The Glamour Advent Calendar launch is one of the most exciting of the year. Take it from someone who has spent the past five years peeking behind the sparkling doors of the most-talked-about launches. Jewellery and beauty advent calendars offer something far more enduring, far more feel-good and far more invigorating – for beauty sleuths like me, at least – than their chocolate counterparts.
Cream blushes, cult fragrances and trending lip stains last a whole lot longer than a hazelnut truffle ever would, helping you feel your best during party season while sussing out which new launches you love enough to repurchase when the new year rolls around.
The advent calendar market has been burgeoning for the past five years at a rapid pace, which has left our readers with a lot of questions. Which is the best for skincare junkies? For earrings? Hair accessories? Which calendar serves the best value for money? As such, between August and December every year, we’ve tested, scored and taken notes to give you all the answers.
Getting eyes on lots of launches is great fun – but with that, myself and my fellow Glamour editors have become difficult to please. We might love the packaging of one release, but the value for money won’t be quite there. We may adore the product selection, but with that, the calendar could be too expensive for us to justify spending money on.
It felt like there was only one solution: we pull together the decades worth of beauty expertise present in the office, and we make our own. So, that’s exactly what we did.
This year, for the very first time, an editor-curated Glamour Advent Calendar is available to shop – serving Glamour readers and beauty obsessives alike the chance to count down to Christmas in the most charming way possible. We took every single one of our learnings from the brands that have come before us, and challenged ourselves to make something better.
The result? An editor-curated beauty and accessories advent calendar, containing 28 products across makeup, skincare, hair accessories, jewellery… you even get a makeup bag thrown in. It’s worth over £850, but retails for less than £200 – and thanks to our Black Friday 2025 offer, you can now get a further 20% off. Here’s everything you need to know.
Glamour Advent Calendar Black Friday Offer:
- Get 20% off the Glamour Advent Calendar, using the code BLACKFRIDAY20
What’s inside the Glamour advent calendar?
You have ample warning: there are lots of spoilers ahead. 25, to be exact. If you want to keep the contents of your Glamour advent calendar a secret, I’d look away as you scroll through the next section. But if you just can’t wait? Get devouring.
I want you to note that, when we sat in a meeting room discussing what the advent calendar might look like, we all agreed that we didn’t just want to feature beauty products. We’re a beauty magazine first-and-foremost, sure, but we know that most makeup junkies love style just as much. With that in mind, we’ve dropped some jewellery and accessories among the trending beauty.
Case in point: an oversized, royal blue scrunchie by viral brand Good Squish (they hand-make the coolest scrunchies in London from dead-stock), a Coconut Lane phone strap, and a beautiful pair of twisted hoop earrings (worth £74 alone, people) by statement jewellery brand Anisa Sojka.
You’ll also find a seriously cute claw clip – I’ve been using mine to throw my hair up on WFH days – a beautiful celestial necklace by Grace & Kin, and a Flatlay makeup bag adorned in leopard print. Yes, Flatlay makeup bags are still the best way to transport your beauty arsenal when you travel. I wouldn’t be without mine.
That’s a nice segway back to the beauty: as hoped for and expected, there are some absolute gems hidden behind the doors of the debut Glamour Advent Calendar.
In our aforementioned brainstorming meeting, our editors and writers decided that we wanted a healthy dose of viral products featured in our calendar. You know: the ones that have created noise on TikTok for actually being worth their hype. With that in mind, the viral Nuxe Honey Lip had to be included: a transparent lip oil with an ultra-glossy finish. Reviewers on TikTok love it for its packaging (it comes with a cute little honeycomb on top), bouncy foam applicator, honey-like taste (not that you should digest it – please don’t) and hydrating qualities. We agree.
We’ve also included a handful of luxury beauty products – because if you can’t treat yourself in the run-up to the 25th December, when can you? For our Associate Beauty Director Fiona Embleton, the Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Serum is the best Glamour advent inclusion.
“The original serum was a firm favourite for years but this new, reimagined formula is even better,” Fi told me. “It’s packed with amino acids to help boost collagen and camellia seed oil to deeply hydrate. I love how this serum instantly plumps and soothes; it even manages to leave withered winter skin with a dewy-fresh glow.”
