Boots beauty advent calendars for 2026, reviewed

Skincare buffs, this one is for you. Hitting the buzzy words and trends, the Boots 24 days of skin advent calendar is centred around Korean skincare, hydration, barrier repair, and “glass skin”, with anti-ageing and blemish care as a second theme.

With products like the Beauty of Joseon ginseng essence water, Anua PDRN hyaluronic acid mist and Haruharu back rice barrier essence, it’s particularly suited to someone looking for hydration from their skincare. There’s also a plumping, smoothing, firming angle with Mediheal collagen ampoule pads, Dr. Reju-All PDRN rejuvenating mask and Genebelle PDRN rejuvenating cream making the list. However, it offers a gentle anti-ageing routine rather than a serious anti-ageing treatment calendar as there’s no obvious retinoid-heavy component, for example.

Appealing to many, it’s very Korean-skincare influenced with brands like Beauty of Joseon, Anua, Haru Haru, Round Lab and Tocobo among others so it’ll tick the box for someone interested in K-beauty, essences, toners, ampoules, PDRN, barrier care and glow.

Where it lacks is in products for oily and acne-prone skin. While hero patches are useful and beauty expert Lucy Smith said she “found [her] blemishes were out of sight in around half the time they usually take to heal” in her review, one pack of pimple patches and a salicylic-acid body wash won’t satisfy those after treating pigmentation and stubborn texture. Cleansing is also overrepresented with two cleansing balms and one face wash included, though I’m pleased to see The Inkey List oat cleansing balm in the list.

There are two SPF products, which are always useful, and some extras like Clean Skin Club towels that have been doing the rounds on socials.

Overall, I’d say this is best suited to someone who loves trying new products, has normal, dry, dehydrated or combination skin and is after a glowy, plump complexion, supporting barrier health and wants to try the buzzy Korean skincare brands. And at £70 this does feel like a steal.

When does it launch?

The Boots 24 days of skin advent calendar is available to shop right now.