15 Store-Bought Vegan Sauces and Spreads to Slather on Literally Everything
Mar 12, 2018
The countdown to the holidays will be here before you know it, which is why we're gearing up to treat ourselves all December long with the best advent calendars for 2024. Whether you're looking to unbox a lil' somethin'-somethin' for yourself or gift the goodness to a friend or family member, these 14 advent calendars span across food, beauty, and pop culture – ensuring you find the perfect fit.
Amazon
Gilmore Girls: The Official Advent Calendar
This Rory- and Lorelai-approved advent calendar is packed to the brim with 25 Stars Hollow-themed trinkets, from keychains, and buttons to magnets and stickers so you can flaunt your Gilmore Girls fandom all year long.
Alo
Alo Advent Calendar
This pick by Alo is packed to the brim with 24 days of beauty, wellness, movement, and style must-haves which will give you or anyone you gift it to the ultimate health reset.
Uncommon Goods
Advent Shower Steamer Set
This advent calendar features 24 different shower steamers for a wholesome 'treat yourself' moment as the holidays draw near.
Glamnetic
Glamnetic Nail Lover's Gift Set
This advent calendar is filled with a week's worth of press-on nails, one of which is a limited-edition, never-seen-before design! This is the ideal gift for the beauty lover in your life.
Godiva
Godiva 2024 Holiday Classic Chocolate Advent Calendar
Because chocolate always makes the best gift! This Godiva advent calendar comes complete with 24 assorted chocolates that range from milk, dark, and white. Kick off the most delicious time of year by gifting this indulgent set to your local chocolate lover, or yourself – just try not to sneak all the chocolates in one sitting!
Sephora
Sephora Collection Advent Calendar
We'd gladly take a Sephora-themed advent calendar year-round, but this beauty-centric one makes the holidays feel a bit more special. Never say "no" to a treat-yourself moment! With this set, you'll unveil 24 different makeup, skincare, and bath goodies, accessories, plus an advent-exclusive inclusion.
Kylie Cosmetics
Kylie Cosmetics Holiday Advent Calendar
This 12-day advent calendar from none other than Kylie Jenner herself features all her favorite makeup and skincare products that can help you (or your giftee) create versatile looks, from day to night.
Nordstrom
MAC Cosmetics 24K Holiday Advent Calendar
Unwrap your glowiest glow with this luxurious MAC advent calendar! For 24 whole days (ideally leading up to Christmas, but we understand where you're coming from, early openers), you'll find only the best lip, base, eyes, and skin picks from the beloved brand. Sitting at an original value of $480, you can snag this baby for more than half-off for the holidays!
Typology
Typology Advent Calendar
Typology's 2023 advent calendar sold out in less than 48 hours last year, and it's already waitlisted for 2024 – but it's not to be missed, especially if you're gifting the design- and sustainability-forward beauty-lover in your life. This cal contains 15 full-size and 9 mini-size skincare products for the face, eyes, lips, and hands. It's super sleek yet unique, plus, it's constructed from FSC-certified paper to not only optimize space, but reduce its carbon footprint during transport. Get your name on the waitlist with the link here!
Nordstrom
Sugarfina 24 Tastes Of Christmas Candy Advent Calendar
The holidays are the time to assume the character of Buddy the Elf and go all in on all the Christmas candies. This 24-day advent calendar features everything from creamy chocolates to fruity gummies to satisfy that sweet tooth and bring some very sugary Christmas cheer to the season. P.S. Sharing is caring!
Craftspring
Craftspring Linen Ornaments Advent Calendar
Your Christmas tree will be left looking utterly lush once you've made it through this adorable advent calendar. It's loaded with a mini ornament for every day, each one made from sustainably-harvested merino-blended wool. The hand-embroidered calendar base will truly last a lifetime, so you can use it every year, loading it with candies, teas, and beauty goodies – whatever you please!
Nordstrom
L'Occitane 24 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar
This treasure chest of goodies for your skin, body, hair, and hands is well-worth the investment (a $115 value for just $84) considering you can get some good year-round use out of it. The contents will come in particularly handy for all your dry skin woes once winter is, well, wintering. The best part about this cal is you can keep what you want, then gift more minis to the skincare-obsessed in your life!
Compartés
Compartés Winter Foxes Chocolate Advent Calendar
By far the coolest, most intricate chocolates we've tried, Compartés' offerings make the best holiday gifts. Opt for this 24 day-long advent calendar inspired by a mystical fox named Samson. Like Samson, you'll be able to cleverly venture out on a world of bite-sized chocolate treasures from the likes of Creme Brûlée, Campfire S'mores, and Blackberry Crumble. How yummy.
