The best and worst Advent calendars of 2025 revealed: The Daily Mail tests luxury and low-priced offerings – with VERY surprising results

As souped-up advent calendars have become a trend in recent years, my mother, sister and I have begun a new festive tradition – taking turns opening the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar and sharing out its goodies (and swapping products when someone else has something we want). This year I was lucky enough to review the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar and, as a lover of the product in previous years, I had high expectations.

This year’s packaging is sleek and compact, having been given the Bella Freud treatment. While it’s not quite as festive-looking as some previous designs, it slots neatly onto one’s dressing table and becomes chic addition as a black box with gold celestial detailing.

But it’s what’s inside the box that counts – and this year’s offering from M&S certainly didn’t disappoint. The boxed-up goodies, which run for 25 days, cover beauty concerns from head to toe, including hair and scalp care, body moisturisers, make up and fragrances.

While there aren’t many full-size products included in the box, the range of items from high-end brands such as Colour Wow, Percy & Reed and Estée Lauder allows you to sample a wide range – which is always helpful for resetting your beauty and skincare routine in the year ahead.

The price tag of £330 will of course seem steep for many – however shoppers can breathe a sigh of relief as it’s reduced significantly to £60 when you spend £35 or more on fashion, home or beauty in M&S.

As 1 December rapidly approaches, I already have my eye on several items in the M&S Beauty Advent Calendar – so I’ll have to hope my sister and mother are feeling generous this year!

This advent calendar is the perfect choice for anyone who is a lover of natural skincare. From glow-boosting face oils and hydrating mists to indulgent hand creams and rejuvenating serums, each product has been carefully picked to create the best offering of Jurlique products.

The items – designed to replenish and soothe skin and senses throughout the season – come housed in a beautifully crafted keepsake box with a lift-up lid, 24 compartments, and bespoke botanical artwork by Australian artist Steph Brooke. So not only is it a great calendar for yourself, but also works as a lovely gift.

This was such a fun advent calendar. Forget your standard book-like product, with 24 boxes to open. Instead, this was a Rubik’s Cube-inspired arrangement that had three different draws to open, each filled with brilliant, varied gifts.

For any beauty lover, the selection was perfect – ranging from skincare to full glam makeup, you could top up every part of your cosmetics collection. The packaging was bright and engaging, the items inside definitely worth the money – and to top it off, it’s a calendar that most could actually reuse, keeping it as a vibrant storage container.

For anyone who anyone who enjoys tucking into a juicy IPA as much as I do, this is the calendar for you. Brew Dog’s weighty box packs one hell of a boozy punch, with the majority of doors opening up to reveal a tasty can.

The beers, which are mostly varieties of pale ales, are all reliably delicious and come in either 330ml or 500ml size cans. Although some weren’t to my taste, namely one festive Austrian beer, it was merely down to personal preference rather than poor quality.

For £65, I think this is more than worth its price tag, and would make a super special gift for someone who is head over heels for beers.

For £99 and mainly full sized products, the Avant skincare calendar is a steal.

This year, shoppers can scan a QR code that takes them to a video explaining the product’s benefits, which is a nice touch. In terms of the products themselves, I adore the rose petal serum, which is usually £114 alone. My skin also loved it, as it instantly absorbed and left my face looking brighter and glowy, even after the first use.

The Blue Volcanic Stone cleanser also worked a treat, removing excess makeup left on the face while also keeping skin smooth and even. The lip plumping treatment was also a bonus and didn’t leave my lips feeling too tingly.

In terms of the product packaging, I do think Avant could invest more into making it sleeker, as I didn’t feel the huge amount of text screamed premium to me. However, all in all, it was a lovely calendar and would be a great gift to receive.

Diptyque has nailed the luxury Advent Calendar this year. The price point may be high, but with candles, perfumes, and even a tree decoration, you truly feel like you’re getting what you paid for. There are lots of different scents to explore, and it’s a great way to find you’re new favourite perfume or candle.

