Sephora's beauty advent calendar is a 'genuine treat' for Christmas and beyond

‘Tis (almost) the season of beauty advent calendars, and that means more premium makeup, fragrance and bodycare goodies than you can shake your tinsel at come December. Rubbing shoulders with heavyweights like Selfridges, Liberty and Harrods, the Sephora UK Favourites Advent Calendar has sold out for the last four years, and it comes up trumps once again for 2026. Worth more than £1,000, this year’s roster is bigger than ever – packed with a whopping 40 beauty treats, including 27 full-size products. The lineup is jostling with firm favourites from names like Laura Mercier, Tatcha, Rare Beauty, K18 and Dermalogica, as well as 10 “Only At Sephora” brands – including Merit Beauty, Makeup by Mario and Tarte.Special mention goes to the separate Sephora Collection Advent Calendar (£59.99, Sephora.co.uk), a festive sequinned vanity case filled with 24 of Sephora’s best own-brand products – 17 of which come full-size.At £59, it’s a more affordable advent pick and will keep you looking pampered and prepped all through the party season – with the multi-use cream blush, Gleam & Go liquid highlighter and ultra-precise felt-tip eyeliner standing out as highlights.Sephora beauty advent calendar at a glanceWorth: £1,006 Number of products: 40 (including 27 full size) Advent calendar highlights: TOPICALS Slick Salve lip balm, Sunday Riley CEO Vitamin C rich hydration cream, Medik8 Niacinamide Peptides and K18 Leave-in Molecular Repair hair mask Number of days: 25From viral picks to reliably luxurious products, the Favourites calendar is brimming with beauty essentials that will last you well into 2027. Judging by the past few years, it’s sure to sell out fast, so read on for my honest review of what lies behind the calendar doors. How I testedThe Sephora Favourites beauty advent calendar 2026 boxEkin Karasin/The StandardOpening the drawers ahead of Christmas (I’m not sorry), I weighed up whether the box’s overall worth provided good value for money and assessed the genuine usefulness of the products past the party season. I also took into account the variety of products inside, whether there was repetition in each category, the packaging and the wow factor of the items.The Sephora Favourites beauty advent calendar 2026 box Sephora★★★★★What we love: The brands sit in the high-end but also tip into some bold crowd-pleasers – think Tatcha, Makeup by Mario, Kosas, MAC, Medik18, Color Wow and Summer Fridays. Skincare takes a front seat with beloved favourites from Sunday Riley and Laneige, while makeup, haircare and fragrance get just as much attention. Also very generous with the full-size offerings.Take note: More than one hair mask would have been good considering the party season, and some of the skin creams would have been better as full-size to get a true taste of their effectiveness past a few weeks of use.The Sephora box isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as I’d hoped – the navy background with the black, white and glittery silver music notes leave a little to be desired, and it lacks the charm of some of its competitors this year, like M&S red and pink striped offering or Harrods’ tasteful metallic design. It is, however, satisfyingly huge, with ample room for storing all the goodies after you’ve unwrapped everything. The magic lies inside – because this year feels like Sephora’s most ambitious advent lineup yet, with an abundance of quality products for every category. Skincare enthusiasts will be left feeling quenched, hydrated and plumped thanks to a slew of trending K-beauty buys like the Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Sun Serum, the Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream and Glow Recipe Vitamin C Korean toner pads, while glass skin will feel within easy reach with help from premium cult favourites like the Sunday Riley's CEO Vitamin C rich hydration cream, Tatcha’s Water cream and Laneige’s Bouncy and Firm mask. Dermalogica’s Daily Milkfoliant, meanwhile, is a good party season pick-me-up with its oat bran, coconut milk and hyaluronic acid formula to buff away dullness, and Medik8 comes to the rescue for any pesky booze-induced pimples thanks to its blemish-reducing Niacinamide Peptides serum. My highlights in the Sephora Favourites beauty advent calendar 2026The StandardAs for party makeup, you’re in good hands with the Huda Beauty Easy Blur primer, Makeup by Mario eyeshadow palette and Topicals Slick Salve, a best-selling lip gloss that comes in a delicious berry hue and stays firmly on my lips for hours. There is a bit of repetition in the lipsticks – the TOWER 28 LipSoftie tinted lip balm and MAC lipstick come in very similar taupe-berry shades – but would make great stocking fillers for friends or loved ones.Fragrance is also dealt a generous hand with an impressive five scents on offer – my favourites being the sultry Fugazzi Cloudh Nine Petalia with its notes of tonka bean and wood and KAYALI’s Eden Sparkling Lychee, which feels a bit like stepping inside a passionfruit martini.The box is lighter on haircare this year, with just three products for tired tresses – although the viral K18 Hair Repair mask is a veritable hair saviour. Bodycare also gets a muted look-in, and I must note, a luxurious skin-quenching body cream for the colder months wouldn’t have gone amiss.In terms of usability for the months ahead, the full-size offerings are as good as any I’ve seen from other competitors and will easily get you through the following year. I’m looking at you, Dr Sam’s Flawless cleanser in a hefty 200m bottle, and all 50m of you, GISOU Honey Milk styling cream. And while the large Discotheque Lola at Coat Check candle will make you feel all festive and cosy in the depths of December, Sol De Janeiro’s tropical body mist and shower gel will get you spring and summer ready as the days warm up again.Is the Sephora favourites advent calendar worth it? The skincare and beauty goodies really lead the way in the calendar this year – it’s overflowing with luxury products at a fraction of their usual price, and plenty of them come in good sizes. Each drawer is equipped with considered and well-curated picks that feel like a genuine treat and will make you glad you forked out to get the box. Costing £235, but worth more than a grand and full of beauty holy grails, I think Sephora will be well on the way to selling out for a fifth year in a row.