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These 2026 Advent Calendars Are Worth Your Money (And Offer More Than Hair Ties)

With prices ranging from $18 to over $300, these Advent calendars span beauty, homeware, books, and intimate toys, with surprises that make the countdown to the holidays all the more worthwhile.

By Sophie Dunne Plus Icon

Sophie Dunne

E-Commerce Writer

Recent Articles by Sophie Dunne

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November 11, 2026, 6:50pm

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Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

Courtesy Lush, Barnes & Noble, Lovehoney, Revolve, Macy's

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The Best Advent Calendars of 2026

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

Editor’s Pick

Macy’s 25 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar Set

Buy Now at macy’s $69.30 Jump to Details

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

Best for Coffee Lovers

Nespresso Vertuo Advent Calendar Coffee Pack With Flask

Buy Now at nespresso $55 Jump to Details

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

Naughty List Approved

Lovehoney 24-Day Enjoy Advent Calendar

Buy Now at lovehoney $129 Jump to Details

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

A Novel Countdown

The Twelve Loves of Christmas: An Advent Romance Collection

Buy Now at barnes & Noble $23.99 Jump to Details

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

The Beauty Lover’s Wishlist

Revolve 12 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar

Buy Now at revolve $89 Jump to Details

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

Flavor-Enhancers

Williams Sonoma Oliviers & Co. Advent Calendar

Buy Now at williams sonoma $119.95 Jump to Details

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

A Cheeky Little Christmas

Victoria’s Secret 12 Days of Thong Panties Advent Calendar

Buy Now at victoria’s secret $89.50 Jump to Details

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

25 Days of Bliss

Lush 25-Day Advent Calendar

Buy Now at lush $330 Jump to Details

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

The Scent of the Season

Voluspa 12 Days Alpine Advent Calendar

Buy Now at voluspa $185 Jump to Details

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

The Beauty Hall of Fame

Mac Cosmetics 24 Days of M·A·C Icons Advent Calendar

Buy Now at nordstrom $250 Jump to Details

View more +

What began as a religious countdown to Christmas in the 19th century has since become a holiday shopping staple. Advent calendars evolved from illustrated designs for children to chocolate-filled treats and, today, curated collections of beauty, fashion, and lifestyle products. For retailers, they’re a chance to package new exclusives and longtime customer favorites into 12-, 24-, or 25-day countdowns, with the promise of surprises worth more than the price of the calendar. It’s a win-win, at least when brands get the formula right.

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Skims learned that lesson the hard way when its $148 12-Day Accessories Advent Calendar sparked backlash on TikTok this week. Instead of luxurious surprises, customers unboxed an assortment of branded hair ties, bobby pins, keychains, and other underwhelming accessories that have been compared to “junk” by netizens.

Although the calendar has sold out since its release in October, Skims has offered refunds following the online uproar over the last few days. To help you avoid a similar holiday letdown, we’ve rounded up the best Advent calendars on the market, featuring carefully curated products and impressive total retail values that make the splurge worthwhile.

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

Macy’s

Editor’s Pick

Macy’s 25 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar Set

Macy’s Exclusive

$69.30 $99.00 30% off

Buy Now at macy’s

For under $70, this Macy’s Advent calendar includes 25 days of beauty surprises and delivers an impressive lineup of skin care, makeup, haircare, and fragrance finds from recognizable brands. With names like Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Lancôme, Shiseido, and Carolina Herrera, it’s a particularly good deal for beauty enthusiasts who enjoy discovering new products without committing to full-size purchases.

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

Nespresso

Best for Coffee Lovers

Nespresso Vertuo Advent Calendar Coffee Pack With Flask

Nespresso x Swarovski

$55

Buy Now at nespresso

Coffee lovers can count down to Christmas one brew at a time with Nespresso’s Vertuo Advent Calendar. Priced at $55, it includes 24 days of surprises, from classic coffee capsules to flavored and decaffeinated varieties, plus two biscuits and a flask. It’s a practical pick for anyone who considers coffee a daily essential.

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

Lovehoney

Naughty List Approved

Lovehoney 24-Day Enjoy Advent Calendar

Curated by Lily Allen

$129 $216.77 40% off

Buy Now at lovehoney

With a retail value exceeding $300, this 24-day calendar brings a sexy twist to the holiday countdown. Curated by Lily Allen, the $129 collection features intimate toys, accessories, games, and self-care essentials. It’s a generous gift for couples or solo explorers.

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

Barnes & Noble

A Novel Countdown

The Twelve Loves of Christmas: An Advent Romance Collection

No. 1 New Release

$23.99

Buy Now at barnes & Noble

$22.36 $23.99 7% off

Buy Now at bookshop.org

$19.19

Buy Now at target

$17.98 $23.99 25% off

Buy Now at amazon

For those who prefer romantic plot twists to beauty samples, this Advent calendar offers 12 sealed romance stories by 12 authors to unwrap throughout the holiday season. Created by bestselling sapphic romance novelist Alexandria Bellefleur, known for “Written in the Stars” and “The Fiancée Farce,” it’s a charming literary countdown for bibliophile giftees. It’s also gaining plenty of attention, ranking as Amazon’s No. 1 new product and selling more than 5,000 units at Target in the past month.

