30 October 2023 , 12:33
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In one month’s time the Christmas countdown will officially be on and what better way to mark the days until December 25 than with an advent calendar full of premium beauty products? Beauty advent calendars have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, but knowing which one to choose and where best to spend your money can be a real challenge.
Our team of beauty fanatics have been unboxing some of this year’s most popular calendars, from , to mid-range options in and high-end hauls from
Some of the more expensive options this year are priced between £150 and £250. And to help you decide which one to buy this month ahead of December 1, we’ve compared our reviews of the biggest calendars to find the best for 2023.
We looked at advent calendars over £150 from the likes of , , and more, and the winner is worth over £1,000, saving shoppers £800 on the indulgent contents.
When it came to picking our Mirror Choice high end advent calendar, we wanted it to strike the balance between price, quality, accessibility, variety and value, with brands and products that would excite and surprise shoppers. For me, does just that.
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The retailer’s making it cheaper than the likes of Space NK, Cult Beauty and Liberty, but has a value of over £1,000 - £1,094, to be exact. It features three layers stuffed with - four more than last year - of which half are full sized, as well as a Selfridges Beauty Concierge Card for a free treatment.
The variety is really well thought out and carefully considered, boasting a mix of skin, hair and beauty products, as well as lifestyle and wellness items and fragrances from some incredibly impressive brands like
Inside the Selfridges beauty advent calendar for 2023In our review, Regional Beauty Lead Bethan Shufflebotham said: “If you’re big into your high end skincare, coveted cosmetics and luxury fragrance - needs to be on your radar. It’s safe to say, no one quite does 'luxury' like Selfridges, and as such, their premium Christmas countdown will not disappoint.
“Worth over £1,000 but it’s one of the more affordable high end calendars, cheaper than most premium options without compromising on indulgence, brand names or quality, making it a worthwhile investment for those looking to elevate their holiday beauty rituals.
“The variety is so great to see and there’s not a single product I won’t make use of, and the addition of the Beauty Concierge Card is a thoughtful touch, meaning customers can have something to look forward to beyond December, too.”
Everything inside the
REFY - Brow Sculpt 8.5ml
Dr. Barbara Sturm - Clarifying Serum 30ml
Natasha Denona - Mini Bronze Eye Palette 5x0.8g
Fable & Mane - SahaScalp Amla Soothing Serum 14.4ml
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Charlotte Tilbury - Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray 34ml
Paula’s Choice - 10% Niacinamide Booster 20ml
Lisa Eldridge - Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colour 3.5g
Hair by Sam McKnight - Rich Nourish Shampoo 100ml
Hair by Sam McKnight - Rich Nourish Conditioner 75ml
PHLUR - Missing Person EDP 9.5ml
MALIN+GOETZ - Dark Rum Candle 67g
Penhaligon’s - Halfeti EDP 10ml
111SKIN - Rose Quartz Exfoliating Mask 30ml
Davines - OI All in One Milk 50ml
JVN Hair - Complete Air Dry Creme 30ml
Color Wow - Raise the Root 50ml
Dries Van Noten - Soie Malaquais EDP 10ml
Costa Brazil - Sol Sunlight Body Oil 30ml
anatome - Relax + Sleep Bath Salts 168g
Vida Glow - Natural Marine Collagen Supplement 6x3g
Biossance - Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum 50ml
Augustinus Bader - The Rich Cream 15ml
Rabanne Beauty - Colorshot 10ml
Dermalogica - Daily Milkfoliant 13g
True Fiction - Pencil Liner Trio 24g
Gisou - Honey Infused Hair Perfume 100ml
Kylie Cosmetics - Plumping Gloss 7ml
BYOMA - De-Puff and Brighten Eye Gel 20ml
Oribe - Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil 50ml
Byredo - Lipstick 3g
Pleasing - Polish 13ml
Pleasing - Polish 13ml
Selfridges - Beauty Concierge Card
You can find
High end advent calendar alternatives
The closest rival for Selfridges this year has to be - only £15 more than Selfridges - starring 33 products worth over £1,000, though the exact figure isn’t specified. Described by it contains a host of viral products and brands you’ll have most likely spotted on TikTok this year, including those from the likes of Rare Beauty, Tatcha, Olaplex and Hourglass, as well as an eyeshadow palette from Charlotte Tilbury in there - and she hasn’t included one in her own advent calendar.
