Feel like a kid on Christmas morning every day until the holidays.
Few things capture the anticipation of the holidays quite like an advent calendar. Whether you’re eagerly awaiting Christmas, Hanukkah, or simply love a good surprise, these countdown companions offer a small, daily delight that makes the holiday season feel even more magical. Opening up a little door, drawer, or package each day brings that same childhood excitement back, no matter how old you are. But gone are the days when advent calendars only held chocolates or hard candies. Today’s options span a wide range of interests and passions, offering goodies far beyond traditional sweets.
For the beauty buffs, luxe skincare advent calendars are practically a must-have, each day revealing mini versions of high-end serums, moisturizers, and masks. For foodies, there are calendars packed with gourmet chocolates, artisanal snacks, and even craft coffee or wine to savor as you countdown. Outdoorsy folks can find advent calendars with everything from gardening seeds to eco-friendly trinkets, while homebodies might enjoy cozy surprises like candles, socks, or bath products. Tl;dr: there’s truly an advent calendar out there for every type of merrymaker.
– Best skincare: Augustinus Bader 2024 The 12 Days of Bader Set, $585
– Best makeup: Benefit Cosmetics 2024 The Gorgeous Grocer Advent Calendar, $164
– Best coffee: Onyx Coffee Lab 2024 Advent Calendar, $175
– Best fragrance: Voluspa 2024 12-Day Advent Calendar, $175
– Best cozy: Happy Socks 2024 24-Pack Advent Calendar Gift Set, $260
To help get you into the holiday spirit, we’ve compiled a list of the best advent calendars, all ready to count you down to the holidays. Some options are general crowd-pleasers, while others are unique, offering fun—and sometimes unexpected—surprises inside their compartments. All are sure sources of joy that will extend the season’s cheer into a month-long celebration.
The 20 best advent calendars you can already shop
Best food advent calendars
Give your caffeine routine a jolt with the Onyx Coffee Lab Advent Calendar. It comes with 24 2-ounce bags of whole bean coffee from roasters across the world. Each bag can make about 24 ounces of coffee to fuel you through the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Plus, the packaging itself is a joy to behold: It looks like a book, and like a book, it opens flat from the spine, to reveal a delicious whiff of its contents.
If you or a loved one is more of a tea person than a coffee person, consider this popular (and editor-beloved) advent calendar. The 24 loose-leaf teas come packaged in tins, which fit snugly into the calendar’s compartments. Each contains eight ounces of tea, enough for about two cups. You’ll find festive varieties, such as Santa’s Secret Tea, Christmas Morning Tea Blend, and more to get you in the holiday spirit.
Bonne Maman’s advent calendar is jam-packed (heh) with exclusive honey and fruit spreads that are only available during the holiday season. It features 24 adorable one-ounce jars that house unique flavors, such as caramel with coffee and apricot with orange blossom, to offer a sweet surprise every day. Since Bonne Maman’s countdown calendar contains seasonal items, it’s known to sell out quickly. In other words: Get it while you can.
Also available on Amazon, $45.
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When it’s cold outside, Fly by Jing’s Winter in Sichuan advent calendar will bring the heat. It contains 12 spicy condiments, sauces, and pantry staples to wake up your palate and lend flavor (so much flavor) to your dishes. Seven of the 12 products are exclusive to the advent calendar, making it all the more enticing to spice lovers. Plus, all are made with vegan-friendly ingredients and no artificial flavors or preservatives.
This advent calendar from Dandelion Chocolate, one of America’s premier bean-to-bar chocolate makers, is sure to please anyone who likes a sweet treat. It includes a 25-piece assortment (called “ornaments”) from chocolatiers in North America. Each chocolate contains a surprise filling—like candied citrus and spiced caramel—that are sophisticated enough to wow a sweet tooth. Plus, the packaging is as elegant as its contents.
An enthusiastic home cook might appreciate Williams Sonoma’s spice advent calendar. It includes a selection of 24 spices for proteins, veggies, and, let’s not forget, dessert. Alongside spices such as smoked sea salt and zaatar, you’ll also find seasonal specials—‘tis the season, after all. Take, for example, festive pepper and Christmas salt, or gingerbread and Speculoos spice blends.
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Got a baker on your list? They’ll love this advent calendar from Williams Sonoma, which is stocked with 24 days of baking gear, just in time for the holiday baking season. There are piping bags, mini spatulas, cookie cutters—everything they need to put out cookies for Santa.
