We know it’s only September, and we really hate to be that person, but Christmas will be here before we know it, and December can be a stressful month. While getting your shopping started early and buying in the tins of celebrations are all good ideas, incorporating some self-care into the run-up to Christmas can help you and your loved ones relax this festive season.

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For the beauty lover in your life (or yourself – no judgment here), beauty advent calendars can be a great, cost-effective way to try out cult classic and new skincare, cosmetics, and haircare products from some of the industry’s best-loved brands.

The best beauty advent calendars often include generous samples and even full-sized items at a fraction of the price, some even offering savings of up to 80% off the product's regular prices, so you’re sure to find new favourites that will last into the new year and beyond.

Beauty advent calendars have become a festive staple, and with more and more brands rounding up 12-25 of their favourite products, it can be hard to separate the best from the rest. Well, that’s where we come in.

The Recommended scoured the internet to find the best beauty advent calendars, with huge savings on full-sized products, to help you shop smarter this festive season.

The best value beauty advent calendars of 2022 at a glance:

Best value beauty advent calendars of 2022

Best value for money beauty advent calendar: Cult Beauty Advent Calendar 2022

This beauty advent calendar costs £235 but boasts an impressive value of over £1,000, saving over 75% off individual product prices.

Cult Beauty Advent Calendar 2022
  • Price: £235
  • Number of products: 37
  • Full size or minis?: 13 full-size products, 24 minis
  • Value of products: over £1,000
  • Saving: over £765 (76.5%)

Cult Beauty’s Advent Calendar has become a festive favourite over the years, and 2022 is sure to be no different.

This year’s calendar is of the highest value yet. It features 37 products from a range of beauty and skincare top brands, including Biossance Squalane and Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum (£48), Charlotte Tilbury Bigger Brighter Eyes in 'Exagger-Eyes' (£43), Dr. LEVY Switzerland Pollution Shield 5PF (£79) and Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum (£70) – all full size.

Three of Cult Beauty’s advent calendars will also contain golden tickets worth £1000. You can join the waitlist to be the first to bag this festive beauty treat.

Best value luxury beauty advent calendar: Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar 2022

This is another high-value option, costing £245 with a value of £1,065 – saving you more than £800 on individual product prices.

Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar 2022
  • Price: £245
  • Number of products: 30
  • Full size or minis?: 17 full-size products, 13 minis
  • Value of products: £1,065
  • Saving: £820 (77%)

The Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar is often touted as one of the best beauty advent calendars to buy. This year's calendar goes on sale on the 28th of September. It features 30 products among its doors, including the Malin+Goetz Resurfacing Face Serum (£58), REN Clean Skincare Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask (£40), and Zelens Emulsion D Fortifying Moisturise (£65) – all full size. Hidden within five calendars are golden tickets that will grant the lucky winners £1000 to spend at Liberty.

This calendar also comes with an additional £10 saving for those subscribed to Liberty’s quarterly beauty box, The Beauty Drop. It will also launch a day early on the 27th of September for subscribers.

Best beauty advent calendar for body care: Fortnum and Mason Beauty Advent Calendar 2022

This luxurious advent calendar has a total value of £844 but costs just £245 – a saving of £599 on individual product prices – and is available to buy now.

Fortnum and Mason Beauty Advent Calendar 2022
  • Price: £245
  • Number of products: 27
  • Full size or minis?: 22 full-size products, two deluxe samples, and three travel-sized miniatures
  • Value of products: £844
  • Saving: £599 (71%)

Fortnum and Mason’s advent calendar includes luxury beauty, wellness, and haircare products from iconic brands, including the Delilah Intense Mascara (£25), Delilah Under Wear Future Resist Foundation Primer (£36), and the Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Muscle Bath & Shower Oil (£50) – all full size.

The calendar is fully recyclable (simply pop out the magnets on the doors before recycling); however, it is intended for repeated use year on year.

Best beauty advent calendar for iconic brands: Space NK Beauty Advent Calendar

This beauty advent calendar features a range of high-end luxury beauty and wellness products, saving 70% off individual product prices.

Space NK Beauty Advent Calendar
  • Price: £215
  • Number of products: 30
  • Full size or minis?: 11 full-size products, 19 minis
  • Value of products: £770
  • Saving: £555 (72%)

The Space NK Beauty Advent Calendar is set to go on sale on the 16th of September. It features 30 products, including 11 full-sized items such as the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk (£26), the Summer Fridays CC Me Serum (£60), the Caudalie Vinergetic C+ Instant Detox Mask (£24), and Olaplex’s No3 Hair Perfector (£28).

