Latest in Beauty x Stylist Beauty Advent Calendar 2026 review: “A great mid-range option”

RRP at time of writing: £169, worth £634 | Check stock at Latest in Beauty

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My verdict

Beauty Advent calendars are very good at promising a month of tiny daily thrills. They’re less reliable at delivering products you’ll still want once the cardboard mountain has been dealt with. After more than a week with this one, I’m pleased to say that most of its 34 products have a future beyond December.

It is, however, humongous. At over 7kg, this is the sort of calendar you’ll want to position once and leave there. It’s slim enough to sit on a mantelpiece or shelf, but carrying it around is awkward.

The contents do justify much of that bulk, though. You get 34 products, 31 of which Latest in Beauty describes as full size, across skincare, make-up, haircare, body care, fragrance, nails and a few useful extras. It’s generous and varied, with far more I can work into my routine than in the 2025 version I reviewed last year.

I’ve already used the Chasin’ Rabbits Freeze Tag Ice Roller, which feels very soothing and hydrating and helps to depuff my skin. The Fable & Mane Root Refresh Dry Shampoo has also earned its place in my routine. It absorbs oil without leaving a residue in my thick, curly hair and it’s really nice to use.

Several other products are already stashed in my beauty drawer, ready for a proper trial. I’m particularly keen to use the Spotlight Oral Care whitening strips, Drunk Elephant C-Luma Hydrabright Serum, SWEED mascara, Maybelline Grippy Setting Mist and the STARSKIN, BIOEFFECT and Emma Hardie face masks. I haven’t used those for long enough to judge their performance, but they’re not destined for the forgotten pile.

The packaging this year is a lot more festive than last year's design

The packaging looks the part too. The rich red and gold design is festive without tipping into novelty, and it feels recognisably Stylist. It’s reusable, although mine will be donated to my children’s primary school along with my other calendar boxes so the pupils can turn them into craft projects and class Advent calendars.

There are some design niggles. The drawers can be stubborn and the air trapped inside means that pushing one shut sometimes makes another pop open. Days 12, 18 and 21 each have several drawers to open, while day 24 puts four products together in one larger drawer.

The repeated numbers confused me at first, although opening more than one drawer on those days is undeniably fun. Larger shared drawers might have delivered the same surprise without making the whole calendar quite so huge, though. 

It's so big I couldn't even get a selfie with the calendar...

At £169 it isn’t cheap, but compared with the priciest calendars this year it sits in a sensible middle ground. The product sizes are generous, the mix is useful and the overall experience feels better thought through than the version I tested before. For anyone who enjoys discovering new brands and products, and doesn’t have their heart set on one particular name, it’s a five-star calendar.

How I tested the Stylist Beauty Advent Calendar 2026

I’ve had it at home for more than a week, and during that time I’ve unpacked the full contents and assessed the packaging, drawer design, product sizes, brand mix and value. I’ve also started incorporating suitable products into my routine.

Particularly, the Chasin’ Rabbits Freeze Tag Ice Roller which is lovely on my dry, sensitive skin - it helps with hydration, comfort and depuffing. I’ve also used the Fable & Mane Root Refresh Dry Shampoo on my thick, curly hair to see how well it absorbed oil and whether it left any visible residue.

What’s in the Latest in Beauty x Stylist Beauty Advent Calendar 2026?

Skincare gets the biggest share of the drawers, but there’s a decent spread of make-up, haircare, body care, fragrance and practical extras too. Here’s the full line-up, including the shades and sizes supplied in my calendar - spoilers alert! 

My top picks from the Latest in Beauty Advent Calendar

1. Chasin’ Rabbits Freeze Tag Ice Roller

This has been lovely on dry, sensitive skin. It feels cool and soothing, adds a welcome hit of hydration and helps take down puffiness without any faff.

2. Fable & Mane Root Refresh Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoo and thick, curly hair don’t always get along, but this absorbs oil without leaving a chalky residue. It’s pleasant to use and easy to work into my routine.

3. Drunk Elephant C-Luma Hydrabright Serum

I haven’t tested this properly yet, but it’s one of the products I was most pleased to find. A full-size brightening serum is a generous inclusion and this is already waiting in my beauty drawer.

It's been hard to pick my absolute favourites from this calendar

4. Spotlight Oral Care Ultra Teeth Whitening Strips

Oral care is a useful change from the usual calendar line-up. I’m keen to try the seven-day treatment and it feels more purposeful than another miniature moisturiser.

5. SWEED Beauty Pro Lash Lift Mascara

A black mascara is easy to use and doesn’t create the shade gamble that comes with some make-up products. This is another one I’ve put aside for a proper trial.

And the least useful products in the Stylist Beauty Advent Calendar

• Rose & Caramel Purity Reset 4 in 1 Tan Removal Gloves: I don’t use enough fake tan to get much value from these, so they feel like filler for me. Regular tanners will get more use from them.

• Spectrum Dual Ended Brow Brush: It’s perfectly practical, but I already own brow brushes and it isn’t the sort of product that makes an Advent calendar feel special IMO.

• The nail products: The Sally Hansen Miracle Gel, Sally Hansen Hard As Nails and Mylee nail wraps are all usable, but three nail-focused inclusions feel a bit repetitive…

Latest in Beauty Advent Calendar 2026: first impressions

My first thought was simply: where am I going to put this? The calendar is humongous. The red-and-gold book-style design is much more festive than the version I reviewed previously and still looks polished rather than gaudy. It’s very much in keeping with the Stylist brand.

