Also for yourself!

Are you looking for that perfect gift to dazzle someone special? Or maybe it’s time to treat yourself after checking off your holiday list? This season is bursting with must-have trends, amazing deals and items that will keep you stylish well into 2025. From thoughtful gifts to indulgent treats, this season offers something to make every moment sparkle. Get ready to shop smarter, gift better and step into the new year with flair!

Influencer marketing and well-being drive choices

Social media scrolling has transformed holiday shopping, making self-gifting more popular than ever. Gen-Z leads the trend, with a 95% rise in sporting equipment and athleisure, a 24% increase in beauty and personal care, and a 21% boost in health and wellness. On the other hand, millennials are drawn to cozy and relaxing items for the home.

This shift might reflect the collective stress many feel right now. How about channeling that into thoughtful gifts that inspire calm and well-being? Crystals and gemstones, long celebrated for their healing and beauty, make a meaningful choice. Thompson Ferrier’s Gold Buddha candle embodies the journey to inner peace, paired with a Palo Santo and red currant scent to evoke tranquility.

Looking for stress relief? Indulge in 100 Senses’ Mind Body Soak Sampler—a mood-lifting set designed to rescue sanity. And when all else fails, add a dose of humor. Jonathan Adler’s brass Xanax pill case, with its chic silver-plated accents, offers a whimsical touch to gift-giving. Who says holiday shopping can’t be stylish and stress-free?

Little indulgent luxuries

A LOEWE bag or outfit might dent your bank balance. If you go for their new scented candles they offer a luxe alternative. Try Tuberose or Orchid from the Home Scents Textura collection for a touch of sophistication. Looking for something festive? Ginori’s Rosso Room Diffuser delivers scent therapy with cedar, bitter orange, red grape, and vetiver notes.

Dreaming of a Hermès Birkin? Skip the waitlist and opt for their giftable metallic accent eye shadow quartet or limited edition lipstick in striking color-blocked packaging. Who says luxury has to break the bank—these picks bring elegance within reach.

Emotional support clothing

The past few years popularized emotional support pets, and what about emotional support clothing? Korean brand Sundae School is now shipping internationally, and their ivory pleated “duvet” puffer speaks for itself. Need versatility? The reversible flower quilted jeogori jacket works perfect for travelers or last-minute outfit changes.

Always on the go? Check out the Adidas x Wales Bonner Gender Inclusive Samba in a sleek millennium metallic combo. Style and comfort have become so supportive.

Interior assets

Less expensive than a trip to Paris, consider this cozy textured throw and fish scale velvet pillow from Galeries Lafayette. Speaking of travel, a perfect coffee table read, Assouline’s new Sevilla Arte, provides a breathtaking tribute. Considering one might curl up by a warm fire, how about SKIMS Cozy Knit Unisex Leopard Print Robe and matching Convertible Sherpa Slippers?

Home with a guest? Baci Milano’s Firenze Tea Cup and Saucer 2-piece gift offers the perfect set. Cereal all day? Yes, with Spal’s Leaf detailed Porcelain Gold Rim Cereal Bowls. Heading into the evening and drinks, look at  Salt and Pepper’s 2- 2-piece Glass Carafe Tumbler Set. A rare and conversation-starting vase choice for yourself or someone special can be seen in Decostar’s Honora Tubes Inspired Vase.

Holiday markets for unique and one-of-a-kind gifting

Those who plan to travel during the holidays may find value and unique gifts in global holiday markets. New York City offers famous holiday fairs in the historic Grand Central Terminal and Bryant Park. London contains an array of iconic and differentiated Christmas markets and fairs, including Spitalfields and Covent Garden. In Germany, one can consider Munich legendary for its Christkindlmarkt. Longing for festive Japan? Watch this YouTube overview of Tokyo’s Christmas Market. Wanting to get a global view? Then plan for 2025 with these must-visit Christmas Markets around the world!

Regardless of how you plan to gift and celebrate, Symrise wishes you the most joyous and healthy of holiday seasons. Follow our Instagram page to stay alert to our holiday hacks and tips for wellness into the new year ahead!

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Stress less and enjoy

Hosting friends or family for the holidays requires careful preparation, from designing the perfect menu to creating a beautifully decorated and welcoming space for guests. Elevate your celebrations this season by employing refined strategies and implementing innovative solutions to execute every detail perfectly. From sophisticated décor to thoughtful touches, transform your gatherings into memorable experiences of elegance and ease. The art of hosting begins here.