Lush
Lush Advent Calendar
Holiday prep can be stressful. Wind down and relax a bit each day with each of Lush's advent calendar surprises! From colorful bath bombs and home fragrances to beloved beauty picks from years past, this 24-day box is a total banger. Plus, if you don't see yourself using up each day's offering, you'll have some absolutely delightful gifts on-hand to give to your friends and fam.
Subscribe to our newsletter for more gift ideas!
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
This post has been updated.
Last year, some of us celebrated the holidays apart from our families for the first time. COVID has brought with it many changes, some of them arguably positive (like increased flexibility to work from home), some difficult (such as the realization of vastly different political and social views between family and friends), and some horrible (obviously, the health implications of a global pandemic). However, for some of us, celebrating the holidays without family members isn't exclusively due to COVID. In addition to so many of us living in different areas than our families of origin, some of us simply don't have close bonds with the people we grew up around. Sometimes, this can cause loneliness.
If you're not close with your family members, the holidays can be a difficult time. This is doubly true if you don't have a close circle of friends to call upon. But make no mistake, if this sounds like your situation, you're not alone — there are thousands of other people going through the same struggles you are. We sat down with Irad Eichler, founder of Circles, a website that connects people who are sharing similar struggles, like heartbreak, grief, or loneliness. Here are some of Eichler's tips for coping — and even thriving! — during the holiday season when you're not planning on spending it with your family, for one reason or another.
Don't Fall For "Perfect Families" On Social Media
The first VERY important step to having a joyous holiday season when you're going it alone is to stop believing the narrative that others' family situations are perfect, Eichler says.
"Remember people only post a moment in time, and only the moments when they look their happiest and best."
In addition to the fact that everything you see on social media is curated for the 'gram, it's also important to remember that by focusing on what others have and you lack, you risk failing to see the great things at play in your own life.
"These holiday periods can become a time of focusing on who and what we don't have, rather than who or what we do, and can cause a negative spiral into depressing and dreadful feelings of inadequacy," says Eichler.
Gratitude is the reason for the season, after all. So instead of only seeing the negative, try some gratitude journal prompts to help you focus on what's actually really wonderful about your life right now.
Make An Effort To Deepen New Connections
While it may seem like everyone has friends and family to spend time with during the holiday season, that doesn't mean no one is available for deepening a blossoming relationship or new friendship.
"Make a list of people you can or would like to connect with, and try to reach out to at least one of them," advises Eichler.
Reaching out doesn't have to mean a big plan or an hour-long conversation. Even a quick text letting a friendly coworker know you're thinking about them can go a long way toward deepening the relationship and moving it in the direction of closer friendship.
Don't have an acquaintance in mind? Then it's time to make new acquaintances. What's more in line with the Christmas spirit than attending a Meetup or event full of people eager to make new friends?
"Join groups with similar interests to yours, such as hiking, baking, or games. Push your boundaries and be brave - you might find new people who have much in common with you."
Give Back
The holiday season is a great time to focus on giving back to your community, and coincidentally, acts of generosity and kindness are known to reduce loneliness and help people feel happier. One study found that knowing a few of your neighbors and doing small acts of kindness for them — such as cheering them up, listening to them, mowing their lawn, providing advice about local business recommendations and job opportunities, and chatting over the fence — was statistically correlated with feeling less lonely and having a lower risk of depression.
Helping out elderly neighbors can be a particularly gratifying way to give back.
"Notice older lonely people in your neighborhood or community who might have no family at all, and offer to help them," says Eichler. "These can become mutually meaningful connections, and help you 'adopt' a grandparent."
Connect With Others Online
Finally, use the Internet for its highest and best purpose: to connect people. Whether you're using Meetup to find in-person events, digital forums for having conversations about special interests, or programs like Circle for getting support from others in your situation, the opportunities to create new connections are practically endless.
"There are many interest groups that can be found digitally, where or any person can connect with others in the same life stage, going through the same challenges, or who would like to explore the same interests," Eichler states. "Meaningful connections can be formed easily in these circumstances. The Internet enables us to find and connect to people all over the world who fit this, and to whom we can become more easily attached, as we are able to find people with the exact interests that energize us."
If you're struggling with loneliness, you're not alone. Connect with our digital community of makers and creatives here at Brit+Co by following us on IG and signing up for our newsletter!
This post has been updated.
