The best Christmas 2024 advent calendars

Calling all beauty addicts! There’s almost too much choice on Oxford Street if you’re shopping for a beauty advent calendar. Skincare, makeup, fragrance, body products, from luxury and affordable beauty brands, there really is something for everyone. If we had to choose, we’d recommend the Benefit makeup calendar, Nivea for Men, Lush’s bath bomb countdown and the 17 Countdown of Joy by Boots.

Last year, Astrid & Miyu and Missoma’s advent calendars, filled with silver and gold bestselling pieces including bangles and earrings, sold out pretty quick, so don’t miss out this time around. They might be on the pricier side, but if you add it all up, the savings are pretty big. For kids, we love Meri Meri’s necklace and charm calendar, which comes in a cute reusable suitcase.

If budget allows, you can count down to the most wonderful time of the year with a truly luxurious advent calendar. Penhaligon’s calendar includes candles, body washes and miniature versions of the iconic perfumer’s fragrances. Happy Sock’s advent calendar includes 24 pairs of super soft cotton-blend socks in fun colours and prints. Swarovski’s Annual Edition calendar is full of gorgeous snow-themed crystal trinkets. Likewise, Wedgwood’s calendar at Flannels comprises 24 delicate white and blue Christmas decorations.

Looking for an eco-conscious advent calendar? There are plenty of options that can be easily reused, minimise waste and aren’t made of harmful materials. Such examples include Matalan’s wooden advent train, with little drawers you can fill with your own treats every year, Next’s advent tealight centrepiece, Flying Tiger’s paper advent bags, which can be filled with trinkets of your choice, and Frugi’s fabric advent calendar.

Let’s be honest, advent calendars were originally just for kids, so it’s only polite to start with them. We’re pretty sure they’ll love LEGO City’s advent calendar, Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley calendar, which features fun body washes and bath bombs, Elf On The Shelf’s calendar, which includes spinners and playable mini figures, and this Polly Pocket advent calendar.

Whether you’re a tea-totaller or like a tipple, there’s an advent calendar out there for you, from John Lewis’ cocktails advent calendar to Bird & Blend’s tea calendar. The Great British Exchange calendar features spirits and liqueurs, and Nespresso’s advent calendar has a different coffee capsule for each day in the run-up to Christmas.

There’s something extremely nostalgic about a chocolate advent calendar. There are all sorts of wonderful creations out there, M&S have created the much-loved Colin the Caterpillar advent calendar or a choose Kinder Bueno. If you like your chocolate fancy, try Rococo’s decadent countdown. Vegans need not be left behind with HIP’s chocolate calendar.