Beauty Advent calendars for 2021 including £184 of No7 products for £47

The Body Shop, Holland & Barrett, M&S and Aldi also out now

Beauty Advent calendars are significantly pricier than chocolate ones, but they've become increasingly popular in the last few years as a way of bagging beauty products at a fraction of the normal cost. They often sell out early, but can also be heavily discounted later if they don't, so here's a round-up of some of the best I’ve seen.

While they’re marketed as Advent calendars, even if you’re not intending to open them day-by-day, they can be worth it to get products for much cheaper than you'd normally buy them for separately. They're also great for dividing up as gifts for multiple friends/family members in hampers for Christmas or as birthday gifts throughout the year. I’ll update this list as more become available, reduced or sold out over the next few months.

No7 – £184 of beauty products for £47 or another No7 calendar with £384-worth for £120

Available now

No7 beauty Advent calendars are mega-popular with MoneySavers. This year, there are two No7 calendars – one which No7 says has £184 of products for £47, and a second 'Ultimate' calendar it says has £384-worth for £120.

The £120 calendar* is available online, but the £47 calendar* is online and in stores, depending on stock – both were released to all on Tue 26 Oct. Last year, the calendar sold out within two days of release so it's worth going quickly, especially if you'd like the more expensive calendar as it proved to be very popular, selling out during the pre-sale, and has been restocked.

What's in the No7 beauty Advent calendars?

The £47 No7 beauty Advent calendar is similar to previous years. We have the full list of contents below, five of which you can see in the image of the calendar below.

  • Full 2021 £47 No7 beauty Advent calendar contents

    Here are the products included and the cheapest price we found them for separately:
     
    • Stay Perfect Amazing Eyes pencil in 'Black', 1g - £7.50
    • Intense Volume mascara in 'Black', 7ml - £6.67
    • Blusher in 'Damson mist' - £5
    • HydraLuminous Water Surge day cream, 25ml - £7.47
    • Gel finish nail colour in 'Rose Gold', 10ml - £7.50
    • Melting gel cleanser, 50ml - £3.97
    • Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced day cream, 25ml - £12.47
    • Early Defence Glow activating serum, 30ml - £19.95
    • Protect and Perfect Intense Advanced eye cream, 5ml - £5.98
    • Protect and Perfect Intense Advanced serum, 5ml - £4.32
    • Biodegradable Facial Wipes, 15pcs - £3.97
    • Laboratories Line Correcting booster serum, 3ml - £6.99
    • Instant Results Nourishing hydration mask, 100ml - £9.95
    • Lash & Brow perfector, 7ml - £8.95
    • Eye Shadow primer, 10ml - £9.95
    • Stay Perfect concealer voucher - £5
    • Blending sponge -  £6.95
    • Body milk, 50ml - £2.13
    • Protect & Perfect lip cream, 10ml - £9.95
    • Radiance+ Polish, 50ml - £5.98
    • HydraLuminous Night Cream, 25ml - £7.48
    • Radiance+ eye mask - £1.99
    • Precision Lips liner in 'Nude' - £7
    • Beautiful Skin body wash, 50ml - £1.99
    • Lip & cheek tint in 'Dusk Rose', 10g - £9.95
  • Full 2021 £120 No7 'Ultimate' Advent calendar contents

    Here are the products included and the cheapest price we found them for separately:

