Beauty Advent Calendars Make the Perfect Holiday Gift

This under-$50 advent calendar comes from Sephora’s in-house brand, Sephora Collection, and boasts 11 days of full-sized favorites from the cult-favorite line. The waterproof mascara included in the kit has over 200 five-star reviews and is hailed as a best-in-class option. “It not only thickens my lashes but lengthens them too,” wrote one reviewer. Also included are a powder blush, a red lipstick, and a hydrating lip mask, among others. 

Number of Products: 11

I used to obsess over the Sephora Favorites packages every single year. This advent calendar includes picks from top-selling brands like Tom Ford (check out our reviews of the brand’s best perfumes ahead of the holiday season) and PAT McGRATH LABS. A mini size of the Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder is also included, and it’s top-rated for not looking cakey on the skin in the winter. “I never write reviews but this setting powder is so good that I want everyone to buy it,” wrote one reviewer. Better yet, the full-size version of that powder alone retails for the price of the entire calendar. 

Number of Products: 7

Longtime favorite skincare brand Clarins is offering another advent calendar this year. This time, the 12-day calendar is going for $79 and includes a few full-size products. Full-size options include the Lip Comfort Oil in shade 04 Pitaya as well as Beauty Flash Balm. Travel-sized options include the Total Eye Lift eye cream that promises to lift and de-puff the area, among others. Snag it now for less than $100, down from an original price of $215.

Number of Products: 12

PSA for all of the biggest French beauty fans out there: you can now skip the step of booking your very fabulous vacation to Paris and order this 12-day advent calendar instead. It includes 12 deluxe-sized samples from brands like PAYOT, Yon-Ka and more, all wrapped up in a very adorable red box. Plus, you save 73 percent off of the regular price of $243 when you shop it now for less than $100.

Number of Products: 12

I love Anthropologie’s George & Viv advent calendars because not only are the full of cute holiday goodies, but the box is *so* festive-looking. 2023’s edition includes over $350 of product for less than $100, and includes a 24 deluxe mini-i mix of fragrance and beauty picks from brands like Sunday Riley and Elemis (who also has a dedicated advent calendar on this list—keep scrolling for that.) Highlights include the Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 (one of our favorite sunscreens) and PHLUR’s cult-favorite Missing Person perfume which is always sold out. 

Number of Products: 24

Holiday-scented candles make great gifts, but finding the best scent for the person you’re shopping for can be tricky. This one from Mala the Brand includes scents from across all different categories, including floral fragrances like the “Daybed” scent which includes notes of violet, rose, and cedarwood forest pick, and traditional fall scents like the “Pumpkin Latte” option that features notes of cinnamon, pumpkin, and vanilla. Or, if you’re a winter scent fan, check out the candle called “Cabin Fever,” which is comprised of notes like cypress, evergreen, and moss. 

Number of Products: 24

If you’re someone who loves to travel (or if you’re shopping for someone who is constantly on the go), you know that travel-sized products you find at hotels or in the airport aren’t always reliable. This 24-day set from L’Occitane has you covered. It’s full of travel-sized versions of their best-selling body washes, hand lotions, and more. Some of my personal favorites include versions from the brand’s almond-scented line. 

Number of Products: 24

There seems to be a new nail trend every week. Stay up to date with this 25-day nail set from OPI. All of the colors come from OPI’s limited-edition Terribly Nice Holiday 2023 collection and include shades like cherry red, lavender, and milky pink for your subtle days. 

Number of Products: 25

Emily in Paris stans, rise up. This set made in collaboration with Revolution Beauty contains 12 days of picks inspired by the show, like fluffy fake eyelashes and a ruby-red lipstick named “Paris Berry Red” and a nude shade inspired by her hometown called “Chicago Pink Nude.” Oh—and it includes two eyeshadow palettes, a mini glowing face primer, a makeup-fixing face spray, and more. 

Number of Products: 12

This 12-day skincare-focused advent calendar from Lancer Skincare is full of products beloved by celebrities and beauty editors alike. Lionel Richie and John Legend both rely on products from the brand in their daily beauty routines. Designed around anti-aging and firming the skin, these products will give you a new look in the winter (and save you from the dull winter skin effect).