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

Revolve

The Beauty Lover’s Wishlist

Revolve 12 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar

No. 2 Bestseller

$89

Buy Now at revolve

Beauty enthusiasts get 12 reasons to look forward to the holidays with Revolve’s $89 Advent calendar, which boasts more than $409 in retail value. The assortment spans skin care, makeup, fragrance, body care, and wellness, with six full-size products from brands like Kosas, Ilia, and Sweed. It’s a particularly strong deal for several top brands.

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

Williams Sonoma

Flavor-Enhancers

Williams Sonoma Oliviers & Co. Advent Calendar

Williams Sonoma-Exclusive

$119.95

Buy Now at williams sonoma

Give a kitchen a gourmet countdown with this 24-day calendar from Oliviers & Co. Designed like a miniature pantry, it hides a collection of culinary treats behind its numbered doors, including olive oils, vinegars, tapenades, truffles, salts, and sweet spreads.

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

Victoria’s Secret

A Cheeky Little Christmas

Victoria’s Secret 12 Days of Thong Panties Advent Calendar

Sizes XS-XXL

$89.50

Buy Now at victoria’s secret

Victoria’s Secret’s 12-Day Thong Advent Calendar includes 12 pairs of underwear in a mix of signature lace styles, cotton lace-trim designs, and mesh V-strings. With exclusive festive patterns, embroidered details, and six available sizes, it’s a fun and practical alternative to traditional holiday gifts.

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

Lush

25 Days of Bliss

Lush 25-Day Advent Calendar

$330

Buy Now at lush

Lush turns holiday self-care into a 25-day affair with this reusable hamper packed with bath, body, and shower favorites. Alongside seasonal staples, it includes 10 exclusive products, from bath bombs and bubble bars to body scrubs, perfume, and a scented candle.

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

Voluspa

The Scent of the Season

Voluspa 12 Days Alpine Advent Calendar

$185

Buy Now at voluspa

Set the mood for the holidays with Voluspa’s 12-Day Candle Advent Calendar, featuring petite pedestal candles from its popular Japonica and Holiday collections. Free of sulfates, phthalates, and parabens, each of the 12 votives offers a different fragrance, including Mediterranean Lemon and Gingerbread Chalet, with approximately 25 hours of burn time apiece.

Advent Calendars Better Than Skims Shop Online

Nordstrom

The Beauty Hall of Fame

Mac Cosmetics 24 Days of M·A·C Icons Advent Calendar

Top Gift at Nordstrom

$250

Buy Now at nordstrom

Makeup lovers get a little of everything with M·A·C’s 24-Day Icons Advent Calendar, featuring an impressive $565 retail value. The collection combines full-size favorites and mini surprises across lipsticks, glosses, liners, mascaras, eyeshadows, and skin care. With iconic shades like Ruby Woo and Candy Yum Yum, it’s a standout holiday splurge for devoted M·A·C wearers.

How We Chose the Best Advent Calendars for Your Buck

We scoured social media for some of the most popular Advent calendars of the season, prioritizing reviews from creators who peeked behind every door and gave viewers a look at the products inside. We also considered audience engagement, including likes and comments, to gauge how shoppers reacted to each calendar’s surprises. From there, we compared product selections and total retail values against their price tags to identify calendars that offer a solid return on your spend. We also made room for more budget-friendly options that don’t skimp on the contents, including The Twelve Loves of Christmas Advent Calendar at $17.98 and the Nespresso Vertuo Advent Calendar at $55.

Why Trust WWD

Since 1910, WWD — often referred to as “the fashion bible” — has been the leading industry voice of authority for senior executives in the global women’s and men’s fashion, retail, and beauty communities, while also informing the consumer media that cover the market. Today, WWD’s breaking news and trend coverage continues to be a trustworthy resource for both fashion insiders and consumers alike. Our shopping editors continue to uphold WWD’s editorial standards and values with quality, expert-backed product selections. Learn more about us here.

Meet the Author

Sophie Dunne is an E-Commerce Writer at Penske Media Corporation, writing across WWD, Footwear News, Billboard, Rolling Stone, and The Hollywood Reporter. Originally from Ireland and based in Los Angeles, she previously worked at Static Media as a writer and editor across all brands, covering entertainment, lifestyle, fashion, and travel. Her bylines have appeared in Women’s Health, The List, Women.com, Islands, Grunge, WebMD, and more. Before beginning her writing career in 2019, Dunne lived in Dubai for four years, working as an Emirates Cabin Crew Member. Having traveled to 71 countries with the airline, she began writing for an LA-based publication as a travel writer during her final year. Dunne has a degree in Humanities from Carlow College, St. Patrick’s (now South East Technological University) in her native Ireland. She studied English, history, philosophy, and psychology.

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