12 Luxury Beauty Advent Calendars Worth the Splurge
From face masks that Victoria Beckham swears by to a Parisian-inspired calendar that comes with the perfect seasonal red lip, consider this your guide to counting down to the holidays in style.
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No longer just for chocolate, holiday advent calendars have taken a more luxurious turn in recent years with beauty options that have you covered across skin care, makeup and nails (though we’ll still take any excuse to start the day with chocolate, to be honest). And while these holiday-themed countdowns make for the ultimate treat for yourself, they’re also a solid option for anyone who struggles with gift ideas. Not only do they come with a curated assortment of mini (and sometimes full-size!) beauty products to please even the toughest person to shop for on your gift list, but they also let you check off some of your holiday shopping before the craziness of the season is in full swing. These are the perfect gifts for the beauty lover in your life, for the ultimate in wellness and self-care, too.
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Ahead, we’ve gathered plenty of the best beauty advent calendar options to get you started, from skincare-focused sets that are filled with celebrity-loved samples to displays that are almost too gorgeous to unbox (until you hear about the lipsticks and candles hidden inside).
Check out all of Observer's luxury gift guides for the best holiday present ideas for every person out there.
Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Lucky Chest Of Beauty Stars
- Countdown Days: 12
- The Highlights: Full-size Hot Lips 2 lipstick in Glowing Jen; travel-size Beauty Light Wand in Spotlight; travel-size Charlotte’s Magic Cream
For the friend who’s always up to date with the latest trending beauty products on social media, there’s this 12-day advent calendar from Charlotte Tilbury. Packaged in a chest of drawers is a mix of best-seller makeup and skin care launches from the brand, including mini versions of the viral Beauty Light Wand and Charlotte’s Magic Cream. There are also two full-size products in the set: a nude-pink lipstick inspired by Jennifer Aniston and a hydrating lip oil that adds a glow with actual crystal powder.
Dr. Barbara Sturm Advent Calendar 2023
- Countdown Days: 24
- The Highlights: Full-size Glow Drops; 7 miniature serums
Not even the biggest skin care snob could find fault with this advent calendar from Dr. Barbara Sturm, which comes packed with an assortment of goodies including face moisturizers, serums, cleansers, masks and even body creams that will take you into the new year. Chief among the highlights in the calendar is its serum and drops selection, which includes mini bottles (and even a full-size!) of nearly every formula Dr. Sturm makes. There’s also an exclusive version available at Sephora.
Dior Le 30 Montaigne Holiday 2023 Advent Calendar
- Countdown Days: 24
- The Highlights: Miniature 30 Montaigne Candle; 9 miniature fragrances; miniature Rouge Dior Velvet Lipstick in 999
Inspired by Dior’s Paris boutique at 30 Avenue Montaigne and the Tuileries Garden, this luxe 24-day advent calendar spans fragrance, makeup, skin care, nails and even lifestyle, with several miniature candles. Among the many standouts, your loved one will unbox nine of Dior’s signature fragrances (including the fashion house’s very first, Miss Dior Eau de Parfum), housed in petite versions of the full-size bottles. Plus, it includes makeup minis to create a full holiday look with the classic red Rouge Dior Velvet Lipstick in 999, matching red nail polish and a travel-size Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara.
111Skin 12 Days Of 111Skin
- Countdown Days: 12
- The Highlights: Celestial Black Diamond Eye Mask; Cryo De-Puffing Facial Mask; Y Theorem Repair Light Serum NAC Y²™
Currently on sale for over $100 less than the original price, this limited-edition luxury advent calendar includes enough hydrogel face and eye masks to help prep your skin for all of the holiday parties ahead (and recover once the season wraps up). When you want red carpet-worthy skin, try the Victoria Beckham-approved Cryo De-Puffing Facial Mask, which can even be stored in the refrigerator for an added cooling effect to the peptide- and caffeine-infused treatment.
Olive & June Christmas Advent Calendar
- Countdown Days: 24
- The Highlights: 6 mini nail polish shades; nail art stickers
For the DIY nail enthusiast, this countdown comes with everything you need to create the merriest manicures of the season (there’s a Hanukkah calendar, too). Once you’ve unveiled the mini Polish Remover Pot, buffer and tree-shaped file to prep your nails, you can choose from six festive nail polish shades and three sheets of nail stickers to get creative with (not to mention a cuticle serum and hand cream to keep your manicure in top shape).
