With the festive season almost upon us, choosing an advent calendar has become just as exciting as unwrapping Christmas presents! From make-up to cheese, toys to beauty products and not forgetting classic chocolate, there really is something for everyone.

In part one of our count down to advent, here's our round up of the best calendars for men and women.

1. Lush 12 Days of Christmas

Vegan beauty lovers rejoice! Lush’s bumper 24-day advent calendar may have sold out ages ago but you can still get your hands on their 12 Days of Christmas calendar. All the great Lush smells you’d expect, and nice festive products including the Candy Cane bubble bar and Jingle Bells bath bomb, this one costs £75 and is available in store and at https://uk.lush.com/christmas/12-days-of-christmas-gift.

2. L’Occitane Luxury Calendar

For ultimate indulgence, look no further than L’Occitane’s Luxury Calendar this year. It’s crammed with £135 worth of hero products including Almond Shower Oil, Immortele Divine Cream and Shea Ultra Rich Lip Balm but retails at £99. It’s available from L’Occitane Boutiques and online at https://uk.loccitane.com/luxury--christmas-advent-calendar,83,1,93887,1559311.htm

3. ASOS Grooming 12 Day Advent Calendar

A great pampering package for men, this contains eight full sized products and four travel size, with a mix of skin, body and haircare items. Brands include This Works, L’Oreal and Bulldog and it’s all packaged in a reusable Perspex box. It’s available at https://www.asos.com/beauty-extras/asos-grooming-12-day-advent-calendar/prd/20611427 for £35.

4. Soap & Glory 24 Days to Roam The Foam Advent Calendar

A bumper box in Soap & Glory’s iconic pink packaging, it’s crammed with favourites from the range including body butter, hand cream, scrubs and shower gel, as well as useful products such as a face mitt and nail file. It costs £42 in store in Boots and online at https://www.boots.com/soap-and-glory-24-days-to-roam-the-foam-advent-calendar-10281198.

5. Advent of Change Candle

Make your home smell good, and do some good for the world with this luxury candle. Like all of the company’s traditional advent calendars, £1 per day is donated to charity, and the candle – which is made from 100% wax and no parabens - is accompanied by a booklet which explains exactly what the sum achieves for each of the 24 good causes. It costs £24.95 from adventofchange.com and John Lewis & Partners stores nationwide and online.

6. Make Arcade Craftvent Calendar

Get busy personalising your own Christmas with this great craft kit from Make Arcade. Instead of opening traditional days, there’s a numbered envelope and each one contains a felt sewing kit containing everything you need to make a cute and quirky Christmas decoration. The Craftvent Calendar costs £60 – including postage – and is available at https://www.themakearcade.co.uk/collections/craftvent-calendars/products/craftvent-calendar-full-payment-option.

7. Liverpool FC Musical Advent Calendar

Liverpool fans can relieve their memorable year as Premier League champions with this musical calendar from Danilo. Along with facts and trivia, players and logos are unveiled each day to be added to a moving scene, while ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ plays. It’s priced £25, can be enjoyed year after year, and is available direct from www.danilo.com, as well as Calendar Club, Amazon, and the club’s own official store.

8. Nivea Ski-Lodge

This one’s always a sell out and it’s no surprise. It boasts both travel sized and full sized skincare essentials, including lip balm, shower cream and deodorant, along with pampering gifts and it’s all housed in a festive ski chalet-style box. It’s available for £39.99 at https://www.amazon.co.uk/NIVEA-Calendar-Christmas-Variety-Products/dp/B08F9GMLXM

9. Macmillan 24 Days of Beauty

With so many great beauty ranges at Boots, it’s hard to choose but fortunately, you don’t need to with this luxury offering. There’s products from Liz Earle, Botanics, Soap & Glory, No7 and Sleek MakeUp, to name just a few. Best of all, £2 from every sale of the £85 calendar goes to Macmillan Cancer Support. https://www.boots.com/macmillan-24-days-of-beauty-advent-calendar-10282229

10. Draper Tools

DIY lovers rejoice – there’s a new calendar out there just for you! For £34.99, you can fill a sturdy toolbox (also included) with new kit every day. The 49 tools and essentials inside include a magnetic screwdriver, hexagon keys, adjustable wrench and a measuring tape. £1 for every calendar sold goes to NHS Charities Together too. For stockists’ details visit www.drapertools.com

11. Kindred Fires Advent Candle

Fill your home with the scents of Christmas with Kindred Fires’ beautiful range of hand-made, personalised advent candles. Every day, cross off the date and light the candle for an hour to mark the countdown to the big day while enjoying the orange and cinnamon aroma. They cost £16 from https://www.kindredfires.com/products/advent-calendar-christmas-candle?_pos=1&_sid=ce0d52f07&_ss=r