It arrives in gorgeous packaging, meaning shoppers will have no issue with displaying this one proudly on a counter.

It’s no doubt an expensive calendar, but for people looking to spoil a loved one, or even enjoy one together, this is a great choice.

For cocktail lovers, this might be the perfect way to count down to December 25. The calendar includes the MOTH cocktails fans will know and love, including the Spicy Margaritas and Passionfruit Martinis.

Each drink is strong and comes in the proper size that you’d buy off the shelves. It might cost a pricey tag, but the calendar guarantees a very merry Christmas indeed.

It’s safe to say that The White Company nailed its Advent Calendar this year. Unlike most other options, the size of the products makes it feel like you’ve got the most for your money.

There are full-sized candles, diffusers, and mini perfumes included. It’s worth £320 but costs £195, and for anyone wanting to make their home look and smell a little more festive this year, I think this is the perfect option.

Where do I start? Everything from the box to the products was absolute perfection and everything I could want in a pamper advent calendar. Despite having a hefty price tag of £205, several items are exclusive to the box, including the Ice Carousel bubble bar, Snoozy Butterbear bath bomb, Let The Good Times Roll shower gel, Love soap, Yog Nog body lotion, Iced Wine shower gel, Shruti’s Flower bath bomb, Golden Pear body scrub , Christmas Eve candle and the Vanillary Oudh perfume.

Each window is also a decent size, from the 80g soaps to the 120g shower gel (which is perfect for travelling). As a little goes a long way with Lush products, one shower gel can easily last you weeks. Lush’s biodegradable packing peanuts means that most of the bath bombs should arrive protected, although I have to admit, I was a little gutted when Shruti’s Flower bath bomb arrived damaged – however, it was still usable.

The advent calendar has something for everyone, from socks, soaps, lip scrubs, perfumes, candles to dusting powders, shower gels and bath bombs, showing off their vast range of products. It also means it is perfect if you split the cost with a loved one. If you’re in the mood to treat yourself this season, this is a strong contender.

With 24 delicious goodies inside, it’s safe to say that the Fortnum’s Feasting Advent Calendar lives up to its name. The calendar includes a range of sweet and savoury goodies, from garlic-infused olive oil to gin-soaked olives and festive chocolate buttons.

While the offerings do give a luxurious feel, with a price point of £250, there could have been more inside, such as slightly bigger sizes for the products.

It’s nonetheless a perfect way for foodies to make the build-up to Christmas feel that little bit more special this year!

Lindt is a classic choice for many when it comes to picking out an Advent calendar, and this Chocolate Factory one proves why. It’s filled with the familiar, silky chocolate in various different forms, from angels, to bears, and the classic chocolate truffles.

For a chocolate calendar, it’s got a high price point, but it’s a solid option for someone wanting to welcome the festive period in a delicious way.

Each December day will certainly be made that little bit more special – and delicious – with Cartwright and Butler’s calendar.

Products include Cheese Flatbreads, Dark Chocolate Drinking Chocolate, Belgian chocolate fudge, and many more. Most products are sized well, and the packaging has a very luxurious feel.

With its stunning packaging, I’d say it’s a great one to gift to a loved one, but beware of the (exceptionally) high £249 price point.

There’ll be enough food to last over Christmas with Frattoria La Vialla’s The Grand Advent.

The product arrives directly from Tuscany, and the quality of the produce shines through in each and every product.

The packaging, however, let it down; each door is hard to open. I ended up having to rip the box to open a door – meaning the surprise for the rest of the month was ruined – and for £200, I expected better.

But if you’re just bothered about the food quality – and love Italian goods – then this is a safe bet.

Verdict: The Majorette Advent Calendar is a great choice for shoppers looking to get their car-obsessed young ones that little bit more excited for Santa’s arrival.

There’s a range of products to be opened throughout December, and by the end of the month, they’ll have a good range of cars to play with throughout the year.