Valmont Winter Illuminations Advent Calendar
- Countdown Days: 12
- The Highlights: Full-size Prime Renewing Pack
If you can’t make it to one of Valmont’s global spas, this 12-day calendar is the next best thing. Valued at more than $1,000, the set includes several of the hero products behind the brand’s spa treatments, including miniatures of the LumiMask for gentle exfoliation, the best-selling Vos Yeux eye cream and a full-size jar of the Prime Renewing Pack for plumping up fine lines and restoring hydration. Any beauty enthusiast would absolutely love it.
Sabon 31-Days of Beauty Advent Calendar
- Countdown Days: 31
- The Highlights: 3 travel-size body scrubs; 5 hand creams in various sizes
For an advent calendar that puts the focus on bath and body products, this ready-to-gift set from Sabon comes with enough options for the whole month of December. In addition to deluxe travel-size body lotions, hand creams, shower oils and shampoos, the calendar contains three of the brand’s Dead Sea salt body scrubs—plus, a limited-edition heart-shaped spoon to use the scrubs without making a mess.
Sisley Advent Calendar
- Countdown Days: 25
- The Highlights: Full-size Nutritive Lip Balm; miniature Black Rose Cream Mask; miniature Precious Hair Care Oil
You get a bonus day in this 25-piece set, which is housed in an embroidery-adorned box designed by Sisley’s founder, Isabelle d’Ornano. The skin care, hair care, body care, makeup and fragrance products inside are just as varied as each of the colorful drawers, with best-selling and beauty award-winning offerings from the French brand, including full-sizes of the L’Integral Eye & Lip Contour Cream, Nutritive Lip Balm, So Curl Mascara, Phyto Lip Twist and Phyto Rouge Shine.
Guerlain The Hive Of Wonders Advent Calendar
- Countdown Days: 25
- The Highlights: 9 miniature L’art & La Matière fragrances; miniature Parure Gold 24K Radiance Primer
Guerlain’s advent calendar is packaged in a glittering gold and green box that’s pretty enough to display alongside your Christmas village decorations. Inspired by jeweler Begüm Khan (the Turkish jeweler also created all of the Parisian beauty brand’s holiday windows worldwide), the set includes nine miniature fragrances from Guerlain’s L’Art & La Matière collection, six miniature scented candles, as well as an array of skin care products and makeup minis.
Bobbi Brown Cosmetics 12 Days Of Glow Advent Calendar
- Countdown Days: 12
- The Highlights: Full-size Extra Lip Tint; Full-size Smokey Eye Mascara; Full-size Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick
If it’s strictly makeup products you’re after, Bobbi Brown has you covered with its 12-day countdown. You can play with multiple makeup looks using the brand’s Shimmer Brick and Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks (you’ll get three different shades of the latter in the calendar), and when it’s time to take it all off, there’s a Soothing Cleansing Oil and Long-Wear Makeup Remover to choose from.
Molton Brown Advent Calendar
- Countdown Days: 24
- The Highlights: 3 Festive Bauble shower gels; 2 hand creams
Molton Brown’s beauty advent calendar, available at Neiman Marcus, references its British Christmas cake holiday scent with gold foiled orange and spice decorations, in a nod to its London-born roots. The limited-edition Marvellous Mandarin & Spice scent can be found inside several of the boxes with a nourishing hand lotion, hand wash soap and shower gel, but there are also plenty of other fresh scents to try (including my personal favorite, Rhubarb & Rose, in hand cream and shower gel formulas). One more thing worth noting, Molton Brown made each decorative box using 100 percent recycled materials.
Lancôme Advent Calendar
- Countdown Days: 24
- The Highlights: Full-size La Vie Est Belle perfume; Full-size Hypnose 5-Color Eyeshadow Palette; Full-size Advanced Génifique Face Serum
Among the 25 makeup, skin care and fragrance treasures in Lancôme’s holiday countdown, you’ll find five full-size products that will last you well beyond the holiday season. There are beloved full-size classics like the brand’s La Vie Est Belle perfume, Hypnose mascara and even a five-color eyeshadow palette, but you’ll also be introduced to new favorites with 19 travel-size products.
