Christmas is vastly approaching and the last thing we want to do is slow it down, but instead get into the festive spirit and demand our perfect advent calendars just in time!

The 24 day countdown is the most exciting of all – and with Christmas time encouraging us to eat to your heart’s content (and piling on the pounds as a result), what better way to celebrate each day than a cosmetic gift rather than a miniature piece of chocolate! From nail varnish to moisturiser, to makeup and perfume, these famous favourite brands provide a selection of great countdowns which are utterly irresistible!

1. Best of Benefit – Enjoy Christmas time with Benefit and look absolutely radiant and beautiful with their ‘candy-coated countdown’. Each day opens up to a mini me version of one of their bestsellers, from nail varnish and lip gloss to primer and foundation – Benefit offers the best beauty package to make sure you look your best for the lead up towards Christmas. Candy Coated Countdown is £60 and available at Benefit UK or Debenhams.

2. Body Shop Joy – Everybody loves the luxurious and comforting smells of Body Shop‘s products, and with this 24 days of joy calendar you are sure to have glowing soft skin along with a lush fruity scent. The calendar includes a range of products from body lotion and hand creams, to lip balms, makeup products and scented soaps. If you are in two minds about whether to purchase this perfect calendar, maybe knowing that it saves you £33 from buying the products individually will change your mind. A bargain irresistible! 24 Days of Joy is £50 and available at The Body Shop or other selected beauty stores.

3. Wonderful W7 – For a calendar with great value for money – W7 is the answer! Just £19.95 the calendar opens each day with a different make-up item from their delightful collection, ranging from items of mascara, eye-liner and concealer – giving you no need to spend a fortune on make-up! Countdown to Christmas is £19.95 and available at W7 and The Brilliant Gift Shop.

4. The Gift of No7 – 25 days of Beauty Secrets from No7 makes opening the doors feel like a little piece of expensive heaven each day. Worth £130 yet only costing £35 it is one of the best Christmas calendars that provides you with more than your money purchases. The countdown includes a selection of their bestsellers and the iconic No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Day Cream. 25 Days of Beauty Secrets is available at Boots.

5. Ciaté Nail Care – The Manicure Manor is full of 24 mini nail colours including their most popular shades: Mistress, Amazing Gracie and Cupcake Queen. The nail care calendar also includes five textured polishes, one exclusive full size pot and a set of festive nail transfers to create your Christmassy style nails during the festive month. Mini Mani Manor is £49 and available at Ciate London.

6. Lovely Liberty – A more expensive option, but a calendar worth £420 of beauty goodies and favourites. The Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar offers ten full-sized products, deluxe samples and exclusive treatment vouchers. The beautiful drawers covered in the classic Hera Liberty print open up each day to costly designer gifts ranging from moisturisers, creams and other beauty products. The Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar is £149 and available at Liberty.

7. Thank God for Tesco – 2014 welcomes Tesco first ever cosmetic advent calendar containing £125 worth of amazing products for just £50. The Christmas calendar includes products from Nip + Fab, Korres, Katy Perry, Tanya Burr and Dr. LeWinns making it the perfect beauty parcel. The Tesco beauty calendar is £50.

8. Selfridges Special – The Enchanted Spells calendar from Selfridges sparks a superb countdown to Christmas with a number of different potions and lotions to make sure you have the perfect beauty products from Victor & Rolf Perfume picks to YSL skincare specials.The Enchanted Spells advent calendar is £85.

Known as the ‘Make-up addicts one’ Benefit is a favourite amongst many bloggers and magazines, with London Beauty Queen, Louise Sprinkle of Glitter and even Zoella all endorsing the candy-coated calendar. Zoella included Benefit UK in her top three favourites, she said: ‘The must have calendar of the year. It’s such a great way to sample some new products, as well as a lovely treat each day!’

One more Calendar that hasn’t gone unnoticed amongst Cosmopolitan UK, Marie Claire and Grazia – as well as a number of influential bloggers, is The Body Shop Advent Calendar. After Benefit, this calendar is a popular choice to countdown the festive days. International make-up artist Karla Powell was able to test out the products included and said: ‘My favourite three products ensure me they won’t irritate my models skin or leave it feeling dry or tight. These products are very gentle and all the ingredients are Fair Trade. If you have sensitive skin, this range is definitely worth a try when working with models or on yourself.’

The Body Shop Advent Calendar surprises every day until Christmas Eve! Who has one and what are your… http://t.co/im6ci4UjtA

— The Body Shop Aust (@TheBodyShopAust) December 14, 2014

Check out ‘Tis the Season WNOL Christmas magazine special for a selection of gifts and beauty products perfect for yourself and for others.

Pictures: Benefit UK, The Body Shop, W7, Boots, Ciaté London, Liberty London, Tesco, Selfridges