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Advent calendars are a fun way to treat yourself or someone else  

The holiday season is known for some of the best drops in the beauty industry. The shelves (both virtual and real-life) at Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Amazon and other beauty retailers are filled with limited-edition holiday gift sets, exciting new product launches and the creme de la creme of beauty treats: the beauty Advent calendar. 

Like traditional candy-filled Advent calendars, beauty Advent calendars reveal a new treat each day for a series of days until Christmas (usually 12 or 24). But instead of chocolates, you’ll find miniature skin care and makeup goodies. 

Shop this article: Charlotte Tilbury New! Charlotte’s Lucky Chest of Beauty Secrets12 Days of Nudestix Advent Calendar and Alo Advent Calendar

Why beauty Advent calendars are so special

Besides the obvious benefit of a daily surprise delight, beauty Advent calendars are a great way to familiarize yourself with a new beauty brand or new beauty products. If you’re interested in a particular beauty brand, but aren’t super familiar with its products, a beauty Advent calendar from that brand is a great way to get acquainted with its offerings by trying miniature versions of its bestselling products. 

If you want to test a variety of items in the skin care or makeup categories (or both!), a beauty Advent calendar is a great way to do that since they offer miniature or travel-size versions of various products, which are perfect for sampling. If you love something, you can opt to buy the full-size version directly from the brand. 

Since the products inside are sold as a bundle, beauty Advent calendars often offer great savings as opposed to buying each item separately. This makes it a cost-effective way to get a nice variety of new products. 

Best beauty Advent calendars for winter 2023

12 Days of Nudestix Advent Calendar

12 Days of Nudestix Advent Calendar

This 12-piece set features some of the beauty brand’s bestselling products including Nudies All Over Face Color, Magnetic Eye Color Pencils, the Blot & Blur Matte Stick and Hydra-Peptide Lip Butter. With a combination of skin care and makeup favorites, this set has something for everyone. 

Charlotte’s Lucky Chest of Beauty Secrets Advent Calendar

Charlotte Tilbury New! Charlotte’s Lucky Chest of Beauty Secrets

Open this festive 12-drawer chest to reveal two full-size beauty products and 10 makeup and skin care minis. Some of the fun surprises include Charlotte’s Magic Lip Oil Crystal Elixir, a travel-size Charlotte’s Magic Cream, a travel-size Pillow Talk Matte Beauty Blush Wand in Pillow Talk and a mini Lip Cheat Lip Liner in Hot Gossip. 

UCANBE Advent Calendar 2023

UCANBE Advent Calendar 2023

This 24-slot Advent calendar features a charming variety of mini makeup products. Among the surprises: two eyeshadow palettes, one contour powder, one highlighter palette, a blush palette, four liquid lipsticks, two nail polishes, an eyeshadow primer, a makeup sponge, mascara and more. 

BODY & EARTH Store Advent Calendar 2023

BODY & EARTH Store Advent Calendar 2023

Countdown to Christmas with this holiday-themed box containing 24 bath and body goodies. Indulge in a glitter bath bomb, hand lotions, shower gels, a scented candle, bath salts, a makeup sponge and more. 

Mac Frosted Frenzy Advent Calendar

Mac Frosted Frenzy Advent Calendar 

Unbox a new miniature makeup surprise from Mac each day for 24 days. You’ll get to sample some of the brand’s top products including Macstack Mascara, Lipglass and Lipglass Clear, Powder Kiss Liquid Lip Colour, Prep + Prime Lip, Brushstroke 24-Hour Liner, Powder Kiss Velvet Blur Slim Stick and more.

 

Sephora Collection Advent Calendar

Sephora Collection Advent Calendar

Inside this 24-slot beauty Advent calendar, you’ll find makeup items, skin care favorites, bath products and accessories from the Sephora brand collection. Some of the goodies include Cucumber Eye Masks, mini Hydrating Cleansing Wipes, Strawberry Macaron-colored nail polish, a pocket mirror and more. 

OPI Holiday '23 Nail Lacquer Mini 25-Piece Advent Calendar

OPI Holiday ’23 Nail Lacquer Mini 25-Piece Advent Calendar

Listen up, nail polish lovers! This 25-piece Advent calendar contains miniature versions of some of the top colors from salon-favorite nail polish brand, OPI. The hues range from a Christmasy red to a summery turquoise and everything in between. 

The Body Shop The Advent of Change

The Body Shop The Advent of Change

Elevate your bath routine this winter with 24 luxurious delights from The Body Shop. This bath-themed Advent calendar contains treats such as Avocado Shower Cream, Strawberry Shower Gel, a Vitamin E Sheet Mask, a Tea Tree Facial Toner, Olive Soap and more.

Alo Advent Calendar

Alo Advent Calendar

You get 24 exciting products in this beauty and wellness-themed Advent calendar. Each drawer contains an Alo bestseller (think: Magic Multi-Balm and Magnesium Reset Spray), and there’s even a $25 Alo gift card hidden away in one of the drawers. 

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Talia Ergas writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.

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