ESPA advent calendar that rivals Jo Malone and Molton Brown beauty editors say is 'pure luxury'

When it comes to beauty advent calendars, some prefer those that are simply jam-packed with makeup, while others may be on the hunt for a skincare-centric countdown. Others enjoy the diversity of multi-brand offerings, but for fashion and beauty editor Rachel Pugh, there’s one brand she turns to year after year: ESPA .

This year, the ESPA's Wellbeing Advent Calendar for 2024 is worth £488, but those looking to indulge in some spa-like self care can pick it up for £175. Containing 24 high end bath, body and skincare heroes, the calendar saves more than £300 on the contents, and is said to offer ‘a much-needed daily dose of zen’.

The calendar even rivals the likes of Jo Malone, Molton Brown and Rituals , who have all released their own festive offerings for 2024. But Rachel says ESPA’s reliable calendar ‘never disappoints’, describing it as ‘pure luxury’. Here’s what she had to say about it:

READ MORE: Best beauty advent calendars for 2024 that are available to buy now from Boots, Liz Earle and more

READ MORE: I saved more than £850 on high end products with Cult Beauty's 'unmatched' 2024 advent calendar

As the name suggests, ESPA's 2024 Advent Calendar is centred around wellbeing, and offers a much-needed daily dose of zen each day in the run-up to Christmas. I don't know about you, but I find December the most stressful month of the year when it comes to balancing work, family and friends with festive preparations, so I'm looking forward to diving into ESPA's 2024 Advent Calendar for a guaranteed moment of relaxation each day.

The product I'm most looking forward to using is the Winter Spice Votive Candle. I've had a little sniff of it and it smells unreal (but then, I expect nothing less from ESPA). It's going to be a difficult task to keep this unburned until December, but I know the pay-off will be worth it when I'm kicking back in a heated blanket with EastEnders on and a glass of Baileys in hand, ignoring the cold outside.

If, like me you're into anti-ageing, also worthy of note is the huge selection of products you'll get from ESPA's groundbreaking Tri-Active Regenerating range - all of which have been scientifically designed effective to targeting signs of ageing, dry skin, and congested complexions by encouraging cellular renewal.

Because you'll be getting a whopping five products from the Tri-Active Regenerating range , you'll be able to use them all concurrently for maximum results. There are also an impressive seven products from the Active Nutrients Optimal Skin range inside the calendar.

These are a selection of naturally powerful, glow-giving formulas for ultimate skin confidence. Oh, and they'll have you feeling like you've just stepped out of a spa following a £200 facial - I can personally vouch for that.

So in a nutshell, if you want to kick off 2025 with the most gorgeously radiant, glowing and youthful skin, it's definitely worth considering ESPA's 2024 Advent Calendar . It will allow you to try out plenty of skincare remedies from the ESPA range, many of which are larger pots and bottles, so you can discover what does and doesn't work for your skin before needing to invest in individual products.

If a bath is your bag in the cold winter months, as it is mine, there's plenty to stock up your bathroom cabinet. There's enough inside to enjoy a long soak, and prevent skin from becoming dry and flakey in the cold winter months.

The Energising Bath & Body Oil is a personal favourite of mine. It's absolutely oozing with gorgeous aromatherapy scents, which have been designed to revitalize and awaken the bather. I recommend using this alongside the Exfoliating Body Polish or Refining Skin Polish, which will scrub away nasty dead skin cells, to keep your skin looking smooth and polished even on the coldest of days. I find the Exfoliating Polish is great for tanning prep, too.

The Muscle Rescue Balm proves something of a saviour for gym goers, especially after leg day (if you know you know), but is also the perfect to size to pop into your handbag for work if aching muscles prove a problem. Another handbag hero is the Rejuvenating Hand Cream.

We all know how quickly our hands can dry out when it gets cold, so I recommend keeping this one on you, and applying after washing. It's a deeply conditioning hand cream designed to nourish and soften. My mum enjoys this one - she's a frequent dog walker and spends a lot of the day outside in the garden, so if she's a fan, that's testimony indeed.

Those are my personal favourites inside ESPA's 2024 £175 Wellbeing Advent Calendar , but that's not everything. There's plenty more inside to tickle your fancy.

Here' everything you'll get inside ESPA's 2024 £175 Wellbeing Advent Calendar (WORTH £488)

• Active Nutrients Optimal Skin Cleansing Oil - 30ml

• Active Nutrients Optimal Skin Pro-Cleanser - 50ml

• Active Nutrients Optimal Skin Pro- Serum - 10ml

• Active Nutrients Optimal Skin Instant Facial - 30ml

• Active Nutrients Isotonic Hydration Mask - 55ml

• Active Nutrients Super Nourish Glossing Shampoo - 50ml

• Active Nutrients Super Nourish Glossing Conditioner - 50ml

• Pink Hair and Scalp Mud - 30ml tube

• Fitness Shower Gel - 30ml

• Exfoliating Body Polish - 100ml

• Energising Bath & Body Oil - 15ml

• Muscle Rescue Balm - 15ml

• Positivity Pulse Point Oil - 9ml

• Refining Skin Polish - 15ml

• Overnight Hydration Therapy - 30ml

• Nourishing Lip Treatment - 5ml

• Rejuvenating Hand Cream - 15ml

• Tri-Active™ Resilience Pro-Biome Eye Treatment - 15ml

• Tri-Active™ Regenerating Bio-Retinol Sleeping Serum - 10ml

• Tri-Active™ Regenerating Phyto-Collagen Plumping Mask - 30ml

• Tri-Active™ Regenerating Phyto-Collagen Plumping Cream - 15ml

• Tri-Active™ Regenerating Treatment Oil - 10ml

• Tri-Active™ Regenerating Smooth & Firm Body Butter - 55g

• Winter Spice Votive Candle - 70g

• ESPA Home Headband

If you want to get your hands on ESPA's 2024 Wellbeing Advent Calendar (WORTH £488) for £175, you can do so by clicking here. But if it's not quite what you're looking for, don't worry, because there are plenty of other options available too.

Another of my favourites, year in, year out, is the LOOKFANTASTIC Advent Calendar. This year's is no exception, and looking at the price point, it's an absolute steal. The LOOKFANTASTIC Advent Calendar for 2024 costs £100, but contains an eye-watering £565-worth of products. Inside you'll find an Aladdin's Cave of beauty editor-approved brands, with Medik8, Elemis and Estée Lauder all included.

The full-size ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Marine Cream inside is worth £64 on its own. Combined with the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum, worth £35, that comes to a total of £99 - pretty much the cost of the entire calendar with two out of 25 items.

Another 'must consider' beauty advent calendar comes courtesy of Cult Beauty . This one is a little more expensive, costing £235, but with a combined product total of £1,100 inside, it would be difficult to argue that it's not exceptional value for money. Read The Mirror’s full review of the Cult Beauty calendar here . Or pick up the ESPA calendar for £175 here.