This year’s calendar also contains beauty favourites from several iconic brands, including Sisley Paris, Drunk elephant, and Hourglass.

Best advent calendar for beauty and wellness: Lookfantastic Advent Calendar 2022

This budget-friendly beauty advent calendar costs just £95 with products worth over £500 – saving you more than 80% off individual product prices.

Lookfantastic Advent Calendar 2022
  • Price: £95
  • Number of products: 26
  • Full size or minis?: 15 full-size products, 11 minis
  • Value of products: over £500
  • Saving: over £405 (81%)

Lookfantastic’s beauty advent calendar combines high-end beauty and wellness products, featuring 26 items, including the ESPA Optimal Skin Pro Moisturiser (£50), Avant Velvet Perfecting Rose Sugar Scrub (£58) and a PMD Clean Mini (£59).

Lookfantastic offers a £15 discount to their Beauty Box subscribers, who can purchase this calendar for £80, saving over 84%.

Best beauty advent calendar for range of products: River Island Beauty Advent Calendar 2022

The River Island Beauty Advent Calendar costs £79, with products valued at over £290 – saving you more than 70% off individual product prices.

River Island Beauty Advent Calendar
  • Price: £79
  • Number of products: 26
  • Full size or minis?: 18 full-size products, eight minis
  • Value of products: £290
  • Saving: £211 (72.8%)

This calendar is available for purchase now and features cosmetics, haircare and body care products, including Eyeko’s Black Magic Mascara (£19), Wet Brush Original Detangler (£11.99), and the Glaze Clear Conditioning Gloss (£12.99).

This advent calendar features a range of beauty products from tanning mist to press-on nails and promises to keep you looking your best this festive season.

Best sustainable beauty advent calendar: Holland & Barrett 24 Days Of Conscious Beauty Advent Calendar 2022

This beauty advent calendar has a sustainability focus and costs £55 while holding a value of £180 – a saving of more than 60% off individual product prices.

Holland & Barrett 24 Days Of Conscious Beauty Advent Calendar
  • Price: £55
  • Number of products: 24
  • Full size or minis?: 14 full-size products, ten minis
  • Value of products: £180
  • Saving: £125 (69.4%)

Get your new year’s resolutions started early with this conscious beauty advent calendar. This calendar features 24 products, including 14 full-size items such as the Psychic Sisters Aventurine Gua Sha Facial Wand (24.95), the Vitaskin Vitamin C Cleansing Balm (£15), and Nature's Bounty Beautiful Skin Vegan Gummies (£16.99).

The calendar is available to purchase now and includes sustainability-focused wellness and body care product.

Best charity beauty advent calendar: Macmillan 24 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar 2022

This advent calendar costs £88, and £2 from every purchase is donated to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Macmillan 24 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar
  • Price: £88
  • Number of products: 24
  • Full size or minis?: 9 full size, 15 minis
  • Value of products: £135.12 / over £135
  • Saving: £47 (34.8%)

This advent calendar features 24 beauty and skincare treats from brands, including the Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion 50ml (£9.50), the Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Palette Level Up (£9.99), and the Botanics Peaceful Nights Pillow Mist (£7).

How we chose the best value advent calendars

Every year we see the release of more and more beauty advent calendars crowding an ever-full market. With a festive treat for interest and price range, it can be hard to find real gems that are really worth the money. We used four key criteria to help you find the best beauty advent calendars to buy in 2022.

Percentage saving

When conducting our search, we paid close attention to the product value vs retail price of each calendar to help you get the most out of your money, with some calendars offering savings of more than 80% off standard product RRP.

Number of products

Some calendars offer more products than others, and while this isn’t always indicative of value, it’s something to consider when finding your perfect calendar.

Size of products

For us, a real game-changer is the size of the products each calendar features. Mini’s are great for travelling and might look cute in your bathroom, but full-size products are the real winners, ultimately offering greater value for money.

Something special

Beauty brands know that it isn’t enough anymore to stick to the tried and tested 24 products model. This year we’re seeing some of the best beauty advent calendars offering an extra something in their calendars, from golden tickets and charity donations to extra full-size products; these beauty advent calendars have some added extras to set themselves apart.

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Want to read more beauty product round-ups? Check out our Cosmetics page for a full list of recommendations, including our list of the best mascaras and the best foundations recommended by professional make-up artists.

Authors

Isobel NutbrownStaff Writer

Isobel Nutbrown is a Staff Writer at The Recommended and works with leading industry experts to help readers make informed decisions and shop smarter online.

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