This year, Liberty London is celebrating its 150th anniversary with what might be its most impressive beauty advent calendar yet. Available to buy now, the retailer’s 25-day edit is – and has always been – a masterclass in luxury gifting, recognised for its collection of exceptional cosmetics from up-and-coming and established brands.
Of course, there are more affordable advent offerings (Next, Boots and Asos, for example), and plenty of other multi-brand Christmas countdowns (which you can explore in my round-up of the best beauty advent calendars to buy in 2025). But few are as iconic as Liberty’s.
The prestigious calendar is worth more than £1,245. That’s a £45 increase on 2024’s offering and includes an extra two products and an additional two full sizes. For context, that’s 30 items total, 20 of which are full-size, versus 28 total and 18 full-size last Christmas. There’s make-up, skincare, fragrance, haircare and bodycare, and, as always, there’s the chance to win one of 15 hidden £1,000 vouchers. That’s another huge upgrade from 2024, as you’re three times as likely to get lucky.
The 25-day countdown is available to buy now, and I’ve had an early look inside to see whether it’s truly worth the hype. Here’s what I found.
How I tested
Christmas may be months away, but I had to get stuck in with the Liberty beauty advent calendar early in a bid to find out if it’s worth £275. That meant opening up all 25 doors and considering all the following components:
- Packaging: While it’s a no brainer that the Liberty advent is aesthetic (to say the least), I assessed how sturdy it was for those hoping to reuse it come future Christmases.
- Variety of products: When buying a multi-brand advent calendar, you’d hope to see an even mix of make-up, skincare, haircare, body care and fragrance, so I counted through each category and weighed up the desirability of the product types included.
- Brand selection: At this price point, I was hoping for a mix of beauty heavyweights (like La Mer and Dermalogica) alongside some of Liberty’s under-the-radar gems to spotlight the formulas worth knowing for 2026.
- Results: After testing the products inside, I took note of the ones that impressed, plus any that didn’t, and compared Liberty’s offering against its competitors.
- Value for money: Taking all of the information above into account, I evaluated whether the technical worth of the calendar (£1,245) was reflected in its desirability.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Lucy Smith is an expert on all things beauty. She’s heading up The Independent’s guide to the best beauty advent calendars in 2025 and has undertaken full reviews of several calendars individually, including Space NK, Sephora and Next. This means she knows what the market looks like across a variety of retailers and, having covered all the cosmetic trends and launches in 2025 – from Olaplex to Dyson – she knows all the brands you’d hope to see in a stellar advent calendar this December. Browse her honest Liberty review below.
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Liberty beauty advent calendar 2025
Worth: £1,245
Number of days: 25
Advent calendar highlights: Larry King ‘a social life for your hair’, Trinny London’s sheer shimmer lip2cheek, Davines naturaltech nourishing shampoo
Available: Now
Why we love it
- Gorgeous packaging, and a bonus Liberty-print dust bag for 2025
- An excellent opportunity for beauty discovery with high-tech skincare and lesser-known fragrance brands
- Opulent inclusions from La Mar and Augustinus Bader
Take note
- Eight fragrance samples can feel repetitive
- Could do with a handful more big-name beauty brands
The Liberty advent calendar is stuffed full with 30 products, meaning some days feature a double surprise. This year’s line-up is arguably more of a beauty discovery than 2024’s, with 12 new brand introductions, including British fragrance from Vyrao, curly and coily haircare from afro hair stylist Charlotte Mensah, and eye masks from relative industry newcomer (2023), Skincycles. What’s more, the selection features a host of Liberty-exclusive items – 26, to be exact – and you’ll have the bonus of a Liberty print dust bag to use going forward, be it for shoes or future Christmas stockings.
Opening up all 25 doors over the past few weeks (I’ve had my hands on the calendar since late August), I gave the skincare formulas, luxury scents and bestselling make-up items a whirl, weighing up how likely you are to reach for them after the rush of Christmas passes by.
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Of course, with Liberty being of the most luxury department stores in the UK, there are a handful of inclusions that are likely to encourage eeking out every last drop of product. Namely, MZ Skin’s rich moisturiser (10ml included, £150 for 50ml, Libertylondon.com), a full size of La Mer’s lip balm (£65, Libertylondon.com) and another full size of Augustinus Bader’s rich eye cream (£160, Libertylondon.com). Admittedly, I might have preferred a skin product from La Mer, with its iconic moisturising cream being included in the Harrods beauty advent calendar this year.
Meanwhile, among the more indie beauty brands there’s plenty you’ll want to work into your regular routine, including a super renewal serum (£85, Cultbeauty.co.uk) from Votary, which I discovered works wonderfully as a retinol alternative when your skin barrier needs a break. Likewise, niche perfumers Matière Première created something really distinctive when they thought up the vanilla powder eau de parfum (£38, Libertylondon.com). Admittedly, describing the 6ml inclusion as a full size – simply because you can buy it in that quantity – is a little cheeky, but I can’t deny the draw of its unique, feminine aroma.
I’d caveat that there are perhaps too many fragrances on offer here and, while advent calendars are a great opportunity to explore scents outside our comfort zones, eight miniature vials of perfume borders on excessive. I might have liked to see one full size (50ml plus) bottle to display on a dressing table, versus a cluttered stash of little atomisers.
Criticisms aside, the Trish McEvoy sheer lip colour in mulberry (£22, Libertylondon.com) was a personal highlight, and lovers of Clinique’s black honey almost lipstick will know not to let its superficial deep hue scare you. On the contrary, what appears to be a rich mauve glides onto the lips more like a translucent cherry, with the final colour being a subtle ‘just pinched’ effect.
As if all that wasn’t enticing enough, the calendar is worth more than four times what you’ll pay at £1,245. That’s a saving of £970 or, for beauty drop subscribers, a £995 reduction. While there’s no denying that the calendar is expensive, it’s worth considering what’s on offer, from a full haircare routine to a new scent library and more. Whatever you decide, you may need to be fast – last year’s calendar was entirely out of stock by November.
Buy now £275.00, Libertylondon.com
The verdict: Liberty beauty advent calendar 2025
As one of the most iconic calendars available, both for its packaging and luxurious brand selection, the Liberty beauty advent advent is, in my opinion, well worth the money. I’ll admit, I don’t think everyone taking it home will find more than £1,000 of personal value within; however, the La Mer, Augustinus Bader and Sisley products alone amount to more than £275 (£282, specifically), so everything else is a bonus.
"I’d recommend this line-up for anyone keen to broaden their beauty horizons – the generous mix of niche skincare, makeup, haircare, fragrance, and body care is bound to thrill curious beauty lovers. Too many fragrance minis? Maybe. But the calendar more than redeems itself elsewhere. If this review has sealed the deal for you, don’t wait around – it’s expected to sell out within weeks, if not days."
Looking for more festive inspiration? Here’s everything inside the John Lewis beauty advent calendar 2025