While the price point is a little higher than traditional calendars, it doesn’t break the bank as much as some of the other options on the market. I think it’s a solid option, and though you don’t get a car on every single day, it’s enough to make Christmas a little more merry for children.

As a huge hot chocolate fan, having a different flavour of hot chocolate each day of advent seems like a dream come true. In particular, the raspberry ripple and sticky toffee flavours are really good.

It comes in a lovely bright and festive box, meaning it’s a Christmas decoration in itself. It has individual drawers, meaning you could reuse it and fill it with treats of your own.

There are 12 flavours – meaning that if you have a favourite, you’ll get it twice throughout the month, which I thought was a nice touch. I thought it was quite white hot chocolate heavy, which is my favourite, so I was quite pleased. But if you’re not a fan, I would probably avoid this calendar.

I also thought it was quite expensive – £59.95 – considering you just get a sachet each day and it’s powdered hot chocolate, rather than chocolate flakes. It would be better value to just buy a tub of your favourite flavour. It was nice to have the surprise each day and to try all the different types, though.

Something else to note is that the milk hot chocolates are more similar to dark hot chocolates, which I didn’t particularly like. However, this is just personal preference and not a fault of the calendar.

First impressions of Charlotte Tilbury’s advent calendar is that it is visually stunning. The 12-piece collection arrives in a beautiful golden treasure chest and is packed with some of the brand’s best selling products, including a mini Magic Cream and Pillow Talk lip liner.

My only complaint was that the calendar was only 12 days rather than the usual 24. However, what it loses in quantity, it easily makes up for in quality. Each and every item was of the brand’s typically exceptional quality, and offered something for everyone.

At £175, it’s far from being a budget friendly option. That being said, for makeup masters or even those looking to grow their luxury makeup collection, this is a fantastic option.

This pale pink advent calendar by Bohomoon doubles as a two-tier jewellery box with a mirror inside the lid. Not only is it pretty enough to leave out on a desk or dressing table, it’s also packed full of attractive pieces that will pair well with both casual and formal looks.

It contains 12 pieces of stainless steel Bohomoon jewellery – three necklaces, three bracelets, three rings and three pairs of earrings – which are all available in a gold colour or a silver colour and have a combined value of £350.

Of these, four items are new and exclusive for the British brand’s 2025 advent calendar. All the pieces of jewellery come in their own protective pouches, so there’s no risk of them tarnishing between wears.

This is a perfect advent calendar for a teenager or twenty-something who wants to look elegant and on trend at all times.

Small but mighty, this customisable advent calendar is perfect for creating the ideal earring stack. The box itself is quite plain at first glance, but opens up to a pretty, marbled paper-lined lid and 12 doors that contain the earrings embedded in velvet and sponge. It can be reused to hold and display earrings, but the packaging isn’t quite as pretty or practical as some other jewellery advent calendars.

It contains 12 earrings made from hypoallergenic and certified recycled sterling silver – three pairs of hoops or studs, four individual hoops, four individual studs and one ear cuff that you can choose from a selection on the website. They have a combined value of £400, but this figure is slashed to just £225 when purchased in the advent calendar.

Each piece is quite tiny, especially the flat-backed studs which are meant for cartilage piercings, so they can be fiddly to put on. The hoops are easy to click on and off and can be worn on any part of the ear for a unique look.

This would be especially precious for a stylish Millennial or Gen Z with plenty of ear piercings who wants to build their earring collection with tiny, sparkly treats.

Montezuma is known for its premium dark chocolate bars, particularly its 100 per cent cocoa that appeals to diehard dark chocolate fans only. However, this advent calendar provides a more widely appealing mix of dark and milk chocolates from the brand’s best-selling flavoured bars, making it more fun and approachable.

It contains a mix of 24 chocolate squares that are noticeably larger than a Cadbury Advent calendar chocolate and so make for a satisfying sweet treat. Each door opens up to one of four flavours: Space Hopper (milk chocolate with orange), Black Forest (dark chocolate with cherry), Happiness (milk chocolate with caramelised salted hazelnuts) and Spice It Up (dark chocolate with ginger).