For our Acting Beauty Editor Dominic Cadogan, it’s the Vieve The Muse Eyeshadow Palette. “I can’t survive the party season without sparkles and shimmer – and the Vieve The Muse Eyeshadow Palette is a lifesaver,” they said. “With 10 pigmented shades to choose from, the sparkling merlot shade Regal and molten gold hue Finery are firm faves.”
Sold? You bet.
Glamour advent calendar full contents at a glance:
- Sweed Cloud Mascara – £24 RRP.
- Coconut Lane Phone Strap – £8 RRP.
- UK Lash Hair Growth Serum – £29 RRP.
- Anisa Sojka Hair Clip – £34 RRP.
- Ciroa Vanilla-icious Body Butter – £11.95 RRP.
- Sentier Parisian Embrace – £32 RRP.
- Ful Intense Moisture Hair Mask – £32 RRP.
- Muihood Good Chi Cleanser – £18 RRP.
- Good Squish Scrunchie in Royal Blue – £40 RRP.
- Fable & Mane Holiroots Hair Oil – £34 RRP.
- The Beauty Crop Oui Cherie Hydrating Gripping Primer - £8 RRP and Setting Mist - £10 RRP.
- Denman D3 The Original Curl Definer & Styler Black – £12 RRP.
- Muihood 24K Gold Plated Ear Seed Kit – £19 RRP.
- Avant Vitamin C Hyrdo-Lock Night Reset Mask – RRP £77 & Able Skincare Hyaluronic Serum – £92 RRP.
- Nuxe Honey Lip – £18 RRP.
- Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Serum – £18 RRP.
- Grace & Kin Snake Chain (Herringbone) Bracelet – £39 RRP.
- Anua Heartleaf Quercetinol Deep Cleansing Foam (150ml) – £12.50 RRP.
- Brushworks Face Zinc Roller – £29.99 RRP & Brushworks Glitter Eyelash Curler – £5.99 RRP.
- 19/99 Cream Blush Stick in Bacca – £28 RRP.
- Rodial Blush Drops in Frosted Pink– £39 RRP.
- Anisa Sojka Twisted Hoop Earrings – £74 RRP.
- Vieve Muse Palette – £49 RRP.
- The Flat Lay Makeup Box Bag in Pink Leopard – £22.99 RRP.
- Grace & Kin Celestial Necklace – £45 RRP.
How many products do you get inside the Glamour advent calendar?
There are 28 products inside the Glamour advent calendar – 26 of which are full-size. This was important to us: not only did we want there to be a door to open for every single day in the run up to December, including Christmas Day itself and some little extra treats, but we didn’t want you to be opening travel-sized products repeatedly.
Handpicked by the Glamour team, this collection of 28 products will satisfy skincare junkies, jewellery obsessives, fragrance fans, makeup fanatics and haircare stans alike.
How much is the Glamour advent calendar worth?
The Glamour advent calendar is worth over £850, but costs just £165. This encompasses all 28 products contained within the advent calendar, 26 of which are full-sized. Impressive, huh?
When does the Glamour advent calendar launch?
The first ever Glamour advent calendar is live now. It launched on October 26th, though the waitlist opened back in September.
In no particular order (we like to keep some element of surprise), the Glamour editors’ guide to every product inside our first-ever advent calendar.
Rodial’s Blush Drops have been my best-kept secret since they launched: a silky, lightweight fluid which melts onto the skin and delivers a glowy, flushed and radiant finish.
I will most commonly apply a few drops to the back of my hand before pressing into the apples of my cheeks – and cheekbones – with either my fingers or brush (depending on what other makeup I have on underneath). They’re formulated with vitamin E and mica minerals to not only reflect light, but nourish and hydrate while you’re wearing them, too. Oh – and you can use them on your lips, eyes and on the bridge of your nose – as well as your cheeks – proving their versatility. So. Good.
I’ve been waxing lyrical about UKLash products for years – from their incredible eyelash growth serum and eyebrow growth serums, to their LED face mask. More recently, the brand’s UK Lash Hair Growth Serum has become insanely popular.
“This is the serum I’ve used consistently over the past few months - and it has genuinely made a difference,” Glamour Commerce Writer Shani Cohen told me. “My regrowth around the hairline is stronger and fuller, and even my hairdresser commented on the difference in density.
“It’s lightweight, doesn’t leave your roots greasy, and the formula sinks in fast. At this price point, it’s an easy yes for anyone looking to build a hair growth routine that won’t break the bank.”
