BEAUTY

The best beauty advent calendars of 2016

So much better than chocolate

You could wake up to an itty bitty piece of cheap chocolate every day from now until December 25, or you could start your mornings with a new eye cream. Or lip balm. Or mascara.

Because the best advent calendars don’t contribute a single kilojoule to Christmas weight gain and are purpose-built for party season. Can’t cram your lipstick, lip balm and perfume into your NYE clutch? The miniature beauty goodies in these advent calendars will do the trick nicely. Shop the marie claire beauty team’s edit below.

Charlotte Tilbury World of Legendary Parties Advent Calendar, $295

Charlotte Tilbury

We can think of worse ways to spend December than with mini versions of Charlotte Tilburys bestsellers every day of the month. The calendar includes the cult-status Magic Cream, Wonderglow primer, Goddess Skin Clay Mask and Legendary Lashes mascara, among other treats.

Benefit Girl O’Clock Rock, $75

Benefit

A set of 12 Benefit bestsellers for the 12 days of Christmas, including the BADgal lash mini mascara, a mini Benetint, mini High Beam (did someone say strobing?) and Dandelion powder mini, among others. But a word of warning: it’s musical.

Estée Lauder Holiday Countdown Advent Calendar, $450

Estee Lauder

Among the best-selling Estée Lauder goodies in this calendar, you’ll find the Bronze Goddess Powder Bronzer (a personal fave), three Pure Color Envy lippies, three Pure Color Envy nail lacquers, mascaras (yes, that’s plural), Advanced Night Repair and pretty much every other Estée product you’ve always wanted. Need.

L’Occitane advent calendar, $85

L'Occitane

In need of some end-of-year pampering? You need this in your life: 24 of L’Occitane’s divinely scented treats, from the Almond Delicious Hand Cream to the Verbena Leaf Soap and Immortelle Essential Water. Packing for the holidays just got a lot easier.

Net-a-porter Ultimate Beauty Kit, $250

Net-a-Porter

So this isn’t technically an advent calendar, but it is a kit of 32 luxury beauty products all wrapped up in Net-A-Porter’s signature packaging, so it would be a crime not to include it. You get the Hourglass Ambient Light Correcting Primer, a By Terry Baume de Rose lip protectant, a Kevyn Aucoin highlighter, Sunday Riley Good Genes Serum and Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub, among other cult-status beauty buys. 

Diptyque Advent Calendar 2016, $485

Diptyque

All we want for Christmas is… 25 days’ worth of Diptyque treasures. This luxury advent calendar is home to miniature versions of the French fragrance house’s coveted candles and EDTs, plus a full size limited edition Christmas candle. Merry Christmas indeed!

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