On Christmas day, customers get a real treat with a mini bar of Splotch, a milk chocolate with indulgent butterscotch to make the big day feel extra special.

This is the perfect advent calendar for anyone who isn’t completely sold on dark chocolate but prefers a less sweet alternative to Dairy Milk.

How many items of gold jewellery does one really need? Several, according to Edge of Ember. The brand’s offering of advent calendars include six and 12-day options, which are lovely gifting options for a special someone in your life (or a wonderful treat for yourself).

Its jewellery is simple, elegant and low-key, meaning its pieces are staples one will keep for a long time – making the advent calendar an ideal gift. Additionally, the option to personalise certain items with initial pendants, birthstones and different chain lengths creates bespoke items for loved ones.

Edge of Ember’s items are gold and gold-plated – though many of the items in the advent calendar are, understandably, the latter. Nonetheless, 12 gold and gold-plated items for £375 is something of a steal! The North Star Diamond Earrings, made from 14ct solid gold, are almost worth the cost of the advent calendar alone.

In terms of value, this festive countdown box from budget beauty brand Revolution feels really generous, with 24 decent-sized products included in its £39.99 price tag, working out at roughly £1.60 per item.

With its pink and purple packaging, it looks suitably sparkly and, by the time December 25th arrives, will have you set up with almost everything you need in a starter makeup kit.

The 24th opening brings an Icon Edit Palette for eyes, but there’s highlights throughout – I loved the Hop Lip Oil and cute, spherical Glow Bomb Lip Balm. Great for teens just starting out, the products are all vegan and cruelty-free.

Dr Barbara Strum’s advent calendar is certainly an exciting way to lead up to Christmas Day.

The impressive 24-piece box contains a plethora of luxury products, with everything from powder enzyme face wash to moisturisers and even a cookie cutter.

At £450, it is high on price but equally big on quality. Though I’d never used any of the products before, I was pleasantly surprised by several, including a tub of Everything Eye Patches, which delivered sparkling bright under eyes, even after a long night. Not everything is so exciting, with some fairly basic products, like a makeup remover and regular facewash, rousing less excitement.

Overall, this is a lovely Advent calendar if you can afford it and have the space (it’s a pretty hefty box!).

You can’t argue with the price of this advent calendar. It’s budget-friendly for the size of it, and includes 24 full-sized treats, housed in fun, vibrant and festive packaging.

I asked a nearly six-year-old for her verdict, and was told in no uncertain terms that it was an eleven out of ten… high praise indeed! It’s simple yet playful – just what you want from a sweet-filled advent calendar.

For little ones too young for sweet treats, this is an ideal choice. Each window comes with a festive activity to complete, which offers a nice alternative to the usual Advent activities.

Its stunning appearance means children and parents alike will look forward to bringing this out year after year, making the £30 price point worth every penny.

This advent calendar is definitely unique and a lovely gift to receive. The packaging is stunning, particularly the keepsake ‘Happy Christmas’ metal tin that the goodies arrive in, as you can continue to reuse it, unlike other flimsy paper and plastic wrapping.

The biscuits themselves were iced to perfection, and I enjoyed every detail, however, my favourites were the ‘To Santa’ letter, and the adorable train set biscuits due to the detail. Each biscuit was baked well and had a nice crunch to it. If you are looking to get into the festive mood but don’t want to eat chocolate, this is a great alternative.

For £115, you also get the limited-edition Sophie Allport advent calendar that comes in handy to hang your individual biscuits in. The artistic, material calendar has individual festive paintings on each of the 24 slots, meaning you can also reuse it time and time again. The only reason I am giving it a 4/5 is that while it is delicious, I don’t believe it entirely warrants the expensive price tag.

Look Fantastic called it big and their best-ever calendar, and they didn’t disappoint. Expect big beauty names in this one, including Sol de Janeiro to MAC.

