Novelty advent calendars are very much on the rise, and it's for good reason. Despite what you might think, not everyone is a chocolate fan, and sometimes it helps to have other options for people to enjoy. Beauty Advent calendars [1] are becoming more and more popular, especially when it comes to brands like Charlotte Tilbury, Boots, and Lush. This year, fashion retailer Flannels [2] has gotten into the Advent calendar game, with its first one featuring brands like 111Skin, Nars, and Sarah Chapman.
If beauty or chocolate don't take your fancy (somehow), then there's plenty more to choose from. Whether its sweet treats like marshmallows and Colin The Caterpillar faces or something a little more unexpected, like cheese and mochi balls, there's genuinely something for everyone this year.
Read on to discover some of the most unexpected Advent calendars of 2021.
Little Moons Mochi Balls Advent Calendar
The Little Moons Advent Calendar [3] (£35) features 24 doors of delicious mochi balls to enjoy in the run up to Christmas, with flavours including mince pie, nutcracker, candy cane, and Belgian chocolate hazelnut.
The Advent calendar is available now, exclusively at Selfridges and the Little Moons online store.
Cheesies "Better than a Cheese-Bored" Advent Calendar
Cheesies is a London-based start-up who specialise in delicious baked cheese snacks, and it's released its first annual Advent calendar, "Better than a Cheese-Bored". Containing 24 bags of Cheesies, the calendar will feature six different varieties: cheddar, red Leicester, Gouda, Emmental, Goat's Cheese, and the limited-edition chilli cheddar Cheesies.
The Cheesies Better than a Cheese-Bored Advent Calendar [4] (£30) is available from the website now.
Giant Welsh Cheese Advent Calendar
This Giant Welsh Cheese Advent Calendar [5] (£150) is packed with 24 individual portions of artisan Welsh cheese, which in total comes to about 4.2 kilograms of cheese. Showcasing some of the best cheesemakers from across Wales, the calendar is specially designed to be stored in the fridge.
Tatti Lashes Advent Calendar
Tatti Lashes is the Liverpool-based brand that caught Tiktok star Abby Roberts's attention [6] back in October, when she released her first collaboration with the brand. This year, the Tatti Lashes Advent Calendar [7] (£80) features 25 of its bestselling products, all in full sizes.
Durex Advent Calendar
The Durex Advent Calendar [8] (£60) features 12 days of adventurous products, ranging from sensual lubrication and bullet vibrators to natural condoms and accessories for couples.
The Naked Marshmallow Advent Calendar
The Naked Marshmallow Advent Calendar [9] (£16) is quite simply an Advent calendar full of marshmallows. Filled with flavours from mint chocolate chip to fizzy cola bottle, what's not to love?
Marks and Spencer Colin The Caterpillar Advent Calendar
This Marks and Spencer Colin The Caterpillar Advent Calendar [10] (£10) may be our favourite yet. Filled with, yep, you guessed it, 24 delicious Colin faces for each day leading up to Christmas. The calendar also features an extra large Colin face for Christmas day.
Flying Goose Sriracha Advent Calendar
For hot sauce fans, this Flying Goose Sriracha Advent Calendar [11] (£40) is the obvious choice. Complete with 12 mini bottles of Flying Goose sriracha, flavours range from a fresh yuzu and tikka to extra hot and garlic.