Sweed’s Cloud Mascara has racked up thousands of glowing reviews and celebrity endorsements over the past few years – and Glamour editors adore it for its ability to deliver maximum volume and limitless length.
It precisely separates each and every lash from root to tip for a dramatic fan-like effect, perfect for Christmas parties and New Year celebrations.
I mix-up my phone accessories seasonally, and Coconut Lane is always my go-to for playful cases adorned in mood-boosting designs – as well as phone straps (an essential in London, sadly), AirPods cases and watch straps. Inside each Glamour advent calendar is one, beautiful Coconut Lane phone strap – in one of nine designs.
Stressed out? Anxious? Struggling to relax? Rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, ear seeds use auriculotherapy as a non-invasive way to stimulate acupressure points on the ear and, in turn, balance your energy, relieve stress, and boost overall well-being. Worth a try, no?
My collection of claw clips has been growing at a near-embarrassing pace for years, but there’s one which I repeatedly reach for. Anisa Sojka’s twisted metal hair claw clip is beautiful, dressing up any look while actually doing a stellar job of holding both fine and thick hair in place. Surprisingly, not all claw clips nail that brief.
Formulated with rich shea butter and hydrating glycerin, Ciroa’s indulgent body butters deeply nourish and soften skin, making them a Glamour editor favourite.
Available in irresistible sweet-treat scents – vanilla-icious, dulce de vita, pistachio gelato, and you're cherry delightful – they melt luxuriously, leaving skin smooth, pampered, and delicately scented. They’re also not at all greasy, which is something we usually dislike in body butter launches.
How could we put together a Christmas advent calendar without including your new, signature scent for party season? With notes of apple flower, gardenia, jasmine and patchouly, Sentier’s Parisian Embrace will envelop you in a rich, sensual and comforting cloud of fragrance which evokes memories of weekend strolls along the Seine.
You heard it here first: Ful’s Intense Moisture Hair Mask is your must-have full-size hair mask for rehydrating hair on the go. This lightweight, pH-balanced formula delivers deep hydration for all hair types, reducing dry and damaged hair and leaving it silky soft and visibly moisturised. And don’t get us started on the scent. It smells so, so good.
I use a cleansing balm every night – over a gel cleanser or micellar water – to wash away grime, makeup and dirt. The Good Chi Cleansing Balm by Muihood – a skincare brand that’s rooted in Chinese medicine – melts away makeup, SPF and daily build-up effectively. The formula is powered by ginseng, goji berry and soybean – making it super gentle, even on sensitive skin – and nourishing. Cleansing with this is a real ritual.
I first discovered GoodSquish scrunchies sometime circa 2023, after their playful designs and oversized silhouettes flooded my FYP. Playing into the still-popular oversized scrunchie trend, GoodSquish hair accessories are handmade in London from deadstock fabrics. Now? They’ve launched Cowboy Blue: a vibrant scrunchie made from poly-satin to jazz-up your AW looks.
This fortifying pre-wash treatment oil nourishes roots, strengthens hair, and repairs damage for a beautiful mane. It’s non-greasy – something which was really important to us – and smells divine. As for the formula? It contains Indian adaptogen ashwagandha, to strengthen the scalp and roots, as well as Castor Oil to thicken hair from the root.
Meet the iconic cherry duo everyone’s talking about. The Beauty Crop’s Oui Cherie Prime & Oui Cherie Mist are the ultimate dream team for keeping party season makeup in place – combining the brand’s viral gripping primer and setting mist into one sweet set. Expect makeup that looks flawless until the end of your night.
Trust me: you don’t know the difference that a hairbrush can make until you try a really good one – and that’s exactly what will happen when you try the Denman D3 in Kyoto Cherry Blossom. Perfect for achieving defined girls on wet hair, making it a go-to for enhancing natural texture, it’s a haircare must have – complete with sleek white handle and a soft pink pad. It’s also ideal for blow-drying and precision styling, helping to create a smooth, polished finish. The 7-row size is especially suited for medium-length hair, offering good control. Plus, it’s easy to clean — just remove the pad and pins for a quick refresh.
By now, we well know the benefits of vitamin C: it’s an antioxidant which aids in brightening, evening skin tone and reducing the appearance of pigmentation and dark spots. Avant’s Vitamin C Hyrdo-Lock Night Reset Mask doesn’t get half the hype it deserves. It bundles a potent form of vitamin C (which does all the above and then some) with sweet almond (which forms a thin coating on the skin to protect against UVA/B rays) and hyaluronic acid (the ultimate hydration hero) into one overnight mask.
