Marks & Spencer has topped a Daily Mail value-for-money ranking of 14 beauty advent calendars after beauty editor Claire Coleman and beauty writer Antonia Lenon calculated the worth of each box. Marks & Spencer's £75 Beauty Advent Calendar took first place with products worth more than five times its price, followed by John Lewis's £250 calendar with contents worth over £1,000.
Coleman, a beauty editor for more than 20 years, and Lenon assessed whether shoppers are making a smart investment or panic buying after warnings that "last year's sold out in mere weeks, so you better be quick" for boxes of items buyers might never use or brands might struggle to sell. They checked Recommended Retail Prices (RRP) and calculated the price per millilitre or gram for miniature items, giving brands the benefit of the doubt when full-size products sold in cheaper 250ml sizes as well as 100ml sizes before calculating percentage savings.
Marks & Spencer, LookFantastic and John Lewis value leaders
Named best for bargain hunters, the £75 Marks & Spencer calendar advertises a £450 worth and calculated at £460.93, saving £385.93 (515%) across 10 full-size products and 16 miniatures. Its pink and burgundy candy-cane striped box has beauty drawings on the interior drawers and includes Estee Lauder, Clinique, Benefit, bareMinerals, Color Wow, ESPA, Aveda and Floral Street, led by Estee Lauder's Double Wear Smooth & Blur Primer and The Organic Pharmacy's Hyaluronic Acid Serum at £39 each.
Lenon said it "really delivers on haircare", citing Color Wow's hydrating, shine-boosting Money Mist leave-in conditioning spray as her "standout", while Coleman called Sweed's lipstick and Sam McKnight's balm "unsung heroes." Still, the writers noted the low full-size count given the brand's sustainability focus, and Lenon wanted a newer M&S Studio perfume rather than two from the Discover range.
LookFantastic's £120 calendar, named best for beauty know-it-alls, advertises £665 and calculated at £673.90, saving £553.90 (462%). Handpicked by beauty experts in an enormous red and burgundy box, it holds 12 full-size products, four travel sizes and eight accessories from Laura Mercier, Laneige, Medik8, MAC and Color Wow, topped by a £98 Avant Eye Cream.
Coleman said "the UKLash lash serum is one of the ones I recommend to everyone as it really works. I'm delighted to see the Ordinary's sunscreen and Sam McKnight's texture spray is effective and smells divine". Lenon called Clinique's moisturiser "perfect for dull winter skin" and Laura Mercier's Translucent Powder "especially handy to keep in your handbag for quick touch-ups before and during Christmas parties", while Coleman added: "overall this is a total winner for me but if I'm being picky I'd have liked to see a bit more fragrance in there as well."
John Lewis's £250 calendar, best for dependable value from trusted names, comes in a recyclable midnight-blue box hand-painted with baubles and gold stars. Its 41 items (23 full-size products and 18 miniatures) advertise £1,160 and calculated at £1,207.09, saving £957.09 (383%), led by a £129 Foreo UFO 3 Mini alongside a Laura Mercier setting spray that excited Lenon.
Coleman said "There are some classics in here that I've used for years" and noted "the L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil followed by Nuxe's Huile Prodigieuse will leave even the driest winter skin feeling baby soft and smelling amazing, while the Grown Alchemist hand cream will do the same for hands". She added that "Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant is a gentle exfoliator that even sensitive skins can use and almost everyone will benefit from Medik8's hydration boosting B5 serum", though she noted "As a skincare fan, it's disappointing not to see an SPF in there" (Sun Protection Factor), and Lenon said: "While the spread is good, I'd like to have seen more eye and brow makeup in there."
Cult Beauty, Fortnum & Mason, Sephora and Space NK
Cult Beauty's £245 calendar, best for sharing the proceeds, pairs a Victorian-inspired pastel botanical exterior with a white interior decorated with gold snowflakes and starry clouds. Its 19 full-size products and 14 miniatures advertise £1,100 and calculated at £1,127.79, saving £882.97 (360%), led by a £112 Dr. LEVY Overnight Booster Cream alongside Byoma cleanser, Milk primer, Elemis SPF50, Glow Recipe and Sol de Janeiro.
