I don’t know about you, but I’ve been in Christmas spirit since *checks calendar* November 1.
Cue Mariah Carey’s “It’s Time” whistle notes.
But for most people, your festive energy is likely picking up now as we inch closer to the magical month of December.
While Christmas Day itself is typically when the gift exchanges happen, why not partake in tiny little gifts all throughout the lead-up to D-Day.
Yes, I’m talking about advent calendars
If you’ve never heard of advent calendars before, they’re those boxes with little tabs, usually dated “1” to “24”, referring to the first 24 days of December leading up to Christmas.
Each of these tabs can be opened to reveal little (or sometimes normal-sized) gifts.
In case you didn’t know, here’s a little history lesson. The concept comes from the German word Adventskalender, which was used to count the days of Advent in anticipation of Christmas. At least, Wikipedia says so.
And, yeah, maybe the modern-day version of it is a little consumeristic, but, hey, it’s cute.
Here are four Malaysian brands who are tapping into advent calendars this Christmas, and where you can shop for them.
1. CzipLee
Homegrown stationery brand CzipLee is celebrating Christmas with their first-ever CzipMas Advent Calendar.
Called Stationery Wonderland, the advent calendar features whimsical designs created by local artist Nelson Lip.
Behind each of the 24 doors awaits a myriad of stationery and other knick-knacks from notebooks and pens to ornaments and keychains.
According to a press release we received, the CzipMas advent calendar features a mix of CzipLee’s best-selling Japanese and European stationery brands such as Ferris Wheel Press, Hightide, Midori, and Miffy, amongst others.
Excitingly, CzipLee has additionally included limited edition holiday-exclusive items by Lametna and pim.kl.
Apparently, no two calendars are alike. While the items remain consistent, each calendar features unique variations in design and colour.
But here’s the kicker—they only made 100 of these limited-edition boxes. So, if you’re a stationery lover (or have one in your life), be sure to get these while stocks last. The retail value of this box is RM750.
Price: RM600
Where to buy: Online and at Bangsar Village II
2. KENS Apothecary
In case you didn’t know, KENS Apothecary is indeed a local business founded by a Malaysian named Ken Lim back in 1999. It’s considered a pioneering luxury beauty destination with lux skincare and niche fragrances from all around the world.
This year, KENS Apothecary has released its own 12 Days Advent Calendar that comes with a curated selection of luxury beauty products from brands like Diptyque, MALIN + GOETZ, Caudalie, and Augustinus Bader. I won’t give you the full list, just in case you want to be surprised with each tab you open.
All the inclusions in this calendar are valued at a whopping RM1,800, but it’s going for RM559.
Price: RM559
Where to buy: Online
3. TROVE
TROVE is a local beauty, cosmetic, and personal care brand with locations in luxury malls like The Starhill Kuala Lumpur, Pavilion Damansara Heights, The Exchange TRX, and BSC.
For Christmas, they’ve dropped the TROVE Advent Calendar 2024, which offers a chest of 12 curated treasures. This includes perfumes, candles, essences, shampoo, and more.
The value of the box is said to be RM2,268, handpicked to “inspire luxurious joy.”
Every purchase of the TROVE Advent Calendar 2024 comes with complimentary shipping and a limited-edition TROVE Treatsmas Tote.
Price: RM580
Where to buy: Online and in stores
4. Plant Origins
Plant Origins is a sister brand of Signature Market, the Malaysian lifestyle FMCG brand selling food-related items. It focuses on 100% plant-based personal care products
Their 12-day Advent Calendar is currently open for pre-orders, and will be shipped out when it officially launches. A star product hidden away here is the limited-edition Plant Origins Nebulizing Portable Diffuser in Winter Blue.
Other items include an aromatherapy car vent diffuser clip, essential oil blends, body wash, and more. The retail value is RM 1,105.
Price: RM280
Where to buy: Pre-order online
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These advent calendars are actually decent deals, considering how much the retail value actually is for each.
(And you didn’t hear it from me, but you can always regift each individual item…)
Aside from these brands, there are certainly other advent calendars on the market, many of which are global brands.
But why not choose to support local businesses who caringly curated their own calendars during this season of gifting?
- Read other articles we’ve written about Malaysian startups here.
Featured Image Credit: TROVE / CzipLee / KENS Apothecary