23 unusual Advent calendars for those sick of chocolate
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With just 52 days until Christmas, we ought to get organised, and that includes settling on which unusual Advent calendar to gift each member of our family. I say we, because despite being a shopping editor for the last three years, I always leave my Christmas gift shopping to the very last minute, leaving me stressed and my budget stretched.
But not this year! I've decided I want everything wrapped and ready for placement under my tree by the end of Black Friday weekend — AKA the end of this month. That, then, has led me to do extensive research on the best unique Advent calendars, some stuffed with festive candles, sweet treats and coffee pods, while others come packed with stationery or sex toys. And it seems (spoilers incoming) that the likes of Liberty, LookFantastic, The White Company and Fortnum & Mason aren't playing this year.
So, cue my edit of the very best beauty Advent calendars, jewellery Advent calendars, beer, wine or gin Advent calendars and sex toy Advent calendars, all of which fall into the category of the best unusual Advent calendars of 2025. And, because you've made it onto my nice list, I've answered all common FAQs, too.
How I choose the best unusual Advent calendars:
… because it's not as simple as opening and closing every door. The Glamour commerce team, made up of people of all preferences and ages, has been reviewing Advent calendars for the last five years, meaning they know what it takes to make a great beauty bundle or unusual countdown to Christmas.
Upon reciving each Advent calendar, this year's very willing volunteer (me) scored it against the following criteria:
- Ease of use — Were the drawers easy to open, and the calendars simple to store?
- Design — Is the exterior of the calendar cute? Were the beauty products, sweat treats or adult-friendly sex toys useless novelties or things they'd actually want and use?
- Contents — Was there enough variety? And was it worth the initial investment?
It goes without saying, really, but those that slipped below our standards haven't been included.
Why you can trust me:
Having been a commerce writer for the last three years, and a gift guide writer for two, it's fair to say that I'm clued up than your average online shopper on the best gifts, new launches and which viral products are actually worth your money.
But to ensure I'm an authority on all things shopping, I've attended countless press days, spoken to numerous shopping experts and personally tested hundreds of products to ensure they meet my standards.
Essentially, you can also be reassured that only products and brands I genuinely love and would recommend to friends make it into the Glamour Gift Shop.
Ahead, our edit of the best unusual Advent calendars for 2025, approved by Glamour's shopping editors:
The Harvey Nichols 12 Days of Fragrance Advent Calendar 2025
- Number of days: 12.
- Number of products: 20.
- Status: Shop now!
- Glamour’s highlight: In her debut year, she sold out in 24 hours.
The Harvey Nichols' Fragrance Calendar is back, allowing you (read: us) to road-test 20 olfactive heroes in a range of full-size, travel-size and deluxe miniatures. Brand-wise, cue treats from cult-favourites including Creed, Parfums de Marly (a personal fave of our beauty contributor, Denise Primbet) and Kilian, as well as newer names such as Xerjoff, Matière Première, Frederic Malle, D.S & DURGA and Trudon. We should also know that it's worth more than £700!
Save when you shop for the best non-chocolate Advent calendars with these Harvey Nichols discount codes.
The White Company Advent Calendar
- Number of days: 25.
- Number of products: 25.
- Status: Shop now!
- Glamour’s highlight: Contents worth over £319, saving you more than £124!
PSA: The White Company has undergone a minor rebrand and, as a result, significantly enhanced its apparel. But it's applied that fresh energy to its Advent calendar too, packing in more full-sized products than ever before. Highlights include the Winter Signature Candle with a burn time of up to 28 (!) hours, a Clementine & Juniper Bath & Shower Gel and a Sleep Bath Shot, which arguably works better than any other sleep supplement I've tried. Wrapped inside a festive but not-at-all-kitsch container, it's an ideal housewarming gift for your newly mortgage-laden pals.
Fortnum's Beauty Advent Calendar 2025
- Number of days: 25.
- Number of products: 26, including 23 full-sized.
- Status: Shop now!
- Glamour’s highlight: Worth more than £1,149 (!), thanks to the inclusion of beauty and wellness icons from Jo Malone, Sol de Janeiro, and Aromatherapy Associates.
We're not sure we need to rave about the latest iteration of Fortnum & Mason's Advent calendar, because it delivers every year. But for those with limited patience and unable to wait all the way to day 25 (guilty), the beauty and wellness goodies stashed inside include the Aromatherapy Associates Revive Morning Bath & Shower Oil, Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Cream, Gallivant Buenos Aires Eau De Parfum, plus a Jo Malone London English Pear & Freesia Hand Cream. The ideal gift for your hard-to-shop-for mother-in-law.