    • Perfect Light pressed powder in 'Translucent', 10g - £12.50
    • Skin Illuminator in 'Nude', 30ml - £12.50
    • Laboratories line correcting booster serum, 15ml - £34.95
    • Stay Perfect mascara in 'Black', 7ml - £13.50
    • Laboratories Firming Booster serum, 30ml - £34.95
    • HydraLuminous water concentrate, 30ml - £15.95
    • HydraLuminous water surge gel oil free, 50ml - £14.95
    • HydraLuminous overnight recovery gel cream, 50ml - £14.95
    • HydraLuminous eye hydrator, 12ml - £11.95
    • Perfect & Protect Intense Advanced moisturising body serum, 200ml - £24.95
    • Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced dual action cleansing water, 200ml - £11.95
    • Advanced Retinol 1.5% Complex night concentrate, 10ml (mini) - £11.65
    • Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced day cream SPF15, 50ml - £24.95
    • Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced night cream, 50ml - £24.95
    • Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced serum, 15ml (mini) - £10.19
    • Illuminating powder in 'Champagne Glow', 9g - £13.95
    • Lip and cheek tint in 'Dusk Pink', 10ml - £9.95
    • Stay Perfect matte fixing mist, 100ml - £13.95
    • Moisture Drench lipstick in 'Caramel Silk', 3.8g - £10
    • Gel Finish nail colour in 'Pillar box', 10ml - £7.50
    • Trio Eye Shadow in 'Warm Suede', 2.6g - £9.95
    • Perfectly Bronzed dual bronzer, 10g - £11.95
    • Beautiful Eyebrow sculpting pencil in 'Brown', 0.2g - £8.95
    • Powder brush - £14.95
    • Stay Perfect foundation, 30ml voucher - £14.95

M&S – £226 of make-up & skincare for £40 when you spend £30 or more on other items

Sold out online, but limited stock available in stores

This year's 25-piece M&S* beauty Advent calendar was released online and in stores on Thu 28 Oct. It's now sold out online, but M&S says limited stock is still available in some stores.

It costs £40, but to be eligible to buy it, you need to spend £30 or more on other beauty, clothing, or home items – so you'll be spending at least £70 to get the calendar. Simply add it to your bag online, then once you've added the eligible £30+ spend of items it will automatically reduce in price to £40. In-store, you'll need to pick up the calendar along with the £30+ of eligible items you'd like and take it all to the till.

M&S says it includes a whopping £300-worth of products, including brands such as This Works, Eyeko and Ren – see below for a full list. We found you could get the products individually for £226, which is still good value.

  • Full 2021 M&S beauty Advent calendar contents

    Here are the products included and the cheapest price we found them for separately:
     
    • Autograph Colour Balm lip shine - £10
    • Apothecary Calm body wash, 60ml - 96p
    • Aveda Botanical Repair Strengthening leave-In treatment, 100ml - £22.40
    • Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, 30g - £20
    • L’Occitane Shea Shower Oil, 75ml - £5.85
    • Prai 24K Gold Wrinkle Repair Night Crème, 30ml - £20.99
    • Ren Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream, 15ml - £7.19
    • Alpha H Rose Liquid Gold, 30ml - £5.98
    • Pure Super Hydrate Day Cream, 50ml - £9.60
    • Fragrance Society Orange, Bergamot & Lemon Grass Hand Cream, 30ml - £1.60
    • Formula Absolute Sleep Cream, 15ml - £6.75
    • Eyeko Black Magic Travel Size Mascara - £10
    • Eyeko Black Magic Liquid Eyeliner - £7
    • Ren Kelp Body Wash, 50ml - £7.95
    • Ren Kelp Hand Lotion, 50ml - £2.15
    • L’Occitane Precious Cream, 8ml - £8.80
    • Nails INC Tis The Season To Sparkle Nail Polish, 10ml - £6
    • Percy & Reed Wonder Balm Hair Primer, 75ml - £12.66
    • Philip Kingsley Pure Colour Gloss, 20ml - £8.84
    • Philip Kingsley Elasticizer, 40ml - £7.93
    • Prai Ageless Hand Crème, 15ml - £1.80
    • This Works Stress Check Breathe In roll on, 10ml - £18
    • Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner, 0.28g - £12.80
    • Ultrasun SPF30 Lip Protection, 4.8g - £6
    • Shay & Blue Tallulahs Camellia Natural Spray Fragrance, 10ml - £5.20

Latest in Beauty – £327 of well-known beauty brands for £74 delivered

Available now

MSE Update, Thu 11 Nov at 10.21am: In this week's MSE email we included a Blagged code for £10 off plus free delivery. This deal proved popular with MoneySavers, and all 3,500 codes have now gone.

