This year, I will be counting down the days 'til Christmas with not one but two nail polish Advent calendars. Earlier in the week, I reviewed the Essie Advent calendar for you guys, and today I'm back to give you the low-down on this year's Ciaté Mini Mani Month calendar.
Ciaté London's Mini Mani Month nail polish Advent calendar is the original beauty calendar, which appeared on the scene years before all the other beauty brands caught on and began to release their own. This calendar has been returning year after year for about a decade now, getting a redesign and a new set of contents each year, and it's so popular it sells out every Christmas. I think this is the third or fourth Christmas I've purchased one of their Advent calendars- they're that good I keep on going back for more!
This year's Mini Mani Month Advent calendar features a metallic silver design with a modern illustration of London at Christmas time in silver, grey, and white emblazoning the front. The design includes iconic landmarks like The Shard, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, and The London Eye, along with non-descript buildings and houses, a scattering of simple modern Christmas trees, and 'Mini Mani Month' printed in a large script in the centre.
The calendar opens on a hinge like a book to reveal twenty-four large cardboard windows, with the numbers in a large font size which will make it easy to locate the right door each day.
Hidden behind its twenty-four silver windows, are twenty-four nail treats for you to discover each day in the lead up to Christmas, including twenty-two mini paint pots, one full-sized paint pot, and one limited edition glitter nail file. The set includes ten brand new shades for 2019, and six mystery polishes, which Ciaté say may vary from calendar to calendar, so you'll never quite know what shades you're gonna get!
Here's a list of everything you will find inside:
♥ Limited edition gold glitter nail file- a mini rose gold glittery emery board nail file.
♥ Party Popper full size paint pot 12ml- a clear polish with gold and holographic glitter flakes.
♥ Kiss Chase mini paint pot 5ml- a dreamy pink with luminous pastel tendencies.
♥ Gilded Goddess mini paint pot 5ml- a clear polish with glittery gold flakes.
♥ Sweet Treats mini paint pot 5ml- a candy pink shimmer.
♥ Splash! mini paint pot 5ml- a delicate pale yellow-gold shimmer.
♥ Palm Springs mini paint pot 5ml- a vibrant royal blue with a pearlescent twist.
♥ Phantom mini paint pot 5ml- a stunning teal glitter with a slight purple shimmer.
♥ White Heat mini paint pot 5ml- a creamy, glossy white.
♥ Royal Reign mini paint pot 5ml- a dark purple-grey.
♥ Snatch mini paint pot 5ml- a bold, blue-toned red.
♥ Paparazzi mini paint pot 5ml- a vampy red-black.
♥ House of Mirrors mini paint pot 5ml- a very fine sparkly silver with a delicate red shimmer.
♥ Star Crossed mini paint pot 5ml- a dreamy sunset orange and yellow gold glitter.
♥ Iced Frappe mini paint pot 5ml- a creamy, uplifting cream nude.
♥ Tutu mini paint pot 5ml- cool baby pink.
♥ Pepperminty mini paint pot 5ml- a tingly fresh mint green.
♥ Summer Haze mini paint pot 5ml- a warm orange-red.
And the six mystery shades included in my calendar are:
♥ Purple Rain mini paint pot 5ml- a pretty lilac and ice blue shimmer.
♥ Midnight in Paris mini paint pot 5ml- a gorgeous midnight blue with a silver shimmer.
♥ Cyclone mini paint pot 5ml- a turquoise to bronze shimmering duo-chrome.
♥ Up In The Clouds mini paint pot 5ml- a dreamy opalescent pale pink.
♥ After Dark mini paint pot 5ml- colour-shifting purple to blue iridescent.
♥ Violet Vixen mini paint pot 5ml- a rose-gold glitter with a red, purple, and yellow gold shimmer.
I couldn't resist taking a peek at all of the products hidden inside when the calendar first arrived, and let me tell you, there are some seriously beautiful nail shades in this set! Everything is so gorgeous. There are bold reds, mesmerising navys, pretty pinks, glamorous golds, beautiful iridescents, and so many other gorgeous shades, mostly from the Gelology creme nail paint collection. There are less nudes and more colourful shades than in some of their previous calendars, so of course, that's makes this calendar a winner in my book! I'm so impressed with the selection of nail shades included in this Advent calendar; I think it has one of the best selection of colours yet. I can't wait to try them all out this December. The great thing is, there are no annoying loose glitters or caviars like there used to be in past Mini Mani Month calendars, and unlike the Essie Advent calendar, it isn't bulked out with cheap accessories. Okay, there is one sturdy, glittery gold emery board included, but I can live with that. A girl can never have too many nail files around in case of nail emergencies, right?
I've not yet tested or swatched any of the paint pots as I want to save that pleasure for Advent, but I've been a big fan of Ciaté nail paints for years, and I can tell you the formula handles like a dream, dries quickly, and is long lasting. I usually find Ciaté polishes remain chip-free for at least four or five days, which is far longer than most other nail brands I've tried. (And believe me, I've tried a lot). They're well worth the investment.
You may also be happy to know that the brand is vegan friendly, not tested on animals, and free of parabens, so they're kinder to your nails, health, animals, and the environment than many nail brands. You can purchase with a clear conscience knowing no animals were harmed to make this Advent calendar, and that Ciaté are committed to a sustainable future. How great is that?
This year's Mini Mani Month calendar contains £150 worth of products, but retails for just £50, so it's fantastic value for money, and one of the most reasonably priced beauty Advent calendars around this Christmas. It's still available to purchase from Ciaté, Beauty Expert, Debenhams, Look Fantastic, Mankind, and Nail Polish Direct, but you'll have to be quick because it won't be around for much longer!
Overall, I think this year's Mini Mani Month is a fantastic Advent calendar. The design is attractive, the contents are amazing, and the price is very reasonable for twenty four good quality nail products. I can't wait for Advent to arrive, so I can start opening the windows, and try all of the gorgeous goodies inside. My nails are going to look so good this December!
I'll be revealing what I find inside each window over on my Instagram account during every day of Advent, along with the contents of my Essie Advent calendar, so be sure to give me a follow if you want to follow along.
How will you be counting down the days 'til Christmas this year?
You Might Also Like