The thing about Christmas is it happens every year. Joy to the world, and all of that.

And we’re not knocking it: it’s special, dependable, and you get presents. But in recent years, we’ve unlocked a real life hack: extend that joy to the whole of December, and it’s far more exciting.

Advent calendars are basically to thank for that. Perhaps the most exciting ones available are beauty Advent calendars, which are packed with everything from serums to our favourite fragrance brands.

As a shopping writer, I’ve been reviewing Advent calendars for the last few years, and I’m already on a mission to find the best one out there.

Liberty has admittedly topped the list in previous years, but John Lewis looks like a strong contender already this year…

Keep reading for the beauty advent calendars you can buy right now, and a selection with a waitlist. Get those bells a-jingling, because Xmas is fast approaching!

Best beauty Advent calendars at a glance:

You might have heard of a little, low-key calendar from somewhere called Liberty – don’t worry if you haven’t, it’s quite esoteric.

Good news for those of you that spend the year poised for its release: you can join the waitlist now. And you’ll want to get on it ASAP, because it’s sold out for the last 11 years in a row.

This year, it’s worth over £1,300 and comes with a whopping 29 products, 21 of which are full-sized and 20 are exclusive to the Liberty calendar.

You can expect the likes of ILIA, Violette FR, and Jones Road, all housed inside the recreation of the iconic Liberty store beauty hall. If that wasn’t enough for you, then perhaps the fact there’s a golden ticket for £1,000 of Liberty credit hidden in 20 of the calendars will be. Damn.

Number of days: 25
Number of items: 29
Worth: Over £1,300.

John Lewis has truly outdone itself this year. Its calendar is bigger than it has ever been, with 41 total products worth four times as much as the retail price (yep, you read that right) including beauty tech for the first time ever.

Splash out a neat £250 to get a mini Foreo UFO (a heating and vibrating LED device that helps even your skin tone) along with a ton of other treats from brands like Medik8, Fenty Beauty, Sisley London, and Dermalogica.

Not only will beauty lovers relish in the selection of mascara, fragrance, serum, sheet masks, and body creams, but you’ll also have the chance to win even more thanks to mystery vouchers hidden throughout the calendar.

One in 41 will be in for the chance of winning a Shark CryoGlow Plus LED Mask, Clarins treatments, John Lewis gift cards, or more.

Talk about value for money! The calendar is available to order now in the rewards section of the John Lewis App.

It will be available to purchase in the app from 3 September, and on general sale from 7 September so mark your calendars!

Number of days: 25
Number of products: 41
Worth: £1,160.

I won’t lie to you, I’m as susceptible to a social media trend as the next person, and I’ve done my time of trying out new products that work and don’t work.

Cult Beauty has really leaned heavy on the ‘work’ with this calendar, which has 38 incredible products spread across 25 days. Of those, 17 are full-sized, and I want them all.

Some of the products I use genuinely every day are in here – K18’s AirWash Dry Shampoo and Vieve’s Super Skin Nova, namely – so it’s great to see them getting some love (and at such an insane discount).

Across the rest of the calendar, Cult Beauty has struck the perfect balance between products you’ve been desperate to try and price points you’ll be able to actually afford going forward.

This is one for the makeup enthusiasts, as it’s stuffed with the best of the best, like a blush palette from Patrick Ta, Saie blush, Milk Hydro Grip Primer, Charlotte Tilbury setting spray, and Hourglass lipstick.

But don’t worry, Cult Beauty knows better than anyone that it’s all about that base, so it’s included everything you need for a flawless foundation, like a Medik8 Peptide Cream, BYOMA Cleanser, Anua cream, and so much more.

Plus, this year, Cult Beauty’s Advent calendar is in support of MindOut, a charity supporting LGBTQ+ folk’s mental health and wellbeing, so you’ll know your money is doing good.

Number of days: 25
Number of products: 38
Worth: £1,100.

Ah, the people’s princess of the British high street. If there’s one brand that knows exactly what we want to see, it’s Boots, so we have high expectations of its Advent calendar.

And of course it doesn’t disappoint: the calendar is filled with 27 of Boots’ cult favourites, including NARS, Benefit, Clinique, Fenty and Colour Wow.