Lenon was "most excited to open the doors housing Medik8's Pro-Collagen Peptide Cream and Paula's Choice Retinoid treatment", while Coleman said "the Vieve primer, the By Terry brightening primer, and the Summer Fridays lip balm are going straight on my face!" However, it lacks fragrance and includes only one mascara, from Westman Atelier.
Fortnum & Mason's £275 luxury winner features a purple box with red flowers, a robin and turquoise drawers containing 14 full-size products and one miniature: a 10ml Clive Christian Original Collection No1 Feminine Parfum worth £130 (full size £650 for 50ml). Advertised at £1,225 and calculated at £1,217 (or £333.50 for members in the summary breakdown), it saves £942.75 (343%).
Coleman called the apothecary-style selection "a real treasure trove for lovers of lesser-known brands" and the perfume sample "not to be sniffed at." Lenon said it felt "designed for self-care on a dark, December night: Aromatherapy Associates' De-Stress Body Oil is perfect for an evening when you want to have a long, undisturbed bath or shower, while Bamford's face oil adds another touch of luxury", though it has no haircare and Coleman noted: "I like Delilah but three of their products seems a little excessive."
The £235 Sephora Favourites pre-order calendar, best for younger beauty fans, swaps last year's gold box for holographic silver and holds 27 full-size items and 13 miniatures led by a £70 K18 Leave-in Molecular Repair Hair Mask. Advertised at £1,006 and calculated at £1,039.96 for an £804.96 (343%) saving, its Makeup By Mario matte and metallic eyeshadow palette impressed Lenon, who said the K18 mask "makes the calendar feel more substantial."
Coleman highlighted Dr Sam's cleanser, Medik8's serum, Merit's blush, Hourglass powder and the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick, adding: "this is very much the calendar I'd give to my teen niece. She'd love the sweet Sol de Janeiro scents and brands, such as Topicals and One/Size that have been popularised on social media." Still, the MAC lipstick, Tower28 lip balm and Sephora lip liner are all reddish-brown burgundy shades.
Space NK's £275 grown-up calendar packs 26 full-size items and nine miniatures, led by a £92 Augustinus Bader The Body Cream, into a recyclable blue box featuring a nutcracker, reindeers, bells, baubles, stars, a sledge, candy canes and crescent moons. Advertised at £1,200 and calculated at £1,197.41 for a £950 (335%) saving, it features products Coleman said she would "urge you try if you're not familiar with them already", calling Skin Rocks cleansing balm and Vieve's Skin Nova "brilliant products" and saying "the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer is a hero product for a reason."
Lenon highlighted Medik8's polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) serum, called the brown and black Refy and Kosas mascaras "particularly wearable" and said there is "something irresistibly dinky about the tiny bottle of Gisou's Honey Hair Perfume." However, the drawers felt less sturdy for reuse, and Coleman wanted more fragrance and body care: "Space NK stock some great products in these categories so this feels like a bit of a loss."
No7, Boots, Sephora Collection and Charlotte Tilbury
No7's £180 Ultimate Beauty Advent Calendar, best for over-50s skincare fans, has a pale pink box with pink and red drawers holding 24 full-size products, advertising £550.75 and calculating at £516.80 for a £380.75 (280%) saving. Led by a £39.95 No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Night Serum, its seven patented anti-ageing peptide Future Renew items, Coleman said, "telegraphs that it's very clearly targeting an older consumer", alongside all-ages Prime Forever cleansers and eye patches from the range for women in their 30s.
Lenon liked the Golden Hour eye palette and foundation voucher, saying: "Foundations and concealers are notoriously difficult to put into an advent calendar because they can't be shade-matched, so this is a clever way round that." Even so, Lenon missed the Prime Forever SPF primer: "I trialled the Prime Forever range when it was released this year, and that was my favourite product."