Black Friday will be here before you know it, with thousands of retailers flaunting their best deals of the year. We're shoppers at heart, so you know we're already scoping out 2024's offerings! Given that the list of stores and brands hosting Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales this year is essentially endless, we're weeding out only the best deals from the places you love to spend (and save). From beauty faves like Dieux and Kiehl's to home goods from Amazon and Walmart, these are the Black Friday deals you simply can't miss.
What is Black Friday?
Kaboompics / PEXELS
Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving that typically signifies the start of holiday shopping season, though many retailers have started to launch their Black Friday deals earlier year over year. A lot of the deals that stores and brands offer during Black Friday outpace their other sales events (such as Memorial Day and Labor Day) in terms of savings.
What is Cyber Monday?
Cottonbro Studio / PEXELS
Cyber Monday is the Monday after Thanksgiving that highlights savings and deals online as opposed to in-store offers. It's one of the busiest times of year for online shopping.
When's the best time to shop for holiday gifts?
Vlada Karpovich / PEXELS
We're big believers that it's never too early to start shopping for holiday gifts. The sooner you shop, the better, so you can check everyone off your list ahead of the busy holiday season and have some peace of mind once the real festivities start! Plus, if you're shopping online, starting early gives you ample time to wait for items to be shipped and delivered to your door. If deals and savings are what you're looking for, Black Friday and Cyber Monday offer some really great opportunities.
What's the best thing to shop for during Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
Kaboompics / PEXELS
The best thing to shop for during Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday promotions really depends on what your needs are as well as the items you're scoping out to treat yourself (or the people you're gifting for the holidays). Typically, big-ticket items like home appliances, tech products like earbuds, laptops, TVs, and tablets, and luxury self-care tools are heavily discounted during this time.
Beauty Sales
Amazon
Bliss Bright Idea Vitamin C + Tri-Peptide Collagen Brightening Serum
Bliss
When: November 20-December 17
What: 20-30% off select products
Ulta
Perricone MD High Potency Hyaluronic Intensive Hydrating Serum
Ulta
When: Now-November 23
What: Weekly deals on skincare, makeup, hair care, and fragrance.
IT Cosmetics
IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream Full-Coverage Foundation with SPF 50+
IT Cosmetics
When: November 23-December 3
What: 30% off sitewide (loyalty members get 35% off)
Amazon
Kiehl's
When: November 21-December 2
What: 30% off site-wide and 50% off select items on November 26 only
Moroccanoil
Moroccanoil Original Treatment
Moroccanoil
When: November 25-December 3 (rewards members will have early access to the sale on December 2)
What: 25% off sitewide
NOYZ
NOYZ
When: November 28-30 and December 1-2
What: 25% off sitewide and a free baseball cap on purchases over $55 on November 28-30, 25% off sitewide and a free candle on purchases over $55 on December 1-2
Dieux
Dieux
When: November 29-December 2
What: 30% off original price items, 20% off single items, and a free Mini Slugging Kit on orders over $30
ILIA
ILIA Skin Rewind Complexion Stick
ILIA
When: November 25-December 2, VIP members get early access November 24
What: 20% off sitewide, 25% off orders over $125, and 25% off plus a free full-size product for orders over $150
Ogee
Ogee
When: November 1-December 3
What: 20% off sitewide with code 'GIFTGLOW20' and receive free deluxe samples with purchases over $200 (November 28-December 3 only)
Amazon
Youth To The People Superfood Facial Cleanser
Youth To The People
When: November 23-December 3 on YTTP.com, November 21-December 2 on Amazon, and December 2 at Sephora
What:
- YTTP: 30% off sitewide plus a free 3-piece gift with purchases over $85
- Amazon: 20% off select products through November 27, 30% off select products starting November 28
- Sephora: 30% off all products in-store and online
Fashion Sales
Amazon
Dream Pairs Genuine Suede Classic Platform Boots
Dream Pairs
When: November 21-December 2
What: 20-40% off select styles on the Dream Pairs site and Amazon
Madewell
Madewell The Essential Bucket Tote
Madewell
When: November 21-27
What: 30% off your purchase, including new arrivals
H&M
H&M
When: November 28-December 1
What: 30% off online only (November 28), 30% off online and in-store (November 29-30), and up to 50% off (November 30-December 1)
Old Navy
Old Navy
When: November 1-December 2
What: 50% off select products online and in-store (November 1-6), 50% off everything online and in-store (November 7-10), and 50% off everything online only and 50% off select products in-store (November 27-December 2)
Land's End
Land's End Medium Canvas Tote Bag
Land's End
When: November 29-December 3
What: 50% off, including customizable canvas totes, sheets, towels, accessories and more.
