Christmas is pretty much here – I think we can all agree that once Halloween is over, everything suddenly turns festive. The carols start playing in department stores, you’re accosted by Santa faces everywhere… it’s unavoidable.
Advent calendars are undeniably a true highlight of festive season. Opening a small gift a day for 24 days? That shit really taps into our inner child.
Maybe you’re used to the crappy chocolate version of an advent calendar. Look, chocolate is great – but after a few days you get to the point where you realise you could just go buy a few Freddos and it’d probably cost less than the advent calendar anyway.
These are not your standard advents, folks. These are the big leagues – and honestly, treat yourself and open something cooler than half-melted cocoa this Christmas, ok?
What could be better than getting a Mecca product per day, for all of December? Well, if you’re beauty obsessed, that is. This Mecca advent calendar is full of their best-seller products and some fancy extras – their personal line is just as hyped as the cult brands they stock, so expect to fall in love with loads of these minis and start forking out cash for the full-sized versions come January.
WINE GALLERY 12 WINES OF CHRISTMAS
Festive season is for DRINKING, so you’ll easily get through this mix of whites, reds, rose and sparkling – there’s one for each day for 12 days, plus wine pairing tips, tasting mats to use with mates, and other “surprises”.
HAIGHS CHOCOLATES ADVENT CALENDAR
If you do love gorging on chocolate every day in December, make it gourmet choccies with the Haigh’s advent calendar. The SA company sells the chocolates as a kit separately, which are a mix of 12 milk and 12 dark chocolate squares.
WHITE POSSUM AUSTRALIAN GIN ADVENT CALENDAR
Have a different gin every day with this cracker of a calendar, which features 24 x 30ml samples of Aussie gin from White Possum. Each comes with a little explanation about the gin, plus day one features a 200ml bottle of tonic syrup – so you don’t even need to go sort the mixer out.
JOHNNY LOVES ROSIE ADVENT CALENDAR
Johnny Loves Rosie does perfect little understated jewellery pieces, and this 24 day calendar is full of ’em. The best thing is their jewellery is pretty minimalist, so it works with most people’s style. Think stud earrings, chain necklaces and dainty bracelets. You’ll never buy accessories again.
If you’ve got cash to buuuurn, buy this. It’s filled with miniature candles, fragrances, skin and body care products – and you know they’ll all be top notch, because nothing Diptyque makes is anything less than perfection.
BOOZEBUD CRAFT BEER ADVENT CALENDAR
Some of you could probably polish all of these off in a few days, but if you RESTRAIN YOURSELVES, please, you can enjoy a different craft beer (or cider, since Boozebud make those into advents too) a day leading up to Chrissy. How good.
Socks aren’t exactly exciting, but these are designer socks – the kind you’re keen to show off when you cross your legs in a fancy board meeting – so we’ll make an exception here. There are 24 sets of socks on offer, with a mix of festive and normal patterns. Look, for over $500 bucks this seems a little extreme, but no one could argue this wasn’t luxe as hell.
BALMAIN PARIS HAIR COUTURE ADVENT CALENDAR
This 10 door calendar is full of mini versions from the fashion house’s beauty range – think nail polish, shampoo and conditioner, and their famed hair perfume.
THE BODY SHOP DELUXE ADVENT CALENDAR
This mix of full size and mini versions of some of your favourite Body Shop treats will see you smelling phenomenal day after day through December – but this year, the brand have also teamed their daily gifts with feel-good actions to complete each day, as part of their “giving back” festive season initiative.
