Next Beauty Advent Calendar 2026 review: “A strong high-street mix with very little filler”

RRP at time of testing: £150 | Check price at Next

My verdict

Next’s 2026 beauty Advent calendar sits in a useful middle ground IMO. It costs the same as the Boots Luxe offering, but it feels less make-up heavy and includes a couple of more unusual choices, most notably a bit of beauty tech in the form of an LED Wand. There are dependable names here too, including Clinique, Estée Lauder, Elemis, Caudalie, Liz Earle and Aveda.

That doesn’t make every drawer a winner, though. I’m not big on eye make-up, so the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick and Natasha Denona palette are unlikely to earn their keep. I’m not a fan of the Victoria’s Secret Bare Vanilla Mist either. That’s the trouble with any mixed beauty calendar: the headline value assumes every product has value to you.

The compact calendar isn't the biggest this year in size but I'm also glad it's not huge - it needn't be

Still, the skincare is strong, the mix is sensible and ten full-sized products give the calendar more substance than a box stuffed with samples. Plus, the £10 donation to breast cancer charity Future Dreams is a welcome extra. 

On contents alone, it looks like a strong high-street option, although the LED wand is doing a fair bit of the heavy lifting.

How I’ve tested

I received the Next Beauty Advent Calendar for review and assessed its contents, sizes, category mix and value against Next’s product information. I’ve identified the products most and least useful to my routine.

My skin is dry and sensitive and my hair is thick and curly, so I’ll introduce the skincare gradually and judge the hair products on whether they add moisture without flattening my curls.

What’s in the Next Beauty Advent Calendar 2026?

Next calls this a 25-day calendar, but several doors contain extra fragrance samples. It says its value calculation includes full and travel sizes only.

My top picks from the calendar this year

• BEAUTYPRO LED Wand: the most unexpected inclusion and more memorable than another cleanser.

• Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Firming Cashmere Cream: a full 50ml jar and a good fit for my dry skin, although I’ll introduce it carefully.

• Oskia Super C capsules: vitamin C is useful in my routine, and the individual capsules should keep the formula fresh.

The BeautyPro LED face wand was definitely a nice surprise to find!

And my least useful products

• Laura Mercier Caviar Stick: I’m not big on eye make-up, so this is unlikely to get much use.

• Victoria’s Secret Bare Vanilla Mist: a generous full-sized bottle, but I’m not a fan.

• Natasha Denona Mini Gloom palette: it looks good on paper but doesn’t suit the way I do my make-up.

First impressions of the Next beauty Advent calendar

The contents feel more considered than the usual procession of cleansers and tiny face creams. There’s a sensible spread across categories, and the LED device gives it a useful point of difference.

The box feels sturdy without being absurdly large. It isn’t as slim as the Boots or Benefit calendars, but it should still sit neatly on a shelf or mantelpiece during Advent without taking over the room.

My biggest bugbear is the individual boxes. They’re a little faffy if you’re used to calendars with drawers, although opening a box each morning does feel more like unwrapping a present.

Next beauty Advent calendar 2026: how many full-sized products are there?

By my count, Next labels ten products as full size: the Clinique eye serum, Caudalie cream, BEAUTYPRO sheet mask, Dr.PAWPAW balm, Manucurist polish, BEAUTYPRO LED Wand, Flat Lay Co pouch, Laura Mercier Caviar Stick, Natasha Denona palette and Victoria’s Secret mist.

That’s respectable, although size isn’t everything. A full-sized product you won’t use is still clutter, while a good travel size can be enough to decide whether a formula deserves a place in your routine.

Every purchase donates £10 to breast cancer charity Future Dreams

Are there any fragrances in Next’s 2026 calendar?

Yes. The main fragrance inclusion is the full-sized 250ml Victoria’s Secret Bare Vanilla Mist. There are also samples from Barbour, Floral Street, Billie Eilish and Laura Ashley. The Laura Ashley scent is random, so you won’t know which of four options you’ll receive.

What about the make-up shades?

The fixed shades are fairly wearable but still depend on taste. Laura Mercier’s Modern Rose is shimmery, Natasha Denona’s Mini Gloom palette stays in muted smoky territory and Manucurist’s Prune is a deep nail shade. ICONIC London’s Original Illuminator adds a warm glow.

There’s no random complexion shade, which removes one common calendar annoyance. The bigger question is whether you wear eye make-up. If not, two full-sized products lose much of their personal value.

Each present is inside its own box - makes opening a bit more present-like than a drawer

Hair products inside the Next beauty Advent calendar

There are three hair products: the Beauty Works Restore Mask, Percy & Reed Volumising No Oil Oil and Aveda Botanical Repair leave-in treatment. For thick, curly hair, the mask and Aveda treatment are the most promising. The Percy & Reed oil could help with frizz, but I’ll need to see whether it softens without weighing my curls down.

Is the Next Beauty Advent Calendar good value?

At £150 for products worth more than £576, Next claims an apparent saving of at least £426, or roughly 74%. That puts it directly against the £150 Boots Luxe calendar, which contains 27 products, 19 full-sized according to Boots, and has a claimed value of £710.

Next has fewer full sizes, but the LED Wand and 50ml Caudalie cream give its selection a different character. The £10 charity donation adds another reason to choose it. Next also says the small fragrance samples aren’t included in the overall value, so the contents are technically worth a little more than £576.

As ever, the real saving still depends on use. If you don’t wear eye make-up and dislike sweet vanilla fragrance, three of the largest products are already less valuable to you. If the skincare, haircare and LED device appeal, £150 is easier to justify. I was chuffed to find the LED wand, and I suspect plenty of other buyers will be too.

A little twee for my liking, but makes sense given the Future Dreams collaboration

Who should buy this calendar?

It suits someone who wants a broad premium mix without spending £250 or more. The strongest fit is a skincare-led beauty fan who will also use some haircare, make-up and fragrance, or someone happy to split the contents with family.

It’s less convincing for make-up minimalists, people avoiding fragranced products or anyone with a bathroom cupboard already groaning under beauty-box leftovers.

Next vs Boots vs M&S beauty Advent calendars

Final verdict: is this the beauty Advent calendar for you this year?

There’s plenty to like. The skincare is credible, ten full-sized products give the box substance and the LED device saves it from feeling like a rerun of every beauty edit you’ve seen before.

A closer look at the individual packages for each product inside the calendar

The weak spots come down largely to taste. Two eye products won’t suit make-up minimalists, Bare Vanilla is divisive and the fragrance vials add opening-day fun without contributing to Next’s claimed value.

For £150, Next has put together a varied countdown with less filler than I expected. It’s particularly good for skincare fans who want a couple of surprises rather than 25 variations on a face cream. Four out of five.

About the author

Rebecca is a writer, editor, and content marketing expert hailing from Leeds. Here at Mumsnet, she works to bring parents content that’s 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 local playgroup, in a nearby coffee shop, or walking the dog up and down country lanes.

About Mumsnet reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after extensive research and testing. We work hard to provide honest, independent advice you can trust. We sometimes earn revenue through affiliate links, but this never influences our coverage.

All prices are correct at time of publication.

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