What’s the point of a festive countdown if we don’t have an advent calendar by our side? These over-the-top blockbuster boxes, stuffed to the brim with little surprises and beauty treats we get to uncover every day, really put us in the holiday mood; they make great gifts for your loved ones as well. Here are the most stunning limited edition ones, all decked out for the season — don’t worry, they fit all kinds of budgets too.
1. CHANEL N°5 THE CALENDAR
Try and resist opening up all the boxes at once. CHANEL’s holiday calendar is a stunning piece you’ll want to show off, with 27 boxes within a case shaped like a giant bottle of the N°5 fragrance, which celebrates its 100th Anniversary this year. For a neat reference, the boxes are numbered from 5 to 31 too — 5 for the fragrance, and 31 for the legendary residence of Coco Chanel, at 31 Rue Cambon. Inside, you’ll find some of CHANEL’s most iconic products, makeup or otherwise — this year’s limited edition Rouge Allure lipstick and red Le Vernis, for instance, a bottle of N°5 Eau de Parfum, as well as accessories such as a bracelet bearing the number 5 and a mesmerising snow globe ornament.
$1,150, AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT CHANEL FRAGRANCE AND BEAUTY BOUTIQUES.
2. DIOR BEAUTY ADVENT CALENDAR
An enchanting design of flora and fauna in midnight blue and gold adorns the 2021 Dior Advent Calendar, which also features a wintry facade of the house’s iconic Paris boutique, on 30 Avenue Montaigne. Done in collaboration with London-based artist illustrator Alice Shirley, Dior carries on their Atelier of Dreams theme this holiday season with 24 windows, each bearing deluxe miniatures from across the house’s beauty lines. Whether it’s mini bottles of the J’adore and Miss Dior scents, luxurious skincare favourites from the Dior Prestige or Capture Totale lines, or the iconic Rouge Dior lipstick in 999, it’s quite literally everything we’ve ever wanted from the brand, all wrapped in a beautiful package.
$720, available exclusively at Dior Beauty boutiques.
3. NET-A-PORTER 25 DAYS OF BEAUTY ADVENT CALENDAR
If we’re talking value-for-money, then NET-A-PORTER’s advent calendar is hard to beat. The 2021 25 Days of Beauty Advent calendar contains 17 full-size and 8 travel-size products from esteemed brands such as Dr. Barbara Sturm, 111Skin, Augustinus Bader, Tata Harper, and Oribe, which have been expertly curated by their team of beauty buyers. It’s priced at about SGD440 (USD325), though all the items within are valued at over $1,700 in total. Expect everything from party-ready makeup, cult-favourite skincare items including a vitamin-rich deep cleansing mask from Omorovicza and the Rose Gold Radiance Booster from 111SKIN, as well as products for your hair and the ultimate home pampering session.
USD325 (SGD440), AVAILABLE AT NET-A-PORTER.COM.
4. DIPTYQUE ADVENT CALENDAR, $678
For an almost architectural take on a holiday “cabinet of curiosities”, fragrance and candle brand diptyque delights with a graphic design that takes inspiration from the lines of the historic Basile pattern, now evoking the veins that adorn the walls of their first boutique at 34 boulevard Saint-Germain. The clean design of diptyque’s Advent Calendar houses 24 full-sized and miniature treats, including limited edition surprises you won’t be able to find elsewhere. Highlights include a festive Sapin/Pine Tree candle in an exclusive 70g format, scented candles of fan-favourite Baies, Roses, Ambre, a selection of fragrances and skincare, as well as gilded metal holiday decorations — and that’s on top of a box you’ll want to keep long after Christmas.
$678, available at diptyque’s Ngee Ann City boutique.
5. KIEHL’S LIMITED EDITION ADVENT CALENDAR
Kiehl’s gives us a fun and dreamy take on Christmas, with a Limited Edition Advent Calendar that features holiday-inspired designs by artist Marylou Faure; her art transforms NYC into a magical dreamland filled with diverse, unique characters, which you’ll want to look out for every time you open one of these 24 doors to surprises hidden behind them. If you’re a Kiehl’s fan, as many of you probably are, then there’s really no hesitation here — their famous cleansers, face masks, facial serums, moisturisers and more are part of the list, including the Midnight Recovery Concentrate, Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner, and Ultra Facial Cream.
$188, available at kiehl’s stores and online.