Bespoke beauty box retailer Latest in Beauty* is offering a 24-piece beauty Advent calendar including Molton Brown, Elizabeth Arden, Murad and more for £70 plus £3.95 delivery.

Latest in Beauty says the contents would normally cost about £360 if bought individually (it came to £327 when we did our calculations, based on the cheapest prices we could find).

  • Full 2021 Latest in Beauty Advent calendar contents

    Contents of the calendar, and the cheapest price we found them for separately:
     
    • QMS Intensive eye care, 15ml (full-size) - £120 at Harrods
    • Natura Siberica overnight renew face cream-mask in 'Wild Blueberry', 30ml (mini) - £6.09 based on full-size 50ml version at Natura Siberica
    • Brushworks HD angled kabuki brush in 'Unicorn' (full-size) - £12.95 at Beauty Bay
    • Oribe Power Drops damage repair booster, 3ml (mini) - £5.40 based on full-size 30ml version at Harrods
    • Faith in Nature shea & argan shampoo bar, 85g (full-size) - £3.86 at Boots
    • Fudge Professional blow dry aqua primer, 150ml (full-size) - £11.49 at Fragrance Direct
    • Nuxe organic marine seaweed skin correcting moisturising fluid, 15ml (mini) - £6.07 based on full-size 50ml version at AllBeauty
    • Dr. Lipp superfood elderberry tint, 8ml (full-size) - £4.37 at Just My Look
    • Nailberry L'Oxygéné oxygenated nail lacquer in 'Kindness' OR 'Harmony' OR  'Peace' OR 'Grateful', 15ml (full-size) - £15 at Lookfantastic
    • Crabtree & Evelyn volcanic ash face mask, 10g (mini) - £3.20 based on full-size 100ml version at Crabtree & Evelyn
    • James Read H2O tan drops face, 15ml (full-size) - £21 at Ocado
    • BBB London ultra slim brow definer in 'Light Chai OR 'Medium Indian Choc' OR 'Dark Cardamom', 0.09g (full-size) - £13.50 at Lookfantastic
    • Murad Vita-C triple exfoliating facial, 10ml (mini) - £5.87 based on full-size 80ml version at AllBeauty
    • Natura Tukumã hand cream, 40g (full-size) - €10 (approx £8.55) at Natura
    • Invisibobble in 'Original Luscious Lashes' (Black), 3-pack (full-size) - £4.99 at Lookfantastic
    • Studio 10 Lip Perfecting balm gloss, 4ml (full-size) - £20 at Lookfantastic
    • Delilah Eye Line Long Wear Retractable Pencil in 'Coal', 0.31g (full-size) - £20 at Feel Unique
    • Rabot 1745 cacao & almond bath & body oil, 200ml (full-size) - £10 at Next
    • Philosophy Purity 3-in-1 cleanser, 30ml (mini) - £2.20 based on full-size 240ml version at Lookfantastic
    • Elizabeth Arden Prevage anti-aging daily serum 2.0, 5ml (mini) - £8.10 based on full-size 50ml version at AllBeauty
    • Molton Brown bath & shower gel in 'Fiery Pink Pepper', 50ml (mini) - £3.49 based on full-size 300ml version at AllBeauty
    • Aromatherapy Associates de-stress muscle gel, 40ml (mini) - £7 at Aromatherapy Associates
    • Umberto Giannini Flowerology bergamot & lemon oil hair serum, 50ml (full-size) - £8.75 at Boots
    • Naturtint Hair Food goji revitalising hair mask, 150ml (full-size) - £5.24 at Holland & Barrett

Aldi – £400+ of make-up, perfume, skincare & candle 'dupes' for £55

Available now in-store, sold out online

Aldi* released its 24-piece Lacura cruelty-free beauty Advent calendar on Thu 28 Oct, and it sold out online by 2pm the same day, but stock is available in some stores.

