☆TikTok's top wellness trends, the best beauty advent calendars, a hot girl hack

Hey lovely,

Jasmine here, Editor of Daily Rituals!

In your dose:

• 🎁 Tis (nearly) the season: The 5 beauty advent calendars that are worth the hype.

• ✨ Hot girl hack: Try this one thing to be more present.

• ⚡ The Wellness Web: The spa just voted the best in London, an AI therapist app, a wellness biz idea, an oil that gets rid of hair, and much more.

If you’ve got any feedback or recommendations of topics you’d like us to cover in the Wellness Dose, feel free to reply to this email directly & let me know.

As always, I’m grateful to have you here! Enjoy xo

Unwrap your glow

Nothing says Christmas spirit quite like treating yourself (or your bestie) to a luxury advent calendar. Sure, we’ll admit, the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup calendar will always be iconic, but 2024’s beauty lineup? Chef’s kiss. Full-sized skincare, cult-favourite makeup, and some fresh new launches to open as you’re rewatching The Holiday for the 5000th time. There’s a catch though - these babies sell out faster than your aunt can drink her pre-dinner brandy. Brands are launching them earlier every year to avoid January clear-outs (& a hit to their street cred..), so consider this your two-minute warning before December (& your annual dose of festive spirit) sneaks up on you & they’re all gone.

Before we dive in to the best picks, let’s talk criteria for a good beauty advent calendar. We’re looking for the amount of full sized products, a strong RRP-to-value ratio (some girl math we can get behind), & honestly, whether it’s cute enough for us to look at it for a whole month.

The best RRP-to-value

We’ll be honest, LookFantastic’s calendar was the top RRP-to-value pick, but sadly, everyone else also caught on and snapped it up. A worthy runner-up, though, is the Liberty Beauty Calendar. Packed with 18 full-sized gems (in a cute grotto-inspired box), you’ll find hero brands like Sunday Riley, Augustinus Bader & La Mer. 

Plus, if you’ve been considering Liberty’s beauty box subscription, now’s the time. For £25 a month, you get a quarterly beauty box - and £20 of that fee is redeemable across the store. So, that means by this time next year, you’d nearly have enough credits to buy your calendar for free - life hack.

^{Price: £260. Worth: £1,250.}

The crowd pleaser

Getting extra points for its chic case, the Harvey Nichols calendar is probably our favourite of them all. Unlike some of the others, it covers all bases (think skincare, fragrance, haircare & body), including a solid 18 full-size products. You’ll be unwrapping everything from Le Labo’s best selling scent to Dr Dennis Gross’s iconic peel pads, so expect to be glowing by the 25th. It’s worth every penny (more, actually). If you’re seeking a luxury advent experience this December, this one’s hard to beat.

^{Price: £250. Worth: £1,000.}

The best for gifting

This one from Anthropologie is a steal at just £88, and it comes in a perfectly wrap-friendly rectangle box too (we don’t envy anyone wrapping the Liberty calendar!). Featuring cult favourites like Sunday Riley (who are dominating the advent game this year), Malin + Goetz, and This Works, it’s packed with luxe essentials. And honestly, is it even Christmas if a mini This Works Pillow Spray isn’t in the mix? Underrated but no less dreamy, it’s the perfect gift for any woman on your list (yes, including you!).

^{Price: £88. Worth: £300.}

The wellness one

By now, you’ve probably noticed we’re not huge fans of one-brand calendars. We like to mix it up, okay. And honestly, even the best brands rarely have 25 products you actually want. One exception though is ESPA’s wellbeing calendar. Thanks to its mix of bath, body, skin and mindfulness products, it’s a self-care saviour for what can sometimes be a chaotic December. Favourites include their Fitness Shower Gel and Pink Hair & Scalp Mud. Plus, anything you don’t use will no doubt be taken off your hands without complaint by someone else in the family.

^{Price: £175. Worth: £488.}

The K-Beauty favourite

This one from YesStyle might not be our usual aesthetic, but it’s worth it for what’s inside. Arguably the most fun beauty calendar out there, since you’ll discover so many new brands behind each door. Highlights include Medicube’s cult collagen mask & TIRTIR’s bestselling Milk Skin Toner. It keeps selling out though thanks to TikTok, so if you want one, you’ll need to set your alarm for the restock.

^{Price: £129.50. Worth: £325.}

• 💆‍♀️ Challenge accepted: The Top 50 UK Spas have just been announced, and we're on a mission to try them all. FYI, this spa was crowned Best in London.

• ✨ Glass skin, check: Next up? Glass hair. This J-beauty mask is your ticket to the glossiest locks.

• 💡 Biz idea? Functional drinks like Trip & Fhrist are booming. With the market set to hit $200 billion in the next 4 years, where's the hormone-balancing, 20g protein drink for busy girlies on the go? Someone, please.

• 🙅‍♀️ Want to cut back on the botox? Watch this – you're welcome.

• 🧴 Derm approved: Apparently, this oil can actually reduce body hair better than laser according to this Derm. Adds to cart.

• 📈 TikTok approved: These are the fastest-growing wellness trends right now.

• 🕶 What in the cyborg?! We’re down for asymmetric tops, all year round, but this latest asymmetric eyewear drop from Nike - we’re not so sure.

• 🤔 An unlikely collab: This fitness app teamed up with McDonald’s (yes, really) and saw a huge spike in sign-ups.

• 🧠 AI-therapist? This new app just raised $3.4M – think Shazam but for your feelings. Vent, get personalised affirmations, and feel a whole lot more zen.

• 🏡 Pilates at home: Apparently, reformers will become as common as treadmills for an at-home glow in the next few years. Got space? Go for the Merrithew - a staple in all the best studios. Short on room? Fold’s got you covered with their beige foldable reformer.

This week’s hack is all about grounding yourself & being more present – and it’s easier than you might think.

→ Next time you head out for your hot girl walk, ditch your headphones and go for a colour walk instead.

Pick a colour and make it your mission to spot it everywhere during your walk.

Whether it's pink flowers🌺, yellow cars🚖, or blue clothes👕, you’ll be amazed at how much more connected you feel to your surroundings, and how much quieter your mind gets too.

HOT TIP★: If a headphone-free walk sounds unbearable, try a Superhuman activation instead. They’re motivational meditations designed for when you’re on-the-go.

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