Beauty advent calendars 2026 compared by value: Lookfantastic, M&S, Space NK, Liberty and more

A beauty advent calendar can be the best-value beauty buy of the year, or an expensive box of samples. The "worth" figure on the front doesn't tell you how many products are full size, what you pay per product, or whether you'll use them.

We've compared six of this year's best-known calendars, from Lookfantastic, M&S, Space NK, Liberty, Cult Beauty and Charlotte Tilbury, using only the prices and contents on each retailer's own website on 13 October 2026. All six were showing as in stock when we checked.

At a glance

Price, worth and full sizes compared

Here's how the six stack up on the numbers each retailer publishes. "Times its price" is the claimed worth divided by what you pay.

• M&S Beauty Advent Calendar: £75, worth £450 (6 times its price). 26 products behind 25 doors, including 10 full sizes. About £2.88 a product.
• Lookfantastic Beauty Advent Calendar: £120, worth over £665 (5.5 times). 27 products in 25 drawers, including 19 full sizes. About £4.44 a product.
• Cult Beauty Advent Calendar: £245 for either edition. The Signature Edition has 33 products (19 full size) worth £1,105 (4.5 times), about £7.42 a product. The Special Edition has 38 products (17 full size) worth £1,185 (4.8 times), about £6.45 a product.
• Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar 2026: £285, worth over £1,300 (4.6 times). 29 products, including 21 full sizes, plus a Liberty print drawstring bag. About £9.83 a product.
• Space NK Beauty Advent Calendar: £275, worth over £1,200 (4.4 times). 35 products, including 26 full sizes, with some doors holding more than one. About £7.86 a product.
• Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Beauty Wonderland: £170, worth £325.50 (1.9 times). 15 surprises, including 4 full-size products, plus a mini makeup bag and a gua sha. About £11.33 a product.

The best value for most people: Lookfantastic

At £120, the Lookfantastic calendar sits in the middle on price but near the top on value. Its 19 full sizes include Clinique Moisture Surge 50ml (£42), MAC Fix+ setting spray 100ml (£29), Aveda Cherry Almond shampoo and conditioner, a Color Wow Kale Cocktail treatment and a full-size Avant eye cream that Lookfantastic values at £98.

Lookfantastic also sells a Grooming Advent Calendar for £90 (worth over £469) and a 12-day K-Beauty calendar for £50 (worth over £140).

The cheapest big-name calendar: M&S

M&S's calendar is £75 and, by the numbers, it has the best ratio of claimed worth to price. M&S calls this year's £450 its highest ever. The full sizes include Formula Ultra Peptide Night Cream 50ml, Benefit BADgal Bounce mascara, Estée Lauder Double Wear Smooth & Blur primer 40ml and Organic Pharmacy Hyaluronic Acid Serum 30ml. The catch is that only 10 of the 26 products are full size, so expect more minis. Standard delivery is £3.99, or free on orders over £75.

The most full sizes: Space NK and Liberty

If you want products you'll use for months rather than days, these two lead. Space NK's calendar has 26 full sizes, including Augustinus Bader The Body Cream 100ml, Olaplex No.3 PLUS, Laneige Water Sleeping Mask 70ml, and Medik8's new PDRN serum. You also earn 275 N.DULGE points with it, and 100 points are worth £5 off, so about £13.75 back. Standard delivery is free on orders over £25.

Liberty's calendar has the highest claimed worth of the six, over £1,300, with 21 full sizes and 26 products Liberty says are exclusive to it. Highlights include Augustinus Bader The Face Oil 10ml and Sisley Sisleÿa Essential Skin Care Lotion 100ml. It comes with free UK standard delivery in three to five working days, and Liberty says it has sold out 11 years in a row. At £285, it's also the most you'll pay upfront.

Two editions, one price: Cult Beauty

Cult Beauty sells two calendars, both at £245. The Signature Edition has more full sizes and ships to more countries. The Special Edition swaps in more fine fragrance and hair care, has five more products and a slightly higher worth, but has shipping restrictions because of the fragrances. Both include a full-size Medik8 Advanced Pro-Collagen+ Peptide Cream (£82 on its own). UK standard delivery is free, and three calendars hide a Golden Ticket worth £1,000 to spend at Cult Beauty. Cult Beauty says promotion codes and discounts can't be used on its advent calendar.

For fans of one brand: Charlotte Tilbury

Single-brand calendars rarely compete on value, and Charlotte Tilbury's is no exception. At £170 for 15 surprises worth £325.50, it's under twice its price, against four to six times for the multi-brand calendars. For fans, it includes four full-size products, a mini makeup bag and a gua sha. Standard delivery is free when you spend £49.

Where each wins and falls short

• Lookfantastic wins on all-round value and full sizes for the price, but you'll get fewer premium skincare names than at Liberty or Space NK.
• M&S wins on price, but fewer than four in ten products are full size.
• Space NK wins on full sizes and loyalty points, but costs £275.
• Liberty wins on claimed worth and exclusives, but it's the most expensive, and several of its fragrances are travel sizes.
• Cult Beauty gives you a choice of edition at one price, but no discount codes are accepted.
• Charlotte Tilbury is the best pick only if the person you're buying for loves the brand.

We also tried to include Boots, John Lewis and Selfridges, but their websites blocked our checks, so we couldn't confirm their calendar prices and contents.

Your questions answered

Which beauty advent calendar has the most full-size products?

Of the six we checked, Space NK's, with 26 full sizes out of 35 products. Liberty's has 21, and Lookfantastic's and Cult Beauty's Signature Edition have 19 each.

Can I use a discount code on a beauty advent calendar?

It depends on the retailer. Cult Beauty says promotion codes and discounts can't be used on its calendar. Others don't always say, so try any code you have at checkout before you pay, and check the retailer's loyalty scheme for points instead.

Do beauty advent calendars sell out?

The popular ones often do. Liberty says its calendar has sold out 11 years in a row, and Charlotte Tilbury says it sold one every minute for the 24 hours after launch last year. All six were in stock when we checked on 13 October, but if you've set your heart on one, don't leave it until December.

Ways to save

Compare the product lists before you pay, and look at the loyalty points: Space NK's N.DULGE points take about £13.75 off a future order, and Lookfantastic and Liberty also give points on calendar orders. For current offers, see our Lookfantastic voucher codes, M&S voucher codes, Space NK voucher codes, Cult Beauty voucher codes and Charlotte Tilbury voucher codes. If you'd rather buy a calendar from your favourite brand, Lookfantastic's advent calendar page and Space NK's advent calendar page list several.

Sources: Lookfantastic advent calendars, Lookfantastic Beauty Advent Calendar, Cult Beauty advent calendar, Cult Beauty advent calendar guide, Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar 2026, Space NK Beauty Advent Calendar, Space NK advent calendars, M&S Beauty Advent Calendar 2026, Charlotte Tilbury advent calendar

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