It's full of many of the beauty dupes MoneySavers know and love for £54.99, with contents we reckon are worth £47 (we couldn't get pricing information on two items, but have asked Aldi and will update here when we know more). If you'd like one, it's worth checking your local store, but as with all 'Special Buys', stock isn't guaranteed.

Although it might be slightly cheaper to buy the same amount of the products separately, as they are 'Special Buys' many are not in stock, or not due to be in stock any time soon. The MoneySaving attraction of this calendar is that our calculations show it would cost £433 if you bought the same amount of the equivalent big brands, eg, Benefit, Urban Decay, Sisley Paris separately. 

Dupes are lookalike products with similar (though likely not the same) ingredients where it’s often hard to tell the difference, though some say the pricier brands last longer. Remember, as with all new make-up, if you have any allergies it's worth checking the ingredients on the Aldi site before buying to be sure it's suitable for you. See my Beauty dupes blog for more info on dupes.

  • Full 2021 Aldi Lacura beauty Advent calendar contents

    Here are the products included and the cheapest price we found them for separately, plus the big-brand alternative MoneySavers have compared them to:
     
    • Hemp hand cream, 5ml - 11p. Similar branded product: The Body Shop hemp hand protector, 30ml - £6.50 (£1.08 for 5ml)
    • New. Illuminating tanning drops, 10ml - £1.66. Similar branded product: Tan-Luxe The Face Illuminating Self-Tan Drops, 10ml - £11.40 at Feel Unique
    • Floral Noir et Blanc EDP perfume, 25ml - £1.75. Similar branded product: Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume, 30ml - £38.25 at Lookfantastic
    • Je Suis Belle EDP perfume, 25ml - £1.75. Similar branded product: Lancome La Vie Est Belle perfume, 30ml - £42 at Lookfantastic
    • Snapshot Ready foundation primer, 10ml - £2. Similar branded product: Smashbox Photo Finish primer, 12ml - £14.40 at Feel Unique
    • Berry Dewy lip balm, 7ml - £1.39. Similar branded product: Laneige lip glowy balm in 'Berry', 10g - £16 at Selfridges (£11.12 for 7ml)
    • Avocado overnight eye cream, 15ml (full-size) - £4.49. Similar branded product: Glow Recipe avocado melt retinol eye sleeping mask, 15ml - £41 at Cult Beauty
    • Cleansing balm, 25g - £1.94. Similar branded product: Emma Hardie cleansing balm, 100ml - £37.60 at Lookfantastic (£9.40 for 25g)
    • Makeup setting spray, 10ml - 36p. Similar branded product: Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray, 30ml - £9.60 at Lookfantastic (£3.20 for 10ml)
    • Ebony rose face cream, 15ml - £2.10. Similar branded product: Sisley Paris Black Rose infusion cream, 50ml - £99.95 all Allbeauty (£29.99 for 15ml)
    • Ebony rose face mask, 20ml - £2.33. Similar branded product: Sisley Paris Black Rose cream mask, 60ml - £79.45 at Allbeauty (£26.48 for 20ml)
    • Rose micellar water, 30ml - 4p. Similar branded product: Garnier Micellar rose water, 400ml - £3.50 (26p for 30ml)
    • Dream Big Bronzer, 8g (full-size) - £4.99. Similar branded product: Benefit Hoola bronzer, 8g - £23.38 at Lookfantastic
    • Clear brow gel, 2g - £2.79. Similar branded product: Benefit 24-hr Brow Setter gel, 3.5g - £12.50 at Lookfantastic
    • Too legit mascara, 14g (full-size) - £5.99. Similar branded product: Benefit 'They're Real' mascara, 8.5g - £18.80 at Lookfantastic
    • Night Orchid candle, 65g - 86p. Similar branded product: Jo Malone, 60g candle - £25 at Jo Malone
    • Rose Noir candle, 65g - 86p. Similar branded product: Jo Malone, 60g candle - £25 at Jo Malone
    • Vitamin C serum, 25ml - £4.99. Similar branded product: Drunk Elephant C Firmafresh serum, 54ml - £66 at Space NK (£30.56 for 25ml)
    • New. Wanderlust rescue mask, 15ml - £2
    • New. Healthy Glow overnight relaxing pillow spray, 15ml
    • New. Glow Vitamin C & turmeric oil, 25ml. Similar branded product: Sunday Riley C.E.O Glow vitamin C and turmeric face oil, 15ml - £34 at Selfridges
    • Pineapple microdermabrasion scrub, 15ml - 60p. Similar branded product: Wishful Yo Glow enzyme scrub, 40ml - £18 at Boots (£6.75 for 15ml)
    • Jelly cleanser, 15ml - 40p. Similar branded product: Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 jelly cleanser, 60ml - £10.40 at Cult Beauty (£2.60 for 15ml)
    • Healthy Glow Plumping retinol & collagen serum, 25ml (full-size) - £3.99. Similar branded product: Pixi collagen and retinol serum, 30ml - £26 at Cultbeauty.