Sarah said: “SpaceNK hail this beauty advent calendar as ‘lust worthy’ - and they aren’t wrong. All 25 boxes are fit to bursting with on trend makeup, luxury skincare, salon-grade haircare, and the stuff you next bath and body dreams of.
“This advent calendar really is a great way to try out viral products that you’ve not wanted to part ways with your money for before.”
The only problem? It’s currently - but fear not because there are still plenty of other options out there, like the £250 calendar from Liberty, also worth over £1,000. Valued at £1,043, Liberty’s festive haul contains 29 incredible beauty treats (including 20 full size products) from the department’s iconic Beauty Hall.
Unboxing the calendar, Sarah added: “Based on the legendary London store, the box alone is something that’s a feast for the eyes - let alone the products inside. You could refill it year after year with little treats for your housemates, partner or even kids.
“I literally squealed with excitement after seeing some of my favourite brands inside - from Le Labo to REN, Sunday Riley to Byredo, Davines to Rose Inc and so much more! There’s even a 15ml Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream - which is loved by Victoria Beckham and Kim Kardashian and with £71 alone.
“With a healthy balance of hair, skin, makeup, accessories and the rest - I think this calendar is perfect for any skincare fanatics out there that are obsessed with the department store, or want to try something they usually wouldn’t want to pick up because of the price point, then this is the one for them.”
Meanwhile, our fragrance fanatic and bath bomb fan , which costs £195 and features twenty-five bath, body, shower, and fragrance products specially selected to bring you joy in the lead up to the big day. The coveted countdown boasts ten exclusive Advent calendar only items this year, as well as 15 fan favourites you;ll be able to stock up on in store.
I got my hands on Lush's advent calendar and it's made me excited for Christmas (Jada Jones)Jada said: “We got our hands on 2023's Lush advent calendar and were left thrilled - it's packed with new exclusive, never seen before product's which I can only imagine other beauty buff's also cannot wait to have a sneak peek at, too.
“I was really impressed by four of the five Christmas doors I opened ahead of the festive period, and while it's certainly not the cheapest calendar on the market it is one of the best. I particularly love that it includes Snow Fairy which is one of the most popular every year. The only thing it's missing is Yog Nog, which is my favourite Christmas scent from Lush.”
We were unable to get our hands on the likes of Jo Malone, The White Company and Molton Brown, this year - but we did take a look at , which turns out to be a worthy alternative. Priced at £175, the contents of the wellness haul are worth around £419, with a great mix of luxury skin, bath and body goodies inside.
The ESPA Depuff and Soothe Eye Gel, 15ml, worth £42Reviewer Bethan said: “For me, the ESPA wellness wonderland calendar is set to make every day in December feel like a spa day. The 25 natural beauty and pamper products smell stunning, making for a luxurious and indulgent addition to any self-care routine. The variety is brilliant, with products for skin, hair, bath and home, and actually work out at only £7 each when you divide the full price cost of the calendar by each product.
“From cleansers and creams, to salts and scented candles in ESPA’s popular soothing scents, this advent calendar is a fabulous all-rounder that’s much more affordable than the likes of Jo Malone or Molton Brown offering similar. The fact you can stock up on freebies with ESPA, or bag it cheaper at LookFantastic is such a great bonus, too. ”
And finally, there’s which is sure to be a hit with superfans of the brand. For £160 this year, you get 12 ‘handbag heroes’ that will literally see you through the party season, including a mini mascara, full-size lipstick, that Magic Cream, blush, serum, lip oil, eyeliner, highlighter and the rest. But Sarah said: “With products being ‘one shade fits all’, I worry that it’s not going to be to everyone’s taste,” and was surprised that the lid didn’t have a mirror in, as she would have liked to get more use out of it.
That said, she added: “If you’ve been searching for the perfect present for your bestie that has everything, a fussy makeup-mad sibling or just someone that you really care about - this advent calendar is more like the ultimate present, rather than something you’d open everyday, leading up to Christmas. With an item for every part of the face, it’s the perfect way to try out Charlotte’s award winning products - without wasting your money.”
We appreciate that these spenny calendars might be out of budget for many this Christmas, so if you’re keen to get your hands on a mid-range calendar, and are some great options for If you're looking for something even cheaper, has reduced their calendar to £40, with coming in at £48, with being popular choices as people look to maximise savings this winter.
But when it comes to savings, it's that has the largest price to product value ratio, - their calendar costs £80, but is worth a whopping £473.
Buy the Mirror Choice Selfridges beauty advent calendar here, or find all of our