6. THE BODY SHOP SHARE LOVE & JOY ULTIMATE ADVENT CALENDAR
The Body Shop goes big on advent calendars this year, with three beautiful designs you’re encouraged to reuse, while inspired by selfless love and acts of kindness shown by people all over the world. The pop-up beauty calendar features a unique drawer construction so you can store your little bits and bobs long after the season. Here, you’ll find 25 head-to-toe treats that pamper you with the brand’s bath and body goodies, as well as face masks or other skincare treats that you’ll want to bless a friend with. There are plenty of fruity treats too, including a Mango Body Yoghurt, Avocado Body Butter, and Pink Grapefruit Lip Butter. Locally, The Body Shop Singapore will also donate S$0.10 from every transaction made in stores and online from 1 November to 31 December, to support Daughters Of Tomorrow (DOT) in helping underprivileged women and their families.
$249, available at The Body Shop stores and online.
7. CLARINS 24-DAY CHRISTMAS ADVENT CALENDAR
There’s something stylish about Clarins’ advent calendars this season, particularly the 24-Day Advent Calendar that features 24 of their bestselling products in a traditional red felt set that you can use as part of your Christmas decor. Meant to make the countdown to Christmas much more exciting, there are, obviously, lots of full-sized and travel-sized beauty treats to look forward to, including a full-sized Lip Comfort Oil and Beauty Flash Balm, or mini versions of the Hydra-Essentiel Day Cream, Moisture Rich Body Lotion, and Extra-Firming Mask we get to pack along for staycations or any upcoming overseas trips.
$169, available at Clarins stores and counters, and online.
8. DR. BARBARA STURM ADVENT CALENDAR
Sleek and pristine-looking, Dr. Barbara Sturm‘s advent calendar is inspired by the ones her mother used to make each year during the holiday season, complete with a ribbon tied around a luxurious white box. Within, there are 24 doors, each holding a skincare surprise for the days leading up to Christmas, of Dr. Sturm’s most loved products, as well as her latest innovations, in both deluxe and miniature sizes. Top items include the Super Anti-Aging Serum and Face Cream, as well as a chamomile and kaolin clay-infused Face Mask, The Good Vitamin C Serum, and skincare from her Clarifying series.
$790, available the Dr. Barbara Sturm store at Ngee Ann City, and online.
9. JO MALONE LONDON ADVENT CALENDAR
A starry countdown awaits with Jo Malone London’s limited edition Advent Calendar, that no doubt holds the fragrance house’s most exclusive products and festive fragrances, including this season’s inviting Mandarin & Honey. In a two-tiered box we can see ourselves holding on to already, little is known about the mysterious treats that await within 24 of these little boxes, except that it looks like we’ll be getting a full-sized 30ml Cologne among other miniature products.
$710, available at Jo Malone London boutiques and counters.
10. L’OCCITANE ADVENT CALENDAR 2021
We look forward to L’OCCITANE’s range of holiday treats every time the festive season rolls around — and it seems like everyone does the same too. This year’s coveted Advent Calendar was sold out in just 10 hours when it debuted online, so you might want to try your luck at one of their beauty boutiques. The calendar is filled with plenty of beauty products inspired by the abundance of nature’s beauty, and even includes a generous 75ml jumbo-sized version of their bestselling Shea Butter Hand Cream. The whimsical designs of French illustrator and graphic designer Tristan Bonnemain also adorn the set, and plenty of their holiday gift boxes as well.
$89 with $40 nett spend (purchase-with-purchase), may be available at l’occitane boutiques.
11. SEPHORA COLLECTION HOLIDAY VIBES ADVENT CALENDAR
You don’t have to splurge for a good advent calendar — Sephora Collection‘s best holiday treats come in the form of one of the most budget-friendly advent calendars we came across, and is no less exciting when we survey what it has to offer. Get ’em holiday vibes with a series of 24 makeup, skincare, bath products, and accessories that will pamper you throughout the holiday season, including many fruit-infused skincare items of Coconut Cleansing Wipes, Watermelon Mask Easy Stick, Cucumber Eye Masks, along with Fizzling Star bath bombs, nail polish, an eye pencil and their lauded Cream Lip Stain.
$89, available at Sephora stores and online.
12. HUDA BEAUTY HOUSE OF HUDA ADVENT CALENDAR
Your 12 days of Huda Beauty starts with this impressive number, which does seem less “blockbuster” than the other ones out there, until we consider its contents. Filled with go-to skincare, makeup and fragrances, Huda’s curated series of products help you look and feel your best during the festive season. Cult-favourite formulas include the Yo Glow Gingerbread Latte Enzyme Scrub; an Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette of sultry neutrals in either Light Nude, Rich Nude or Sand Haze; a pair of Samantha Lashes and accompanying eyeliner and mascara; as well as the Thirst Trap Juice HA3& Peptide Serum, so your skin stays bouncy and glow throughout, all housed in a gem-like box.
price tbc, available soon at Sephora stores and online.
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