From stationery to socks, beauty and bath products, our team of shopping experts have chosen their top tried and tested advent calendar for 2025, with prices starting from £18 – but you’ll need to be quick
We’re at the penultimate weekend of November, so anyone looking for a calendar to brighten the run up to Christmas needs to order now in time for the first of the month. Since August our writers have reviewed dozens of calendars, ranging from all the best beauty options – from budget to premium, through to alternative options packed with socks, candles, LEGO, stationery, coffee and more.
Advent calendar are a great opportunity to try out new brands, stock up on favourites and have a treat every morning on the countdown to Christmas. They also make excellent gifts, should anyone have an end of the year birthday, or just as a way to let someone know how valued they are as we wrap up the year.
Here are our top picks on the best advent calendars still available – although, be warned, some of them are likely to sell out as we get closer to December 1.
Siren Craft Brew Beer Advent Calendar (£90) – chosen by Narin
Fans of indie breweries producing limited run, delicious and interesting beers rejoice! Siren Craft Brew has been a firm favourite for craft beer drinkers in the South East of England for years, hosting drinkers at their small batch brewery and several sister bars, as well as selling their range online including eye-catching collabs like their recent tie-in for the launch of the Predator: Badlands movie.
Whether you’re a Siren superfan or discovering the brewery for the first time, this advent calendar will keep you smiling throughout December. It’s a brilliant showcase of all the things that make Siren great – with a range of IPAs, stouts and lagers, alongside quirkier sours, winter warmers and nitro infused brews, some of which have been brewed in such small amounts only people who buy the calendar will get to try them.
For the first time, the calendar includes a festive glass and a little treat to toast Christmas Day. The brand has deliberately kept the full details of the calendar under wraps, but having had a sneak peek (and sample, don’t judge!) it’s a worthy addition to our recommended list.
Rituals’ The Ritual of Advent Classic Wreath Calendar (£103) – chosen by Bethan
Those who love nothing more than a long soak in the tub, or need that little extra nudge to slow down over the festive period, may find that Rituals’ The Ritual of Advent Classic Wreath Calendar is precisely what they need this December. This year’s edition is designed to be a hanging wreath that doubles as decor, and it’s one of the best ways to discover the brand’s range without forking out full price.
Priced at £103 but worth £164.50, inside are 24 indulgent body care and wellness heroes, from The Ritual of Jing Foaming Shower Gel and The Ritual of Ayurveda Shower Oil, to The Ritual of Karma Shimmering Body Oil. Alongside bath and shower essentials, there are haircare products, skincare minis, and even home fragrances, including four scented candles and a Night Pillow & Body Mist.
If you prefer full-sized products, this calendar is a little light. Everything is under 100ml, making it ideal for travel or stocking fillers, but less so for those looking for larger products. That said, the smaller sizes are still generous and can be used multiple times. There are also notably no mini fragrance sticks; however, there are some in the Glossybox advent calendar, alongside more brand variety.
Next 25 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar (£95) – chosen by Nisha
Next isn’t necessarily a retailer that springs to my mind when I think of buying beauty products. However, this year, it introduced two beauty advent calendars, one of which I reviewed some months ago. The 25 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar is a worthy addition to our top recommendations, as it falls within the mid-price point and includes well-regarded brands such as Pixi, OPI, and Iconic London.
Beauty advent calendars can cost upwards of £150, which, for me, makes Next’s addition a strong contender, both in terms of price and content. It’s priced at £95 but contains products worth more than £385. It’s weighty too, feeling and looking luxurious. There’s also a lot of attention to detail, with each countdown box having a festive illustration.
My favourite additions are the Hello Sunday Dark Spot Oil Serum SPF 40 and the Pixi Hydra Lip Treat. The 25 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar is an excellent choice for shoppers who are just foraying into the world of beauty advent calendars. It contains a carefully curated selection of skin, body, hair, and beauty products, made with the quality and attention to detail you’d expect from Next.
Debenhams Beauty Advent Calendar 2025 (£114) – chosen by Jess
Worth over £700, Debenhams’ beauty advent calendar is one of my favourites for 2025. Inside, there are products I actually want to use, including brands like MAC, Estée Lauder, and Lancôme.
Normally retailing at £150, the calendar has been slashed to £120, and the code BEAUTY5 takes it down to £114 on the Debenhams website. The calendar is pretty hefty, but it feels like a treat to open thanks to the cute drawers.
