I tested three beauty advent calendars at all price points – one meets all your skincare and make-up needs

NOW Halloween is done, I can officially talk about Christmas without getting funny looks.

Nothing draws more attention at this point than beauty advent calendars.

Here’s three of the best, at every price.

Budget

M&S Beauty Advent Calendar 2024, £50 (when you spend £35): Without fail, M&S manages to produce the best-value advent calendar every year – and I really love that it’s in a reusable vanity bag, so less of the packaging gets thrown out once you’ve opened the doors than with most.

Only six of the 25 products are full-sized, but many of the others are deluxe minis, such as the 100ml Cowshed Relax calming body lotion, and 30ml L’Occitane shea butter hand cream, which will last a relatively long time.

If you want to spend less than £100, it’s the best I’ve found.

Mid-range

No7 The Ultimate 25 Day Beauty Advent Calendar, £175, Boots: I generally gravitate towards multi-brand advent calendars as you get the biggest range of products.

But No7’s offering is undoubtedly one of the most hyped every year, with thousands of people signing up to the waitlist – and for good reason.

Every single one of the 25 products is full-sized, and there’s everything you need to create a full skincare and make-up routine inside.

You also get a voucher so you can go into your local Boots and get a bottle of foundation in the perfect shade for free.

Luxury

Selfridges Beauty Advent Calendar, £250: Worth over £1,000, you’re saving at least £750 buying this calendar, and you’re not just getting a bunch of travel sizes.

In fact, more than half of the products are full-sized versions.

On top of that, every product is exclusive to Selfridges, so you won’t find them in any other calendar.

Added to that, I’ve not seen many of the brands in one advent calendar before, such as Byredo, Pleasing, Fenty Hair and Isamaya Beauty.

It’s definitely the most exciting three-figure calendar this year.

Pick of the week

I AM a self-confessed perfume snob.

It doesn’t mean I’ll only wear expensive scents, but that I want something special, something unique that’s not on the neck of everyone else in the lift at the office.

Well, Merit Retrospect, £79 for 30ml, is exactly that.

It smells modern and retro all at once, with notes of vanilla, musk, rose, bergamot and pear that evolve throughout the day as if you’re wearing five different fragrances.

The bottle is a work of art, too.

A real showstopper.