Showpo
Showpo
When: November 22-December 3
What:
- Black Friday early access (November 22-24): 25% off sitewide
- Black Friday (November 27-29): 25% off sitewide
- Cyber Weekend (November 30-December 1): 25% off almost everything and 40% off bestsellers
- Cyber Monday (December 2-3): 25% off almost everything and 40% off bestsellers
Franco Sarto
Franco Sarto Jaxon Mid Calf Boot
Franco Sarto
When: November 23-December 3
What: Up to 70% off + free shipping
Oomiay
Oomiay
When: November 28-December 2
What: Free exclusive jewelry pieces (up to 5) with every item purchased on November 28-December 1 and up to 50% off your entire order on December 2 only
Barefoot Dreams
Barefoot Dreams CozyChic Solid Robe
Barefoot Dreams
When: November 27-December 1 (Black Friday VIP access starts November 25) and December 2-3 (for Cyber Monday)
What: 20% off 2 items, 25% off 3 items, and 30% off 4 or more items for Black Friday. The CozyChic Checks & Stripes Sock Set will be just $9.98 (was $45) on Cyber Monday only.
Local Eclectic
Local Eclectic Whimsical Charm Necklace
Local Eclectic
When: November 25-December 2
What: 20% off sitewide
Quince
Quince Italian Wool Classic Single-Breasted Coat
Quince
When: November 27-December 2
What: 40% off select products
Home Sales
Revival Rugs
Revival Rugs
When: November 14-December 2
What: Scaled discounts automatically applied at checkout:
- 15% off $250-500
- 20% off $500-999
- 25% off $1,000-1,999
- 30% off $2000+
Walmart
Samsung 55” Crystal UHD 4K Smart TV
Walmart
When: November 11-December 1
What: Walmart is breaking up their Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals into two events.
- Event 1 deals begin online on November 11 at 12 p.m. ET exclusively for paid Walmart+ members and 5 p.m. ET for all customers.
- Event 1 deals begin in stores on November 15 at 6 a.m. local time.
- Event 2 deals begin online on November 25 at 12 p.m. ET exclusively for paid Walmart+ members and 5 p.m. ET for all customers.
- Event 2 deals begin in stores November 29 at 6 a.m. local time.
- Cyber Monday deals start online on December 1 at 5 p.m. ET exclusively for paid Walmart+ members and 8 p.m. ET for all customers.
Amazon
TheraGun Sense Percussion Massage Gun
Amazon
When: November 29 and December 2 (tentative)
What: Amazon will feature "tons of great deals across all different categories."
Ruggable
Morris & Co. Strawberry Thief Sage & Rose Tufted Rug
Ruggable
When: Starting November 26
What: 25% off sitewide (exclusions apply) with code 'BF24'
Brümate
Brümate
When: November 26-December 2
What: 20% off coolers and 25% off drinkware with code 'HOLIDAY25'
sproos!
sproos! Lookin Good Handheld Shower System
sproos!
When: November 27-December 2
What: 30% off of the Lookin' Good Bundle on sproos.co and Amazon
Great Jones
Great Jones
When: November 4-December 2 on Great Jones site and November 21-December on Amazon
What: up to 50% off sitewide and 20-33% off select items on Amazon
Food + Supplement Sales
Cure
Cure Electrolyte Drink Mix Starter Kit
Cure
When: November 26-December 3
What: 25% off sitewide on all Electrolyte Drink Mixes, Cure Kids, Energy Teas and merch with code 'HELPYOURSELF25'
More Sales
Petco
Native Pet Omega 3 Fish Oil For Dog Skin & Coat
Petco
When: November 23-30
What: 50% off select items
Subscribe to our newsletter to shop even more Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals!
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
This post has been updated.
Zach Bryan and Brianna "Chickenfry" LaPaglia's explosive breakup is everywhere right now. From his seemingly one-sided social media posts to all the bombshell revelations she keeps dropping, it's clear this split is NOT amicable. Both parties are dropping tons of lore, info, and everything in between — including new music?! — right now, so it makes sense if you can't keep up. Luckily, I'm here to help break this breakup down for you! Here's everything you need to know about Zach Bryan and Brianna Chickenfry's relationship...or lack thereof.
