These Beauty Gift Sets Are, IMO, Far Better Than Advent Calendars

Beauty advent calendars are, in my humble opinion, one of the worst things to ever happen to holiday gifting. I know that by writing this story I am likely to be labeled a hateful killjoy, but I simply cannot stay silent any longer.I’ve been a beauty editor for over 15 years and, for all 15 of those years, my guilt about the amount of trash this industry produces follows me around like a lipstick-covered napkin I can’t kick off the bottom of my shoe. The vast majority of beauty products aren’t recyclable because they’re too small, contain too many different materials, or are made from a type of material municipal recycling facilities just don’t accept. The tiny percentage of products that are refillable aren’t always actually helping sustainability efforts either.Beauty advent calendars, while absolutely cute and fun and nostalgic and great for content, combine all of these wasteful nightmares into one. All the advent calendars I’ve encountered are hiding mostly miniature products behind those tiny cardboard doors, and the box itself is usually covered in festive, gilded designs that all but guarantee the outer packaging will have to be diverted into the trash too.The only truly good part of beauty advent calendars I can see is that they do bring some whimsy to this often hellish timeline. I get why that’s so tempting! But I suspected we could do better and still have plenty of holiday fun, so I set out to find beauty gift sets that were even better than advent calendars.My three guiding principles for making this list were:The set needs to be mostly full size products, not this “and one full-size gift” BS you often get with advent calendars. There should be a significant savings; not just a couple dollars off. Otherwise, you’re better off just buying new, full-size stuff when you need it—hoarding does not bode well for beauty products which, as a reminder, do expire. If there’s an extra non-beauty-product gift included in the set, it should be something I think a reasonable person would actually use more than once. The set can’t come with egregious amounts of extra packaging—I’m looking for boxes or bags that fit the products and nothing else. I wish I could have been stricter about only including fully recyclable, refillable, or biodegradable sets, but then this would have only been a list of hopes and dreams.This list is pretty short, because it turns out a lot of gift sets are kinda lame: The products tend to be smaller than usual (which, again, means there’s no chance they’ll be recycled) and/or the savings aren’t significant enough to justify all the extra packaging. Still, I managed to dig up 10 beauty gift sets that hit all the points above.The Best Beauty Gift Sets That Aren’t Advent CalendarsNow this is what I mean by useful gifts: In addition to a full-size Loose Ends Eau de Parfum, this Noyz set includes two faux leather coasters and an ice cube tray. Everyone needs coasters! And everyone needs a tray for big ice cubes, even if they don’t realize how life-changing it will be yet. The brand doesn’t sell the bonus gifts on their own so it’s not clear how much they’re worth, but the price ($85) is how much the EDP usually costs on its own, so you’re certainly getting more bang for your buck. Loose Ends is a lovely winter scent too: It’s warm and boozy, with notes of vanilla, burnt sugar, and cognac.If waste is your primary concern with advent calendars, this is probably the best set on the list to mitigate that. These are solid body lotions (meaning they eventually disappear completely after you use them) housed in small cardboard boxes (one of the easier materials to recycle curbside). Each stone is usually $38 each, so you’re getting a 20% discount by buying the set—perfect for people who are already fans of the brand and want to stock up for the year.I had to triple check that the price was right on this set, since the full-size Delina perfume alone is usually only $75 less than the total here. Add the usually $90 hair perfume and usually $105 body cream and you’re talking about saving $120 when you buy this kit. If you’re more of a fan of citrusy Valaya than floral Delina, there’s the same set for that scent too.Is dry shampoo the sexiest gift in the world? No. But buying them in a set of two saves you almost 30%, so this is ideal for anyone you already know is a Batiste devotee (me, for example). The limited edition holiday fragrance, Berry Disco, also makes it feel a little more special for gifting season.Sometimes, the best gift sets aren’t holiday gift sets at all. The Gel Mani System from Olive & June isn’t a seasonal special, but it’s a great buy for anyone whose 2027 resolutions involve doing their own nails at home. You’re saving a bunch of money by buying the set (which includes an LED lamp, multiple gel polishes, and 9 tools you need for a DIY set) instead of the separate products and saving in perpetuity since the whole thing costs less than two gel manicures. Plus, it all comes in a cute little box so you don’t even have to wrap it up.Another kit that’s more about stocking up on the basics than anything super flashy, but well worth the savings since the set is the same price as just the full-size cream. If you were intrigued by Cosmo contributing writer Catharine Malzahn’s rave review of the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream, ‘tis the season to give it a try.Here’s another fragrance set with a non-beauty gift a reasonable person would actually use. Once again, this whole kit is the cost of a single full-size fragrance (which is also included) but you get a travel size and sleek white candle as well. Somewhere but Nowhere is, IMO, a crowd-pleasing gourmand, with notes of cedarwood, vanilla cream, and cardamom.Jones Road has a highly devoted following—you likely already know who on your gifting list is obsessed with the brand. In addition to offering up solid savings (you basically get the lip gloss for free), this Pinky Bronze is a shade you can only buy via this set, so it feels extra special. And that minimal, cardboard packaging?! I’m swooning.Lancôme does have an advent calendar, but I think this beauty box is the better deal. For one, it comes in a pretty red and pink travel case a human would actually use. For two, you get seven full size makeup and skin care products, plus four generous travel sizes. The price of the entire kit is 35% cheaper than the full-size serum alone. There is one catch: This is a gift with purchase, so you have to buy a separate full-price Lancôme product in order to get all this stuff for $89. Still, that’s a sweet deal for all my Lancôme heads out there.I love that every soap in this eight piece set could be a gift on its own, thanks to the pretty paper wrapping on each bar. Again, I love a product that eventually disappears completely. If you’re a fan of Beekman 1802’s soaps, this is definitely the time to stock up: You save more than $50 by getting them in this set.Why trust Cosmopolitan?Kara McGrath is a contributing beauty editor for Cosmo with over 15 years of experience reporting on the beauty industry. Her inbox currently contains pitches for hundreds of gift sets.Kara McGrath is a writer and editor with over 17 years of experience covering the beauty industry, women’s health, and a wide range of other lifestyle and wellness topics. After most recently serving as content director at Allure (2019-2025) and executive editor at Bustle (2014-2019), she is now fully freelance. In addition to Cosmo, her writing has appeared in Allure, The New York Times, Marie Claire, Business of Fashion, Playboy, NH Magazine, and more. Kara lives in New Hampshire with her dog, four cats, and a rotating cast of foster animals. You can find more of her work at karamcgrath.com.