Boots' £150 24 Days of Luxe calendar, best for bestsellers and trending buys, holds 20 full-size items and eight miniatures worth £709.59 advertised and £709.99 calculated, saving £559.59 (245%) and led by a £65 Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Cream. Lenon praised Laneige's Lip Sleeping Mask with its small spoon over Vaseline and called Floral Street's Wild Vanilla Orchid "a grown-up, moody vanilla", while Coleman praised Aveda's Rosemary Mint Shampoo and Conditioner ("I used to use them years ago and they smell divine"), the Nars Multiple Blush Stick ("something of a cult among makeup artists for years") and Estee Lauder's eye cream ("definitely worth a look"), faulting only the un-festive 2026 burgundy ribbon, star and confetti box.
The £59.99 Sephora Collection calendar for tweens uses a lift-off lid with 24 numbered boxes holding 12 full sizes, four travel sizes and eight accessories like sequinned hair items and pom-poms, led by a £15.99 Brightening Eye Cream (advertising £665, calculating at £179, saving at least £23). Coleman liked the Matte On-The-Go blotting papers and said the lip and cheek tint "is their take on the classic Benetint product", while Lenon noted of the lip gloss that "both the shades that could be included have a glitter finish, which not everyone will love", faulted the drawerless packaging, and joined Coleman in noting the poorly reviewed tweezers: "they'd have done better including their flat tip ones that are £1 more expensive but get much better reviews".
Charlotte Tilbury's £170 Hollywood calendar for makeup junkies comes in a reusable jewel-handled red box with four full sizes, seven miniatures and two accessories (13 items, though the reviewers suggest 10 full-size gifts rather than 15 mixed items), advertising £325.50 and calculating at £367.50 to save £197.50 (216%). Topped by a £35 Sculpting Gua Sha Tool alongside travel Magic Cream, Magic Serum, Rock 'N' Kohl liner and Exagger-Eyes mascara, it includes an Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray Lenon called "a winning addition to any makeup bag" (preferring the summer matte version), while Coleman said she is "a big fan of the Matte Revolution lipsticks" in Pillow Talk Medium and called the Unreal Blush Healthy Glow Stick "a good smear and go blusher."
Clinique, Beauty Pie, Byredo and YOU Magazine boxes
Clinique's £180 calendar for brand devotees packs nine full sizes, 14 miniatures and a compact mirror into a white-starred pink ribboned box, advertising £453 and calculating at £418.72 to save £238.72 (133%), led by a £36 All About Eyes Eye Cream. Lenon welcomed having both Black Honey and Pink Honey lip items as "so many calendars seem to default to several dark or similar lip shades", and Coleman picked the Chubby Stick highlighter, mascara, cleansing balm and scrub, though the miniature-heavy lineup felt miserly.
Beauty Pie's £249 Better Than An Advent Calendar, best for full-size products, includes a £59 annual membership and 14 full-size items led by the £80 (£44 member price) Youthbomb 360° Radiance Concentrate, advertising £1,028 against a calculated £555 non-member worth (£306.75 or 280% saving) or £333.50 member worth (£84.50 or 34% saving). Lenon called Youthbomb "the most expensive product in the box, and one that beauty editors rave about", and Coleman called the Micro-Caviar Overnight Moisture Mask and Fruitizyme Five-Minute Facial "both transformative" and the Japanfusion Cleanser "a daily delight."
Byredo's £650 calendar for fragrance fans (listed as £65 in the quick list) calculates at £673 minimum for a £23 saving across five full sizes, 15 miniatures and five accessories in a rigid blue-interior box with ribbon pulls and tissue paper, led by a £155 Bal d'Afrique Eau de Parfum alongside Gypsy Water, Mojave Ghost, Blanche, Rose of No Man's Land, Summer Rain, Treehouse, Bibliotheque and two lipsticks (though Lenon wanted the Vesuvio eyeshadow palette). Lenon said "the perfume keyring and leather travel case are beautifully made and useful beyond December, while the wooden hairbrush and pocket mirror are the kind of objects you'll want to display in your bedroom." Separately, the £115 YOU Beauty Advent Calendar (worth over £635) features Sunday Riley, Vieve, Lisa Eldridge's Kitten Lash Mascara, Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Cheat Lip Liner and a Jo Loves Plum Pudding Votive Candle, with orders before 18 October entered into a 27-prize draw.
