Beauty Beat: Top advent calendars
Give yourself the gift of multiple little presents this year
Advent calendars are a particularly wholesome form of entertainment — a cheerful countdown involving daily doses of chocolates from December 1 until Christmas day. It’s sweet enough to make my teeth hurt. However, the bar for advent calendar greatness has been raised thanks to the beauty world. Here are our top five beauty advent calendars to give yourself or the skincare/make-up/ bath care obsessive in your life.
1
The Body Shop: The OG natural skincare and body care brand has released an Enchanted by Nature collection for Christmas that is inspired by a winter forest and wildlife and features its best products. There is one 24day option and two 25-day options in varying price ranges, which make it great for gifting on any budget. The Enchanted Advent Calendar (Dh299 with a value of Dh496) comes with lots of delightful minis, which are a perfect way to try lots of new things and for travelling. The most expensive Enchanted Ultimate Advent Calendar (pictures, Dh599 with content worth Dh1,074) has 14 full-size products, including top picks from the body care and skincare ranges.
2
Asos: Last year, I was given probably the nicest Christmas gift I’ve received in my adult life — the Asos beauty advent calendar. Not only was it absolutely thrilling to open each window every day (I even took Instagram stories for each one), the products in the box were of high quality and nothing felt cheap or like an afterthought. This year’s Asos box is poised to be as great. It’s packed full of great brands and items that you’ll actually use such as the Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion (which is supposed to zap skin bumpiness), MAC Strobe Cream (a holy grail illuminator), Luxie Contouring Brush (great vegan brushes), a Clinique Moisturiser and loads more delicious skincare. (Dh307)
3
Net-A-Porter: There’s nice, and then there’s Net-A-Porter nice. It doesn’t get more high-end than this collection of goodies, all of which are minis that come in a very classy drawer packaging. Standout items include the Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil, Le Labo Body Lotion and Shower Gel and Philip Kingsley’s award-winning Elasticizer Pre-Shampoo Treatment — how can we say no? (Dh595)
4
Look Fantastic: This online retailer was once of the first I used to buy skincare products that weren’t available in the UAE so I’m a bit biased. However, their 2018 advent calendar — decked out in festive red and gold — is objectively beautiful to look at and covetable thanks to the luxurious treats hidden within — which includes a mini of the Omorovicza Moor Cream Cleanse and Glamglow Gravity Mud Mask, and a full size Lipstick Queen Frog Prince Lipstick. (Dh440)
5
L’Occitane: If an at-home spa day is your idea of bliss, then this advent calender will excite your bathtub loving heart. Luxuriate with 24 mini body and hair products ranging from Cherry Blossom Shower Gel, Shea Ultra Rich Lip Balm and Repairing Shampoo. This box is also perfect for gift-giving as you don’t need to know a person’s skin type or preferences in order to impress. Secret Santa duties fulfilled! (Dh249 with content worth Dh456)