Save when you shop the best unusual Advent calendars with these Fortnum & Mason discount codes.
Best unusual Advent calendars for teenage boys
LEGO Minecraft Advent Calendar 2025
- Number of days: 24.
- Number of products: 300 pieces of LEGO.
- Status: Pre-order for shipping on September 1st, 2025.
- Glamour’s highlight: Includes all the key LEGO Minecraft mini figures — Alex, Steve, a Creeper, zombie, and Santa villager — as well as a fold-out play mat that provides the perfect backdrop.
There's no disappointment like it: securing your teenager, boyfriend or nephew a new LEGO set, thinking it'll keep him occupied for hours, only to have the completed article in front of your eyes within minutes. Thankfully, this advent calendar offers the receiver a small supply of bricks and characters every day, edging out the excitement. Best news: it's compatible with other LEGO Minecraft buys. But if he's more into the wizarding world than building one of his own, there's a Harry Potter option available for under £30, too!
Save when you shop the best unusual Advent calendars with these LEGO discount codes.
Cartwright & Butler Advent Calendar
- Number of days: 24.
- Number of products: 24, including sweet and savoury biscuits, preserves, hot drinks, cakes and confectionery.
- Status: Shop now!
- Glamour’s highlight: Team favourites included Stem & Ground Ginger Biscuits and the Milk Hot Chocolate Stirrer!
After a thoughtful gift for your Christmas Day hosts? Get organised early by sending them an advent calendar stuffed with treats to enjoy both by themselves and once their guests descend. Edible extras include Chilli & Garlic Seeded Flatbread Crackers, Stem & Ground Ginger Biscuits, Milk Chocolate Chunk Biscuits, Mulled Wine Spice Bags and a Mini Cherry Loaf Cake. Delish!
Save when you shop the best unusual Advent calendars with these Selfridges discount codes.
Gigi & Olive Bridal Advent Calendar
- Number of days: 24.
- Number of products: 24.
- Status: Shop now!
- Glamour’s highlight: Worth more than £800 and includes wedding day essentials, such as a silk eye mask and a garter.
One of the (few) downsides of being a bridesmaid for your bestie? Trying to keep track of all the little extras she'll need to make it down the aisle looking and feeling her best. Thankfully, Gigi & Olive's first bridal Advent calendar kits her out with everything she could possibly need, from eyelash serum to pre-vow drinks (AKA a MOTH Espresso Martini Mini Can), as well as a 'Miss to Mrs' embroidered handkerchief to wipe her tears, and a ‘Bride’ claw clip that'll come in handy at both her fittings and her hen do.
But the added value comes in the form of a £150 voucher for SkinMaster Class consultation, plus a Complimentary Weekday Dress Appointment and £100 Gift Voucher towards a dress purchase at Halo & Wren. Yeah, as we said, literally everything she could possibly need.
- Number of days: 12.
- Number of products: 12 different speciality single-origin coffees.
- Status: Pre-order now for delivery in November, so it's as fresh as poss.
- Glamours highlight: For the eco-conscious, you'll be pleased to know the coffee packed in these dozen sachets is grown sustainably, sourced ethically from small-scale farms, and expertly hand-roasted in London.
When it comes to coffee, Grind has well and truly become a cult-favourite. Back for 2025, this 12-day calendar offers the recipient a dozen sachets of speciality coffee, from a vibrant Chinese blend to a classic Brazilian and a sweet Guatemalan. Simply opt for beans or pre-ground coffee (suitable for cafetières, stovetop espressos, or filter brews) and await a super fresh delivery come November. The adult equivalent of a daily bite of chocolate.
Edge of Ember 12-Day Personalised Advent Calendar
- Number of days: 6 or 12.
- Number of products: 6 or 12 personalised pieces. Simply select the appropriate birthstone, initial and bracelet length.
- Status: Shop now!
- Glamour’s highlight: Packed inside a keep-forever emerald velvet jewellery box.
Edge of Ember is a London-based, ethical jewellery brand that counts Kate Middleton, Claudia Winkelman and me as brand fans. For 2025, the brand is releasing an Advent calendar, which caught my eye due to its stellar packaging. All of the demi-fine pieces of jewellery come housed in a velvet jewellery box, which actually looks like a jewellery box. Yes, I'm well aware that while most jewellery advent calendars state that their packaging is reusable, it looks too much like an advent calendar to actually, well, reuse.