Best beauty advent calendars
Augustinus Bader’s advent calendar is undoubtedly pricey, but it’s sure to impress the most particular of skincare aficionados. It contains $868 worth of its most popular skincare products, many of which come with the approval of Well+Good staffers—including the Augustinus Bader Face Cream, Face Oil, Retinol Serum, and more coveted surprises to treat your skin.
Also available on Sephora, $585.
Benefit Cosmetics has long been beloved by makeup artists and enthusiasts alike, and its advent calendar is chock-full of its most popular makeup items for your holiday makeup looks. The 24-piece set contains full- and mini-size items, of classic favorites like the POREfessional Face Primer and Hoola Matte Bronzer, as well as its brow collection. It also comes packaged in a cute pink crate that you can reuse as an organizer.
Anthropologie’s beauty advent calendar is abuzz with cult-favorite skincare, haircare, and makeup products that are loved by celebrities and TikTok-loving adults (including Well+Good staffers). The under-$100 countdown calendar includes mini-size versions of beauty products from brands that need no introduction, including Sunday Riley, Peter Thomas Roth, and First Aid Beauty—all sure to bring you a daily dose of cheer.
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L’Occitane’s countdown calendar features $115 worth of its long-beloved beauty products to pamper you from your head to toe. The assortment includes bath and body products, along with items for your face and hair. You’ll get a total of 24 products, including a full-size version of the fan-favorite Shea Butter Hand Cream, which is a delight to receive all on its own.
Also available on Amazon, $84.
When the air turns really dry and you’re cranking up the space heater, you’ll be glad to have an assortment of Beekman 1802’s ultra-rich face and body products. Made with the brand’s iconic goat-milk formula, this luxe set includes 16 full-sized products, along with eight other best-selling goodies. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Scentbird has long been a source of olfactory delight, and if you want to indulge your or a loved one’s nose, its advent calendar is sure to please the senses. The set contains 12 luxury and niche perfumes in 1.5-milliliter bottles from brands like Dedcool, Juliette Has A Gun, Prada, and Versace. For $65, it’s an affordable way to switch up your fragrance or find a new signature scent.
Best unique advent calendars
This advent calendar from California-based candle company Voluspa will light up anyone’s holiday. The set comes with 12 organic candles made from coconut wax, all packaged in elegant glass vessels. Among them are holiday-friendly options, including Noble Fir Garland, which includes fragrance notes of fir needles, cedarwood, and amber, and Sparkling Cuvée, which includes notes of sparkling wine, pomelo, woody oak, and rose petals.
Also available on Sephora, $85.
Winter is prime time for curling up with a good book, and what better way to do that with this bookish advent calendar? Behind each door are gifts any bibliophile will appreciate, including bookmarks, notepads, stickers, and more.
The Happy Socks advent calendar will put the “happy” back into the holidays. With bright colors and patterns—like polka dots, stripes, and stars—any of the 24 pairs included in the set are sure to put a smile on any face. They not only come in a slew of fun patterns, but they’re also made of a durable and comfortable cotton-elastane blend.
Also available on Nordstrom, $260.
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Surprise a plant parent or budding green thumb with this advent calendar from Terrain, Anthropologie’s garden-focused sister brand. It comes with seven “seed bombs” containing soil and wildflower seeds, like chamomile, wild chicory, and poppy, to welcome bees and butterflies into your garden come spring. Plus, the package and its contents are packaged in recyclable cardboard to lighten your carbon footprint. Call it a win-win.
If the way to your or a loved one’s heart is through a pet, consider this advent calendar which is specifically for dogs. Each of its 24 compartments contains treats, including macarons and truffles—all made with 100 percent human-grade ingredients. And with drool-worthy flavors like peanut butter and yogurt, your furry friend can look forward to the holiday countdown, too.
Lovehoney’s advent calendar is a pleasure chest, filled with 24 steamy surprises for partnered play. Included in the set are Well+Good tried-and-tested sex toys, such as the We-Vibe Sync Lite and the Womanizer Liberty 2, along with other, ahem, sensory delights. Now, that is a gift that keeps on giving.
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If you want full control over the contents in an advent calendar, consider making one of your own. This preassembled advent calendar features 24 compartments, in which you can add small tokens—like chocolate or trinkes—of your choice. It comes in four holiday designs, including ones that look like Santa Claus, a snowman, and a nutcracker.