There’s no doubt that beauty lovers will enjoy this during the countdown to Christmas. A point has been taken down for the sizes though, a lot of the products are minis, and for the cost of £105, it would be nice to get more full-sized products.

I simply adore how diverse advent calendars are becoming; there truly is something for everyone, and this Lakrids by Bulow calendar is great for any liquorice lover.

Although it is pricey, anyone who is familiar with their products will understand that it is relatively in keeping with their regular prices. To ensure customers get more value for money, the Danish company has put never-before-released flavours that are exclusive to the calendar, keeping each one under wraps on their website.

£70 will get you 690g of chocolate-coated liquorice, as each window has four pieces of the treats. Some flavours include sour strawberry, classic caramel, dark truffle, crispy raspberry, salted caramel, passion fruit, frozen mint and caramel date. With every bite, you can taste the care that goes into perfecting each flavour, with my personal favourite being sour strawberry, as Lakrids by Bulow does fruit liquorice very well.

Behind one of the doors, you can also find liquorice sauce pouches – a nice surprise to add to the festive fun.

An absolute treat for the stout-loving, real ale appreciating giftee in your life, Yorkshire-based brewer Black Sheep has parcelled up 24 cans and bottles of its finest nectars.

There’s some doubles but on the whole this feels like a thoroughly creative portfolio of the brand’s most interesting tipples, with Monty Python’s Holy Grail, a Rattlehead Pilsner and a ‘fabled’ Riggwelter ale all in the mix. What’s behind the 24th door? A bottle of festive ruby ale named Blitzen, of course. The one downside? A full calendar weighs a whopping 25kg.

For practical gift lovers, this may be the advent calendar for you. The socks from Sock Shop were easily the most comfortable socks I have ever worn as they are soft and promise to be ‘breathable’, according to the website.

Many of the designs are also adorable – my favourites being the ones involving cats dressed up in Christmas ensembles. The reason why it scored three, however, is that I do believe some of the designs are a bit too out there for everyday wear. Six pairs were lime green and neon pink, which don’t particularly scream ‘festive’ to me.

After putting one of the socks through the wash after one wear, I noticed it had started bobbling a little, which leads me to wonder how long they would last before showing signs of wear and tear.

Nonetheless, I cannot fault the calendar itself, which was various shades of pink and tied up with a luxurious ribbon. Each one of the socks are also individually boxed, making it feel as though you are unboxing a gift every single day rather than opening a calendar door.

Soap might not be the first choice that springs to mind when thinking of an Advent calendar, but for those who aren’t a fan of the sweeter things, this is a great bet.

The calendar is filled with 12 different bars of soap for 12 days of Advent. Each bar comes ‘naked’ and without a wrapper, and the products are a great choice for those with dry and sensitive skin.

At £35, though, I think receiving a bar for each day of December would be more suitable, but the soaps are nonetheless a great home addition.

The front of this advent calendar, showing a delightfully festive shopfront, complete with a Christmas tree, presents, Santa and neighbours enjoying a cup of holiday cheer screams jolly and cheerful – just the kind of offering you want to display in your home leading up to the big day.

The chocolate also doesn’t disappoint, with the squares boasting a smooth, luxurious tasting treat, with hints of caramel and vanilla. But perhaps a selection of different flavours would’ve been more appreciated, rather than 24 of the same.

Having sampled a couple of Virgin’s alcohol advent calendars, I can safely say the gin variety reigned superior. Containing 24 individual glass vials, equating to about one measure, of different flavoured gins, it was certainly exciting to open.

There was a wide array of different flavours, from festive favourites like Christmas pudding to fresher options like grapefruit and yuzu and some gin liqueurs too.

I enjoyed nearly all of them, but struggled to notice the distinct flavours of each. I mixed most with tonic water, which may have been my downfall as most seemed to blend with the taste of the mixer.

Costing nearly £50, it’s certainly not cheap, but probably worth it if you’ve got a thicker wallet and a thirst for experimental flavours of gin.

