From beauty and wellness to fitness and, yes, chocolate, these are the themed advent calendars we’ll be counting down to Christmas with this year
Christmas might still feel a little way off, but advent calendar season is surprisingly close. And let’s face it, December isn’t quite December without the small daily excitement of opening an advent calendar. While the kids might be perfectly happy with a square of chocolate, we’re not. And with grown-up advent calendars becoming more exciting by the year, who can blame us?
Beauty products? Absolutely. Perfume? Yes please. Wellness treats, protein snacks and fitness goodies? Why not. And if there happens to be some luxury chocolate involved too, count us in.
So, in the name of important festive research, we’ve been digging through this year’s launches to find the themed calendars actually worth knowing about. From brilliant value beauty buys to treats for fitness lovers, here are our favourites for 2026.
Best for beauty lovers: Holland & Barrett Beauty Advent Calendar, £60
Inside Holland & Barrett’s beauty advent calendar, you’ll find a mix of skincare, haircare, bodycare and wellness treats from some of our favourite brands, including Antipodes, Weleda, Trilogy, Q+A, OGX, Hairburst, Fussy and UpCircle. Highlights include Antipodes Glow Vitamin C Serum, Weleda Skin Food and Q+A Collagen Body Butter, making this a lovely way to discover some new beauty favourites while stocking up on a few tried-and-tested essentials, too.
Best for foodies: Grenade Advent Calendar, £55
Protein bar for breakfast? Why not – it is December after all, and with 20g of protein in each bar, it’s a pretty handy way to fill up during crazy season. Think Caramel Chaos, Fudged Up, Peanut Nutter and Oreo, alongside the rather festive Dark Chocolate Mint, White Chocolate Cookie and Jaffa Quake. This colourful calendar swaps tiny festive chocolates for 24 full-sized, low-sugar protein bars, making it a particularly good pick for anyone trying to keep their protein intake up and sweet tooth under control over Christmas.
Best for luxury: Jo Malone London 25 Day Fragrance Advent Calendar, £375
If you like your Christmas countdown with a serious dose of luxury, Jo Malone’s advent calendar is the one to lust after. Worth £595, this year’s tartan-inspired trunk is packed with 25 beautifully scented surprises, including miniature colognes, candles and bath and body treats, all hidden inside tiny crackers, ornaments and stockings.
And because Christmas Day deserves something a little extra, behind the final door you’ll find a full 30ml fragrance.
We hear you; it’s certainly an investment, but you can’t put a price on smelling day every day of the week in the run-up to Christmas – and well into 2027 too.
Best for gym motivation: Myprotein Winter Arc Advent Calendar, £71.99
Want to stay on track with your fitness this December? Myprotein’s Winter Arc Advent Calendar puts a sporty spin on the traditional Christmas countdown, with 24 products and 24 daily fitness challenges hiding behind its doors.
Expect everything from Impact Whey + Collagen and Crispy Squares to seasonal protein treats, hydration essentials and fitness accessories.
The added daily challenges will also give you a little extra motivation to keep moving through party season, making this a fun choice for gym-goers who’d rather not wait until January to get hit their goals.
Best for traditionalists: Chococo Advent Calendar, £37.50
When only chocolate will do, have chocolate. Chococo’s Advent Calendar takes the classic chocolate countdown up a notch, with 25 different handcrafted chocolates hiding behind its doors – no Rudolph-shaped chocolate involved.
New additions include Christmas Pudding Caramel, Champagne Truffle, Magic Mocha, and Cheeky Cherry, and, before Christmas Day, a Fizzy Pudding, a festive-spiced praline topped with popping candy. A vegan-friendly version is also available, and even better, the chocolates are made with Chococo’s sustainable Direct Trade chocolate and hand-decorated with natural colours, giving Chocolate the green light this December.