Ciaté – £150 of nail polish for £59 delivered

Available now

If Ciaté is the original nail polish Advent calendar you wait for every year, then it's out now to buy online at Ciaté* for £59 delivered.

It's entirely vegan and cruelty-free, with 22 mini 'plant-pot' polishes, and one full-size 'plant-pot' polish, plus a watermelon burst hydrating primer. If bought separately, Ciaté says the contents would cost £150.

It's definitely worth looking out for discounts on this calendar – signing up for the MSE weekly email is probably the best way to do this. In 2019, we saw the calendar discounted by 50% in early December, so it's up to you whether you wait to see if it's discounted further later.

The Body Shop Logo

The Body Shop – three including £77 of Body Shop products for £55, or £119-worth for £80, or £204-worth for £140

Available now

The Body Shop* has three calendars at varied price points – £55, £80 or £140. Two of the calendars are slightly pricier than last year, and for all, the products included aren't worth as much if you were to buy them separately. But if you like Body Shop products then you can still make a decent saving with these beauty calendars.

The Body Shop Advent calendars include:
 

You're limited to one calendar per transaction, so if you're buying for gifts you'll need to make additional transactions, although delivery's free on all the calendars.

In 2020, limited extra quantities of its three calendars were released at the start of November. Last year, as in previous years, all calendars completely sold out before Black Friday. Yet in 2018, we spotted the £45 and £99 calendars reduced by 20% around Black Friday, so you might be able to save later on if they do release more stock, but this seems unlikely.

Boots – 50% off selected beauty Advent calendars

More are likely to be discounted later on

For the past few years, Boots has offered deals on beauty Advent calendars, including as part of a 3for2 promo in 2019 and up to 50% off last year. For 2021, it has already started offering deals on some calendars, and we expect to see more deals later on.

Advent calendars with 50% off when we checked on Thu 11 Nov:

Advent calendars available now, but not included in any offers:

In 2019 we saw Boots launch a ‘50% off’ deal in the last week of November, so we think 50% off might be the best discount available before these items sell out.

Superdrug – up to 50% off beauty Advent calendars, some discounted further

There are currently a few Advent calendars available at Superdrug’s website, and some are included in its up to 50% off promo. Prices range from £10 to £100, and calendars currently in stock include:

For the past couple of years, Superdrug released its beauty Advent calendars with an up to 50% off deal, before the calendars were discounted further during Black Friday and the Christmas sales, so it might be worth waiting to pick one up for a bigger discount.

