Want a gift that keeps on giving? Look no further than the best beauty Advent calendars that hold not one but dozens of daily gifts. Perfect for those hard-to-shop-for friends or a preholiday present for yourself, these boxes feature mini and full-size products, covering every niche of the beauty industry, from hair and nail care to makeup, skin care and fragrances. From classic brands like Charlotte Tilbury and MAC, to luxury offerings from Dior and Jo Malone London, to cult favorites like Revolve and NYX, these beauty Advent calendars are a fun way to count down to Christmas and gift many products in one convenient package.
When do beauty calendars go on sale?
The race to purchase some of the most coveted calendars is fierce, with wait lists starting in August. Other calendars come out in mid-September, while others debut throughout the month of November. The best thing to do is watch for your favorite brands. If you see something you like, buy it. You could risk a sellout, and popular beauty Advent calendars are rarely restocked.
Are beauty Advent calendars worth the splurge?
Beauty calendars are a steal. While the overall price tag might seem high, it’s considerably lower than you’d pay for each individual product. And because most products are minis, you aren’t committing to a full-size product you aren’t sure you’ll like. In other words, you’ll get more bang for your buck.
All of the products in beauty Advent calendars are chosen specifically for the year based on customer favorites and influencer input. If you’re looking for the hottest products of the year, beauty Advent calendars are the way to go. Beauty mogul Charlotte Tilbury, of her namesake company, talked to CNN about how she chose items for her Lucky Chest of Beauty Secrets Advent Calendar.
“I’ve picked some of my most viral, trending, award-winning products to make everyone look and feel like a star!” Tilbury says. “It’s like a mini beauty wardrobe, filled with everything from my immediate skin revival secrets so everyone can create the perfect canvas for their makeup magic to some of my best-loved beauty icons from my universally flattering Pillow Talk collection, as well as my viral sensation Hollywood Beauty Light Wands for cheekbones that glow forever, and even a mini makeup brush for seamless application! It’s guaranteed gifting happiness!”
Read on for 25 of our favorite beauty Advent calendar picks for 2023. You’ll be sure to find something for every beauty lover on your list. Just don’t forget to snag one for yourself.
Best beauty Advent calendars
The best thing about Bluemercury’s 31 Days of Dazzle Advent Calendar might be the travel-friendly makeup bag that houses the products. Inside, you’ll find some of Bluemercury’s most popular brands, including Bumble and Bumble, EltaMD, Supergoop!, Olaplex and more.
Charlotte Tilbury’s Lucky Chest of Beauty Secrets features 12 days of beauty products, including two full-size lip products and 10 skin care and makeup minis. Everything comes in a keepsake box with pull-out drawers — perfect for storing your new goodies.
“I’ve always believed that the countdown to the holiday season truly begins when you open the first drawer of my Lucky Chest of Beauty Secrets — there are so many iconic beauty showstoppers and award-winning makeup and skin care secrets to discover!” Tilbury tells CNN Underscored. “Even after the gifts have been opened, my gorgeous Advent calendar can be used as a jewelry box or keepsake. It’s the magic gift that keeps on giving!”
This limited-edition George & Viv Beauty Advent Calendar is an Anthropologie exclusive that is bound to go fast, thanks to a perfectly curated mix of perfumes, body butter, self-tanning drops and more for the ultimate in self-care.
Saks is known for its high-end products, and this calendar is full of them — you'll find Peter Thomas Roth, Nest New York, Kevyn Aucoin and Diptyque, among others. Discover self-care luxuries inside each drawer to reveal coveted skin care, iconic makeup favorites, hair health essentials, designer fragrances, indulgent body care and more.
You’re going to want to get your hands on this one. The Cult Beauty Advent Calendar features 39 beauty favorites, including an incredible 20 full sizes featuring appearances from Augustinus Bader, Saie, Olaplex, Glow Recipe and Elemis. And, if you’re keeping score, that’s more than a gift per day.
Pump yourself up for your winter workouts with this Alo Advent Calendar. You’ll be ready to hit the ground running with 24 days of beauty and wellness favorites like the Magic Multi-Balm and Magnesium Reset Spray and the new Vitamin-C Glow Shot and Clean Dry Shampoo. The best part? It comes with a subscription to Alo Moves and a $25 gift card, both good for one year.
Inside a white-and-gold box that re-creates the facade of the historic boutique at 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris, you’ll find Dior’s 2023 Advent calendar. It has all the glam and impact you expect from the iconic luxury brand. Behind each gilded door, you’ll find skin care, fragrance, makeup and hand-selected lifestyle items like candles and ornaments. It makes for a truly magical holiday season.