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
October 22, 2024 – Zach Bryan Announces His Breakup With Brianna Chickenfry
On October 22, 2024, after some recent speculation that Zach Bryan and Brianna Chickenfry split up, Zach took to his Instagram stories. The country star said, "Addressing something: Brianna and me have broken up with [each other] and I respect and love her with every ounce of my heart. She has loved me unconditionally for a very long time and for that I'll always thank her."
He continued, noting, "I have had an incredibly hard year personally and struggled through some pretty severe things. I thought it would be beneficial for both of us to go our different ways. I am not perfect and never will be. Please respect Brianna's privacy and space in this and if you have it in your heart, mine too."
To wrap it all up, he closed by apologizing to his fans. He said, "With everything I am and to anyone I let down, I am sorry. I try my best in everything. I failed people that love me and mostly myself."
Brianna hopped on her own Instagram stories shortly there after. She posted, "Hey guys I'm feeling really blindsided right now. Gonna hop off social media for a while and attempt to heal privately, when I'm ready I'll be back and ready to talk. I love you guys so much thank you for all of your kind words. Remember you are so loved and everything's always gonna be okay 🫶"
The Brianna got on Youtube next, posting a raw, emotional video about the situation. Sitting on the floor of her bathroom, she opened up as much as she could in the moment about her breakup. She said, "I just woke up to Zach posting on his Instagram that we broke up and I had no idea that post was going up. He didn't text me, he didn't call me. I just woke up to a bunch of texts, like, 'Are you okay?'"
Brianna, with her teary eyes and red face, explained she's been crying for "five days straight." She said, "I'm at the point where it's like, how can you give someone everything and love them so unconditionally, like through stuff that you shouldn't because you just love them and you want them... like you see the good in them?"
The internet personality said that this is all "so embarrassing" and "really, really heartbreaking." She elaborated that the couple broke up on October 21, but wanted to process on her own and "didn't want it to be public."
Much like her Instagram story, she told her audience that she'll come back when she's ready.
November 7, 2024 — Brianna Claims Zach's Emotionally Abusive, Wanted $12Mil NDA
Well, it appears this week, Brianna decided she's ready. On Barstool Sports' BFF's Pod November 7, 2024, Brianna gave an inside look at the breakup unlike any other. Not only did she claim Zach was abusive, but she also alleged that he offered her a $12 million NDA to "not talk about the relationship."
After saying it's been the hardest year of her life, she said. "I'm still scared right now because I'm scared of him. My brain's rewired and I'm scared to make him mad and last week, I didn't want to talk about it 'cause I was scared."
Brianna then described the alleged emotional abuse. She noted that everything was cyclical and that he would build her up only to break her back down again. "There was always another excuse as to why he was treating me so poorly and why I'm crying myself to sleep every night, why he's screaming at me," she said. "And then you wake up, it's the apology, it's the 'I'm going to be better like I need you in my life,' but if you've been through this — I don't expect people to understand emotional abuse if you haven't been through it. I hope you never have to go through it but if you've been there you know what I'm talking about."
Not only does Brianna allege she was offered an NDA, but she said that other women that came before her had to sign their own agreements. She declined the offer because she didn't want to "sign away [her] experiences and what [she] went through to protect someone that hurt [her]." She also wanted to share this experience for other women who've suffered something similar.
And when it comes to the logistics of losing out on the famous lifestyle and alleged $12 million? She said, "It was never about the money — I was with the dude because I loved the dude."
Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival
November 8, 2024 — Zach Quit Touring Amid Abuse Allegations
On November 8, 2024, Zach posted on Instagram — where he clearly loves to share all his big news — that not only is his new single "High Road" out today, but that he's also ending his tour early. Read his full statement here:
After not being home for a year and a half I drove out to my mothers gravestone in the dead of night a few days back on familiar Oklahoma roads and I came to realize just like in the past, that she never would call me again
Told her I quit touring because I got accepted to get my masters in Paris next year, I told her I was back in Oklahoma, told her about all my best friends in New York and all the nights we howled with the moon, told her about the immeasurable laughter my band and me have shared these last five years, all the calluses on my finger tips, every tear shed, told her about making it on The Rolling Stone and most importantly told her about porch swinging with my beautiful sister.
I wrote the chorus for this song a month or two back and finished it when I realized I was blessed with all these things.
I figured it was about time I released it.
Thank you guys for listening to ‘This Worlds a Giant’ last night and thank you to all the people who love me; who have truly carried the weight with me.
Seems that all these Quiet Dreams have gotten much too heavy but I’m home now and I’ll hold you through the pain.
High Road is out today and I appreciate all of you"
Looking to stay up-to-date on all your fave celebs? Follow us on Facebook for more!