Thankfully, it’s not just minis on the menu, as there are 19 whole full-sized products to play with, meaning you save a whopping £560 on essentials you might already be buying.

Some of my personal faves include a full-sized Laneige lip mask, the holiday essential Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer, and a mini aura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder (which is perfect for chucking in your bag to de-shine after a sweaty commute).

Number of days: 24
Number of products: 27
Worth: £709.59

Aaaand the award for the most beautiful Advent calendar goes to: ELLE! The magazine has once again partnered with British fashion brand Chopova Lowena to illustrate the exterior of its Advent calendar, and it’s the prettiest I’ve seen yet.

The exterior looks like one of the designer’s covetable carabiner skirts, which you’ll want to keep out on display in your house like a piece of art work.

Unlike its skirts, the calendar comes in at £197 for £1,132 worth of products from some of the best beauty and skincare brands out there – think Murad, Shiseido, Votary, and Grown Alchemist.

Huge props to ELLE, too, because 20 of the 27 included products are full-sized, including a Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream, which is worth £54 alone.

Not only is there everything you need to enhance your everyday makeup routine in here, like Vieve’s Soul Shadows bronzing and highlighter palette and Gisou’s lip oil, but there are also a ton of luxury items that you could use for a proper at-home spa day.

Number of days: 25
Number of products: 27
Worth: £1,132.

If you’re already a Charlotte Tilbury fan, there’s no better way to get your fix than her annual Advent calendar.

Made up of 12 products, at around half the retail price of their worth, you’ll be able to stock up on (or try for the first time) 15 of her makeup and skincare favourites.

Let’s start with the thing you’ll get the most use out of: her Pillow Talk Velvet Organiser Makeup Pouch, which will home all of the treasures you unbox over the next 12 days.

There’s everything you need to set the foundations for your makeup, including a Magic Cream, Magic Serum, Facial Oil, and Gua Sha, so you can give yourself a little massage as you prepare for your day.

Then, there’s lip liners, highlighter, and lipstick galore, with multiple shades of Pillow Talk in every format you could like, not to mention a setting spray, lipstick, eyeliner, and mascara. Now that’s fabulous, darlings.

Number of days: 12
Number of products: 15
Worth: £325.50.

If there’s one thing you can count on Look Fantastic for, it’s being on top of the trends.

This year, it’s compiled this gorgeous calendar of 27 products, all chosen by big names you trust, from Molly Mae, to Sarah Jossel, and Olivia Attwood so you can get your hands on the products they themselves know and love.

Naturally, that means it’s full of enviable products from brand such as Medik8, UK Lash, Sol de Janeiro, the Ordinary, and Colour Wow, with 19 full-sized products to keep you going all year long.

I’m not going to lie, the packaging could be slightly more exciting and festive – it’s only red and purple – but I guess it could be reused if you feel like storing it until next Christmas.

It’s also chock a block with products we all know and love, like Colour Wow’s Dream Cocktail, Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze, UKLash Lash Serum, and so many more – all at an impressive 82% discount. Honestly, why wouldn’t you?

Number of days: 25
Number of products: 27
Worth: £665.

If you’re not one for fucking around with tiny bottles of beauty products, you’ll be pleased to hear Fortnum & Mason has created a calendar that champions mostly full-size products: 24 of the 25, to be precise.

Because it’s the epitome of British class, it naturally comes with tons of high-end brands inside. Expect everything from Ortigia to Sol de Janiero, Wildsmith, and Bamford, among other brands we’ll garner a guess you’d never buy for yourself.

As well as actual products, you’ll also get a teacup-decorated washbag, to truly get in the Fortnum spirit, as well as a pair of silk socks – because feet beauty counts, too!

Number of days: 25
Number of products: 25
Worth: £1,225

Space NK always knows how to capture a season: from its summer travel bags to winter, the high street staple is on top of cult products and timeless brands.

This year, it’s really captured our hearts with its beautiful Christmassy packaging, but it’s what’s on the inside that really counts.

It’s truly gone overboard, with every product being from the likes of Gisou, Medik8, Kosas, Laneige, Rare, REFY, Sol de Janeiro and Summer Fridays.

Unlike other calendars, Space NK has made sure it has products exclusive to its Advent calendar, so you won’t be able to get them anywhere else.

