It’s almost Christmas time, which means there’s some gift shopping to do and nothing quite sets the holiday mood like cookies, trees, bonfires, pinecones, and festive ornaments. Turns out, these are just a few of Malaysia’s favorite things.
From scented candles to advent calendars, beauty products, and even batik, homegrown brands are going all out to spread the Christmas cheer as we approach the third year of the pandemic. Check out this list of locally-made gifts below:
Christmas candles
So, I’m Jenn x Lilin+Co Christmas collection
Local scented candle purveyor Lilin+Co has dropped a Christmas set (RM125) in collaboration with local influencer Jenn Chia aka So I’m Jenn. The three new scents are named “Butter Cookies,” “Grandma’s Closet,” and “Old Books,” perfect if you want your loved one’s home to smell like a freshly-baked Christmas.
Santa Tree House set by Nudecco
Another set for those who want to safely recreate a mini bonfire at home is the Santa Tree House set (RM150) by Penang brand Nudecco. The set of four items includes a 200g jar of a scented candle available in four festive flavors, one bonfire, a Hershey milk chocolate bar, and a pack of smores.
Christmas batik
Reversible batik kimono by Nyonya Kain
Forget the ugly Christmas sweater trend. Batik, a type of wax-resist cloth dipped in dye originating from Indonesia, can be festive AF. Local batik brand Nyonya Kain this week released a collection of Christmas-themed batik kimonos (from RM99) and palazzo pants (from RM75). When purchased together, a set of batik kimono and palazzo pants costs between RM165 to RM205, depending on the design. These festive batik products are available for purchase by direct-messaging the brand on Instagram.
Batik DIY painting kit with embroidery hoop by Batik Boutique
Meanwhile, KL-based Batik Boutique has a kit (RM89) just for those who want to try a hand at batik painting. The holiday-print kit has a hand-drawn design placed in a wooden embroidery hoop. The dyes in the kit are in primary colours of red, blue, and yellow. It also comes with a paintbrush and a palette for artist feels. Text drawn on the cloth says “Merry Christmas Lah,” which is basically the greeting sprinkled with a bit of with Malaysian slang.
Mini Christmas trees
Gabrielle Christmas Tree Flower Box by BloomThis
No room for a huge Christmas tree in your home? No problem. Malaysian florist BloomThis has a mini Christmas tree (RM209) filled with pine leaves, pine cones, cotton flowers, and red carnations that will add warm Christmas feels to your, or your loved one’s space.
Jolly Tree Preserved Flower Bell Jar by Scentales
For something a little more fairytale-like, check out this mini Christmas tree in a bell jar (RM185) by Petaling Jaya florist Scentales. It slightly resembles the iconic rose from Beauty and The Beast. It’s made of a pine cone, preserved hydrangeas, pampas, and gold lino.
Advent calendars
MNML X Root Remedies Limited Edition Advent Calendar
Move over, Chanel. Malaysian beauty brand Root Remedies and jewelry label Minimalist Lab have teamed up to create a 12-day advent calendar (RM698) filled with bestselling jewels, face oils, and other beauty products.
Ken’s Apothecary Advent Calendar 2021
Malaysian luxury beauty retailer Ken’s Apothecary has also come up with an advent calendar (RM499) curated with 12 minis of their bestsellers including a Parisian Diptyque candle, fragrances, and beauty products by brands that retail at the store, like French perfume maker Frederic Malle, and Hungarian skincare label Omorovicza.
Christmas-themed soaps
Enchanted Christmas by Claire Organics.
Malaysian soap brand Claire Organics has a collection of gifts (RM124) with six items including four handmade Christmas soaps, a soap pouch to keep them dry after each use, and a balm to moisturize and soothe irritated skin. They come in a red box, decorated with illustrations of Christmas icons like Santa Claus, a snowman, a reindeer, a gingerbread man, and a penguin.
Christmas Soaps – Set of 4 by Manja Skin
For something slightly more budget-friendly, but equally cute, Manja Skin has also come up with four festive Christmas-themed soaps (RM50), shaped and painted with images of a reindeer, a snowflake, a decorated pine tree, and a poinsettia flower.
Christmas snacks
Christmas Mini Platter by Elevete Patisserie
Wanna spread some Christmas joy through snacks? Petaling Jaya baker Elevete Patisserie has a super festive Christmas platter (RM82) with cheesecake bites, a log cake, brownies, and macarons. It’s decorated with miniature snowflakes, Christmas tree, Santa Claus, and reindeer.
Box – Seasonal Gift Set 2 by Cocoraw
Local chocolate brand Cocoraw also has a set of chocolate truffles and cookies (RM95) for chocolate lovers. The set includes two boxes of 24 pieces of their signature soft chocolate in flavors the buyer gets to choose like mint, milk, salted gula melaka, or teh tarik, among others. These chocolate truffles are accompanied by a jar of chocolate chip cookies.
Christmas decor-gifts
Lip Scrub and Mask Secret Santa ornament by Handmade Heroes
Jazz up that Christmas tree with an ornament that doubles as a gift. Local brand Handmade Heroes has wrapped its delicious Coconut Sorbet lip scrub together with its Sleeping Lip Mask in festive packaging (RM79.80). An online review says the lip mask “works wonders.”
The Nutcracker Bubble Bar by Wunderbath
One of Queen Elizabeth’s must-haves on Christmas Day is festive crackers. For fans of this Christmas tradition, Malaysian bath products brand Wunderbath has a Nutcracker bubble bath bar (RM34.90) that is also shaped like a cracker. The mistletoe scent of the bubble bath is described as “the delightful woody scent of fresh pine trees reminiscent of Christmas mornings with a hint of deliciously ripe cranberries.”
Other stories:
7 places to experience nature in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor
Met Gala 2021: Stars who slayed in shoes by Malaysia-born designer Jimmy Choo
