John Lewis beauty advent calendar is well-priced and packed with high-end products

It may be October, but ‘tis the season for beauty advent calendars. Whether you’re after a luxury offering courtesy of Harvey Nichols, a self-care countdown with The White Company or a Diptyque fragranced 25-days, there’s something for everyone among this year’s offerings.

A firm favourite year-after-year is John Lewis & Partners’ advent calendar. It’s always one of the most hotly anticipated drops and for 2022, it’s packed with more premium products than ever before.

Costing £175 (but with a value of £770, compared to £600 last year), you’ll find 27 full and deluxe-size treats behind the doors. From Olaplex to Charlotte Tilbury and Sunday Riley, Mac, Elemis and Augustinus Bader, the calendar is brimming with many of the much-loved names found in the John Lewis beauty halls.

Promising to take care of your party season skincare regime with a host of luxury formulas, there’s also make-up, haircare, three fragrances and pampering products to be found behind the drawers.

And, if you’re lucky, you may even be one of the 10 to find a £500 John Lewis gift voucher behind day 25 to spend in-store.

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With John Lewis’s beauty calendar offering tucked into such a crowded market, we got our hands on one of the coveted calendars to find out if it’s worth investing in this Christmas. Opening each drawer before December (someone had to), we considered the size, quality, value and variety of the products. Here’s what to expect if you decide on a decadent Christmas countdown with John Lewis.

This year, the calendar is neatly designed in a sleek navy and festively decorated box that’s fully recyclable. The sturdy box is packed with rigid drawers that aren’t at risk of any wear and tear. Pink, purple, navy and dark teal colours decorate the drawers with flashings of celestial-inspired illustrations adding detail.

John Lewis suggests the calendar could be used all year round as a jewellery box – and we can’t help but agree, thanks to the well-made subtly festive but not too in-your-face design.

On 1 December, you’re immediately treated to Olaplex’s cult favourite no3 hair protector (£28, Johnlewis.com) that retails at £28. One of our favourite haircare-saviours, the product “worked wonders” on the split ends of our tester and made their hair “visibly more shiny”.

The roster of big-name brands continues behind the next few drawers with a mini size Laura Mercier translucent loose setticng powder (£34, Johnlewis.com), Molton Brown orange and bergamot shower gel (£25, Johnlewis.com), mini ESPA regeneration bio-retinal sleeping serum (£84, Johnlewis.com) and Kate Somerville exfolikate (£38, Johnlewis.com).

Behind the sixth door, you’re indulged with Charlotte Tilbury’s luxury palette (£40, Johnlewis.com). Featuring four shades, the rich copper and gold-hued eyeshadows are perfect for holiday season – and usually cost £40 alone.

Perfecting your pout, you’ll also find Mac’s new revamped lustreglass lipstick in a plum-hued syrup colour (£22, Johnlewis.com), which is infused with hyaluronic acid to condition your lips and prevent dryness. Further make-up highlights include Bobbi Brown’s pot rouge (£26, Johnlewis.com) for lips and cheeks, the brands bestselling multitasking compact, and Lancome’s hypnose mascara (£28.50, Johnlewis.com) to voluminise your flutter.

Helping to get your skin replenished after one too many parties, you’ll find Elemis’s pro-collagen moisture essence (£60, Johnlewis.com), Votary’s brightening hyaluronic serum (£75, Johnlewis.com), Clarins’ hand and nail treatment cream (£25.50, Johnlewis.com) and a full-sized Sunday Riley CEO vitamin C rich hydrating cream (£60, Johnlewis.com), worth £60. Designed to suit all skin types, the cream is ideal for a daily dose of brightening while tackling uneven skin tone and texture.

Adding another luxe element to your Christmas countdown, you’ll discover Augustinus Baders the rich cream (£69, Johnlewis.com) behind one drawer. In our review of the lauded formula, our writer said: “It really does feel as though our skin has been regenerated – our make-up applied far better on a smoother base and we felt confident with clearer, happier skin.” High praise for a product that lives up the hype.

Christmas is a time for indulgence, and John Lewis’ calendar is making sure you feel sufficiently pampered with a beautifully packaged cleansing Acqua De Parma bath and shower gel (£40, Johnlewis.com) and the Aromatherapy’s Associates de stress muscle bath and shower gel (£32, Johnlewis.com), which has an immediately calming effect owing to its warming ginger essence scent. And as you edge closer to the main event, Neom’s perfect night’s sleep pillow mist (£20, Johnlewis.com) will ensure you’re well-rested.

Fragrancing your festivities, there’s a sample size darkly scented Givenchy L’interdit eau de parfum (£57, Johnlewis.com) and a full-size Floral Street scent (£34, Johnlewis.com) that boasts a comparatively light and fruity aroma.

Though we’ll leave the piece de resistance on day 25 as a surprise, the two full-size products are well worth the wait. Not only do they have a combined worth of more than £100, but you’re also in with a chance of being the lucky recipient of a £500 John Lewis gift voucher.

If you bought the whole variety of premium products – from haircare and skincare to pampering, make-up and candles – individually it would set you back £770. So, we think John Lewis’s 2022 offering is a worthy investment for £179.

The products are aimed toward everybody, meaning none are too niche to go to waste. Packed with an impressive mix of both mini and full-size products, three of the most expensive products cost £204 all together – more than the calendar itself.

Perhaps John Lewis’ best offering to date, the retailer have succeeded in curating a calendar overflowing with 27 skincare saviours, make-up must-haves, haircare treats and pampering products – all from some of the biggest brands in the business. When compared to other stalwart’s like Selfridges, its price point is also worth shouting about as it’s more affordable with a similar overall value.

Introducing you to both new and old hero formulas while replenishing your beauty arsenal for the new year, there’s also the tempting lure of a £500 gift voucher in 10 of the advent calendars this year. In short, we can’t think of many better ways to indulge this Christmas.

For the latest offers on skincare and beauty products, try the links below:

Beauty advent calendars 2022 – our ultimate guide to this year’s Christmas treats from Liberty, Cult Beauty, M&S and more

The Body Shop beauty advent calendar – this year’s calendar features the brand’s cult classics and newcomers alike

Lookfantastic beauty advent calendar – brimming with skincare, haircare, make-up and bath treats from all the best brands

The White Company beauty advent calendar – a selection of indulgent products to help you unwind during the festive season

Asos beauty advent calendar – the 25-box delight will leave you feeling glam this Christmas

Diptyque beauty advent calendar – choc-full of divine fragrances and scented candles

Selfridges beauty advent calendar – a beauty bounty worth more than £800

Charlotte Tilbury beauty advent calendar– the luxury beauty brand has gone all out for 2022, but is it worth the money?

Cult Beauty beauty advent calendar– worth more than £1,000, this offering is better than last year