Start with a plan

Begin your holiday preparations with a detailed plan, including a timeline, task list, and recruit assistance. For out-of-town guests, curate and share a list of nearby accommodations with your invitation, ensuring you’ve thoughtfully vetted all options. If hosting overnight, enhance sleeping areas and bathrooms with pampering essentials. To maintain a shoe-free home, provide house slippers for guests. Consider any pets carefully—address potential safety concerns with children or elderly visitors, account for allergies, plan containment during meals if necessary, or arrange alternative care.

Renowned tastemakers offer invaluable insights for creating a welcoming and festive atmosphere. Nate Berkus, Oprah Winfrey’s trusted interior designer, emphasizes the importance of global tables and meaningful elements in holiday décor. He champions understated elegance with muted palettes, rich textures, and metallic accents, favoring brass and gold over traditional motifs. Berkus suggests incorporating personal touches, like woven placemats from travels or vintage candlesticks, to elevate tablescapes. His advice? Always plan plenty of time for the table setting in advance.

French designer and architect Laura Gonzalez infuses warmth and comfort into every space. Her signature touches include layering sofas and beds with soft throws. Gonzalez opts for seafood risotto for holiday dining, pairing its refined simplicity with a crisp French white wine such as Chablis or Pouilly-Fumé. To leave a lasting impression, offer guests a thoughtful token, such as a pre-wrapped holiday treat. Place these near the door to ensure an effortless and elegant parting gesture.

Quick & easy recipes to impress

While Laura likes risotto, plenty of simple recipe options will set the scene for even the most finicky guests. You can find festive starters like Toasted Gruyere and Cranberry Cups in the Food Network’s 50 Quick and Easy Holiday Recipes. Similarly, Vie Magazine offers Made With Love: Holiday Recipes From Around The World, including appetizers, soups, main dishes, and holiday cocktails. Milk Street features a variety of options to please in their 2024 Holiday Recipe Collection. Also, look to social sites like Pinterest for creative takes like Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus, Apple Brie Appetizer, and Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Dijon Aioli.

Celebrities weigh in

Hardly any gathering will go off without a hitch, and that makes part of the charm. Whether a minor cooking mishap or a last-minute change in seating, roll with the surprise. Guests will remember the fun and warmth more than any minor flaws. Allow yourself time to take a breather, grab a bite, and chat with a guest. Rather than rushing through every task, taking small breaks helps you remain energized and present!

Type A personality David Beckham paired with SharkNinja to offer a humorous, self-deprecating take on holiday preparations with the brand. Of course, known perfectionist Martha Stewart provides some final sage advice!

Last Holiday Season, 2023, Symrise embraced the trend of plant-based, allergy-friendly holiday dishes, championing inclusive and sustainable hosting. Share how you plan to celebrate with friends and loved ones in the comments below!

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The holiday spin on Eurocore

Did you indulge in posting summer selfies, sipping espresso in an Italian piazza, or toasting champagne by the Eiffel Tower? If you did, kudos! You have joined the latest #EUROCORE craze. The TikTok trend has racked up an impressive 123k views to date with Eurosummer and many variations. Continuing on the momentum, the travel industry stands to promote the holiday season with numerous European Christmas Markets River Cruises.  As a bonus, you can visit several markets on these cruises and limit packing and emptying your luggage only once. The self-proclaimed “River Cruise Queen” offers advice on booking the perfect European Christmas Markets River Cruise. You got interested in learning more? Continue reading!

Festive travel spin firmly rooted in traditions

Europe’s annual Christmas markets originated in Germany hundreds of years ago. They evoke memories of simpler times, with stalls selling hand-blown glass ornaments, toys, artisanal crafts, and the scent of mulled wine and fresh bread cooking over embers. “Germany hosts some 3,000 Christmas markets, and the Alsace-Lorraine region – which once belonged to Germany now to France – carries on the tradition,” noted Derek Banks, Managing Director of European Waterways. “The region is renowned for its bright and festive Christmas markets, as well as its picturesque castles and France’s oldest wine road – all of which form a part of European Waterways’ Christmas Markets Cruises.” 

These cruises offer a perfect opportunity to sample seasonal treats like vin chaud, mulled wine, gingerbread, and christstolle—a brioche filled with almond cream and candied fruits. Along with Gothic churches, Strasbourg’s Christkindelsmärik, welcomes millions of visitors as the capital of Alsace and “the capital of Christmas.” The city also hosts one of the oldest and largest markets in Europe. Visitors can wander historic quarters like Place Gutenberg and La Petite France (Little France). They can also watch craftsmen making seasonal chocolates at the Musée du Chocolat or chocolate museum.

