Quality of products: Our testers taste chocolate, dab make-up, sip wine and build toys to rate the quality of what's inside each advent calendar in its entirety.

advent calendar goes on sale and one product Liz Earle beauty advent calendar goes on sale and one product

Due to be released on October 7, Harvey Nichols’ first ever beauty advent calendar is a real showstopper. Huda Beauty – full size Power Bullet Cream Glow Sweet Nudes in ’Sweet Cheeks’ or Bossy Browns in ‘Hustla’ (3g) Katie says: "Let's be honest this is arguably the most iconic beauty advent calendar. It was definitely the one that really got me properly excited about beauty calendars all those years ago. I have kept the boxes from previous years and reused them for my children. 2023's offering, deigned by artist Clym Evernden, is completely beautiful and I desperately want it for my collection. The contents inside are, as you'd expect, incredible and this year include some accessories, like chic hairclips and a gold bracelet from Estella Bartlett. Who needs a jewellery advent calendar, eh? Each product is unique and you get a wide range of haircare, skincare, nailcare and make-up over 25 days.

This formula contains a natural alternative to retinol, powered by stevia and elderberry, so it's a great option if you are looking for a skincare product with anti-ageing retinol-like properties, without being harsh on the skin. My overall verdict... Our testers were very impressed with the offering of products and brands in this year’s M&S beauty advent calendar. Half our panel said they’d happily gift it to a loved one. That's why we've voted it our best beauty advent calendar of 2023 of those we tested. I loved the scent of all the products included, as they smell really luxurious and give you a taste of spa-life from home. You can get the Liz Earle 2023 Beauty Advent Calendar at Boots, John Lewis, and LookFantastic.

advent calendars for 2023: Beauty, chocolate and wine 40 best advent calendars for 2023: Beauty, chocolate and wine

Half our testers said this calendar was one of their favourites and said they would love to receive it as a gift. Full to the brim with 24 irresistible Rituals treasures, this beautiful advent calendar has to be one of the most extravagant we've seen. Complete with string lights, you can decorate this advent calendar like a little Christmas tree. It's a fun novelty to enjoy in the run-up to Christmas, but if you fancy yourself somewhat of a wine buff you'll probably be left a bit disappointed. As you'd expect there are lots of chocolate gifts inside Hotel Chocolat's The Grand Advent Calendar including a chocolate wreath, chocolate snowmen and champagne truffles. But you also get some genuine surprises, such as chocolate lip balm, cacao gin and some more we'll leave you to discover yourself. Despite the fact, as beauty editors, we feel as though there's advent calendar mania, we can't deny the appeal of saving a whole load of money on some of beauty's best products. Whether you're in the market for the best fragrance, best mascara or the best moisturiser, a great beauty advent delivers it all. The problem? You just have to make sure you're shopping for one that's worth the money.

Is it worth it?

September sees the release of the highly anticipated 24-day advent calendar by Dr. Barbara Sturm. Inside the rather stylish white box you can expect 24 treatments, from cleansers, toners, creams, hyaluronic and niacinamide serums alongside clarifying and glow evoking face masks. It's the full skincare works, making it the perfect gift for any skincare obsessive. When the cold weather closes in, there's nothing I enjoy more than hunkering down for the evening, lighting some candles, and having a pamper with all my favourite skincare goodies. Expect greatness when Net-A-Porter put together a beauty advent calendar. Inside you'll find 12 full-size and 13 travel-size treats.

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To help get everyone in the mood, we have pulled together a selection of the most beautiful (and indulgent) luxury advent calendars to keep you entertained until Christmas. From jewellery to Lego to beauty there's sure to be something for you but, if none of these are up your street, keep an eye out for our foodie advent calendars (including delicious chocolate advent calendars) and alcohol advent calendars out now. What are the best advent calendars for 2023? There's no denying that it's incredibly expensive, but it contains a huge amount of chocolate and other gifts that'll go down a treat in the run-up to Christmas. That's why it gets our nod as the best chocolate advent calendar of 2023 of those we tested. This is the biggest size, but there are two smaller versions for those on a tighter budget – still with the beautiful pop-ups.Pai Skincare – travel size The Impossible Glow Hyaluronic Acid Highlighting Drops in ’Champagne’ (10ml) We choose popular beauty, chocolate, children's and food and drink advent calendars available at UK retailers. We ask our testers to open all the doors of each calendar and score them on the following: Let's face it, the best beauty advent calendars aren't cheap, and as the years have gone on, it has become harder to identify which ones are actually worth your money and time. For starters, is the monetary saving really as good as it seems? Is every product in there something you can see yourself using? And, most importantly, is this specific calendar really offering the best of the best in beauty? Katie says: "Falling right between luxury and affordable, this is a beauty-lovers dream calendar. I'm struggling to find one product in this calendar that doesn't excite me. It has my go-to skincare brands: Drunk Elephant and Medik8, as well as Tarte Cosmetics (exclusive to Sephora), which I have been dying to try for as long as I can remember. Oh and it has Rare Beauty, which I have recently become obsessed with."