Best for night owls: Whittard of Chelsea Hot Chocolate Advent Calendar, £79.95
Prefer your Advent treat after dark? Whittard of Chelsea’s Hot Chocolate Advent Calendar serves up 24 days of cosy indulgence, with a different hand-picked hot chocolate waiting behind each door.
Even better, you’ll find two sachets per day, so you can have one both morning and night, with varieties ranging from velvety classics to more decadent flavours, giving you the perfect excuse to slow down, put the kettle on and put your feet up with something warm at the end of a cold – and most probably busy, December day.
Best for runners: Bimble & Bolt Runners Advent Calendar, £42
Runners, this one’s for you. Hand-picked by runners, for runners, Bimble & Bolt’s Advent Calendar swaps the usual chocolate countdown for 24 days of kit, fuel and recovery treats to keep you running through December. There’s an exciting mix inside, too. Expect hydration from VOOM and Veloforte, energy bars and gels, a resistance band, muscle balm, tired-feet salts, race clips and even a washbag. And because you can’t ever have too many running socks, you’ll also uncover three pairs of Bimble & Bolt’s bestselling Soft Stepper socks along the way.
A genuinely useful countdown for anyone who’d choose a crisp December run over a chocolate coin.
Best for bath lovers: Lush 29½ High Street Advent Calendar, £135
Prefer a bath to chocolate? Or, even better, chocolate in the bath? Indulge and pamper yourself this December with Lush’s 29½ High Street Advent Calendar, which turns the countdown to Christmas into a great excuse for an evening soak.
Behind its doors are 25 gorgeous-smelling bath bombs and bubble bars, including some of Lush’s favourites, including Snow Fairy and Intergalactic, alongside five gift exclusives, such as the ridiculously cute Snoozy Bear, Honey Bear and Rosie Bear bath bombs.
If December self-care means shutting the bathroom door, running a hot bath and disappearing for half an hour (or so), consider your Christmas countdown sorted.
Best budget beauty buy: Aldi 12 Days of Lacura Beauty Advent Calendar, £19.99
Some beauty advent calendars can be overwhelmingly expensive, but at just £19.99, Aldi’s 12 Days of Lacura Beauty Advent Calendar is back for a second year, offering a little festive pampering without a crazy price tag.
Behind its 12 doors, you’ll find a mix of skincare, make-up and haircare treats from Aldi’s own Lacura range, including a lip gloss, liquid blusher, hair oil and leave-in conditioner, plus a handy claw clip.
Granted, it might not have the luxury feel or big-name brands of some of the pricier calendars, but if you’re after a few beauty treats without blowing your Christmas budget, it’s worth a look.
Best for natural beauty products: Neal’s Yard Remedies 45th Anniversary Advent Calendar, £195
If you love your beauty products natural, organic and with a little luxury thrown in, Neal’s Yard Remedies’ advent calendar is a wholesome way to count down to Christmas.
Celebrating the brand’s 45th anniversary, this year’s calendar is packed with 25 beauty and wellbeing treats, including an impressive 17 full-sized products.
Expect some of the brand’s best-loved favourites, including Wild Rose Beauty Balm, Frankincense Intense and Goodnight Pillow Mist, alongside three new launches. And because Christmas Eve deserves an extra treat, you’ll find two gifts hiding behind door 24.
And with 17 full-sized products included, chances are you’ll still be enjoying them well into 2027, too.
Best for winter evenings: Great House Farm Store Luxury Tealight Candle Advent Calendar, £64
Love to wind down with some low lighting and a good book? Then this one’s for you. Great House Farm Store’s Tealight Candle Advent Calendar swaps the usual chocolate treats for 24 beautifully scented tealights, giving you a different fragrance to enjoy every day in the run-up to Christmas.
Each hand-poured candle comes in a festive silver cup, with fragrances carefully chosen to take you on a little scent journey through December.
Perfect for those dark winter evenings when all you want to do is light a candle, curl up on the sofa and switch off from the Christmas chaos before a good night’s sleep. You can’t put a price on that.