There’s a decent mix of skincare and makeup, and the latter products are in suits-all shades, meaning there’s not a dud among them. One thing I would say, if I were being picky, is that as someone who tends to go to a salon for a gel manicure, I don’t often get use out of nail polishes such as the OPI one included in this countdown.
I’m well aware this is a matter of personal preference; however, for beauty fans wanting to stock up on favourites or try something new, it offers a great variety of items spanning categories such as skincare, fragrance and hair.
Marks & Spencer The Beauty Advent Calendar 2025 (£60) – chosen by Jess
Marks & Spencer’s advent calendar is worth £330 but costs just £60, and it’s filled to the brim with big-name brands. M&S has fast become one of my favourite high street retailers for 2025, and I’ve loved their Bella Freud collaborations, so I was pleased to see the designer had created the stylish box.
Beauty enthusiasts can expect to find brands such as Estée Lauder, Cowshed, Benefit, and Colour Wow in the little boxes, with the calendar offering a wide range of treats for both pampering and partying over the festive period.
My one drawback, having unboxed the calendar, is that once the boxes are removed, it can look messy inside, so I prefer a drawer design. However, given the contents, M&S’s offering offers a reasonable price point and a good selection of products.
Papier’s 24 Days of Desk Delights (£140) – chosen by Lauren
Papier’s 24 Days of Desk Delights advent calendar proves that non-beauty calendars deserve their share of excitement, too. Valued at £200 and priced at £140, this year’s calendar is filled with limited-edition treats and scaled-down versions of its bestsellers.
Inside are 24 desk-themed surprises, ranging from the practical to the purely charming: pen clips, sticky tabs, washi tape, notebooks, and highlighters. Everything comes in a warm, vintage-inspired autumn palette that instantly transformed my dull desk into something straight from a cosy Pinterest board.
The mix of decorative and functional pieces feels well-balanced overall. That said, there is some repetition (five pens might be more than anyone really needs), and I doubt I’ll get everyday use out of all seven notepads.
Yankee Candle Advent Wreath Calendar (£18, was £27) – chosen by Lauren
Yankee Candle has long been a go-to for reliable burns: budget-friendly, slow to melt away, and consistently capable of filling a room with gorgeous fragrance. For Christmas, the brand has launched its Advent Wreath Calendar (£18, down from £27 at Boots), a festive treat offering 24 days of wintry scents.
The first door reveals a tea light holder (a charming and practical start), followed by two dozen seasonal fragrances ready to be lit. Expect classics like Cinnamon Sticks, Black Cherry, Amber & Sandalwood, and Christmas Cookie.
A few scents do reappear throughout the month, which could feel like a bonus or a drawback depending on preference. I enjoyed having extra doses of my favourites, but if a particular scent isn’t your cup of tea, encountering it more than once might be less welcome.
Even so, the collection keeps things varied with a blend of cosy, sweet, and fresher notes, so it never becomes repetitive. Each tealight is on the small side, meaning one alone won’t fill a big space, but two are enough to fragrance my medium-sized bedroom.
L’Oreal Paris Beauty Advent Calendar (£161.48, was £240) – chosen by Lucy
Makeup fans can treat themselves or a loved one to more than £50 off a L’Oreal Paris Beauty Advent Calendar. There are two options to choose from, a 12 day set down to £49.99 from £108 and a 24 day calendar, now £161.48, typically £240.
Talking about the 24 day calendar, someone said: “Absolutely great value for what you get, products are apparently all full size (I’ve not opened it yet but seen TikTok’s). Looks really lovely and box is very sturdy. I can’t wait to open these in the lead up to Christmas.”
Another person was left a little disappointed, writing: “If someone is a die-hard L’Oréal Paris fan, they may still enjoy it, but I’d rather buy the specific items I plan to use in my own shades.” But the 12 day version has received praise: “Absolutely stunning. I think its the best 12 day advent calendar this year Well done L’Oreal Paris! Bought for my daughter shes going to be thrilled.”
Rise Coffee Advent Calendar (£40) – chosen by Ruth
If you are someone who starts every day with a fresh cup of coffee then a coffee advent calendar is the perfect festive countdown. Rise has carefully curated 24 days of individual coffee.
Each day users discover a new coffee with a handy QR code revealing the full story behind your cup, plus interactive videos.The pouches of ground coffee are suitable for brewing methods including: French press / Cafetière, filter, pour over, AeroPress and Chemex and Moka Pot.
The advent is £40, which may feel steep, but it works out as £1.66 a day – less than a takeout coffee. It’s a great way to treat a coffee loving friend (or yourself) without being tied into just one flavour.
