Ipsy opens beauty advent calendar to non-members as discovery drives demand

Ipsy has opened its Beauty Advent Calendar to non-members for the first time. The widening access to its holiday drop comes as shoppers focus on value and discovery this festive season.

Each of the calendar’s 25 doors reveals a different product across makeup, skin care, and hair care, from brands including Too Faced, Gisou, Glow Recipe, Elemis, and Briogeo.

Stacey Politi, chief marketing officer at Ipsy, tells Personal Care Insights that the 2026 calendar is “an extension of what the brand does best: making beauty exciting, fun, and accessible.”

After the 2025 edition sold out, Ipsy has made 1,000 of its 2026 advent calendars available to non-members.

“We’re able to target not only our existing community of Ipsy members but also beauty lovers who may be experiencing Ipsy for the first time and looking for a fun beauty discovery experience this holiday season,” says Politi.

Beauty curated for gifting (or keeping)

The calendar is designed to introduce shoppers to products they may not have chosen, whether they buy it as a gift or for themselves.

The 2026 Ipsy Advent Calendar features 25 days of beauty surprises from brands including Glow Recipe, Too Faced, Gisou, Elemis, and Briogeo.“Consumers are increasingly looking for value, but they don’t want value to come at the expense of discovery or quality,” says Politi. “The best beauty advent calendars now have to deliver a compelling assortment, brands and products people are genuinely excited to try, and an experience that feels special enough to gift or buy for yourself.”

The calendar comes in Beauty Land packaging, designed to turn the countdown into a playful and fun experience.

Discovery and trial lead festive joy

According to Ipsy’s 2026 Beauty Discovery Report, 70% of members rely on the company to discover what’s next in beauty, and 75% have bought or plan to buy products they first discovered through it. 

For Politi, discovery and trial are “incredibly powerful” in seasonal launches because beauty is such an experiential category. “Often you need to actually try a product before realizing it belongs in your routine,” she says.

“Advent calendars create multiple opportunities for that kind of discovery in a format that feels fun and accessible, while giving brands the chance to reach consumers who may be experiencing their products for the first time.”

The type of beauty format also has a social dimension, she adds, “combining surprise and mystery with a shared social experience as beauty consumers reveal, react to, and discuss each product with online communities.”

Exclusivity is not enough

Limited-edition and seasonal elements can also “create a real sense of urgency and make a holiday offering feel distinct from what consumers can shop all year-round,” Politi tells us. 

However, she notes that consumers are “increasingly savvy about the actual value inside an advent calendar, so exclusivity alone isn’t enough.”

Instead, the assortment has to deliver — by combining established and emerging brands and giving shoppers something new behind each door.

Social media has also made advent calendars “uniquely shareable,” as the format lends itself to reveals, unboxings, and real-time reactions.

“Creators can give consumers a much more tangible sense of the assortment and overall experience, while also introducing individual products to audiences that may not have encountered them otherwise,” says Politi. 

“At the same time, owned channels and editorial remain important for communicating value and helping consumers understand what makes a particular advent calendar worth purchasing.”Each of the calendar’s 25 doors reveals a different product across makeup, skin care, and hair care.

Insights beyond the season

Beyond sales, seasonal launches give brands valuable data about consumer preferences. 

“Seasonal launches give brands another way to deepen their relationship with consumers by creating memorable moments around discovery,” Politi says. “They can also provide valuable signals about the brands, categories, and products consumers are most excited to engage with, which can help inform future curation and experiences.”

Ipsy says it uses these learnings to shape its curation and subscription offering, which is available as a gift in three-, six-, and 12-month options.