Christmas is nearing – and one of my favourite ways to celebrate the festivities is with one of the best beauty advent calendars. The one I was most excited to get my hands on was Harvey Nichols’s festive delight.
The department store’s Christmas countdown contains 37 products (20 of which are full-size) and costs £250, but is worth more than £1,000.
From sheet masks, face oils and night creams to eyeshadow sticks, setting powders and make-up brushes, there’s plenty to unpack. And you can expect to unwrap bestsellers from the likes of Le Labo, Charlotte Tilbury, Nars, Augustinus Bader and La Mer.
But is it worth the £250 price tag? I found out.
How I tested
While I’d usually wait until 1 December, I unboxed the whole Harvey Nichols beauty advent calendar early to review its contents. As I rifled through the beauty treats inside every drawer, I assessed the following factors:
- Quality of products: I swiped, dabbed, blended and brushed the huge range of skincare, make-up and haircare included in the calendar. In doing so, I looked for products that I’d happily slot into my routine and would be tempted to repurchase.
- Variety: Harvey Nichols stocks a mix of cult favourites and up-and-coming products, so I considered whether this was reflected in the contents and if there was enough to cover your whole beauty routine.
- Value for money: The department store says its calendar is worth more than £1,000, so I assessed whether this was reflected in the quality and size of the products included.
- Packaging: Your advent calendar will be on display throughout the whole of December, so I factored in box aesthetics. I also looked at the sturdiness of the calendar to see if it could be reused in the future.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Sabrina Sahota is The Independent’s consumer editor. She has tested beauty advent calendars as well as viral lipsticks, setting sprays and fragrance for IndyBest, so is well placed to tell you if you should buy the Harvey Nichols beauty advent calendar. Money-saving is at the forefront of the content she produces, so she’ll let you know if a beauty advent calendar is worth the splurge or if you should look elsewhere.
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Harvey Nichols beauty advent calendar 2025
Price: £250
Worth: More than £1,000
Number of days: 25
Number of products: 37
Advent calendar highlights: Le Labo eucalyptus 20 eau de parfum, Laura Mercier caviar stick eye shadow in brick, Slip pure silk skinny scrunchie, Jo Loves amber, lime & bergamot candle
Available: Now
Why we love it
- Gorgeous red and pink packaging
- Has a unique range of fragrance
- A nice mix of hero and lesser-known brands
Take note
- Some additions, like toothpaste, felt a bit random
Housed in a gorgeous, festive red box, adorned with a graphic pink bow, the Harvey Nichols beauty advent calendar will make a beautiful Christmas decoration in December. The boxes feel sturdy, so it’s definitely one you can fill with your own goodies and reuse for years to come.
The calendar starts strong with Augustinus Bader’s the rich cream (£150, Harveynichols.com), a hydrating nighttime moisturiser, which is lovely for mature skin. Harvey Nichols doesn’t sell the 15ml size, but the brand sells it directly for £77, so you’re more than getting your money’s worth from the outset. The high-end skincare doesn’t stop there either, with a bottle of La Mer’s renewal oil on day 24, worth £120 (Harveynichols.com). A little of this goes a long way, and the formula dries quickly and doesn’t leave any stickiness on the skin. I was also impressed to see some actives in the skincare selection too, such as the Trinny London tiptoe in PHA exfoliant (£36, Trinnylondon.com) and the Patchology beauty sleep sheet mask with retinol (£10, Patchology.co.uk).
While make-up selection didn’t wow me, there are some fun additions that’ll see you through party season, and they’re mostly all full-size. There’s the Trinny London sheer shimmer in mama, a two-in-one lip and cheek product that is easy to swipe on without a mirror (£26, Trinnylondon.com). If you prefer the staying power of a matte lip, you also get Charlotte Tilbury’s airbrush flawless lip blur in the shade walk of no shame (£29, Harveynichols.com), a flattering deep rose shade.
The Nars light reflecting setting powder (£20, Harveynichols.com) can be used for on-the-go touch-ups, while the mini Otis Batterbee bullet blusher brush feels super luxe. Laura Mercier’s caviar stick eye shadow in brick (£28, Harveynichols.com) is my ideal warm shade and blends out beautifully. I’ll be pairing this with Sweed’s cloud mascara (£24, Harveynichols.com) and Trish McEvoy’s intense gel eyeliner (£22, Harveynichols.com) for an easy evening eye look.
The mini fragrances are a mix of cult brands and smaller, boutique perfume houses. I enjoyed trying the mixture of unique scents. Ex Nihilo’s blue talisman (£180, Harveynichols.com) is one for the festive season with notes of ginger and orange blossom. Those who like a sweeter floral fragrance will enjoy marfa by Memo Paris (£120, Harveynichols.com), with its notes of peach and vanilla, as well as Hermetica’s rose-scented peonypop (£110, Harveynichols.com). Personally, I like a more gender netural scent, so Christmas Day’s surprise, Le Labo’s eucalyptus (£75, Harveynichols.com), ticks these boxes for me with smoky, woody notes that feel perfect for winter.
Harvey Nichols also has a 12 days of fragrance advent calendar for 2025 (£175, Harveynichols.com), which is worth more than £700 and includes scents from Creed, Parfums De Marly, Kilian, Ex Nihilo and more. At the time of writing, you’ll need to join the waitlist to get your hands on it.
Outside of skincare and make-up, there are some fun extras. For example, I was pleased to see a silk scrunchie from Slip (£35, Harveynichols.com), one of my go-to brands for hair accessories. The inclusion of the Jo Loves amber, lime and bergamot votive candle (£55, Joloves.com) feels considered – its delicious warm amber notes will be perfect as the nights draw in. Similarly, the Bamford night-time pillow mist (£23, Harveynichols.com) has become firmly part of my wind-down routine.
There were a few products that I can’t imagine myself reaching for. The addition of the Marvis whitening mint toothpaste (£5, Harveynichols.com), for example, felt out of place among the rest of the calendar’s premium cosmetics. Color Wow is known for its styling products, such as the dream coat or money mist sprays, so I would have liked to have seen these instead of the shampoo (£21.50, Harveynichols.com) and conditioner (£21.50, Harveynichols.com). That said, I have come to love these haircare products. And these are small niggles that don’t take away from this otherwise luxurious advent calendar.
Buy now £250.00, Harveynichols.com
Is the Harvey Nichols beauty advent calendar worth it?
If you’re looking for mostly high-end brands, then yes, the Harvey Nichols beauty advent calendar is worth it. While there are some forgettable products, there are some luxe additions that make you really feel like you’ve gotten your money’s worth. There are three products alone – La Mer’s renewal oil, Augustinus Bader’s the rich cream, and Le Labo’s eucalyptus 20 perfume – that would cost £272 if purchased separately, which is more than the price of the calendar itself.
