Cult Beauty

What's in the box: A December countdown of full-size and travel-size products from a mix of well-known and newer beauty brands across skincare, makeup, haircare and fragrance.

Cult Beauty is a long-running UK beauty retailer known for picking up new brands early, and its yearly advent calendar is one of the better-known ones in Britain. THG agreed to buy the business for £275m in 2021, but it still trades under its own name and still releases a calendar each year. This year's December edition mixes established favourites with newer names. It is advertised as worth over £1,100 and costs £245. That is a lot to pay at once, and like any 'worth' figure, the value only holds up if you would actually use most of what is inside. The site also sells smaller themed edits covering skincare, makeup, fragrance, haircare and body care, which are a cheaper way to try its curation first. Shopper ratings on those edits vary widely, from strong scores on some to a poor score on the fragrance edit, so read the reviews before you buy. The calendar is a one-off seasonal purchase, not a rolling subscription, so there is nothing to cancel later. The homepage does not list the full contents, so check the product page carefully before you commit.