A whole 26 of the 35 products are full-sized, so you’ll be using them all year long, if not beyond, and there aren’t any repeats from last year, so if you’re a Space NK purist, you won’t have to worry about doubling up.

I’m seriously eyeing that Saltair body oil, and honestly I get overwhelmed every time I step into Space NK, so I’m glad for the chance to try some of its top picks without having to make 35 individual decisions myself.

Number of days: 25
Number of products: 35, 26 full-sized
Worth: £1,200.

Holland & Barrett has amassed quite the cult following over the past few years, and its mega fans will be pleased to hear it has upped its Advent calendar game accordingly.

This year marks the brand’s biggest one yet, with 26 products across 25 days. And let me tell you, you get more than bang for your buck.

While the Christmas tree covered-box isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing design out there, it’s what’s on the inside that counts, and the smorgasbord of Weleda, Faith in Nature, Q&A, and Fussy goodies delivers.

You’ll get a selection of supplements, soaps, cleansers, hair masks, serums, and moisturisers – all reliable essentials you can fall back on and know you can afford to repurchase year-round, unlike other pricier offerings out there.

It would also make a great gift for a family member who’s not fussed about luxury brands. H&B, we <3 you.

Number of days: 25
Number of products: 26
Worth: Over £266.

This is as exciting a hamper as we’ve ever seen. The ultimate calendar for any Lush fans out there, it’s full of 25 days of bath and body treats.

Not only does it contain fan favourites, including the Honey I Washed the Kids sugar scrub and Sticky Dates shower gel, but it’s also chock full of festive limited edition launches.

Honestly, they all sound absolutely scrumptious but some stand outs are the Smores shower gel (yum), The Most Famous Reindeer Of All soap, a Once Upon A Time candle – to name but a few.

You’ll also have a brat green, and sustainable, hamper to keep everything in, so they’re merely a reach away every time you want to have a bath; we wouldn’t be surprised if it kept you going for the next year.

Number of days: 25
Number of products: 25
Worth: Not clear.

If you’re only in it for the bath bombs, this card calendar will give you enough bombs to grant you one bath a week for half of the year.

You’ll be covered in glitter forever (and who doesn’t want that?) thanks to the likes of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Luna’s Butterfly, and Snowman Dreaming bath bombs.

Don’t worry, though, there’s plenty more where that came from: 25 total bombs and bars, in fact. If you can’t wait, it’s available to buy now, so knock yourself out with wintermaxxing in August.

Number of days: 25
Number of products: 25
Worth: Not stated.

If you’re feeling nostalgic, this Soap & Glory calendar will transport you back to 2015. At £48, this calendar is honestly great value for money, considering you get 24 gifts.

Should you not be willing to revisit that particular era of your life, it would also make an excellent gift for the teenage girl in your life, as it’s packed full of sheet masks, hand creams, lip masks and body butters.

It’s not just the brand’s regular Vanilla-licious and Call of Fruity scents you’ll get, either, there’s also a limited edition Velvet Cherry scent for Christmas, and it comes in the form of a body wash, body butter, and rollerball fragrance. Delish.

The whole thing comes packaged in a pretty pink and red box, with each gift in its own mini cardboard box, so it feels seriously premium when you’re opening it. You could even keep your new products in the lid of the box if you want to keep them on display.

Number of days: 24
Number of products: 24
Worth: Over £93.

• Molton Brown: 9th September
• M&S: 13th October.

To get from Earth to Pluto in a car (if such a thing were possible), you’d need to drive for about 6,000 years at motorway speeds.

This is just the distance between two planets in a single solar system. One light-year is about six trillion miles; the galaxy to which we belong, the Milky Way, is 100,000 light-years across.

Experts think there could be one to two billion galaxies in the universe. So, perhaps it’s no wonder that scientists have long wondered whether we can really be alone in that unfathomable expanse.

Astronomers have been listening for radio signals and other signs of life and activity for decades now.

And while it’s not linked to life on another planet, a team from the Centre for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian and the University of Oregon has announced an exciting first: they’ve picked up on radio signals that come directly from an exoplanet, or a planet beyond our solar system.

It was transmitted from the not-very-catchily-named exoplanet Beta Pictoris B. That’s important because previously, we’ve only been able to attach a radio signal to an exoplanet’s star, and not the planet itself.