Number of Products: 12

As the name might suggest, this advent calendar from fragrance brand Juliette Has a Hug is *not* like the others on your list. Instead of gifting this ahead of the holiday, this calendar is meant to be given on Christmas Day and opened between December 26 through to New Year's Eve. It gets its name from the brand's best-selling frangrance, Not A Perfume, and features a selection of products in the scent. With second-skin appeal and comprised of only one note—cetalox, which is normally used as a base note in other, layered fragrances—this is the gift for someone who doesn't normally wear perfume but wants to get into it.

Number of Products: 6

This glowy kit from Peter Thomas Roth gets its name courtesy of all of the products included that promise to give you radiant skin this winter. Personal favorites like the Cucumber De-Tox® Hydra-Gel Eye Patches and the Cucumber Gel Mask Extreme De-Tox ™ Hydrator sit alongside best-sellers like the Pumpkin Enzyme Mask Enzymatic Dermal Resurfacer and the Instant FIRMx® Eye Temporary Eye Tightener. Say goodbye to dull, dry, cold-weather skin.

Number of Products: 12

There is nothing nicer than a bath in the wintertime, especially when bath bombs from LUSH are involved. This 25-day calendar includes a massive selection of bath bombs and melts for you (or your bath-obsessed friend) to obsess over. Every item in the selection is vegan, too. Plus, the calendar includes exclusives like te Snowman Bubbleroon and Chocolate Santa Bath Bomb.

Number of days: 25

I, for one, am loving any product by Nudestix right now. The cream bronzers and blushes are next-level in the pigment and blend-ability categories, and I've been itching to try more. This 12-day calendar from the brand, originally priced at a $250 value, includes a selection of their best-selling products across categories. Highlights include the Mini Nudies Bloom in the shade Sweet Cheek, the Mini Nude Metallic Berry Eye Kit, and the Lash Lengthening Mascara.

Number of Products: 12

Winter fragrances are the perfect gift, and this calendar from the team at Neiman Marcus includes *so* many of our favorite scents here at Marie Claire. Byredo’s perfume “Rose of No Man’s Land” is included and it made our list of the 10 best perfumes by the brand this year. Also in one of the cute hidden boxes are favorites like the Diptyque Eau Rose Eau De Toilette and the Jo Malone London  Myrrh & Tonka Cologne Intense. 

Number of Products: 12

I’ve been on a Charlotte Tilbury kick after Marie Claire’s Beauty Editor Samantha Holender named her 10 best products from the brand earlier this year. This luxe-looking advent calendar (erm, chest) includes many of Holender’s top-rated products inside, like the Magic Cream Moisturizer (which retails for $65 on its own), and the Lip Cheat Lip Liner (also named one one of Marie Claire's best lip liners).

Number of Products: 12

Bobbi Brown’s advent calendar is full of best-selling products that are adored by our team of editors. It includes a travel-sized version of the Vitamin Enriched Face Base, which was used on the runways at Tibi this season and has a cult-favorite following on the internet for its ultra-hydrating finish, as well as a deluxe-sized version of the Crushed Lip Color, another cult-favorite tinted lip balm. 

Number of Products: 12

In another win for luxury candle fans everywhere, Voluspa’s 12-day calendar retails for less than $200. Each candle is hand-poured in the United States and scents include best-selling options like Forbidden Fig,  and Santal Vanille alongside fall and winter-inspired picks like Spiced Pumpkin Latte and Apple Blue Clover. The full-sized versions promise 100 hours of burn time and retail for roughly a fourth of the entire 12-day set. A good-smelling deal, indeed. 

Number of Products: 12

I almost don’t want to talk about how good this 25-day advent calendar from Saks Fifth Avenue is out of fear that it will sell out before I can buy it for myself. The inclusion of Augustinus Bader’s Rich Cream is reason enough to buy—it’s beloved by A-listers like Kim Kardashian, Hailey Bieber, and Salma Hayek and my own mother. Other lust-worthy products in the set include sample sizes of Olaplex’s No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask, Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Hyaluronic Serum, and Clé de Peau Beauté Enhancing Eye Contour Cream Supreme. No wonder it has a retail value of $560. 

