Harrods is renowned for many things, from its Grade II listed building to its green-robed doormen and its over-the-top Christmas decorations. But another thing stands out at Christmas: the brand’s beauty advent calendar.
It sounds ludicrously early, but every August, the big luxury department stores drop the first glimpses of their beauty advent calendars for the festive season ahead. This year, Liberty was the first to debut its Christmas countdown (in July, no less), with Harvey Nichols, Selfridges (explore my full list of 2025’s best beauty advent calendars) and Harrods following shortly after.
Last year, the retailer’s 25-day beauty haul came wrapped up in its signature green hue, but one year on, the brand has taken things down a notch with minimalist taupe packaging, complete with subtle gold accents. However, there are some similarities to 2024’s advent calendar, with return appearances from fan-favourite brands including Augustinus Bader, 111 Skin, La Mer and more. Plus, if you like a bit of a shake-up, you’ll be pleased to discover an extra seven products in 2025’s line-up – all for the same £250 price point (Harrods.com).
Scroll on for all the juicy details, including my honest review of everything inside. Spoilers ahead.
How we tested
Receiving the Harrods calendar on 29 July (22 days before its market-wide dispatch on 20 August), I’ve had three weeks to explore the 32 products within, testing them as part of my day-to-day skincare, make-up, fragrance, haircare and body care routines. While unboxing and reviewing them, I noted the following factors:
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Lucy Smith has been writing about the best beauty advent calendars for several years, covering 2024’s Sephora advent calendar and 2025’s Charlotte Tilbury, Boots and Space NK calendars. Having worked in the industry for more than five years, she’s seen many Christmas countdowns and knows the brands – like Mac and Rodial – that are frequently featured, plus the ones making a splash in new offerings for 2025. Given that she is constantly testing the latest and greatest brands (such as her tests of the new K18 heat protectors and Clinique nude honey lipsticks), Lucy is across all the trending products to expect in advent calendars this Christmas. Here’s what she thought of Harrods’ latest iteration.
Read more: Here’s everything inside the Yankee Candle advent calendar for 2025
Harrods of London the Harrods beauty advent calendar 2025
Price: £250
Worth: Not disclosed, estimated to be £1,500+
Number of days: 25
Advent calendar highlights: Laura Mercier black caviar extravagant mascara, 111SKIN cryo sheet mask, Augustinus Bader the face oil, Champo pitta lash serum
Available: To pre-order now for delivery August 20
Why we love it
- Excellent skincare variety
- Taps into beauty trends, e.g. scalp care
- Multiple items in certain drawers
- Great anti-ageing focus
Take note
- Some full sizes are small, e.g. 15ml
- Could feature more trending brands
- No body care
With a price point of £250, Harrods’ beauty advent calendar is one of 2025’s most expensive offerings, only topped by Liberty (£275, Libertylondon.com) and Space NK (£260, Spacenk.com). Luckily, with this high price point comes plenty of luxury brands, some of which are arguably the industry’s most high-end (like La Mer and La Prairie).
Though the retailer isn’t advertising the full worth of its advent calendar in 2025, it’s estimated – according to advent calendar blogger Anne Marie Lodge – that the items’ worth exceeds £1,500. There’s no doubt you’ll be getting your money’s worth.
Unboxing the calendar, I was seriously impressed by the skincare line-up, especially the anti-ageing products. From Shiseido’s FSLX total regenerating cream (15ml included, £380 for 50ml, Harrods.com) to Medik8’s crystal retinal 6 (£69, Sephora.co.uk), the calendar offers a 360 approach to minimising fine lines, tackling both existing wrinkles with vitamin A and preventing future ageing with vitamin C. After testing the retinal, I also enjoyed how the formula was gentle on my rosacea-prone skin.
As for the rest of the beauty spectrum, Harrods’ calendar is a little more sparse, with seven make-up, six hair, one fragrance and – surprisingly – zero body care items featured.
On the make-up front, I loved the additions of Laura Mercier, Mac, Bobbi Brown, and Hourglass. However, I’ve found that Rodial’s inclusion in advent calendars is often unwarranted, especially the bronze glowlighter (2g included, £38 for 6.1g, Spacenk.com) and blush drops (£39, Harrods.com) included here.
In the same vein, I wouldn’t have picked Beautifect’s make-up sponge (£12.95, Fenwick.co.uk) for a cult, luxury calendar, with Beauty Blender and Clomana’s iterations reigning supreme.
Read more: M&S’s beauty advent calendar should be top of your list in 2025 – here’s why
I was pleased with the selection of haircare formulas and the mixture of trending products. The Christophe Robin purifying scalp scrub (75ml included, £42.50 for 250ml, Sephora.co.uk) and Moncho Moreno bond, j'aime bond spray (100ml included, £42 for 200ml, Harrods.com) are exactly what I look for in a beauty advent calendar.
Davines’ oi all-in-one milk (£18.50, Cultbeauty.co.uk) has long been a favourite of mine, and even earned the top spot in my guide to the best leave-in conditioners.
I had no problem with the number of full-size products, and if you break the £250 down by those 14 items alone, it works out at around £17.86 an item. When you consider the fact that those items span ultra-luxe brands like La Mer and MZ Skin, whose products can run to hundreds of pounds, this calendar certainly seems to promise good value for money.
However, I would take the term ‘full-size’ with a pinch of salt; it counts single-use sheet masks and 15ml moisturisers as “full-size,” which is a little frustrating.
The calendar shell was sturdy and beautiful enough to warrant reusing in 2026 and beyond. Personally, I prefer more festive advent exteriors, so a few pops of red and green might have been nice. Then again, some might argue gold is equally seasonal.
Buy now £250.00, Harrods.com
Is Harrods beauty advent calendar 2025 worth £250?
I think Harrods’ 2025 beauty advent calendar is one of the best I’ve seen for skincare, so if you love a good day cream, this is the luxury advent for you, especially if you’re looking for an anti-ageing hit. There are also some fantastic haircare products.
Unfortunately, it’s not the best spread for make-up fanatics, but the selection of glam is accessible for buyers looking for a touch of excitement without going overboard. There’s a classic red lip, a reliable setting powder and a failsafe mascara. Beauty obsessives might not be impressed, but if you want a luxurious gift for a loved one, this is certain to be a hit.
Not quite what you’re looking for? Here’s everything I’ve uncovered about the Liberty advent calendar