But it's not all style and no substance, considering the 12-day option includes earrings, an ear cuff, two bracelets, a necklace and various charms to personalise nearly every piece. The ideal gift for people who have everything, otherwise known as your girlfriend.
Papier 24 Days of Desk Delights
- Number of days: 24.
- Number of products: 24 stationery surprises.
- Status: Shop now!
- Glamour’s highlight: Worth more than £200, and includes post-Christmas/new year essentials such as thank you cards, a daily Agenda list pad and a daily planner.
What's inside? For some of us, the stationery obsession continues way beyond our school years. Thankfully, Papier's sell-out calendar is back, once again filled with a selection of practical yet pretty paper delights. Think: aesthetic notebooks and list pads, washi tape and cute shaped sticky notes, plus lots of different types of pens — rollerballs, finelines and chunky highlighters included.
Save when you shop the best unusual Advent calendars with these Papier discount codes.
- Number of days: 24.
- Number of products: 24.
- Status: Shop now!
- Glamour’s highlight: Covers all categories: fragrance, bath & body, hand care, skincare, hair care and home.
What's inside? Or rather, what isn't. Treating us to full and small-size gifts across all categories — fragrance, bath & body, hand care, skincare, hair care and home — this unusual advent calendar is for the scent-obsessed. Having sniffed and applied all of the above in recent weeks (we take our job of road-testing seriously), I can confirm my personal highlights are the Sunlit Clementine & Vetiver Body Lotion — Christmas in a bottle — and the Oudh Accord & Gold Mini Scented Candle, which will accompany our traditional Christmas Eve activities perfectly.
Save when you shop for the best non-chocolate Advent calendars with these Molten Brown discount codes.
Nutella Exclusive Christmas Advent Calendar 2025
- Number of days: 24.
- Number of products: 24.
- Status: Shop now!
- Glamour’s highlight: Includes exclusive merch, like Nutella socks, a keyring, a card game and a cookie cutter!
We thought we might have graduated from chocolate Advent calendars, preferring countdowns packed with must-have beauty, jewellery and wellness essentials. Then, Nutella launched its first-ever Advent calendar, and suddenly, we're keen to embrace a little bit of nostalgia. Packed with 24 treats, some edible, some wearable, including branded socks and a tree ornament, we can confirm this is the ideal Advent calendar for teens,
Save when you shop for the best non-chocolate Advent calendars with these Amazon discount codes.
Lovehoney x Womanizer x We-Vibe Couple’s Advent Calendar 2025
- Number of days: 24.
- Number of products: 24.
- Status: Shop now!
- Glamour’s highlight: The We-Vibe Sync Lite (worth £79.99) is made to make missionary more interesting.
What's inside? Lovehoney's 2024 collab with Womanizer and We-Vibe was a favourite among Glamour editors when ranking the best sex toy Advent calendars, and I can report that the situation is no different this year. If you're looking for a premium restock of your bedside table, this is the calendar to opt for, considering it houses 11 sex toys — 6 of those vibrators, alongside a bewelled anal sex toy, and insertable sleeves for the Lovehoney Bullet.
Our favourite of the bunch? The We-Vibe Sync Lite — a C-shaped vibrator which also works effectively as a long-distance sex toy, since it can be controlled remotely via the (free) We-Vibe App.
Save when you shop the best unusual Advent calendars with these Lovehoney discount codes.
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L'Occitane Luxury Advent Calendar
- Number of days: 24.
- Number of products: 24.
- Status: Shop now!
- Glamour’s highlight: Includes a combination of skincare, fragrance and body-care treats, including the TikTok-viral Almond Shower Oil.
What's inside? L'Occitane is a beauty brand my mum has been loyal to for years, so I'm not quite sure why it's only just come onto my radar. The creator of a host of my new bodycare favourites — specifically the Relaxing Pillow Mist, infused with lavender, bergamot and sweet orange essential oils, and the Fleur de Cerisier Shower Gel — its best-selling advent calendar is back and packed with 24 treasures, both full and travel-sized. Designed to mimic a mas Provençal (a traditional French style farmhouse), it's a gorgeous pre-Christmas gift for your mother-in-law, in case you're struggling for inspo.