When selecting my festive wine delivery, I opted for a mix of white and red and felt similarly mixed feelings towards them.

While I think that most of the reds were delicious, rich and full bodied, far less can be said for the whites. Now I am no wine connoisseur but I know what white wine is supposed to taste like and this was far from it.

I was left with a spine-chilling shiver after nearly every single sip of the white wines. Most were extremely acidic and oddly, neither dry or sweet. For £99, I think this is pretty good value but for the quality, I would advise sticking to the red-only box.

This is a great advent calendar for someone who has grown tired of eating chocolates each year. Instead, behind each door is a delicious buttery vanilla cookie which is well-decorated with royal icing. What is perhaps more impressive is that each intricate biscuit is hand-iced and each number is a different shape, from a lit Christmas tree, to a jumper and even a mug of hot cocoa.

Baked by Steph also offers people to personalise their calendars and will ice their names on a present sack behind the final window, which is a lovely touch. I particularly enjoyed how each biscuit was individually wrapped, meaning you don’t have to necessarily eat them straight away but can take them to work, school or university.

The biscuits were tasty and would make a great gift for someone with a sweet tooth. The reason I am giving this a 3/5 is that I found the biscuits to be a tad small for the price tag.

This diddy calendar definitely caught me by surprise. The bottles may be small, but the nail polishes I tried are certainly high quality. My personal favourite was Lincoln Park After Dark, the very dark brown, almost black shade. It can be difficult to formulate darker shades, as they can come out streaky if it does not work well.

However, this one went on smoothly and I only put on one coat, but you could’ve done two. I also put on the base and top coats included in the calendar, which did a good job at protecting the polish, to an extent.

The reason I am giving this a 3/5 is that I was slightly disappointed because it only lasted around four days before the lacquer started chipping. I do believe £51.90 is a bit expensive, but I am sure this would impress any nail polish lover and is certainly cheaper than weekly trips to the salon.

If you’re into fresh, earthy scents with an added touch of luxury, this Arran advent calendar is for you.

The £85 calendar, a 24-door box in a regal shade of plum purple with gold detailing, is designed by Scottish brand ARRAN, which also manufactures its products in Scotland.

It contains 25 delightfully compact beauty and fragrance treats, including shower gels, body lotions, hand creams, eau de toilettes, and even miniature scented candles

Along with its bestselling scents like After the Rain and Lochranza, the calendar also contains limited-edition scents, Jasmine, Cedar & Cassis and Amber, Myrrh & Tonka.

The Amber, Myrrh & Tonka miniature candle is a personal favourite – it has that buttery warm, comforting feel you’d want coming home after a long day out in the winter cold. Plus, it smells divine.

Another favourite is the Leather Oud and Amber shower gel – a pocket-sized product you can pack for an overnight hotel stay or a decadent pick-me-up after a heavy gym session.

The notes of woody oud and rich amber are a match made in heaven, and my skin smells incredible for hours afterwards. A little goes a long way – so I’m able to get a couple more uses out of the 30ml bottle.

Some of the scents were a bit too pungent and ‘grassy’ for me – for instance, the grapefruit and green leaf. Another downside is that I struggled to pry out some of the products from behind their door.

The Advent calendar was a feast for the eyes with a gorgeous art deco-inspired box but the chocolates behind the 24 doors were much more disappointing.

Rather than an impressive cube of rich, indulgent Belgian chocolate, Pierre Marcolini offered up a series of small options, which tasted disappointingly cheap.

While each door had a new, exciting flavour, the portions felt meagre for the price and it appeared to be a style over substance for the luxury advent calendar.

Out of all the Advent calendars I tested, this was the biggest let down. It’s not worth the price whatsoever. For £140, you get a few pens, sticky notes, a small notepad, plus some other bits.

The nicest thing about this one was its packaging. If you’re looking to build your stationary collection, I’d suggest avoiding this and instead purchasing bits you like off the website separately.