More specifically, the radio signal originated from the planet’s aurora – charged particles interacting with its atmosphere and magnetic field, like our Northern Lights.

Scientists think the source is an aurora because of how the signal behaves. It showed up in “rapid, recurring, and highly circularly polarised bursts”, which you’d expect from conditions like these.

Beta Pictoris B is a “young, massive” planet which orbits the relatively new Beta Pictoris star.

But, the experts write, “no physical mechanism known to cause radio emission in early-type stars can explain the observed emission”.

The paper suggests that this is “the first direct measurement of magnetic field strength for an exoplanet”. It looks like Beta Pictoris B could have a magnetic field thousands of times stronger than Earth’s, possibly strengthened by its rapid spinning (a full Beta Pictoris B day lasts about eight hours).

But this finding might also mean we’re getting better at finding exactly where faraway signals are coming from.

The researchers found signals near Beta Pictoris B using South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope, and later narrowed its location down to the specific planet it likely belongs to by looking at active galaxy cores called quasars.

Seven other exoplanets in five solar systems close to Beta Pictoris are now being considered for closer examination.

“A ∼5x to 7x improvement in instrument sensitivity, expected from next-generation radio observatories, will bring them within reach of detection,” the paper, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, added.

Actress Hayden Panettiere died from the toxic effects of fentanyl and several other drugs, according to a toxicology report obtained by multiple media outlets Tuesday.

The 36-year-old’s cause of death was ruled accidental by the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, which conducted an autopsy after her death at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, on 16 August.

Also contributing to her death and found in her system were 4-ANPP, Alprazolam, Methocarbamol, and Quetiapine, according to the report.

“At autopsy no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death,” the coroner’s report states.

4-ANPP is a controlled substance that’s found in the illicit manufacturing of fentanyl, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Alprazolam, more commonly known as Xanax, is used to treat anxiety and panic disorders. Methocarbamol is a prescription muscle relaxer, and Quetiapine is prescribed to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder.

The DEA joined local and state officials in the investigation days after her death, ABC News reported at the time, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The Heroes and Nashville star was with her on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach Hickerson when she was found unresponsive.

She was pronounced dead at the scene after life-saving methods were performed “for an extended amount of time” by responding paramedics, according to a heavily redacted police report.

Panettiere was known to have had a volatile and unhealthy relationship with Brian Hickerson, who was arrested multiple times on suspicion of domestic violence against her, starting in 2019.

TMZ reported that the brothers were not invited to Panettiere’s celebration of life held this past weekend in Malibu, California.

Donald Trump has condemned the UK government’s “terrible” plan to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

The US president hit out at the “ridiculous” deal in his first face-to-face talks with Andy Burnham at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Trump said relations between the UK and America were “more up” now that Burnham had replaced Keir Starmer as prime minister.

He said Burnham was “going to be a great” – then delivered his damning verdict on the Chagos deal.

The UK government announced last year that it was going to pay Mauritius £9 billion over the next 99 years so the UK-US military base at Diego Garcia will continue to operate as it does at the moment.

But Trump said: “I don’t support it. I think it’s a terrible deal.

“They all of a sudden say they have ownership, somebody has ownership that never showed up before after decades and centuries. I think it’s ridiculous. No, we were talking about that.

“It’s strategically very important, very important. You know, we had to send our B-2 bombers when we bombed the Iran nuclear, we sent the B-2 bombers back home to Missouri. As opposed to flying for a short period of time, they had to fly for a long period of time.

“It’s amazing how strategic it is, and I think the prime minister is going to be looking at it. It’s very strategic location. And it’s unique…

“It’s a very important piece of real estate, militarily and strategically.”

Reform Uk leader Nigel Farage welcomed Trump’s comments.

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You might remember the heartbreaking story of Martha Mills, who died aged 13 after developing sepsis following an injury sustained during a bike ride.

Martha was admitted to hospital with pancreatic injury as a result of the end of her bike’s handlebar hitting into her stomach.

Per the BBC, her family’s concerns over her deterioration in hospital were not listened to, and – following her death – a coroner ruled that had she been referred promptly and appropriately treated, the “likelihood is that she would have survived her injuries”.