Save when you shop the best unusual Advent calendars with these L'Occitane discount codes.
Best unusual Advent calendar for dads
25 Pair Bamboo Christmas Advent Calendar
- Number of days: 25.
- Number of products: Technically 48 if you're counting individual socks, but 25 pairs.
- Status: Shop now!
- Glamour’s highlight: A more exciting way to tick off the annual restock of their sock drawer.
What's inside? No shade, but I tend to say socks are a pretty lame gift — low-risk, but lacking any excitement. However, for the dad, husband or boyfriend who loves novelty socks decorated with sports paraphernalia and smiling animals, this is the unusual Advent calendar of his dreams. Packed with 25 pairs of 69% viscose, 28% bamboo socks, all you have to do is guess the correct size. Good luck!
- Number of days: 25.
- Number of products: 25.
- Status: Shop now!
- Glamour’s highlight: For the sweet-toothed amongst us (guilty), White Tea Lychee Cocoa has replaced my late-night hot chocolate.
For those who can barely function with a cup of tea in hand — yes, mum, that's you — then there's no point stewing on anything else. Housing 24 individually-wrapped tea bags, including White Tea Blueberry & Elderflower, Chocolate Rooibos & Vanilla, plus Sweet Vanilla Bread, this is great for helping your hot-beverage-lover discover an alternative to after-dinner mint.
Fragrance Lover's Book Advent Calendar
- Number of days: 24.
- Number of products: 24 — 13 full-sized and 11 travel-sized products.
- Status: Waitlist open now.
- Glamour’s highlight: Houses a selection of the brand's high-performing, cruelty-free and vegetarian-approved favourites.
If they're more into interiors than the latest beauty releases, then a votive-stuffed countdown might be more their vibe. This 24-day calendar includes 12 scented tea light candles (Cinnamon Stick, Black Cherry and Christmas Cookie), 12 mini filled votive candles (Apple Wreath, White Spruce & Grapefruit, Christmas Eve) and one tea light candle holder — AKA enough to ensure a cosy set-up every evening in the run up to Christmas.
- Number of days: 25.
- Number of products: 32, with 29 full-size.
- Status: Shop now!
- Glamour's highlight: Packed with viral players, including La Mer, Beauty of Joseon, Sam McKnight, Charlotte Tilbury and Tilly Sveaas.
If you can resist tearing it open early, the Vogue Festive Calendar promises 25 days of luxe surprises that’ll make every morning feel like Christmas. Curated by Vogue editors, it goes beyond beauty, instead spanning skincare, makeup, haircare, wellness, fashion and jewellery.
My personal highlights? The Therabody sleep mask and Verden pillow mist, both of which have upgraded my nightly kip. But also unique to this Christmas countdown are the addition of a bespoke Tilly Sveaas mixed-metal necklace and cosy Loop cashmere beanie, both somewhat justifying the £355 spend.
- Number of days: 12.
- Number of products: 25 drawers, doors and compartments, designed to hold tiny presents.
- Status: Shop now!
- Glamour’s highlight: We love that you can personalise the contents to suit the receiver, whether that's chocolate truffles, fine jewellery or handwritten notes with date-night vouchers they can claim at a later date.
What's inside? It's no secret that Glamour editors are fans of beauty-stuffed advent calendars — even if the only space we can find for them is in the centre of our dining table. But for the space and aesthetic-conscious, how about one dressed up a stream train, finished with twinkling LED embellishments? FYI, this is one you're going to have to pack yourself, either with chocolate truffles or teeny tiny stocking stuffers, but it's also an option you can pull out for years to come.
Save when you shop the best unusual Advent calendars with these Anthropologie discount codes.
- Number of days: Choose from 7, 12 or 24.
- Number of products: Same here — choose from 7, 12 or 24 novels.
- Status: Shop now!
- Glamour’s highlight: We love an opportunity to support a small business — and the chance to cross multiple crime thrillers off our TBR list.
What's inside? Up to 24 thrillers, including viral options by Frieda McFadden, Richard Osman and Sophie McKenzie, make this the ideal Christmas countdown for the bookworm in your life. It's also the most customisable option in our line-up — choose from 7, 12 or 24 books and, if crime fiction isn't so much their thing, another genre from fantasy, dark romance or romance or a mix of all four. A great option for those who want to tick a gift off their wishlist every day in December.
