‘I’m a beauty writer and Debenhams’ advent calendar got me over £550 worth of freebies’

The 25 day calendar boasts a whopping 19 full-sized products including items from MAC, Bare By Vogue, Iconic London, and more

With beauty advent calendars popping up all over the high street, it can be hard to know which are worth the splurge. Iconic British retailer Debenhams has recently released its festive beauty offering which retails for £150, but contains skincare and makeup goodies worth over £700.

As a beauty and shopping writer, I see many advent calendars each year, with a whole host of beauty options offering shoppers savings across big brands. I decided to unbox the Debenhams 2025 calendar to see if it’s worth the price tag, or whether it’s best left on the virtual shelves.

Pros

• Contains a generous amount of full-sized products from sought-after brands
• Great way to try new things due to good mix of products
• Plenty of high-end finds for luxury lovers
• Multiple products in some drawers

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Cons

• Heavy
• Packaging could be more festive
• Quite large to store
• Some makeup items in specific colours may not be to all beauty fans’ tastes

The advent calendar comes in a chic black design which I personally like, but some shoppers may prefer a less subtle approach to Christmas.

The packaging is adorned with sketch-like images of some of the beauty brands inside, which is a nice touch. The calendar also contains a strong mixture of brands from MAC Cosmetics, Shiseido, and Estee Lauder to Lancome, Benefit, and Urban Decay.

There’s 25 doors to open and some contain more than one product, making it feel like a real treat to countdown to the 25th December with. The calendar contains a whopping 19 full-sized products, plus minis that are ideal for travel.

What’s inside the Debenhams Beauty Advent Calendar?

A full list of what’s inside can be seen below:

Full Size

• Laboratory Perfumes Discovery Set (Full Size)
• Wella Professionals Fusion Intense Repair Mask (Full Size)
• OPI Big Apple Red 15ml (Full Size)
• Ella & Jo 3-in-1 Hyaluronic Acid Face Mist (Full Size)
• Decree SOS Revitalising Sheet Mask (Full Size)
• Bare by Vogue Liquid Body Illuminator (Full Size)
• Revolution Beauty Beam Bright Highlighter (Full Size)
• MAC Cosmetics Lustreglass Lipstick in ‘Thanks It’s MAC’ (Full Size)
• MAC Cosmetics MACStack Mascara (Full Size)
• Spectrum Foundation Makeup Brush (Full Size)
• NUDESTIX Magnetic Matte Eye Colour in ‘Terra’ (Full Size)
• ICONIC London Rollaway Glow in ‘Rose Potion’ (Full Size)
• KIKO Milano Hydra Lip Gloss in ‘Rosy Glares’ (Full Size)
• Percy & Reed I Need a Hero Wonder Balm (Full Size)
• Benefit Clear Brow Setter (Full Size)
• Bloom & Blossom Off to Bed Bath Oil (Full Size)
• Vida Glow 6-Day Marine Collagen Sample Pack (Full Size Sample Pack)
• The Organic Pharmacy Vitamin C Serum (Full Size)
• Delhicious Min-Tea Moisture Balm (Full Size)
• Hair Gain Scalp Foam (Full Size)

Travel Size

• OSKIA Bed Time Beauty Boost (Travel Size)
• Goldfaden MD Needle-less Serum (Travel Size)
• TYPEBEA G1 Overnight Peptide Treatment (Travel Size)
• DIZZIAK Deep Conditioner (Travel Size)
• KORRES Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser with Pre- + Probiotics (Travel Size)
• Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Booster (Travel Size)
• PRAI Beauty Ageless Throat and Decolletage Crème (Travel Size)
• Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench® Rich Moisturiser (Travel Size)
• Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair (Travel Size)
• Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray Vitamin C (Travel Size)

Deluxe Size

• Huxley Cleansing Oil (Deluxe Size)
• Lancôme Genifique Ultimate Serum (Deluxe Size)
• Lancôme Rénergie Moisturiser (Deluxe Size)
• Lancôme La Vie est Belle Eau de Parfum (Deluxe Size)
• Kiehl’s Avocado Creamy Eye Treatment (Deluxe Size)

Deluxe Mini

• Shiseido Ultimune 4.0 Power Infusing Concentrate (Deluxe Mini)

Is it the Debenhams Beauty Advent Calendar worth buying?

One thing I look for in beauty advent calendars such as Debenhams’ is the unboxing experience. I tend to think it feels more premium if there’s boxes to remove rather than opening doors, and this calendar does exactly that. I also like that the boxes are sturdy as others can tend to be a little flimsy and prone to ripping as products are removed.

Overall, the product selection is excellent in my opinion. Highlights for me include the suits-all viral Thanks It’s Mac Lipstick which is full-sized.

I often find makeup products (especially lipsticks for which taste is so personal) tricky in advent calendars as it’s hard to find shades that will be used by most people. Thanks It’s MAC is certainly one of those crowd-pleasers. The lipstick alone costs £25 to purchase when full price at Look Fantastic.

I’m just as impressed with the mini Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum Synchronized Recovery Complex 7ml which normally retails for £18 at Boots. I’m also happy to see the inclusion of the Bare By Vogue Liquid Body Illuminator which is also currently shoppable at Boots for £24.

Other beauty advent calendars I’ve got my eye on include Jo Malone’s 25 Day Advent Calendar. At £360 it’s pricey, but as fans will no doubt know, the brand’s iconic fragrances don’t come cheap. Inside there’s everything from mini colognes to candles, so I reckon it would be a treaty gift for any perfume lovers.

Another option that’s on my wishlist is the Look Fantastic Calendar which retails for £105 but is worth £655. Containing sought-after brands such as Sol de Janeiro and MAC, it’s bound to thrill many a makeup and skincare buff.

At the more budget-friendly end of the scale, I like the look of the Yankee Candle Advent Wreath Set which retails for £27 at Boots. Featuring 24 winter tea lights in some of the brand’s most famous scents (including Christmas Cookie and Christmas Eve), it’s a more affordable yet still fun option.

It seems a lot of thought has gone into the Debenhams Beauty Advent Calendar to ensure value for money and products that will actually be used.

My one slight issue with beauty advents is that there’s sometimes plenty of items I personally just wouldn’t get much use out of, but I certainly don’t feel that’s the case with this one.

A few drawbacks to mention include that the calendar isn’t the most festive at first glance – this could be seen as a pro or a con depending on whether shoppers plan to reuse the packaging post Christmas.

The calendar is also heavy, so beauty fans should be prepared for delivery and storage, and it may not be the best pick for someone who’s short on space.

At £150, it does also sit at the pricier end of the scale, but considering the brand names inside, I think there’s going to be a lot included that beauty enthusiasts will love.

Overall, the Debenhams advent calendar has surpassed my expectations. It would make a great gift for a beauty lover and it’s certainly one of my favourite beauty picks to countdown to Christmas 2025. Ideal for someone who wants to try some new brands or stock up on their favourites, I think it’ll be a hard one to beat this year.

Shop the Beauty Advent Calendar 2025 at Debenhams.