Darlings, the Charlotte Tilbury advent calendar is finally here – and it's better than ever

Breaking news in the beauty world: the Charlotte Tilbury Advent Calendar 2025 has officially gone live (for app users), and yes, it absolutely earns its spot in our round-up of the best beauty advent calendars this year. I’ve already unboxed mine (perks of the job), and can confirm it’s every bit as dreamy and sparkly as you’d hope.

This year’s calendar, or ‘treasure chest’ as Charlotte likes to call it, houses 12 makeup and skincare icons – and for the first time, five are full-size (last year, there were only two).

Inside those glistening gold drawers you’ll find some of the brand’s biggest bestsellers: the Magic Cream moisturiser, Pillow Talk Matte Revolution Lipstick, Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara, Charlotte’s Magic Serum Crystal Elixir, and the viral Pillow Talk Beauty Light Wand. Basically, a collection of Charlotte’s icons in one sparkly keepsake chest.

Now, here’s my only issue (sorry to CT fans in advance). At £175 (worth over £260), it’s not the best value compared to some of the bigger beauty calendars out there – for example, LookFantastic’s is £105 and comes with 17 full-size products. And the chest itself is definitely smaller than some of the other luxe options on this list, which did leave me a little underwhelmed.

That said, if you’re a Charlotte Tilbury devotee like me – my first ever CT purchase was the Pillow Talk lipstick and liner, and I still reach for the Wonderglow Primer and Beautiful Skin foundation daily – then this calendar is basically a shortcut to a fully kitted-out routine. And let’s not forget: last year, one was sold every minute on launch day.

So, if you want one? Don’t hang around.

Charlotte Tilbury Advent Calendar 2025, at a glance:

• Release date: For early access download the app now. Alternatively, it'll be in-store and online from 12th September.
• Number of products: 12 in total, and five are full-size (last year only two were full-size).
• When does it ship? TBC — but last year it was November.
• Price: £175 — but it's worth over £260.

What do you actually get in the Charlotte Tilbury advent calendar?

While we've had to keep the full contents close to our chest, we can finally tell you everything that's hiding behind those 12 bejewelled drawers…look away now if you don't like spoilers.

• Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk – Full Size
• Collagen Lip Bath in Pillow Talk – Full Size
• Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara – Full Size
• Beauty Light Wand in Pillow Talk – Full Size
• Rock 'n' Kohl in Barbarella Brown – Full Size
• Charlotte's Magic Cream – Travel Size [15ml]
• Charlotte's Magic Serum Crystal Elixir – Travel Size [10ml]
• Charlotte's Magic Hydration Revival Cleanser – Travel Size [30ml]
• K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick in 90s Pink – Travel Size
• Lip Cheat in Walk of No Shame – Travel Size
• Matte Revolution lipstick in Walk of No Shame – Travel Size
• Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray – Travel Size

The Charlotte Tilbury advent calendar packaging:

Boasting a constellation-inspired print, crystal jewel-handled drawers, and gold finish, this is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful beauty advent calendars we're seen so far this year.

With its classic treasure chest design, and twelve little storage drawers, it's well worth keeping after December has passed — as it could double up as a chic jewellery box or dressing table storage solution.

My verdict:

As a long-time Charlotte Tilbury fan who’s tested nearly everything the brand has ever launched (you can check out my best Charlotte Tilbury products here), you can imagine how excited I was when this year’s advent calendar landed on my desk. I was thrilled to spot some of my ride-or-die favourites inside — the iconic Magic Cream, the Flawless Setting Spray I genuinely can’t do my makeup without, and of course the Beauty Light Wand.

That said, I did feel a little underwhelmed by how familiar the line-up was to last years. With so many new launches from Charlotte lately, I’d have loved to see a few more sprinkled in - the Blur Setting Spray, the Magic Sheer Glow Lip Mask (a winter must-have) or the Unreal Blush Healthy Glow Stick would have been dreamy additions. Even one of the new fragrances to mix things up would’ve made it feel fresher. Still, it’s a great way to stock up on classics you’ll actually use, and there are some nice updates - like the new Lip Cheats, which haven’t left my bag since they launched.