Most years I write about advent calendars for the December magazine, but readers have told me they are often sold out by this time. In fact, the success of advent calendar sales is remarkable.

No longer just a countdown for kids with chocolates behind each door, companies now offer advent calendars in themes from DIY to Harry Potter and everything in between.

Beauty calendars have been a long-time favourite of women and are becoming increasingly popular with men. Customers often need to join a waiting list – sometimes as early as September – so I hope this year we will all have time to indulge!

Great value for money

I highly recommend beauty calendars, not just as lovely gifts for friends and family, but also as a treat for yourself, especially if it is a brand you like and would usually buy from. There is no doubt they are great value for money. Companies offer some of their best products for you to try in the hope you will become a repeat customer, and it seems to be working for both the brand and the customer, as there are more and more being introduced to the market each year.

The original high-end calendar from Liberty of London, who are celebrating their 147-year history, is worth over £1,000 and is loaded with superb items, including the annual Golden Ticket where five lucky customers could win £1,000!

Harrods offer a lovely box which resembles their famed exterior and contains 25 very upmarket skincare items; yours for £250 with a value of over £1,000.

Most of us, I imagine, will be looking for a more reasonably priced calendar, so I’ll share a few below. I suggest, if you have a particular favourite brand, you go straight to their website to see what they’re offering this year.

Charlotte Tilbury offer a 15% discount if you create an account on their website – a nice little incentive that will save you some money. Her calendar is a gorgeous jewellery-style box with drawers; always a sell-out and a nice keepsake.

Boots started a waiting list in September, as their calendars are so sought-after; especially their No7 range. Liz Earle is a great choice – their Cleanse & Polish product wins awards every year and has become a particular favourite of mine. £75 will get you 12 of their best sellers. Other favourites are Benefit and Nivea.

Ted Baker have a jam-packed offering contained in a pretty floral box with 24 surprises including bath and body, make-up and so much more. A lovely gift for just £46. For the men, Baylis & Harding have a very smart box with a majestic stag on the front containing 24 items for only £45.

A superb offering

Marks & Spencer’s advent calendar just went on sale from 26th October, so hopefully you won’t miss out on the opportunity to buy what I feel is a superb offering – it costs just £40 but has a value of £340! You need to spend £25 on clothing, home and beauty to take advantage of this offer.

I really like the contents of the M&S calendar, which include three Philip Kingsley hair products, Clinique, Morad, Aveda, Nails Inc. and much more. They might not all be full sizes, but it’s a fabulous chance to try some excellent brands. I hope I get there in time as this looks like a winner to me!