This unique calendar keeps the gifting season going, with 11 full-size products to unwrap between Christmas and New Year's. The fun assortment features makeup, skin care and a couple beauty accessories, like face gems.
Best makeup Advent calendars
Bobbi Brown’s 12 Days of Glow Advent Calendar is stacked with fan favorites, including bestselling makeup and skin care essentials, plus three full-size products. Create the perfect holiday eye look with a Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Bark and a Smokey Eye Mascara in Black.
This NYX 12 Days of Kissmas Calendar won’t break the bank, but it sure delivers on the fun. Get the perfect mistletoe-ready pout with NYX’s bestselling lip products, including Butter Lip Gloss, Smooth Whip Matte Lip Cream and Shout Loud lipstick.
You can’t go wrong with tried-and-true MAC favorites, and the Frosted Frenzy Advent Calendar is full of them. The box includes 24 minis featuring bestselling products and all-new shades, including lipstick in Retro Matte and Lustreglass formulas.
Get holiday party-ready with the 12 Days of Nudestix Advent Calendar. The kit includes cult favorites like the Blot & Blur Matte Stick and Hydra-Peptide Lip Butter, plus some surprises to help you glow this season.
Celebrate Parisian style with Revolution Beauty’s “Emily In Paris” 12-Day Advent Calendar. This collaboration is full of Revolution favorites to help you achieve the clean, chic makeup look worn effortlessly by the show’s lead. The set includes versatile lip colors, shimmer-fixing spray, blending sponges and more.
Best skin care Advent calendars
You can never go wrong with Kiehl’s. This Limited-Edition Advent Calendar features 24 of the brand's most iconic offerings, including cleansers, face masks, facial serums and moisturizers.
This 24-piece calendar from L’Occitane features a collection of the brand’s top skin care, body care and shower favorites, along with some special editions. Treat yourself to an at-home spa day with Citrus & Verbena Shower Gel, Intensive Repair Shampoo, Shea Butter Light Comforting Cream and more.
Hidden behind each door of the Fresh Advent Calendar you’ll find hydrating lip treatments, transforming face masks, targeted serums, nourishing moisturizers and much more so you can meet 2024 with the freshest face around.
Each product in the Origins All Together Advent Calendar is packed with skin-reviving ingredients like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, vitamin C, peptides, avocado and ginger. Behind each door, you’ll find tried-and-true customer favorites, including Improvement Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pores, Drink Up Intensive Overnight Hydrating Mask With Avocado & Glacier Water, Wrinkle Correcting Eye Cream With Encapsulated Retinol and more.
The Eve Lom Advent Calendar — in the shape of a holiday mailbox — delivers 12 days of bestselling skin care products, from cleansers to serums featuring full-size and mini products. Now you can truly put your best face forward during the holiday party season.
This limited-edition Advent calendar features 24 skin-nourishing products from Dr. Barbara Sturm in one modern, sleek gifting box. Face masks, lip balms, anti-aging hand cream and more round out the offerings.
Best fragrance Advent calendars
Light your way through the holidays with a fragrant countdown of Voluspa’s 12-Day Advent Calendar. Each day, you’ll unwrap an embossed, 1.25-ounce votive candle featuring one of Voluspa’s bestselling fragrances like Spiced Pumpkin Latte, Baltic Amber, White Cypress, Forbidden Fig and more.
Celebrate the ritual of Advent as you open one gift for each December night leading up to Christmas. The calendar takes the form of a metallic holiday tree (complete with string lights), and each numbered ornament holds a special surprise — from fragrances and candles to bath and body products — to help you relax and indulge before the big day.
Countdown to Christmas with Jo Malone’s gingerbread-inspired Advent calendar. The box includes seasonal surprises from Jo Malone London classics to festive fragrances, including colognes, bath and body miniatures, a full-size scent and two travel candles.
Best nail polish Advent calendars
Your holiday manicure never looked so good. Treat yourself to 25 days of eye-catching color with the OPI Holiday Nail Laquer Mini Advent Calendar. Each day features a 3.75-milliliter bottle of OPI favorites (Lincoln Park After Dark, Don’t Bossa Nova Me Around) and colors from the 2023 holiday line (Hot Toddy Naughty, It’s a Wonderful Spice).
Gift yourself (or someone special) 12 days of glossy nails with this Le Mini Macaron Advent Calendar. Inside, you’ll find 12 mini bottles of Le Mini Macaron’s bestselling and limited-edition gel colors, plus all the accessories you need to create the perfect look.
Olive and June’s vegan and cruelty-free nail polish is less expensive than some of the salon brands on the market, but it will get you highly pigmented color that lasts just the same. This generous Olive and June 25 Days of Mani Magic has everything you need to create the perfect holiday manicure, such as cuticle serum, buffers, nail art stickers and more.