John Lewis has unveiled its 2025 beauty advent calendar, and early reviews suggest it could be the retailer's best yet. Priced at £235, the calendar contains 36 products — 23 of them full-sized — with a combined value exceeding £1,000. That makes it slightly cheaper than rival offerings from Harrods and Selfridges, both priced at £250.
Sabine Wiesel, a beauty journalist specialising in mature and anti-ageing skincare, tested the calendar for IndyBest. She noted that the selection is curated with mature skin in mind, featuring rejuvenating anti-ageing creams, body care, hair products, and luxury fragrances. Highlights include a 15ml Elemis pro-collagen marine cream, a full-size Medik8 advanced night restore rejuvenating multi-ceramide night cream, and three eye creams such as the full-size Clinique all about eyes rich.
The calendar also offers a balanced mix of categories, unlike some competitors. Liberty's calendar leans heavily on skincare, while Selfridges focuses on make-up. John Lewis includes skincare, body, hair, fragrance, and make-up, with brands like Elemis, Elizabeth Arden, Le Labo, and Laneige. Make-up picks include a Trinny London eye2eye cream eyeshadow and a full-size Chantecaille faux cils longest lash mascara.
Wiesel praised the inclusion of products for tired eyes, such as Shiseido vital perfection uplifting and firming express eye mask and The Ordinary multi-peptide lash and brow serum. For lips, she recommended the full-size Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood vixen matte revolution lipstick. The calendar goes on sale soon, and John Lewis expects it to sell out quickly.