Best of the river markets cruise offerings

While primarily situated along the Danube River and scattered along the Rhine, small and large European cities capitalize on this age-old holiday event. Some cruises cater to adults, others to offbeat destinations and singing and dancing cultural celebrations. U.K. The Times voted Tui, Cologne their favorite for three adult-only ships. The center of Cologne’s most famous market (there are seven) features a giant twinkling Christmas tree. The Tui line offers five and seven-night festive itineraries. Uniworld’s tour of Germany and Austria remains their second choice for adults, with Nuremberg known as the “gingerbread capital of the world.” 

For a family-friendly experience, Disney offers an 8-day Danube cruise featuring iconic Salzburg landmarks from The Sound of Music. The recommend a minimum age of 5, and suggest children from the age of 8+ to join. They also offer programs for teen “Adventurers.” Popular travel YouTuber stars, like Two Bad Tourists (generally known for warm weather trips), are curating their Danube itineraries. You could also opt for the extended 14-night AmaWaterways “Grand Danube Cruise.”

New Developments for 2023 and beyond

Did you know the Christmas Markets River cruise scene has been moving past predictable routes? In recent years, Portugal’s Douro River, which features a vibrant wine scene, has been drawing AmaWaterways with AmaDouro sailings. Due to the extended weather season, the 2024 “Enticing Douro” itinerary will run from March through late December. If you’re stateside, in 2024, American Queen Voyages partners with Natchez, Mississippi, for new U.S. Christmas Markets cruises along the Mississippi River.

With holiday nostalgia, luxury accommodations, daily excursions, fine wine, and gourmet meals, Christmas Markets River cruises keep attracting fans. Share your favorites in the comments below!

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Exotic holiday sweets & treats – making the most exciting holiday advent calendars

The holidays are knocking at our doors. Excitement of anticipation and celebration lives in the air! While we wait for new beginnings, we can cope better with the countdowns with a daily surprise awaiting us. Advent calendars are all the rage – from silly accessories to luxurious beauty. The best ones showcasing delicious sweets and treats for pampered pets! Food and beverage brands are going all out this year. Read below and discover our advent calendars for you!

Flavor discovery

What comes to your mind when you think of flavors for the holiday season? Hot chocolate, gingerbread, and pumpkin? Brands are now also experimenting with exotic flavors, from luxurious truffle chocolates to surprising spices and hot sauces. This holiday season offers the perfect time to try something new!

• American chocolate brand Delysia Chocolatier’s 24-day chocolate countdown calendar includes diverse globally inspired Christmas tastes. These include lebkuchen, a traditional German Christmas biscuit; champurrado, a thick, hot chocolate from Mexico and a fried chicken chocolate truffle inspired by a Christmas tradition in Japan.
• French sustainable spice brand Terre Exotique’s Spice Discovery Advent Calendar contains 24 sweet and savory spices, salts, and peppers from around the globe.
• Hot sauce calendars have never been hotter. Thai hot sauce brand Flying Goose introduced its first UK calendar. 12 Days of Sriracha, featuring sauces ranging from mild to hot as well as unusual flavors, such as yuzu, tikka, and smoky.

Holiday Sips

Worried about alcohol consumption during the holidays? Then, you can claim yourself lucky. Plenty of alcohol-free options exist to keep things fun, all built into different advent calendars.

• Drydrinker offers an alcohol-free beer calendar perfect for the festive season. Expect low and no-alcohol lagers, stouts, IPAs, and other fancy drinks to see through working from home, Christmas parties, or sofa sessions.
• French tea brand Palais de Thés’ globally inspired tea calendar includes a Yunnan black tea, a Balinese and Brazilian detox blend, and an English-inspired black tea – all in biodegradable cotton tea bags.
• Hot chocolate for two? The Whittard of Chelsea Hot Chocolate Advent Calendar for Two includes 12 flavors like Rocky Road, Sticky Toffee Pudding, and Crème Brûlée. 

Countdown, and make it healthy please!

Breaking out of routine during the holidays can also mean to do something for your well-being. Wellness-focused calendars give the perfect answer for those who want to stay active and healthy this holiday season. The offerings include nutritious protein bars, supplements, hangover remedies, and more.

• Berlin-based health food brand Foodspring offers a fitness advent calendar containing items like protein bars, sachets and spreads, a beanie, and a jump rope. You may obtain the calendar in a vegan version too.
• UK nutrition brand MyProtein offers similar products: delicious protein-packed products, such as Double Dough Brownie and the Vegan Protein Blend powders.
• US-based 3D-printed supplement brand Nourished fills their calendar version with vitamins. Days one to seven contain supplements to help regulate immunity. Days eight to fourteen are designed to boost energy. Days fifteen to twenty-one promote a sense of calm. And days twenty-two to twenty-eight help relieve hangover symptoms.

