I've unboxed the John Lewis advent calendar to see whether it deserves a spot among the best beauty advent calendars of 2026 – and, spoiler, it does.
After getting my hands on this year's edition, I opened all 25 drawers and examined each of its 41 products, from skincare and make-up to haircare and, excitingly, beauty tech. Drawing on my previous hands-on reviews of many of the products included, I’ve given my verdict on whether the contents warrants the £250 spend, rather than simply taking the retailer's £1,000-plus valuation at face value.
With brands including Trinny London, Fenty Beauty and Elemis, plus a £129 Foreo UFO mini device, there's plenty to get excited about. John Lewis also launched a separate fragrance advent calendar this year, which, much like Harrods' perfume offering, sold out quickly.
Below, I'm sharing everything inside the main calendar, what impressed me and whether it's worth your money.
Read more: Liberty beauty advent calendar, reviewed
John Lewis advent calendar 2026
Why we love it
- Appeals to multiple age groups
- Huge number of noteworthy brands
- No filler products
Take note
- A small number of items are dated (but not massively)
If we're talking about the beauty advent calendar with the broadest appeal across generations, John Lewis's 2026 offering gets my vote. As I wrote in my main guide to the best beauty advent calendars, Sephora just about pips it to the post for best overall, thanks to its competitive £235 price point and exciting new launches. But, when it comes to the formulas beauty lovers have been buying for decades – and will likely continue to buy for many more – John Lewis takes the crown.
Clinique, Clarins, Charlotte Tilbury, Elemis, Estée Lauder... the list reads like a roll call of beauty's most dependable names. In fact, unboxing this calendar felt a little like taking a nostalgic wander around the beauty hall, revisiting the counters I've been frequenting for as long as I can remember. Better still, John Lewis hasn't just thrown in any old product from these brands. It's honed in on the formulas people actually flock to them for, from Clarins's cult lip comfort oil to L'Occitane's practically-edible almond shower oil. I found the familiarity of this line-up particularly appealing and I suspect plenty of beauty buffs will feel the same.
Admittedly, a couple of inclusions have had their heyday – Nuxe's dry oil springs to mind – but I'm not convinced that's necessarily a bad thing. After all, there's something to be said for a formula that's been holding its own since the 1990s, particularly one that's still something of a French pharmacy institution. Not every advent calendar inclusion needs to be the newest, shiniest launch on the shelves.
As for the product mix, there's a generous helping of skincare and body care, alongside fragrance, haircare and a slightly smaller selection of make-up. There's even a foray into beauty tech, courtesy of a Foreo UFO facial treatment device.
However, my personal highlight is a rather more unassuming inclusion in the shape of The Ordinary's glucoside foaming cleanser. It may not boast the highest price tag of the bunch, but I think there's a different kind of value in discovering an affordable product you'll have the means to repurchase long after Christmas (versus a £62 La Mer lip balm). In my guide to the best cleansers, I described it as “an easy pick for anyone after an uncomplicated daily cleanse.” Its pared-back formula also makes it a welcome addition for anyone who prefers a fuss-free skincare routine.
Similarly, Medik8's hydr8 B5 serum earned a place in my round-up of the best hyaluronic acid serums, where I praised it for delivering “skin hydration that delves beyond surface-level” thanks to its multi-molecular-weight formula.
Whether you're in your sixties looking to give your skincare routine a new lease of life or in your twenties hoping to replenish the contents of your toiletry bag, I struggle to think of someone this calendar wouldn't appeal to. In fact, the line-up is so universally likeable that I'd even suggest splitting it between friends or family – although, having unboxed all 41 products myself, I'd certainly be tempted to keep the lot.
What’s inside the John Lewis beauty advent calendar 2026?
Key specifications:
Buy now £250, Johnlewis.com
Is the John Lewis advent calendar worth £250?
In a word, yes. Having unboxed all 41 products, I'd argue the John Lewis advent calendar more than earns its £250 price tag – and its £1,000-plus valuation isn't just impressive on paper, either. With tried-and-trusted formulas spanning generations, there's something for just about every beauty enthusiast and barely a dud product in sight. With its fun, frosty packaging and an extraordinarily generous product count, it's difficult to find much fault. My advice? Don't deliberate for too long. With John Lewis's fragrance advent calendar already sold out, I suspect this one won't be far behind.
How we tested
I got my hands on the John Lewis beauty advent calendar ahead of December, opening the drawers and inspecting each and every product, comparing them to those I’d seen in competitors’ offerings. Plus, I'd already put many of the products through their paces for previous IndyBest reviews, so I could draw on my first-hand experience of the formulas, rather than simply judging them by their packaging or price tags. Here's what I considered:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
As a senior shopping writer and the author of IndyBest’s guide to the best beauty advent calendars for 2026, Lucy Smith is an advent calendar expert and has had her hands on more than 25 of this year’s best Christmas countdowns. She’s reviewed a number of calendars, from Cult Beauty to Harvey Nichols, and also spends most of her days reviewing the latest industry launches – so she knows what the new products people *want* to see in their advents come December. She’s atop all the brands that have been around for quite some time and has tested a number of cult products, so she can weigh in on beauty’s tried and true favourites.
Read more: M&S’s affordable beauty advent calendar, reviewed
