As December approaches, the festive countdown to Christmas begins across Britain, with advent calendars taking centre stage in holiday traditions. While classic chocolate versions remain popular, an exciting array of luxurious and innovative alternatives has emerged, offering something for every taste and budget.
The Ultimate Advent Calendar Guide for 2024
This year's selection showcases an impressive variety of calendars spanning beauty, food, drinks, jewellery and beyond. After extensive testing, we've compiled comprehensive reviews of 38 standout options available on the British high street and online retailers.
Beauty & Skincare Standouts
The M&S Beauty Advent Calendar continues to impress with its £35 price point offering an incredible £330 value. The sleek black box with gold celestial detailing contains 25 days of beauty treats from premium brands like Colour Wow, Percy & Reed and Estée Lauder, covering everything from haircare to fragrances.
For natural skincare enthusiasts, Jurlique's Christmas Advent Calendar at £110 delivers carefully curated products including face oils, hydrating mists and rejuvenating serums housed in a beautifully crafted keepsake box.
Benefit's innovative Glam Cube Advent Calendar (£135) features a Rubik's Cube-inspired design with three drawers filled with skincare and full glam makeup products, making it both fun and practical for storage reuse.
Food & Drink Delights
Beer lovers will appreciate BrewDog's advent calendar (£64.98), packed with pale ales in either 330ml or 500ml cans. The weighty box offers excellent value for money and makes a super special gift for beer enthusiasts.
Cocktail aficionados can count down to Christmas with the MOTH Cocktail Advent Calendar (£79), featuring proper-sized versions of their popular drinks including Spicy Margaritas and Passionfruit Martinis.
For those preferring non-alcoholic options, Whittard's Hot Chocolate Advent Calendar (£59.95) offers 12 different flavours across 24 days, with favourites including raspberry ripple and sticky toffee.
Luxury & Speciality Options
At the premium end, Diptyque's perfume advent calendar (£399) delivers luxury with candles, perfumes and even a tree decoration in gorgeous packaging that makes a stunning display piece.
The White Company's Advent Calendar (£195) stands out for its full-sized products including candles, diffusers and mini perfumes, offering £320 worth of value for home fragrance lovers.
Lush's £205 calendar features several exclusive items and covers everything from bath bombs to perfumes, showcasing their vast product range in decent-sized portions that offer good longevity.
Budget-Friendly Finds
For those watching their pennies, Revolution Beauty's All Stars Makeup Advent Calendar provides exceptional value at £39.99 for 24 products, working out at roughly £1.60 per item. The vegan and cruelty-free selection makes it perfect for teens starting their makeup journey.
At just £6.99 from Lidl, the Chupa Chups Advent Calendar delivers 24 full-sized treats in vibrant, festive packaging that earned an impressive eleven out of ten rating from a nearly six-year-old tester.
Traditional chocolate lovers can rely on Lindt's Chocolate Factory Advent Calendar (£25 from John Lewis) featuring the brand's signature silky chocolate in various festive forms.
Unique & Niche Choices
Jewellery enthusiasts have several excellent options, including Bohomoon's pale pink advent calendar (£149) that doubles as a two-tier jewellery box with mirror, containing 12 pieces of stainless steel jewellery.
For earring collectors, Scream Pretty's Design Your Own Advent Calendar (£225) offers customisation with 12 hypoallergenic sterling silver pieces perfect for building an earring stack.
Practical gift lovers will appreciate The Sock Shop's advent calendar (£59.99) featuring individually boxed, breathable socks in various Christmas designs, though some patterns might be too bold for everyday wear.
What to Avoid
Not all calendars deliver value for money. The Papier stationery advent calendar (£140) proved disappointing, offering minimal products that don't justify the price tag. Similarly, Pierre Marcolini's chocolate advent calendar (£54) prioritised style over substance with meagre portions that tasted disappointingly cheap.
The Fattoria La Vialla Grand Advent (£200) from Tuscany delivered excellent food quality but suffered from packaging issues that made doors difficult to open without damaging the box.
With so many options available, there's truly an advent calendar for everyone this Christmas season. Whether you're treating yourself or shopping for loved ones, this comprehensive guide ensures you'll find the perfect countdown to make December days more special.