Best unusual Advent calendar for teens
24 Days NeeDoh Fidget Toys Advent Calendar
- Number of days: Choose from 24.
- Number of products: 24 squishy sensory fidget toys.
- Status: Shop now!
- Glamour’s highlight: As well as decorating your desk, fidget toys have been praised for reducing stress, anxiety, and improving focus through tactile play.
What's inside? While beauty advent calendars sit on the top tier of pre-Christmas gifting, they tend to be rather spenny. Unusual Advent calendars, on the other hand, don't have to be. Take this 24-day offering, stuffed with neon fidget spinners — including festive exclusives — to keep your teen focused during their GCSE revision sessions. Yep, these squishy, twisty, bouncy playthings are practical too, working to reduce anxiety and improve their focus.
- Number of days: 24.
- Number of products: Two dozen 5cl bottles of various craft gins.
- Status: Shop now!
- Glamour’s highlight: Includes mini bottles from some of the world's best distilleries, such as Whitley Neil and Edinburgh Gin.
What's inside? It goes without saying that December is a time to indulge and treat yourself on a near-daily basis. So, why not gift your sister or godmother the means to do so with this liquor-loaded countdown? With each hand-illustrated door hiding a mini bottle of craft gin, all they'll need to supply is the tonic. And with a variety of flavours — rhubarb & ginger, orange, watermelon — they're guaranteed to find a new favourite. And if that's not their tipple of choice, there's a wine or beer option available too!
- Number of days: 25.
- Number of products: 25.
- Status: SOLD OUT.
- Glamour’s highlight: Packed with limited-edition scents and seasonal treasures. Plus, you'll get a complimentary welcome gift with your first order and two more free samples.
What's inside? My argument is this: If I'm going to spend the money on an unusual advent calendar, I may as well splurge on one packed with beauty bits I actually want. Diptique's 2025 offering comes packed with new releases, exclusive formats, and seasonal scents, including the Do Son Perfumed Hand Cream (my go-to on a crisp morning commute), and La Droguerie, a genius odour-removing candle that I buy on repeat for our kitchen.
Save when you shop for the best non-chocolate Advent calendars with these Diptyque discount codes.
Neal's Yard Natural & Organic Advent Calendar
- Number of days: 24.
- Number of products: 24 — 13 full-sized and 11 travel-sized products.
- Status: SOLD OUT.
- Glamour’s highlight: Houses a selection of the brand's high-performing, cruelty-free and vegetarian-approved well-being favourites.
What's inside? As confirmed by our extensive beauty testing this year, Neal's Yard sits at the top of the beauty and wellness pyramid, repeatedly offering seriously effective products, packaged in pretty blue bottles that you have no choice but to display. And its 2025 Advent calendar will likely be no different. While we're yet to learn exactly what's housed inside, we're manifesting a bottle of the Beauty Sleep Overnight Treatment, which guarantees me an uninterrupted eight hours, and the Wild Rose Beauty Balm, which is arguably the most luxurious way to remove the day's dirt, sweat and makeup.
What are the different types of Advent calendars?
Ten years ago, you'd be lucky if you were able to find just a couple of Advent calendars that didn’t contain milk chocolate. But in 2025, we're truly spoilt for choice. For foodies who aren’t a fan of chocolate squares or truffles, there are plenty of other confectionery-based countdown options — such as jam Advent calendars, popcorn Advent calendars, and even festive gift hampers packed with enough artisan cheese to try a new one each day.
Alternatively, beauty Advent calendars give lovers of all things make-up and skincare the chance to try best-selling and trending products. Jewellery Advent calendars are another great option for those keen for a fashion fix. From adult LEGO sets to Lovehoney sex toys, the options are practically endless when it comes to unusual Advent calendars.
We're screaming.
Are Advent calendars a British thing?
Like many classic festive traditions, Advent calendars are actually part of a tradition started by German Protestants in the 19th Century. They would count down the days of Advent by making chalk marks on their walls or lighting candles. From this, traditional printed Advent calendars with pictures behind each door became popular in Germany and Scandinavia, before being brought into the UK by immigrants in the early 1900s.
By the mid-1950s, traditional Advent calendars were being commercially produced and advertised in both the UK and the US — and in 1971, British chocolatier Cadbury took the idea one step further with the launch of their iconic chocolate Advent calendars. So, while Advent calendars definitely weren't created by Brits, it's safe to say that they now play a key role in our countdown to Christmas.
