Welcome to our monthly need-to-know list of the latest and greatest releases that should be on your radar for the month ahead.
With a full-time job, busy social life, and social media accounts to update, it can be challenging to keep up with all the shiny newness out there.
Here at ES Best, we’ve got our ears to the ground and our noses pressed against the digital shopping windows, always looking for the newest fashion, events, and food and drink - so you don’t have to. From sell-out collections to limited edition collaborations, with exclusive events, fresh launches and new store unveilings in between, we’ve got you covered so you don’t miss out on a thing.
December is here, and like arranging living room furniture around a TV, everything is pointing at just one event: Christmas. The season for eating, drinking and general merriment is here - and so is the annual brain-wracking task of gift buying. Whether you’ve nailed the big boxes to put under the tree, you’re still trying to fill up your stockings or you haven’t a Scooby what to buy at the Secret Santa budget, we’ve got gift guides galore to help.
Then there’s festive food and drink. Whether you’re sticking to your turkey dinner tradition or you’re willing to be led astray by something different (trust us, there’s plenty to entice), we’ve got everything from mince pies, Christmas puds and Panettone taste-tested and ranked.
Haven't got your advent calendar yet? Many are now half-price, so it's not too late to get your hands on one.
At the end of the month lurks not only January but a whole new year. 2024 is in our grasp - but not before one big blowout party to put the last 12 months to bed. Find the best New Year’s Eve threads for the last party of the year at ES Best too.
And of course, there’s the usual smorgasbord of glittering new launches, exciting collabs and epic shopping drops to make this December shine despite the weather.
If you’re ever at a loss for something to do at the weekend or want to scratch the retail therapy itch, we’ll keep this page up-to-date all month long; best to bookmark so you’ve got the insider’s guide right at your fingertips.
Let’s get to it
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LOOKFANTASTIC House of Beauty Pop-Up
While there's nowhere quite like London at Christmastime, there's one area of the capital that feels extra beautiful: Mayfair. Until December 3, it will be all the more beautiful thanks to the new pop-up that is LOOKFANTASTIC's House of Beauty at 189 Piccadilly.
In the thrumming heart of the West End, this temporary shop is full of interactive and immersive beauty experiences spotlighting some of the biggest brands around: think Jo Malone London, ghd and Drunk Elephant. If you're headed into town for a spot of Christmas shopping, be sure to add in a pit stop.
If you can't get to the pop-up or you'd prefer to shop within touching distance of your electric heater at home, find our roundup of the best Christmas beauty sets here.
Amazon opens Second Chance Store in central London
Until December 12, Amazon is hosting a pop-up at The Brunswick Centre near Russell Square.
The shop will showcase the best of Amazon's refurbished, used and open-box products at a snip of their usual RRPs - we're talking as dramatic as 50 per cent off. Proceeds from the pop-up will go to Barnardo's, the children's charity.
If you can't make it to the store, you can still take advantage of Amazon's refurbished discounts online.
Buy now, Amazon
Chase Distillery launches limited edition plant terrariums
For plant-loving booze aficionados comes the perfect gift from Chase Distillery this Christmas. The drinks producer has transformed a limited number of its bottles into terrariums to bring a touch of the countryside to urban homes. Housed in a clean, recycled bottle, the Fittonia and Ivy plants are self-regulating and don't need more than the very odd spritz now and again. The best bit? Order a full bottle from The Bar and you can bag the terrarium completely free of charge. Cheers!
Buy now £21.00, TheBar
Deliveroo launches national festive giveaway
With giving season now well and truly underway, Deliveroo is playing at being premature Santa by offering freebies to hungry customers. Until December 16 and only when using the app, the new Spin-a-Roo feature will reward those who spend £20 or more with daily prizes.
So what could you win? Oh, we don't know, how does a year's worth of free food (including delivery fees!) sound? Or money-off credit to use at vendors like Wingstop, Subway or the Co-op? As if we needed any more excuse to stay in.
Buy now, Deliveroo
IKEA launches Digital Advent Calendar
Generous gifts keep flowing with IKEA also edging in on the action. The flatpack furniture shop is offering every customer the treat of a new and exclusive offer every day until Christmas, revealed on its site and redeemable only for that particular day. The company is giving out things like gift cards and unique experiences, like having Christmas dinner in one of its room sets for groups of up to six people.
That's not all: each IKEA is hosting festive workshops, classes and meet Santa experiences in the run-up to Christmas. See what's happening at your local store and book in for a jolly good time.
Buy now, IKEA
Heinz launches competition for limited edition advent calendar
Yes we know that December 1 has been and gone, but that hasn't dampened our need for an advent calendar - getting one later just means we can rip open more windows at once!
And now thanks to Heinz, you can bag a limited edition one for free. The king of condiments has launched a new version this year, and it's packed with 24 bottles of... mayonnaise! As well as its classic version, there are flavours like truffle and garlic, perfect for perking up Christmas leftovers. There are just 15 to win - enter through Heinz Instagram post.
Well, that’s one way to guarantee a white(ish) Christmas.
Buy now, Heinz
Tesco now stocks HIV tests
More than a place to pick up mince pies and extra loo roll, Tesco has become the first major UK supermarket to put at-home rapid HIV tests on its shelves. From Newfoundland Diagnostics, the tests offer 99 per cent accurate results in just 15 minutes.
Frederick Manduca, co-founder of Newfoundland Diagnostics, said: “Today marks a pivotal moment in the fight against HIV. By making HIV tests easily accessible as part of routine shopping, our goal is to equip Brits with the necessary tools to identify and manage transmission risks while encouraging conversations around HIV by placing tests on our supermarket shelves."
It's a landmark moment that grants concerned shoppers the privacy of at-home testing while also eradicating stigma around the disease. As they say, every little helps.
Buy now £18.00, Tesco
Nandos launches new winter menu
Your usual Nandos order is about to get a shake-up thanks to a series of new plates launched by the purveyor of peri-peri.
Garlic bread has been given a serious glow-up and transformed into the new Garlic Churrasco Burger, the chicken slathered with delicious Smoky Churrasco PERinaise. There's a fresh leafy salad to bring some greenery to tables and the new side of PERi-Mac & Cheese, a comfort to dive into as we head into deepest winter.
For the folks who are always too full for dessert, the new Warm Chocolate Pud will persuade you otherwise. Who can resist gooey chocolate shot through with a hint of chilli and paired with vanilla ice cream?
No one, that's who.
Buy now, Nandos