Pampered Pets

We must also remember our furry friends! The countdown calendars for pets also contain plenty of indulging surprises. Who says you need to endure countdowns alone?

• ‘Tis the season of indulgence! UK pet food brand Scrumbles’ 2021 advent calendar contains a mix of functional dog treats, including mini bones for dental health, calming turkey treats with chamomile and lemon balm, and chicken puree for sensitive stomachs.
• Australian pet food brand Laila and Me’s advent calendar for dogs contains 24 different treats, including wild boar, kangaroo jerky, and parsley chicken.
• US cat food brand Fancy’s Feast has released an advent calendar with 24 cans of its gourmet cat food. This includes two new limited edition festive flavors – Yuletide Turkey Feast with Sweet Potato & Tomato in Gravy and Hearthside Salmon Platter with Pumpkin & Spinach Plate.

Which countdown calendar makes you feel most excited about? What favorite holiday traditions do you follow? Share your thoughts with us and leave a comment below!

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Bloom Benefits

Imagine you enter a room flooded with light and full of flowers and plants. It virtually seems to breathe. The soft scent probably creates a feeling of comfort and homecoming. For this reason, indoor plants form a welcome addition to our lives that bring another aspect of being alive. Adding some green to your life and home brings countless benefits. Plants are proven to enhance the overall appearance of any space and boost mood, increase creativity, reduce stress, and some even eliminate air pollutants. In addition, they work excellent in making your living area a happy and healthy green environment, leading to a sense of joy. 

Decorative Greens

These characteristics make greenery the best natural and beautiful decorative piece for any room in a home. Yes, art looks lovely, and indoor plants bring the energy of life to any residence. It creates a sense of living, after all! Popular indoor plants include fiddle leaf fig tree, split-leaf philodendron, Meyer lemon tree, snake plant, and Peruvian apple cactus. It takes low maintenance, as they only require water once a week plus limited sunlight! 

Some even survive of the humidity in the bathroom, making them excellent washroom accessories. For example, spider plants enjoy us with their long skinny green arms that lay gently over the side of their bases. They require only little light to survive, so they form an ideal evergreen for spaces with minimal light exposure. Want to know more similar low-maintenance greenery? The Bird’s Nest Fern plant. The leaves come in a rich, green hue, and edges form soft waves, making them look similar to locks of hair. This plant loves humidity and would look great in your bathroom!

Finally, some house plants even act as air purifiers. They convert the carbon dioxide we exhale into fresh oxygen through photosynthesis. They can also remove toxins from the air we breathe. One of the most beneficial plants for air purifying remains the Pothos. It proliferates and requires sporadic attention only. Its attractive leaves create a circular pointed shape often compared to the form of a heart. English Ivy offers another popular option popular for air purification. This flowering plant belongs to the class of woody vine, as its body proliferates vertically and horizontally. You’ll often find this plant in gardens because of the extensive coverage of the green area it provides. 

Plant Collecting & Subscriptions

Besides looking for suitable plants to decorate your home you might feel like looking for a new hobby? Try plant collecting. Companies such as The Plant Club make collecting easy and exciting, as they love to share the beauty of plants with others. After signing up for the subscription, each month, a featured plant ships to your home. They select each plant based on several criteria, including coloration, character, foliage, form, seasonality, and diversity. 

Further, plant subscription services are rising, catering to everyone, from novice plant owners needing expert advice to people living in cities with small spaces. The brands chose the plants thoughtfully according to suitability for dark rooms or easy care. Subscriptions ship a new houseplant, often with a planter, each month; Sprout London cleverly offers an option to combine this service with a monthly bag of coffee.

If you are hesitant in becoming a plant parent, The Sill has created plant subscriptions called the Easy-Care-Collection. This collection includes plants for beginners who are looking to dabble in getting their hands dirty.

Giving Green

Plants might also ease another pain of yours. With the holiday season swiftly approaching, the stress of gift shopping is creeping upon us. So make this holiday season green by giving the gift of a plant. Personalized greenery (usage or characteristics) remains a great gift. Or, if you already know a plant lover, vases and accessories offer a fantastic choice. 

Adding green into our lives brings countless benefits: from improving our health, boosting our mood, and stimulating creativity with decorating to gift-giving. In addition, plants truly become an outlet for any desire to bring the outdoors in. 

Will you be buying more plants for yourself or gift-giving greenery this holiday season? Let us know in the comments below.  

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