shadows and mascaras have come to dominate a lot of the beauty boxes being released recently, so it's no surprise that they feature prominently in makeup advent calendars too.
Foundation – While it can sometimes go forgotten in the makeup world, decent foundation palettes should be an essential part of any advent calendar you buy. If you're buying for a friend or family member, try to find an advent calendar which has shades that matches their tone and complexion.
Shampoo – Although it's not makeup, shampoos and other toiletries are also a regular feature of beauty and advent calendars, particularly from outlets like Lush or Boots whose beauty range isn't restricted to just makeup. Some may even include a matching conditioner for any shampoo you get.
Candles – While this is the one feature of beauty advent calendars that strays the furthest from makeup, a scented candle can be a perfect addition to your makeup table. Some producers also include them in order to keep somewhat what the theme of advent, although this could be entirely coincidental.
While buying makeup advent calendar isn't a task that requires much forethought, there should be a few things that you keep in mind before you click buy. While many might seem obvious, buying the wrong calendar for yourself or for somebody else could make for a disappointing or awkward run-up to the Christmas season. Here are a few things to be mindful of:
Products offered – It may sound obvious, but make sure you read through the product list on each calendar before you buy anything. While some calendars offer a mix off all kinds of makeup products, there are others which nearly only offer one certain kind of product. So, read the product list and don't get your eye shadow obsessed niece a makeup calendar that mainly has lipsticks – it could make things awkward during Christmas dinner.
Age – If you're buying for somebody who's still not an adult (i.e. a niece or nephew), then it might be a good idea to keep their age in mind or at least check everything is ok with their parents first before you buy anything. This is more of a relevant point if you're buying for teens – you can find makeup advent calendars for younger kids that tend to feature less "adult" makeup.
Favourite brands – Check which brands are on offer for your makeup calendar, particularly when it comes to buying a makeup advent calendar that mixes loads of different brands together. If you know somebody is crazy for one makeup brand in particular, try see if they offer a calendar which only sells their products.
Whether you’re buying for a friend, a family member, or treating yourself before the Christmas rush, here are a few of the biggest makeup advent calendar available in 2019 (with some of the biggest price tags to boot):
The Body Shop Advent Calendars - The Body Shop has created three beauty calendars for lovers of natural beauty products. The standard Beauty Calendar has a selection of mini products including bath, body and skincare treats. The Deluxe Advent Calendar includes twenty-five of the brand’s best-loved products, including a few treats from the Oils of Life and Drops of Youth range. The Ultimate Advent Calendar offers some of the most luxurious items from the Body Shop range, fourteen of which are full-sized. Look out for the Banana Hair Mask and the Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask. This year the brand is working with Plan International UK to provide educational recourses for 1,500 girls living in Brazil and Indonesia.
Liberty London Beauty Advent Calendar - One of the all-time favourites, the Liberty London Beauty Calendar is an annual event for many. It sells out fast so you’ll have to be quick, but with twenty-five lavish products in one advent calendar, it’s quite a bargain. You’ll be treated to items from the collections of beauty giants including the Hair By Sam McKnight Lazy Girl Dry Shampoo, a Diptyque Baies candle, a Byredo Rose Rinse-Free Hand Wash and the Dermalogica Intensive Eye Repair. Nineteen products are full-sized, the box is recycled so there is less of an environmental impact and the cover is finished in one of the store’s classic prints. If you’d prefer an eco-friendly calendar and you are happy to pay a premium for the luxury products inside, the Liberty London Beauty Advent Calendar is an excellent choice
Glamour x Boots Advent Calendar - The Boots makeup advent calendar is a collaboration with the beauty magazine, Glamour. Inside there is nearly £300 worth of treats from big brands like Becca, Fenty Beauty and Benefit, so there are plenty of incredible products to test out. You’ll get the Thicc Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle Plush Lipstick, a 10ml Bareminerals Complexion Rescue Defense Moisturizer and a Morphe Duo Jumbo Crease Eye Brush, along with a huge number of other items. The majority are travel-sized, so you’ll only have a couple of full-sized treats to try out. This calendar probably has the widest selection of products and brands in the mid-price range, so if you don’t want to spend a fortune this might be the ideal gift or present for yourself.
Look Fantastic Beauty Calendar - One of the most visually stunning beauty advent calendar 2019 options, the Look Fantastic offering is finished in dark blue and gold. The draws are hardwearing enough to reuse for future products, so there’s little wastage and you’ll find a great combination of items inside. You won’t find two treatments from the same brand and each item comes gift wrapped in tissue paper with instructions on how it’s used. Festive favourites are probably going to include the Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, Philip Kingsley’s Elasticizer and the Caudalie Vinopure Clear Skin Purifying Toner. If you’re on a budget of under £100, but you’d love a few luxury items to test out, Look Fantastic have lined up the perfect solution.
