Mulled wine, trays of stuffing, endless parties and decadent hampers: the Christmas season is all about overindulgence – and it doesn’t get more indulgent than the best beauty advent calendars.
Replacing sweet treats and chocolate bites with skincare saviours, must-have scents, luxe haircare and pampering products, beauty brands are serving up a whole new way to countdown to Christmas. And each year, the offerings have got bigger and better.
From Asos’ treasure trove of firm favourites to Lookfantastic’s bargain bounty and Liberty’s beautifully designed box, it’s safe to say brands have read the assignment for 2025.
One of the most anticipated calendars annually comes from Selfridges. Just like the luxury retailer’s beauty halls, its advent offering is packed with premium products – and this year is no exception.
Costing £250, the calendar is overflowing with high-end brands, including Charlotte Tilbury, Refy, Jo Malone, Creed and Color Wow, Augustinus Bader and Murad – equating to a whopping overall worth of £1,136 (£100 more than last years). From serums, eyeshadows and eye creams to hair oils, matte lipsticks, vitamins and candles, a wealth of beauty essentials are hidden behind the signature yellow drawers.
How I tested
In order to review this year’s offering, I went against every bone in my body and opened each door ahead of the Christmas season.
Here’s what to expect if you decide to indulge this festive season.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
As The Independent’s senior shopping writer, Daisy Lester has been covering beauty at IndyBest for years, from expert guides on fake tan to lip oils and lip liners. She’s reviewed the best beauty advent calendars since 2022, testing brands from John Lewis and Lookfantastic to Boots and plenty more. When it comes to Selfridges, this is the second time she’s tested the retailer’s offering – so she’s prime placed to see how it compares against previous iterations and competitors.
Selfridges beauty advent calendar 2025
Price: £250
Worth: £1136
Number of days: 25
Number of full size products: 24
Advent calendar highlights : Color Wow dreamcoat spray, Jo Malone London’s english pear and freesia, Lisa Eldridge lip liner, Augustinus Bader rich eye cream, Drunk Elephant’s B-goldi brightening, Hourglass blush
Available: Now
Why we love it
- Strong make-up offering
- Huge overall worth
- Good variety
Take note
- Skincare offering could be better
First and foremost: the presentation. Upon removing the sleeve, you’re met with a rectulagar box painted in Selfridges’ signature bright yellow hue – decorated with golden stripes down each side, the lid reveals a vanity mirror. The yellow theme continues inside the 25 drawers while the numbers are sprawled in gold. Selfridges’ design feels sturdy and well-crafted but, best of all, both the yellow sleeve and box are fully recyclable. We wouldn’t go as far as to say the Selfridges calendar is festive, but the gold writing certainly adds a touch of sparkle. Plus, the recognisable Selfridges packing signifies there are some luxe products from its beauty hall inside – more than £1,000 worth.
With 37 beauty gifts inside, you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck. It has 24 full-size products and a further 13 travel, sample and deluxe sizes. The Independent’s beauty writer Lucy did the math and counted 35 products that you won’t find in other beauty advent calendars.
While some calendars like Lookfantastic or Liberty tend to go heavy on the skincare front, Selfridges’ offering is impressive for make-up lovers. Highlights include Hourglass’ ambient lighting blush (£46, Selfridges.com), Drunk Elephant’s B-goldi brightening (£35, Selfridges.com) and Mac’s pro locked brow gel (£24, Selfridges.com) – all of which are full size. When it comes to perfecting your party season look, there’s no shortage of staples – think Lisa Eldridges’ enhance and define lip pencil in the universally flattering shade ‘fawn’ (£19, Selfridges.com), Morphe’s gloriously festive eyeshadow palette (£16, Selfridges.com), Fenty’s hella thicc mascara for volume and definition (£19, Selfridges.com) and Stila’s waterproof liquid eyeliner (£21, Selfridges.com), which is a personal favourite for a sharp cat eye. For your base, you’re treated to Sculpted by Aimee’s primer (£23, Selfridges.com) and Charlotte Tilbury’s cult setting spray (£32, Selfridges.com), plus application is a breeze thanks to Refy’s dual ended brush (£20, Selfridges.com).
The skincare line-up is less dazzling, though Augustinus Bader’s the eye cream (£160, Selfridges.com), Elemis’ dynamic resurfacing facial pads (£48, Selfridges.com) and Murad’s cellar hydration barrier repair mask (£55, Selfridges.com) are all premium full-size formulas to soothe, nourish and hydrate winter skin.
Where the calendar does deliver is haircare and fragrance. In the former camp, there’s a full size Color Wow dream coat spray (£27, Selfridges.com)– the heat protectant and frizz-taming formula is my ride-or-die every wash day, with the bottle lasting up to a year. A cult formula that lives up to the hype, there’s also a mini Gisou honey infused hair oil (£35, Selfridges.com) and a travel-size duo of Amika’s Kure shampoo and conditioner (£27, Selfridges.com). You’re also treated to two products from the buzzy Stockholm brand Maria Nila.
As for fragrance, you can expect a mini Creed’s eladaria floral perfume (£265, Selfridges.com), Jo Malone London’s english pear and freesia (£86, Selfridges.com) and a mini Ormond’s Jayne levant perfume (£135, Selfridges.com), while Sol de Janerio’s cheriosa 68 body mist (£26, Selfridges.com) is perfect for gifting to young beauty fans at Christmas.
The Selfridges calendar is the perfect balance of trending buys with efficacious, under-the-radar formulas – see Laneige’s viral lip sleeping mask (£21, Selfridges.com) and Self Glow’s excellent sun bright tinted tan drops (£39, Selfridges.com). The 2025 line-up hasn’t neglected pampering luxuries either, from Charlotte Mensah’s oil scalp scrub (£60, Selfridges.com) and Joonbyrd’s wild hand wash (£42, Selfridges.com) to a gift card for a 45-minute concierge appointment.
As for the pièce de résistance, we’ll leave that a surprise for you when the main event arrives – containing three goodies, your beauty indulgence is set to continue far beyond Christmas Day.
Buy now £250.00, Selfridges.com
The verdict: Selfridges’ beauty advent calendar 2025
If you bought each product in Selfridges’ advent calendar individually, it would set you back £1,146 – so the £250 price tag is a very tempting deal. Though it seems like a lot to splurge in one go, the sheer wealth of skincare heroes, luxe haircare, fragrances and make-up goodies adds up to months of beauty essentials.
The retailer’s careful curation of products has something for everyone – so much so, that many of the products inside could even be gifted to loved ones this year, saving you money on presents. And the concierge card deserves a special shout-out. The 45 minute appointment could involve anything from a massage to a facial or one-on-one beauty consultation over video call – the perfect gift to yourself or to a special someone this Christmas.
Read more: Everything inside Liberty’s beauty advent calendar 2025
