The holidays are fast approaching, and there’s nothing quite like the thrill of counting down the days, especially when an advent calendar is involved.
In recent years, advent calendars for grown-ups have become the must-have holiday item to give and to get, with more and more beauty and lifestyle brands jumping on the bandwagon and launching their own limited-edition 3D boxes housing delightful surprises. But the real charm is that there are so many to choose from, to cater to whatever your or your recipients’ interests are. Have an avid baker on your list? Got a skincare enthusiast in your midst? A “Sephora tween” who would love their first beauty kit? There’s an advent calendar for all of the above.
Whether you’re treating yourself or browsing for a gift for someone special on your list, make sure you order yours early to leave plenty of time for that festive kickoff come December 1. Here are 10 stylish advent calendars to help kickstart your holiday shopping.
For the cozy homebody
Beautiful mini candles to last you the year? Absolutely. Light your way through the holidays with this fragrant countdown from Voluspa. The calendar features 12 of its best-selling fragrances, each housed in beautiful embossed coloured glass jars that can be repurposed for your knick-knacks.
For the essential-oil enthusiast
Featuring 12 of Saje’s best-sellers, including a few from the newest collection and some calendar exclusives, this advent calendar is designed to nourish the mind and body of the recipient. Each product would also makes a perfect stocking stuffer, just saying.
For the keen baker
If you’ve got a baker on your list, this festively decorated advent calendar filled with two dozen surprises will help them bake up a storm this holiday season. From cookie cutters to spatulas, piping bags to decorating tips, they’ll have all the tools they need to make a Santa sack worth of cookies. You’ll almost certainly get to taste the results.
For the chocolate lover
This isn’t the chocolate advent calendar we all got when we were kids. It features 24 of Toronto chocolatier Chocolat de Kat’s most beloved bonbons, including fan-favourites like the Blueberry Muffin and the Cinnamon Pretzel Praline, so it’s a hot commodity every year. It’s also a lovely festive object to display, decorated with an enchanted forest scene by Toronto artist Sheida Shekarian.
For the Sephora tween
For the VIB member (or wannabe), there’s no excitement like a box stacked with Sephora faves. The twenty-four treats inside take care of everything from head to toe, including mascaras, manicure essentials, festive lip colours, foot masks and much more.
For the coffee drinker
Brighten up their mornings with this year’s travel-inspired advent calendar from Nespresso. With 24 coffee flavours behind the doors—including limited-edition pods co-created with Michelin-star chef Jean Imbert—they’ll discover new faves as they count down. We also hear there’s a very special gift on the 24th.
For those with a sweet tooth
Candy lovers will delight in counting down to the holidays with this yummy advent calendar from Montreal-based confectionary brand, Squish. Sweet gummy surprises for each of the 24 days leading up to Christmas include fan faves like Cola Bottles and Ice Cubes as well as plenty of vegan gummies like Vegan Champagne Bears and Vegan Sour Peach Hearts.
For the White Elephant gift exchange
If you’re looking for a steal-worthy gift for the White Elephant gift exchange, this reasonably-priced collection of bath treats from Quo Beauty is sure to impress. From bubbles to bath fizzies, this advent calendar offers a daily blissful moment of self-care.
For the matcha connoisseur
Know someone who’s constantly showing off their latest strawberry matcha latte on Instagram? This collection of green tea has their name on it. Packed with all-time best-sellers along with fresh, new flavours, this is matcha heaven.
For the fragrance aficionado
A joyful gift for any fan of Jo Malone London’s iconic fragrances, this elegant advent calendar includes 12 classic colognes, bath and body miniatures and travel candles, each individually wrapped in a decorative ornament box that could be repurposed to decorate the tree or on your holiday tablescape.
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