Number of Products: 25

Originally priced at $250, this advent calendar from Alo is on sale for $175 right now. Stocked with 24 beauty and wellness goodies like a mini version of the Mega-C Body Wash (a personal fave) and the Renew & Glow Body Polish alongside sporty picks like the Half-Crew Throwback Sock and the Performance Conquer Headband. Also key to note is the Mindful Magnesium Bath Soak Sachet to soothe sore and tired muscles after a hard workout.

Number of Days: 24

This 12-piece set is filled with favorites from Kate Somerville (it includes not one but eight items from the ExfoliKate range, for instance), as well as calming products like the Goat Milk Cleanser. Reviewers obsess over the latter for the fact that it’s great for balancing acne-prone skin. “It does a great job of making my face clean, but also adds so much hydration,” wrote one Sephora reviewer. ”I'm never using another cleanser again.” Our editors also raved about the Delikate Cream back in 2020.

Number of Products: 12

Jo Malone is having a moment right now after featuring It-girl of the moment Sofia Richie Grainge in their recent ad campaign. She wore a mix of two of the brand’s scents on her much-talked-about wedding day, after all (Peony and Blush Suede and English Pear and Freesia, if you’re wondering). Both are included in this 25-day advent calendar. It includes a mix of traditional fragrances, body creams, and soaps in an array of other scents, too. Other highlights include the earthy Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne and the Blackberry & Bay Hand Cream. 

Number of Products: 25

Festive and fun, this 24-piece advent calendars from Glasshouse Fragrances (a favorite brand of Marie Claire’s Beauty Director Deena Campbell) is great if you love a curation of their best-selling scents. It includes a mix of fragrances, home fragrances, and hand creams with lovely vacation-destination-inspired  names like “Kyoto in Bloom” (which includes notes of pineapple, lotus, and sandalwood), “Midnight in Milan” (saffron, moss, musk, and cedar), and “Lost in Amalfi” (lavender, lime, and freesia).

Number of Products: 24

Remember when I mentioned earlier that Elemis has its very own advent calendar on this lsit? Here it is, coming in at a cool $260 for 25 products across categories. The Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm is one of the best cleansing balms on the market, bar none. I personally use it because it doesn’t leave a film on my skin but breaks down even my toughest waterproof eye makeup with ease. Plus, I love the smell but it’s not overpowering and doesn’t last. 

Number of Products: 25

I know that $510 is a lot to spend on a 25-day calendar, but just one full-size Diptyque candle costs $74. This set contains smaller-sized candles (roughly half the size of the regular ones) that come in a mix of festive scents and their classic options too. Scents like Sapin, which is pine tree scented, and Délice, which smells of dates, vanilla, and patchouli, sit alongside their best-selling options like Figuier and Feu de Bois, which smell like fig and wood fire respectively. The calendar also includes a few perfumes alongside their array of candles. If want more insight before you buy, check out Marie Claire's definitive list of the best Diptyque candles.

Number of Products: 25

This downright stunning advent calendar from Christian Louboutin includes 24 days of luxurious beauty products from the brand, including favorites like the Rouge Louboutin Silky Satin On The Go Lipstick and scents like the Loubidoo Eau de Parfum. Designed to be opened every day of the month until Christmas and inspired by a festive holiday train, it's a gift they'll want to display all season long.

Number of Products: 24

Dr. Barbara Sturm’s face serums are some of team Marie Claire’s favorites (our editors swear by the brand’s niacinamide and vitamin C serums), so this 24-day calendar piqued our collective interest this season. It contains both of the aforementioned favorites plus a ton of other best-sellers from the line, like the  Super Anti-Aging Neck and Décolleté Cream—named one of Marie Claire's best neck creams—and the viral Anti-Pollution Drops. It contains a mix of full, sample, and deluxe-sized products to boot. 

Number of Products: 24

Ever wanted to try out La Mer’s products? This 12-day calendar is for you. It contains a bunch of the brand’s iconic best-sellers, including The Moisturizing Soft Cream (which is much-adored online and is a favorite of celebrities like Priyanka Chopra-Jonas and Hailey Bieber) as well as underrated favorites like the lip balm. E-Commerce Editor Julia Marzovilla (aka me! hi!) owns the latter and swears by it for it’s smoothing texture and deeply hydrating finish. 

Number of Products: 12