Benefit's advent calendar this year is called The Hotel Beneville. You check in, and behind every door there's something from their line-up, plus a few bits they're calling VIP-only surprises.
Is the Benefit advent calendar makeup or skincare?
Makeup. If you want serums and cleansers, this isn't the box. But if you like a brow gel, a blusher, a mascara and a primer, and you'd rather try a spread of one brand than get twenty four brands you have no opinion on, it's a good shout.
Single-brand calendars are underrated for exactly that reason. You come out the other side knowing what you like. Benefit is also very forgiving to use, which matters to me, because nothing in their range needs a steady hand or a technique video first (I'm not good at makeup, so that's a big deal).
The quick facts
The Benefit Advent Calendar 2026 has 24 doors and costs £149, and Benefit value the contents at over £300. It went on sale on 1 September at benefitcosmetics.com.
The named products and what each one does are in my Benefit advent calendar post.