Using this alongside the Able Skincare hyaluronic acid serum (which you’ll get behind the same door) will have you waking up with dewy, more radiant and plumped skin.
Treat your lips to a beautiful ultra-glossy finish with this viral, transparent oil from French pharmacy brand NUXE. The delectable formula beautifies your lips while providing the comfort of a balm – importantly, with no sticky effect. It has a cute wooden stopper in the shape of a honey spoon and a foam applicator to ensure easy use at any time of day.
For Glamour’s Beauty Director Fiona Embleton, the Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Serum is the best product in the Glamour advent calendar.
“The original serum was a firm favourite for years but this new, reimagined formula is even better,” Fi told me. “It’s packed with amino acids to help boost collagen and camellia seed oil to deeply hydrate. I love how this serum instantly plumps and soothes; it even manages to leave withered winter skin with a dewy-fresh glow.”
The VIEVE Muse Palette is curated with ten powerfully pigmented modern matte and ethereal shimmers eyeshadows – from glistening golds, perfect peach and pinks to rich burgundy.
“I can’t survive the party season without sparkles and shimmer – and the Vieve The Muse Eyeshadow Palette is a lifesaver,” Acting Beauty Editor Dominic Cadogan said. “With 10 pigmented shades to choose from, the sparkling merlot shade Regal and molten gold hue Finery are firm faves.”
If you’re not familiar with Grace & Kin, get to know: they’re a brand that was founded by siblings Laura and Paul, who are driven by the belief that family and friends are at the heart of everything we do. As such, their jewellery is inspired by love, relationships and connection. We adore their snake chain bracelet, which is 14K gold plate, waterproof and tarnish free. A total layering hero.
K Beauty is big news right now – we’ve been busy covering the very best in Korean serums, Korean moisturisers, Korean cleansers and more over the past half-year – and K Beauty brand Anua are at the heart of the boom.
For that reason, we couldn’t compile an advent calendar without them taking centre stage. The Heartleaf Quercetinol Deep Cleansing Foam gently exfoliates with 0.5% BHA, controls excess oil with Anti-Sebum P, and soothes with Anua’s patented Quercetinol complex and Heartleaf – leaving skin clean, soft, and hydrated. If you don’t try anything else from the brand this year, make it this.
The Brushworks Face Sculpting Zinc Roller promotes a cooling, deep kneading massage to help tone, firm and brighten the skin whilst improving circulation. Packed with endless health benefits, the zinc roller helps to stimulate blood flow and sculpt the face, whilst providing lymphatic drainage. Use the zinc roller over your favourite serums to increase absorption.
Then, elevate your makeup routine with Brushworks Glitter Eyelash Curler. This glamorous eyelash curler is the perfect accessory to lift your lashes for a beautiful wide-eyed look. The glitter design combined with the cushioned pad aims for maximum comfort while you curl your lashes for a longer and fuller appearance. The perfect duo for party season.
We were over the moon when we secured the Aniska twisted hoop earrings for our advent calendar this year: delicate golden hoops that are made for daily wear. Inspired by ropes, these lightweight earrings are the perfect way to add a twist to your ear game.
Designed to make your life a little more organised, this unique box-shaped bag opens out into a tray, so you can see all your products at once with no more rummaging. Its stackable design makes it the perfect storage solution, whether at home or on the go.
Another beautiful piece of jewellery from brother-and-sister-founded jewellery brand Grace & Kin is the Celestial Necklace – one which the team are struggling to keep in stock. This timeless piece features a single engraved north star symbolising direction, guidance, stability and purpose. This necklace holds beauty and meaning and one you will never want or need to take off.
For an iridescent, glowy sheen that sparkles atop your cheekbones all party season, make a beeline for the 19/99 Cream Blush Stick – a GLAMOUR editor favourite which is, wonderfully, included in our debut calendar. Designed to be applied to the high points of your face and apples of your cheeks, it delivers a lit-from-within finish – and comes in handy stick form for application on-the-go. I’ve actually loved applying it to my lips and the end of my nose too. It's longwearing, doesn’t settle into fine lines and pores, and suits a variety of skin types.
