We love an Advent calendar and they’ve never been so popular! Some of the best calendars make great gifts in themselves – who wouldn’t want to receive a whole month of mini gifts to get them excited for the big day?
As well as the classic picture and chocolate-filled calendars, 2024’s collection include everything from beauty products to mini toys.
You can also pick up reusable calendars that can be refilled with treats of your choice every year.
Hurry along to see us and make sure you get yours before they’re gone!
Here are some of our favourites.
Beautiful treats
The best beauty calendars fly off the shelves long before Christmas, with people joining waiting lists for the best ones.
The most coveted calendars include make-up and skincare treats from all the top beauty brands for a fraction of the usual cost, and you get to try a wealth of iconic classics without having to invest in the full-size product.
Fabulous value, the natural deluxe beauty advent calendar from Holland & Barrett gives you £219 worth of wellness-based goodies for just £45. In it, you’ll find vegan treats from brands like Faith in Nature, Wild, Dor Organic and Weleda.
Superdrug has five gorgeous beauty calendars to glam up your festive season. The Real Tecnhiques Advent Calendar costs £30 and includes 28 skincare and make-up accessories, including brow scissors and stencils, brushes and mask applicators. The Nivea for Men Advent Calendar, £35, includes skincare, bathing and grooming favourites.
Rituals’ four luxury Advent calendars will make your day every day, from the Classic, Deluxe and Premium calendars, to the luxury men’s Advent calendar (£91.90 - £172). The Deluxe and Premium sets are designed as beautiful, lit up villages, with some of Rituals’ best-selling products hidden inside the glowing houses.
The Christmas countdown is on at Lush with a choice of two special Christmas calendars – opt for the 29 High Street Advent Calendar (£130), with 25 doors containing carefully curated beautiful bath products, or splash out on the iconic Lush Advent Calendar (£190), with festive bath bobs, luxurious lotions, and retro favourites from Lush’s Christmas past. Both come in reusable decorative boxes that can be refilled each year for endless Christmas joy.
Next’s Christmas offerings include the £90 25 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar, which is worth £383 and features make-up favourites from big brands. There’s also a Luxury Beauty Advent Calendar that costs £170 for products worth £768.
Keep it sweet
A chocolate Advent Calendar is a classic Christmas favourite, and you won’t find much better than the luxury options at Hotel Chocolat. There’s a great choice, including the Up To Snow Good Advent Calendar (£8.95) with 24 cute milk chocolate characters to bring a little joy to every day of your festive season. And you’ll need to be quick to get your hands on the incredibly popular Velvetiser Advent (£50), filled with a curated collection of 24 decadent drinking chocolates from classic Salted Caramel to limited-edition Pecan Cinnamon Danish.
Your Christmas will be merry and bright with a piece of Cadbury Dairy Milk to greet you every morning. The Cadbury Dairy Milk Advent Calender at Poundland costs just £2.75.
Childlike pleasures
There are toys galore in The Entertainers’ fun selection of calendars. Every morning will be filled with excitement with the Happyland Advent Calendar (£29.99), with each door filled with a different figure that you can put together to create a fun festive scene.
At Gogo Gadget, a good range of calendars includes the magical Harry Potter Advent Calendar Cube, £59, which has a different Harry Potter gift behind each of the 24 doors. You’ll be enchanted by pin badges, a Harry Potter snow globe, wand backpack buddies and keychains.
Delight Marvel fans with the LEGO Super Heros Advent Calendar (£24.99) at Game. You’ll find seven minifigures including Okoye, Doctor Strange, Captain America, Spider-Man, Wong, Iron Man and Black Widow, plus mini builds and accessories that kids will love.
The new Smiggle Advent Calendar (£28) is packed with 25 days worth of limited edition, fan favourites like Poppies, scented stickers, a slapband and more.
Home style
Fill your home with warm festive fragrance with the sweet-smelling Advent calendar collection at Yankee Candle. The Advent Wreath, £27.99, contains 24 scented tea lights in fragrances including Christmas Cookie, Silver Sage and Pine, Black Cherry and Cinnamon Stick. A glass tea light holder is also included.
Make your own
Of course, there’s always the option to create your own box of treats. You can convert boxes, drawers and even old coffee cans into fun Christmas countdown calendars. Fill each can or box with an inexpensive treat and then paint each container in fun Christmas colours and stack on the table to be enjoyed each day.
You can put your creative skills to the test with Claire’s DIY Advent Calendar guide. Follow the instructions to design your festive garland calendar, and fill with mini gifts from Claire’s - try keychains, lip gloss, nail polish, and pretty hair clips.
Sostrene Grene also has lots of creative ideas for spreading joy with beautiful homemade Advent calendars – try them for yourself here.