The Harvey Nichols beauty advent calendar is a stellar Chris...

The Harvey Nichols beauty advent calendar is a stellar Christmas countdown – here’s why

Housed in a gorgeous, festive red box, adorned with a graphic pink bow, the Harvey Nichols beauty advent calendar will make a beautiful Christmas decoration in December. The boxes feel sturdy, so it’s definitely one you can fill with your own goodies and reuse for years to come. The calendar starts strong with Augustinus Bader’s the rich cream (£150, Harveynichols.com), a hydrating nighttime moisturiser, which is lovely for mature skin. Harvey Nichols doesn’t sell the 15ml size, but the brand sells it directly for £77, so you’re more than getting your money’s worth from the outset. The high-end skincare doesn’t stop there either, with a bottle of La Mer’s renewal oil on day 24, worth £120 (Harveynichols.com). A little of this goes a long way, and the formula dries quickly and doesn’t leave any stickiness on the skin. I was also impressed to see some actives in the skincare selection too, such as the Trinny London tiptoe in PHA exfoliant (£36, Trinnylondon.com) and the Patchology beauty sleep sheet mask with retinol (£10, Patchology.co.uk). While make-up selection didn’t wow me, there are some fun additions that’ll see you through party season, and they’re mostly all full-size. There’s the Trinny London sheer shimmer in mama, a two-in-one lip and cheek product that is easy to swipe on without a mirror (£26, Trinnylondon.com). If you prefer the staying power of a matte lip, you also get Charlotte Tilbury’s airbrush flawless lip blur in the shade walk of no shame (£29, Harveynichols.com), a flattering deep rose shade. The Nars light reflecting setting powder (£20, Harveynichols.com) can be used for on-the-go touch-ups, while the mini Otis Batterbee bullet blusher brush feels super luxe. Laura Mercier’s caviar stick eye shadow in brick (£28, Harveynichols.com) is my ideal warm shade and blends out beautifully. I’ll be pairing this with Sweed’s cloud mascara (£24, Harveynichols.com) and Trish McEvoy’s intense gel eyeliner (£22, Harveynichols.com) for an easy evening eye look. The mini fragrances are a mix of cult brands and smaller, boutique perfume houses. I enjoyed trying the mixture of unique scents. Ex Nihilo’s blue talisman (£180, Harveynichols.com) is one for the festive season with notes of ginger and orange blossom. Those who like a sweeter floral fragrance will enjoy marfa by Memo Paris (£120, Harveynichols.com), with its notes of peach and vanilla, as well as Hermetica’s rose-scented peonypop (£110, Harveynichols.com). Personally, I like a more gender netural scent, so Christmas Day’s surprise, Le Labo’s eucalyptus (£75, Harveynichols.com), ticks these boxes for me with smoky, woody notes that feel perfect for winter. Harvey Nichols also has a 12 days of fragrance advent calendar for 2025 (£175, Harveynichols.com), which is worth more than £700 and includes scents from Creed, Parfums De Marly, Kilian, Ex Nihilo and more. Outside of skincare and make-up, there are some fun extras. For example, I was pleased to see a silk scrunchie from Slip (£35, Harveynichols.com), one of my go-to brands for hair accessories. The inclusion of the Jo Loves amber, lime and bergamot votive candle (£55, Joloves.com) feels considered – its delicious warm amber notes will be perfect as the nights draw in. Similarly, the Bamford night-time pillow mist (£23, Harveynichols.com) has become firmly part of my wind-down routine. There were a few products that I can’t imagine myself reaching for. The addition of the Marvis whitening mint toothpaste (£5, Harveynichols.com), for example, felt out of place among the rest of the calendar’s premium cosmetics. Color Wow is known for its styling products, such as the dream coat or money mist sprays, so I would have liked to have seen these instead of the shampoo (£21.50, Harveynichols.com) and conditioner (£21.50, Harveynichols.com). That said, I have come to love these haircare products. And these are small niggles that don’t take away from this otherwise luxurious advent calendar.

The calendar starts strong with Augustinus Bader’s the rich cream (£150, Harveynichols.com), a hydrating nighttime moisturiser, which is lovely for mature skin. Harvey Nichols doesn’t sell the 15ml size, but the brand sells it directly for £77, so you’re more than getting your money’s worth from the outset. The high-end skincare doesn’t stop there either, with a bottle of La Mer’s renewal oil on day 24, worth £120 (Harveynichols.com). A little of this goes a long way, and the formula dries quickly and doesn’t leave any stickiness on the skin. I was also impressed to see some actives in the skincare selection too, such as the Trinny London tiptoe in PHA exfoliant (£36, Trinnylondon.com) and the Patchology beauty sleep sheet mask with retinol (£10, Patchology.co.uk).

While make-up selection didn’t wow me, there are some fun additions that’ll see you through party season, and they’re mostly all full-size. There’s the Trinny London sheer shimmer in mama, a two-in-one lip and cheek product that is easy to swipe on without a mirror (£26, Trinnylondon.com). If you prefer the staying power of a matte lip, you also get Charlotte Tilbury’s airbrush flawless lip blur in the shade walk of no shame (£29, Harveynichols.com), a flattering deep rose shade.

The Nars light reflecting setting powder (£20, Harveynichols.com) can be used for on-the-go touch-ups, while the mini Otis Batterbee bullet blusher brush feels super luxe. Laura Mercier’s caviar stick eye shadow in brick (£28, Harveynichols.com) is my ideal warm shade and blends out beautifully. I’ll be pairing this with Sweed’s cloud mascara (£24, Harveynichols.com) and Trish McEvoy’s intense gel eyeliner (£22, Harveynichols.com) for an easy evening eye look.

The mini fragrances are a mix of cult brands and smaller, boutique perfume houses. I enjoyed trying the mixture of unique scents. Ex Nihilo’s blue talisman (£180, Harveynichols.com) is one for the festive season with notes of ginger and orange blossom. Those who like a sweeter floral fragrance will enjoy marfa by Memo Paris (£120, Harveynichols.com), with its notes of peach and vanilla, as well as Hermetica’s rose-scented peonypop (£110, Harveynichols.com). Personally, I like a more gender netural scent, so Christmas Day’s surprise, Le Labo’s eucalyptus (£75, Harveynichols.com), ticks these boxes for me with smoky, woody notes that feel perfect for winter.

Harvey Nichols also has a 12 days of fragrance advent calendar for 2025 (£175, Harveynichols.com), which is worth more than £700 and includes scents from Creed, Parfums De Marly, Kilian, Ex Nihilo and more.

Outside of skincare and make-up, there are some fun extras. For example, I was pleased to see a silk scrunchie from Slip (£35, Harveynichols.com), one of my go-to brands for hair accessories. The inclusion of the Jo Loves amber, lime and bergamot votive candle (£55, Joloves.com) feels considered – its delicious warm amber notes will be perfect as the nights draw in. Similarly, the Bamford night-time pillow mist (£23, Harveynichols.com) has become firmly part of my wind-down routine.

There were a few products that I can’t imagine myself reaching for. The addition of the Marvis whitening mint toothpaste (£5, Harveynichols.com), for example, felt out of place among the rest of the calendar’s premium cosmetics. Color Wow is known for its styling products, such as the dream coat or money mist sprays, so I would have liked to have seen these instead of the shampoo (£21.50, Harveynichols.com) and conditioner (£21.50, Harveynichols.com). That said, I have come to love these haircare products. And these are small niggles that don’t take away from this otherwise luxurious advent calendar.