Kiehl’s beauty advent calendar: A whistle-stop tour through its bestselling products, for under £100

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Founded in 1851 in New York, Kiehl’s has cemented its status as a reliable and enduring name in skincare, make-up and haircare for more than a century. Famed for its simple, fuss-free products and science-backed approach to formulas, the beauty brand delivers premium quality at pleasingly affordable price points.

Each year, Kiehl’s limited edition holiday advent calendar is much-loved thanks to its quirky design and roster of the brand’s bestsellers.

Whether you’re completely new to Kiehls or love its formulas and want to find even more favourites, its £99 calendar offers a whistle-stop tour through the brand’s most coveted products.

Aimed toward skincare fanatics, behind the doors you’ll find everything from moisturisers and serums to toners, eye creams, hand salves and face scrubs.

A fun way to trial formulas, discover a new beauty essential and save money on products, beauty advent calendars are more popular than ever – and from Harvey Nichols’ luxe offering to LookFantastic’s value-for-money countdown, we’re spoilt for choice this year.

To help you decide if Kiehl’s calendar is worth your money, we got our hands on the beauty box to assess its contents. Priced at £99, it’s one of the most affordable beauty calendars around – but how does its contents stand up against others on the market?

We committed the cardinal Christmas sin and opened each drawer before December, trialling the products and considering their size, value-for-money and quality. Here’s what to expect if you countdown to Christmas with Kiehl’s this year.

Designed by the Cape Town and London based studio, Made By Radio, Kiehl’s calendar is packaged in one of the most fun and vibrant boxes we’ve seen this year. Cased in a sleeve that’s illustrated with a holiday street scene and an eclectic cast of characters, the same scene is printed on the calendar itself.

The quirky design carries on inside, with the two doors opening up to reveal 24 boxes. A different print details each day, from a Kiehl’s emblazoned motorcycle to a giant bauble, ice skates and retro airplane. Embodying the unique marketing of Kiehl’s, the interesting design sets it apart from more understated calendars and only adds to the appeal.

Plus, unlike other calendars, each product is packed into a cardboard box rather than a drawer – meaning each could be easily gifted as a stocking filler or secret santa.

On the first day of Kiehl’s advent calendar, you are immediately treated to one of the brand’s most popular formulas: its midnight recovery cream (14ml). Designed for use nightly, the cream glides on smoothly and helps to visibly plump skin overnight.

The next few boxes are similarly packed with pampering treats, from the vitamin C eye serum (3ml) and the silky smooth calendula serum-infused water cream (7ml) to the midnight recovery concentrate (4ml), botanical cleansing oil (40ml) and the nourishing avocado hydration mask (5g).

Another crowd pleaser, Kiehl’s ultra facial oil-free cream, can be found behind the seventh door. Lauded for its effectiveness at minimising the look of visible pores, there’s no better time than festive party season to try the cream. Also in the ultra range family, the travel-size facial cleanser (30ml) and facial toner (40m) are further standouts.

We’ve been an avid user of Kiehl’s lip balm (15ml) for years, so were delighted to open a tube on the 18th day. The moisturising formula is a godsend for dry lips and avoids being sticky.

The creamy avocado eye treatment (14ml) was also pleasingly soothing below our tired peepers and is a real treat, as is the creme de corps (30ml). It’s a rich formula to moisturse dry skin areas and the vitamin C-infused line reducing concentrate (15ml) helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines.

Serving as the perfect stocking filler for a partner or friend, there’s also a men’s body fuel energising wash for body and hair (30ml), energising scrub (15ml) to exfoliate skin and an ultimate strength hand salve (30ml) to soothe dry hands (a blessing during winter).

As you near the main event, you’re treated to the brand’s herbal-extract toner (75ml) to soothe and cleanse skin and the bestselling ultra facial cream (28ml), a staple of our beauty regime owing to its lightweight, hydrating formula. Come Christmas Eve, it’s safe to say your skincare arsenal will be very well stocked.

Owing to its price point, it’s no surprise that the Kiehl’s calendar is full of mini and travel-sized products – but we have few complaints about this. With most calendars pushing £300, it’s refreshing to see a more affordable calendar that doesn’t scrimp on the quality of the formulas found inside.

A great gift to a skincare lover in your life, the calendar counts down to Christmas with the brand’s bestselling formulas and lets you sample products you may choose to invest in in the long run. We also love that it includes three men’s products which will make perfect stocking fillers.

Buy now

With 24 popular products spanning serums, moisturisers, creams, scrubs, masques, eye treatments and more found in the Kiehl’s advent calendar, it’s a real treat for skincare fans. Though, as previously mentioned, you won’t find any full-size products here – but, if you do decide to invest, Kiehl’s comparably affordable offering is a lovely gift to friends, family or yourself. Packed with effective formulas to pamper and nourish skin, it’s a fun festive way to discover a new favourite product that you might choose to later invest in.

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