Birchbox Countdown to Beauty Advent Calendar - Birchbox is one of the best-known monthly beauty box providers and as you’d expect their calendar is packed with premium brands. Pampering treatments include the Philosophy Amazing Grace Fragrance, the Brave New Hair Reboot Mask and the Oribe Grandiose Hair plumping Mousse. Some are full-size, but there are several mini products which is why this calendar manages to stay in a mid-price area. On the twenty-fifth day, there is an Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara in full-size to test out, just in time for your Christmas day look. If you’ve been thinking of signing up for a monthly beauty box, the Birchbox Advent Calendar could be an interesting introduction as to what’s on offer and the type of service you could expect.
The above options will be guaranteed to stay above the £100 mark, possibly even during the sales, so won't be an option for everyone. If you're looking to buy a makeup calendar that won't break the bank, here's 3 great options that could be a good shout.
Amazon Beauty Advent Calendar – While we wouldn't go buying one of these as a gift for anybody, the Amazon Beauty Advent Calendar is a great option for anybody on a budget who wants to buy a little makeup advent calendar for themselves. It features 24 different brands, including the likes of Elemis and Real Techniques. With an RRP of just £50, it's an absolutel steal, and we can only imagine that it's likely to drop further during Black Friday.
Paul & Joe Advent Calendar – While it's unusual for makeup companies to inject humour into their products, Paul & Joe regularly defy this trend, opting for cat-themed advent calendar this year that's sure to make you look good as well as give you a bit of a laugh. Costing only £60, it's the perfect buy if you've ever wanted to sample the whole range of Paul & Joe's products.
Moroccanoil Beauty Vault - Moroccanoil has put together a selection pack of their indulgent body and hair care treatments, although it only features 7 products, and isn't an advent calendar per sé. Costing only £20, it's a great opportunity for those brand new to the brand or those who are looking to explore the wider Moroccanoil collection. The Moroccanoil Treatment is one of their bestsellers, but you’ll also find the Dry Body Oil and the Dry Texture Spray for keeping unruly locks in great condition.
Advent calendars are a time-honoured way of counting down the days to Christmas and those which contain beauty products are becoming increasingly popular. Like any other calendar, they add to the excitement of the season, but are there any disadvantages to be aware of?
Pros
Calendars look gorgeous – Makeup advent calendar packages are almost always designed to look as stylish as the products inside. They might not be finished in traditional festive colours, but they won’t look out of place on a mantelpiece or in the bedroom.
Some contain full-size bottles – You may not get a calendar packed with full-size treats, but there are many which offer at least one or two and others that are even more generous.
The chance to try out new brands – Some makeup calendars have top name products, whilst others have less expensive items. Whatever price range you go for, there are sure to be a few brands that you’ve never tried before and you may even find your next beauty must-have.
Cons
Calendars can be bulky – They may be beautifully designed with lots of glittering embellishments, but makeup advent calendars and their contents can take up lots of space. Add to this the usual extras which appear around Christmas, from presents to decorations, and you could end up with a pretty cluttered shelf or bedside table.
Calendars are a one-use product – Although there are expensive beauty advent calendars which can be upcycled, most will have to be thrown away after use as they are made from cardboard. If you feel strongly about this, go for a version which has little boxes or draws that can be easily repurposed.
Shades might not suit everyone – Brands try to include products that each buyer will be able to use, but there may be the odd item that doesn’t suit your skin shade or hair type. You can give these away to friends who might appreciate them more, but it feels like a bit of a waste considering you’ve had to pay for the calendar. You can avoid the problem by checking what’s inside before you buy, but that does take some of the excitement away.
Beauty advent calendars are customer favourites and there are many places to shop for the ones you prefer. Boots and Debenhams have a good general selection, but you can also buy directly from the online stores of John Lewis, Clarins, Look Fantastic, Feel Unique, Superdrug and L’Occitane. When a particular advent calendar is out of stock in the shops you may be able to find some left on eBay and Amazon. Unfortunately, because sellers know that supplies are very limited you may have to pay more than the original retail price.
The best time of year to shop for a very sought-after beauty calendar is around October or November when they are first released. Put your name down and buy quickly to avoid missing out. You’ll pay the full price, but you’ll have the item you want. On Black Friday, most online stores create discounts of up to 50% on their Christmas departments which include beauty advent calendars. As it draws closer to Christmas, the most popular make-up advent calendar collections will sell out, but many more will be available for less. So, if you just want to pick up a bargain, it’s worth waiting until December when the remaining stock will be reduced by up to 70%.
Learn about every restock and offer on beauty calendars at hotukdeals where we constantly update our readers. Snapping up a makeup advent calendar from the right outlet at the right time can end up saving you loads off the tag price, so be sure to check out the hotukdeals listing before you buy.
