Writing this blog and listening to XMAS FM, YES the Christmas countdown has finally begun! It used to be a firm childhood favourite of mine. Waking up 25 days of the month and being allowed to eat a piece of chocolate before breakfast, oh baby..it definitely made the Weetabix go down that little easier! But 2016 seems to be all about the ‘anything BUT chocolate’ advent calendar.
If you aren’t familiar with these new types of advent calendars, behind each door up until Christmas you are met with travel (and sometimes full) sized products that you can try out and use. It’s a great pre-Christmas gift or a little ‘treat yoself’ moment that you get to have for 25 days this month. It’s also a nice way to discover new brands and products you might not have discovered otherwise. This year I was very lucky to receive the beautiful pink Body Shop advent calendar as a birthday present from my mum. I’m super excited about this as I never buy anything in the body shop for myself, it’s always as a present for someone else.
However while definitely a little more long lasting than the chocolate….these new wave of advent calendars are also more expensive. That’s why I’m sharing with you my favourites, from affordable to luxury, and don’t worry, I’m not revealing the full contents of them…I don’t want to be ruining it for you too! It’s been a crazy year, so why not treat yourself, a friend or a daughter to a whole month of surprises and fun this December.
Affordable
Haynes Build Your Own Retro Radio Advent Calendar
Cost €20
A great gift for hobby enthusiasts or the men in your lives. With this fun novelty advent calendar, you can build a working FM radio in 24 steps. It seems like a fun twist on the festive tradition, where you open a window each day to reveal a different electronic component. For ages 8+, I recently spotted this at Debenhams in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre.
Yankee Candle
Cost €19.33
Exclusive to Boots this Christmas, the Yankee Candle calendar is a bargain for only €19. This year it contains 24 tea lights in a selection of new and classic festive fragrances. This year there is also one Christmas Eve Votive Candle to make sure that Christmas morning is filled with a festive fragrance!
No7 Bright Lights Big City Beauty Calendar
Cost €54
No 7 has an amazing selection of skincare and makeup treats at a great price. However this one tends to sell out pretty fast, but keep an eye out and you might be lucky to grab one for yourself or a friend in one of the many Boots stores around Ireland.
Sanctuary, The Let Go Days of Christmas Advent Calendar
Cost €32.50
For anyone like me with heaps of college work to do, you will more than likely be enjoying lots of cosy nights in this Christmas as opposed to boozy nights out. Winter nights for me call for plenty of pamper essentials and Sanctuary Spas advent calendar is packed with some of the best ‘me-time’ treats out there. Available at Boots where they currently have a a 3 for 2 special offer running at the moment.
Afforadble-ish
Lush
Cost €60
I have a crazy obsession with Lush bath bombs, bars and bubbles. I love the smell, I love the colours and the staff are always really helpful. So for all the natural and homemade product fans out there Lush has created a 12 days of Christmas calendar filled with its famously fragrant shower and bath treats to enjoy up in the lead up to Christmas. De-stress after that mental day of shopping and start running that bath…
NYX
Cost €79
Such a pretty little box and it won’t break the bank either! To be honest I am ashamed to say, I was probably the last person to jump on the NYX bandwagon. I had too much make up as it was and I was already consumed and over whelmed with all the other make up brands out there. But having recently tried out some of their products after getting a recommendation from a friend, they are fast becoming one of my go-to brands for make-up. In my opinion their matte lip creams, dewy highlighters and pigment-packed eyeshadows are rivalling many high end brands when it comes to quality. This Christmas you can get all their number one selling products in a 24-piece advent calendar, this is definitely a perfect pick for both beauty beginners and the makeup obsessed, alike. Availble at Littlewoods.ie who currently have an offer of 3 for the price of 2.
Ciate Mini Mani Month
Cost €65
Another one available in the special offer at Littlewoods is Ciate. They have promised to meet all your festive nail demands with it’s Mini Mani Month. With 18 different colours, a nail treatment and nail toppers, you can give yourself a manicure to match every outfit over party season!
H&M/ Topshop
Cost approx €30
Last year I got the Topshop jewellery calendar from my sister and I wasn’t disappointed, it was as good if not better than I thought it would be. Behind these doors are very pretty pieces you didn’t know you needed! H&M are also offering a similar one, with 24 days of accessories to add a little extra sparkle to your month.
Luxury
The Body Shop 24 Happy Days
Cost €70-€120
Offerring 24 days of happy, The Body Shop has catered for different budgets this year, with three versions of its calendar. The standard version saves you more than €40 while the luxury version will save you a whopping €100 compared to if you brought the products individually. Full of great variety of travel sized products, they include favourites from their skincare, bath & body, fragrance and makeup ranges.
I personally love this calendar and I am not being biased because it’s the one I got for my birthday hehe but it’s also visually stunning and it feels very luxurious. I am looking forward to feeling festively pampered thanks to The Body Shop this December.
Your Beauty Fairytale Come True Advent Calendar. Exclusive to Boots
Cost €105
Another great addition from Boots this year is their Fairytale Come True Advent Calendar. If you’re looking to reboot your makeup and collection with a bunch of new products from a few different brands, this is the one for you. This one houses everything you could need, including masacras, concealers perfumes and skincare treats, featuring best-selling brands such as Lancome, Yves Saint Laurent, Viktor & Rolf and Ralph Lauren. Want. Need. Now!!
Break the bank
Charlotte Tilburry
Cost €195
The calendar features an assortment of 12 travle size favourites from her collection. Charlotte Tilburry is a mix bag of emotions for me. I have purchased some products that I loved but others have been a big disappointment and I didn’t see the quality matching the price I paid. However I wanted to add it to my list because I think they have done good job creating this calendar as it’s obviously gorgeous to look at and it contains the amazing favourites such as the Magic Cream and Goddess Mask… but also there’s new things to try too. Available at Brown Thomas.
Jo Malone
Cost €320
Well a girl can dream I suppose! For the people who have too much money on their hands and don’t know how to spend it, this one is for you!
Jo Malone has really gone to town this Christmas (and not only in its uber pretty Georgian townhouse design) – but this very decadent collection contains both mini perfumes and scented body creams. So if you’re a perfume fanatic and can’t decide on one to put on your Christmas wish list, this is perfect.
The countdown to Christmas has never been so exciting! Follow me on snapchat (Leonie.em) if you want to see me unbox my advent calendar every day this monthJ