L'Occitane – several calendars including £100 of beauty for £55 or £236-worth in £160 reusable calendar

Available now

This year, L'Occitane is offering calendars ranging from £55 to £160, which includes the following:

  • £55 Classic 24-piece calendar* – L'Occitane says contents are worth £99.50, including shampoo, body lotion, hand cream etc.
  • £99 Luxury 24-piece calendar* – L'Occitane says contents are worth £141.50, including shampoo, face cream, hand cream etc. Out of stock
  • £160 Reusable 24-piece calendar* – L'Occitane says contents are worth £236, comes with a fabric reusable Advent calendar plus shower oil, cleanser, perfume etc.
  • £120 Reusable Advent calendar refill 24-piece* – contains similar products to the reusable calendar, eg, perfume and shampoo. It says this calendar is worth £199, and is available online only. Useful if you already have a reusable Advent calendar.

Last year, some of L'Occitane's calendars sold out by the start of November. Whilst £100+ for an Advent calendar isn't especially MoneySaving, if you usually buy L'Occitane products and it includes some of your favourites, it may be a good way to save money on what you'd buy normally.

Holland & Barrett – £170 of vegan & cruelty-free beauty for £45

SOLD OUT

MSE Update, Tue 9 Nov: This calendar has now sold out.

This isn't the first year Holland & Barrett* has released a beauty Advent calendar, but if you're looking for something 100% vegan and cruelty-free that isn't mostly nail polish, you might want to check this one out. It costs £45 delivered, with contents H&B says are worth £170.

It's a 25-piece set containing brands such as Ren, Dr Pawpaw, Sukin, Q&A and more. It includes skincare, haircare, and other items such as candles, a detangling mini hairbrush, and a make-up brush.

  • Full 2021 Holland & Barrett beauty Advent calendar contents

    Contents of the calendar, including what H&B reckon some are worth:
     
    • UpCircle Eye Cream with Maple & Coffee, 10ml - £14.99
    • Fushi Really Good Hair Oil, 10ml
    • Sukin Super Greens Detoxifying Facial Scrub, 20ml
    • REN Ready Steady Glow Tonic, 50ml
    • Wet Brush Mini Detangler Brush - £9.99
    • Natura Siberica Taiga Daily Protection Hand Cream, 30ml - £2.99
    • AromaWorks Lavender And Petitgrain Mini Candle, 10cl
    • Weleda Prickly Pear Facial Lotion, 30ml - £14.05
    • Dr Organic Guava Body Wash, 250ml - £6.99
    • I Love Tonka Bean And Myrrh Body Wash, 125ml
    • Q+A Apple AHA Exfoliating Gel, 75ml - £8.50
    • Holland & Barrett Tweezers
    • Faith In Nature Dragon Fruit Shampoo Bar, 85g - £5.79
    • Ayumi Turmeric And Bergamot Face Mask, 20ml
    • Ecodenta Certified Organic Multifunctional Toothpaste With Hemp Oil, 75ml - £4.99
    • Oleus Jojoba Oil 50ml - £14.99
    • Psychic Sisters Opalite Mini Facial Roller
    • Eden Perfume Portobello Perfume, 2.5ml
    • Holland & Barrett Nail File
    • Disciple Balancing Mist, 50ml - £15.00
    • So Eco Multi-Tasking Brush - £7.50
    • Dr PawPaw Lip Scrub And Lip Balm Duo 16g - £8.95
    • Holland & Barrett Aloe & Cucumber Face Wash 150ml - £3.99
    • Tisserand Sleep Better Pillow Mist Mini 9ml
    • Evolve Bio-Retinol Gold Face Mask 30ml

Beauty Advent calendars may be cheaper after Christmas…

While they’re clearly marketed as pre-Christmas items, these beauty Advent calendars can sometimes be found at heavily reduced prices after Christmas – so if you’re not in a rush, you may be able to make a bigger saving in the New Year.

However, stock will be limited and popular calendars such as No7 and M&S have sold out long before Christmas in previous years. Whether you buy now or risk waiting, there are some serious savings to be had compared with buying the same products separately.

Will you be buying a beauty Advent calendar? Which is the one you wait for? Do you make your own? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter at @MSE_Deals.