The 2026 Latest in Beauty x Stylist calendar is very, very big

Open it up and the scale makes more sense. There are tall drawers for full-size bottles and several dates have more than one drawer. Days 12, 18 and 21 each deliver several separate openings, which is fun once you realise the repeated numbers are intentional. Before that, it’s rather confusing.

How many full-sized products are in the Latest in Beauty x Stylist Beauty Advent Calendar?

Latest in Beauty says 31 of the 34 products are full size. The three obvious minis are the 15ml Laneige serum, 5ml Juliette Has A Gun fragrance and 2ml BBB London brow gloss. A few inclusions, such as a single sheet mask or the Tangle Teezer Mini, stretch the everyday meaning of ‘full size’, but they are sold as complete retail products rather than samples.

The overall impression is still generous. There are plenty of substantial bottles, jars and boxed products and very little feels like a token sachet.

Does the Stylist Beauty Advent Calendar contain fragrance?

Yes. The Juliette Has A Gun Not A Perfume Eau de Parfum is a 5ml miniature, while the Gisou Honey Infused Hair Perfume is a full 50ml bottle. There’s also a Rituals scented candle.

Fragrance isn’t allowed to dominate the calendar, which is sensible. You still get some scent-led treats without losing too many doors to products that depend heavily on personal taste.

Will the Latest in Beauty Advent Calendar make-up shades suit everyone?

Most of the make-up is fairly forgiving. The SWEED mascara is black, the brow gloss is clear and the Maybelline setting mist and Spectrum brush are shade-free. The MORPHE trio includes a translucent powder.

Some days have multiple drawers to open... Added surprises!

There are still some fixed colour choices. The Max Factor Mellow Blur comes in Raspberry Rush, the Rimmel lip balm in Vanilla Frost and the Sally Hansen polish in Wine Stock. The Made By Mitchell Blursh is supplied in an assorted shade, so the one you receive can vary. It’s less of a shade gamble than some calendars, but not every colour will suit every taste or skin tone.

Does the Latest in Beauty x Stylist Beauty Advent Calendar include hair products?

Yes, and the haircare selection is one of the stronger parts of the calendar. It includes the Fable & Mane dry shampoo, Scandinavian Biolabs scalp serum, FUL London styling cream, Gisou hair perfume, MONDAY hair oil and a Tangle Teezer.

That’s a useful spread of cleansing, styling, treatment and finishing products. The Fable & Mane dry shampoo has already worked well on my thick, curly hair without leaving a residue.

Is the Latest in Beauty Advent Calendar good value?

At £169, the numbers are persuasive. Latest in Beauty values the contents at £634, a claimed saving of £465. There’s no individual product-value breakdown on the retailer page, though, so that headline figure remains the retailer’s claim rather than an independently verified total.

It's a gorgeous calendar - just make sure you have the space to display it

What matters more is how much you’ll actually use. In my case, quite a lot. Two products have already earned their place in my routine and several more are waiting in my beauty drawer. That makes £169 easier to justify than it would be for a calendar padded with tiny samples or very niche shades.

Who should buy the Stylist Beauty Advent Calendar?

This is best for someone who enjoys discovering new brands and trying products across several beauty categories. It’s particularly well suited to an open-minded beauty fan who’ll use a mix of skincare, haircare, make-up and body products.

It’s less suitable if you want a calendar built around one favourite brand, have very specific shade preferences or don’t have the space to display an enormous box for most of December.

How does the 2026 Latest in Beauty x Stylist Beauty Advent Calendar compare with the previous version?

Last year’s calendar cost the same £169 and contained 26 products, all described as full size, with a claimed value of £611. Its black-and-silver packaging looked sleek during testing, but not especially Christmassy.

The 2026 version increases the product count from 26 to 34, with 31 claimed full sizes, and lifts the stated value to £634. More importantly, the mix feels broader and more useful to me. The red-and-gold design is markedly more festive too, which is lovely to see. 

It is even bigger, and the repeated numbered drawers create some unnecessary confusion, but overall this is the better calendar. It offers more to open, more products I’ll genuinely use and a stronger sense of occasion without increasing the RRP.

Latest in Beauty vs LOOKFANTASTIC vs Boots: how do the 2026 calendars compare?

Latest in Beauty costs £49 more than LOOKFANTASTIC and £19 more than Boots, but it contains seven more products and 12 more claimed full sizes than either calendar. Its claimed value is lower, though, which is a useful reminder that the largest saving doesn’t automatically mean the most useful contents.

Latest in Beauty x Stylist Beauty Advent Calendar: final verdict

I’m comfortably giving this year’s edition five stars. It’s generous, varied and full of products that feel useful, not just impressive on a contents list. The ice roller and dry shampoo have already proved themselves and I’m looking forward to trying several of the skincare, make-up and mask products.

The box is enormous and the drawers aren’t flawless, but those drawbacks don’t outweigh the quality and breadth of the line-up. 

At £169 it’s a great mid-range option among this year’s beauty calendars, especially for anyone who sees December as a chance to discover something new.

About the author

Rebecca Roberts is a Senior Content Editor who hails from Leeds. Here at Mumsnet, she commissions, writes, and edits to bring parents content designed to make life easier. After birthing and breastfeeding two babies in two years, Rebecca knows first-hand how hard it can be to prioritise yourself when you become a mother. So, she’s on a quest to find the best beauty and fashion products that are both practical and affordable, with the help of Mumsnet user recommendations.

Outside work, Rebecca balances life as a working mum of two young boys and when she’s not at her desk, you’ll likely find her at a PTA meeting or walking the dog up and down country lanes.

About Mumsnet Reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.

All prices correct at time of publication

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