I tried all three Boots Beauty Advent Calendars and here’s which one is actually worth it

I love a beauty advent calendar, but with so many on the market every Christmas, it can be difficult to work out which ones are actually worth the money. So, when I saw the new Boots beauty advent calendars, I wanted to see whether the contents really lived up to the price tag.

There are three to choose from, covering luxe beauty, skincare and fragrance. I don’t want to spoil the surprise and reveal everything that’s inside but I will share a few of my favourite products from each calendar.

Boots 24 Days of Luxe Beauty Advent Calendar £150

This is the one that immediately caught my attention. The Boots 24 Days of Luxe Beauty Advent Calendar £150 but has a value of £709.59, with 19 full-size products included.

My standout product has to be the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Lift + Sculpt Eye Cream, which retails for £65. That means one product alone is worth almost half the price of the entire calendar. The Benefit Badgal Bang! Volumising Mascara is worth £28. I use this mascara all the time, so in my head, this one is practically free.

The one product I could live without is the Mamonde Calming Shot Azulene Ampoule. It’s just not one I’m particularly excited about and feels like another skincare step that I don’t really need.

Boots 24 Days of Skin Skincare Advent Calendar £70

If skincare is more your thing, the Boots 24 Days of Skin Skincare Advent Calendar is considerably cheaper at £70. It has a value of £303.56 and includes 21 full-size products, so there’s a lot packed in for the price.

My favourite is the Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Mist, worth £22. I’ve fallen in love with Anua products and this is exactly the sort of product I like using because it gives my skin a boost of hydration without feeling heavy. I’m also really looking forward to trying the Haruharu Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence, worth £21.

The product I could probably live without is the Clean Skin Club Clean Towels 10 pack. I can see why these are included and they’d be brilliant for taking on a plane, but I just don’t travel often enough to get much use out of them.

12 Days of Scent Fragrance Advent Calendar

I’ll admit that I’m not usually a fan of a 12-day advent calendar. If I’m going to count down to Christmas, I want all 24 doors. But I’ll forgive Boots this time because there’s a lot packed into the 12 Days of Scent Fragrance Advent Calendar.

It costs £90 and the contents is worth £356.52, with 14 bottles of perfume, including one full-size fragrance, as well as a Neom candle. My favourite discovery is Valentino Born in Roma Donna Pink. This calendar has introduced me to so many fragrances I hadn't tried before, but this is the one I’d genuinely consider buying in full size.

I also really liked discovering Tobba Perfume Asura Eau de Parfum. It’s a new brand to me, but kind of reminds of Maison Margiela Replica By The Fireplace, which is a fragrance I already enjoy.

The one I could happily leave behind is Sabrina Carpenter Lemon Pie Eau de Parfum. Sorry Sabrina, but it’s just too sweet for me. I also don't know anyone who particularly wants to smell like a lemon pie.

The Luxe Beauty calendar is the standout because of the Estée Lauder and Benefit products, while the Skin calendar is the one I’d recommend if you want to spend less. The fragrance calendar is good if you have been wanting to try a new fragrance.

Just remember, you won’t find these in your local Boots store. They’re only available to shop online, so if one has caught your eye, I’d be running to Boots.com before they sell out.

Natalie Dixon is our Lifestyle reporter, if you liked this article and want to read more about fashion, beauty and lifestyle you can follow Natalie Dixon on X here