Boots’s flagship advent calendar for 2025, the beauty stars line-up boasts an overall value of £612 but sets you back £150.
There’s a lot to get excited about – but first thing’s first, let’s talk about the packaging. This year, the calendar is designed with a circus theme. The lid lifts to reveal the slogan “enjoy the show”, with each box decorated in stripes, stars, swirls, checks and diamonds. The colour palette of reds, purples, pinks, purples and golds is garish but vibrant – the perfect festive combination. However, the sturdy box isn’t too festive to dissuade you from using it year-round for storage (particularly if you love maximalist decor).
When it comes to products, you’re treated to 24 gifts in the run-up to Christmas Eve. The line-up is skincare-leaning with 12 face and body formulas, nine make-up products, one fragrance and two hair treatments. A whopping 16 products are full-size, including from big-ticket brands like Drunk Elephant, Nars, Caudal and Estée Lauder.
Skincare-wise, Drunk Elephant’s protini polypeptide cream (£21, Boots.com) is a highlight. The lightweight gel-based cream is perfect for oily or combination skin types, working to firm and nourish. Soothing party-season skin as you go into 2026, there’s also Shiseido’s vital perfection eye mask (single pack included, £57.60 for 12, Boots.com) and Lancôme’s genifique ultimate serum (7ml included, £66.50 for 50ml, Boots.com).
A roster of excellent lip products are also in tow – think Laneige’s strawberry pink lip glowy balm (£17.50, Boots.com) and Too Faced’s kissing jelly lip oil gloss in the shimmery Pina colada shade (£21, Boots.com), as well as Fenty’s hydrating liquid lipstick in an dusty pink hue (£17.50, Boots.com), Mac’s lip pencil in a similarly everyday shade (£20, Boots.com) and a mini Mac lipstick in the warm berry red velvet teddy shade (£25, Boots.com).
Elsewhere in make-up, the countdown includes Milk’s multi-use dewy cream highlighter (£19.80, Boots.com), Laura Mercier’s cult-favorite translucent powder (£30.80, Boots.com) and Benefit’s hoola bronzer (£24.75, Boots.com), a personal favourite for a subtle contour.
The electric line-up really does have something for everyone. Teens will steal the Sol De Janeiro viral cheirosa 76 body mist (£18, Boots.com), grandparents will love Estee Lauder’s anti aging advanced night cleanser (£31.45, Boots.com) and mum’s will delight in Caudalie’s bestselling vinohydra moisturising mask (£24, Boots.com) or Aveda’s botanical repair strengthening leave-in hair treatment (£35.50, Boots.com).