Her parents, Merope and Paul, later campaigned for a new rule whereby loved ones could flag concerns and trigger an urgent review if a patient’s condition deteriorated and they were concerned they weren’t being listened to by medical professionals.

This rule, dubbed Martha’s Rule, is now being rolled out across all NHS hospital A&E departments, with a view to complete this between now and March 2028.

Patients, loved ones and even staff in busy emergency departments will be able to call a dedicated Martha’s Rule phone number to trigger an urgent review if a patient’s condition is deteriorating and they are concerned this is not being acted upon.

This is different to a second opinion, where you’d speak to another consultant to discuss a diagnosis or treatment.

As the service is operated separately by each NHS Trust or hospital, the phone number will vary depending on location. This information will be displayed on posters and information around participating hospitals.

Between now and 2028, patients and their families can check with their local hospital or NHS trust website whether Martha’s Rule is available – you can also ask hospital staff on site.

According to the Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust website, you might call the Martha’s Rule number if your loved one is:

• Acting different to usual (/is not being themselves)
• Breathing differently
• Sweating or looking an unusual skin colour
• Experiencing reduced urine output or not passing urine
• More sleepy than usual or confused
• Cold or very hot to touch on their hands
• In pain and looks uncomfortable.

A pilot in seven trusts to test whether the escalation process worked in A&E environments found, over the course of eight months, 69 calls were made to dedicated Martha’s Rule phone numbers.

In some cases, this led to a patient having urgent surgery or being transferred to intensive care.

Discussing the rollout, Professor Aidan Fowler, National Director of Patient Safety at NHS England, said: “Martha’s Rule is already having a transformative effect in making our acute care even safer, and by expanding Martha’s Rule into A&Es, we are giving even more patients, their families and NHS staff a critical new lifeline to help improve care and save more lives.

“Early testing has shown that Martha’s Rule can work well in busy A&Es and builds on the evidence from our adult and children’s wards, where thousands of calls have been made by patients, families and staff to date – with many leading to changes in treatment and potentially life-saving interventions.”

So far, Martha’s Rule has been rolled out to 221 acute adult and paediatric inpatient sites. Hospitals are also expected to extend it to A&E, maternity and neonatal units by March 2028.

A charity which aims to kick racism out of sport could sue Reform UK after a council withdrew support for the organisation.

Chris Eynon, the leader of Sunderland City Council, said the local authority would no longer back “politically charged organisations with an agenda”.

He also accused Ged Grebby, chief executive of Show Racism The Red Card, of “stark political bias” over comments he has made criticising Reform.

Speaking to HuffPost UK, Grebby said he was expressing his own personal opinion rather than the charity’s, which he insisted has cross-party support.

He said any suggestions that Show Racism The Red Card was a political organisation “could cause huge damage” to the organisation.

Grebby said: “It’s a very serious accusation to say a charity is being party political.

“If Reform are making false accusations against us, our lawyer will look into whether it is libel.”

He added: “I’ve got a right to have my own political views, and I stand by comments I’ve made about Nigel Farage and Reform being dangerous. But as a charity we need to be cross-party.”

He said any suggestion that Show Racism The Red Card is linked to the Labour Party was “absolute nonsense”.

“As a charity we’ve got the support of the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Greens,” Grebby said. “We’ve always worked with other political parties.”

Sunderland City Council has supported the charity since it was set up 30 years ago.

In the last year, the funding it received from the authority trained 250 teachers and educated 1,675 young people in the local area about tackling racism.

Grebby said the charity had been planning to re-apply for funding from the council, but now there was “no point”.

“The damage will be that we’re unable to provide those programmes in future,” he said.

Asked about Sunderland City Council’s decision on LBC, Reform home affairs spokesman Robert Jenrick refused to criticise them.

He said he had “not seen the evidence” behind the claim that Show Racism The Red Card is a “politically-charged organisation”.

But in a later post on X, Jenrick accused Grebby of being “a left-wing political activist”.

He said: “Residents would be right to question whether this organisation should be supported financially by their council under Mr Grebby’s leadership.

“Taxpayers shouldn’t be paying the wages of political activists like Mr Grebby. If Show Racism The Red Card wants to command public support, and receive public money and charitable status, I’d suggest they look for a new CEO.”

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