After the break down of my relationship I am spending Christmas Day alone. It is partly by choice, I do have lovely family and friends that would be happy to host me but due to some other commitments I have it’s not worth the faff. I’m a bit worried on the day it will hit me that I’m alone on my favourite day of the year so looking for recommendations on how to make it feel special and indulgent. I would have gone away but have work either side so can’t make it work. Suggestions welcome

Welcome to Thread 6 🥳

A huge thank you to @OvaHere, @JoRaRaRa and @Thelifeofawife
for the previous threads, and to everyone who had been sharing spoilers, information. links, bargains, discount codes and enabling each other over the first 5 threads. ❤️

As agreed, we're taking it in turns to start each new thread this year. If this thread starts getting close to the reply limit, please post to let everyone know you're happy to start the next one so we can avoid duplicate threads.

🎅 A few festive housekeeping notes;
🎁 This thread contains spoilers.
🎄 Please be kind and respectful to one another.
💸 No judging anyone for their purchasing choices (or how many calendars they buy... we're all enablers here! 😂).
🎀 Feel free to share spoilers, offers, discount codes, GWPs, delivery updates and stock alerts.

Disclaimer/Pathetic excuse from Pond!

Apologies in advance for any mistakes or broken links, which are down to me and not the previous authors!

Thread 5 is almost full so I have done this very quickly, mostly just adding to the good work that has gone before!

🎁 Available Now:

Boots launch 01/09 for waitlist then 2/09 for general sale
www.boots.com/christmas/advent-calendars/advent-calendar-waiting-list
Luxe £150
beauty-detective.com/boots-beauty-advent-calendar-2026/
Scent £90
beauty-detective.com/boots-12-days-of-scent-advent-calendar-2026/
Skin £70
beauty-detective.com/boots-24-days-of-skin-advent-calendar-2026/

Liberty – £285 (Beauty Drop members receive £25 off). Full contents revealed. Beauty Drop member pre order has closed and those advents are being dispatched. The advent will go on general sale soon (BD members still qualify for the discount during the general sale)
www.libertylondon.com/uk/features/beauty/beauty-advent-calendar#
Unboxing
P. Louise – £250. Available to pre-order with payment instalments available.
^https://plouise.co.uk/collections/wonderful-world-of-p-louise-advent-calendar/products/what-glows-around-2026-advent-calendar^

John Lewis – £250. Available on pre-sale via the app for MyJL members.
^https://beauty-detective.com/john-lewis-beauty-advent-calendar-2026/^

Harrods Beauty Advent Calendar – £270. Now on sale online and in-store
^https://www.harrods.com/en-gb/p/harrods-of-london-the-harrods-beauty-advent-calendar-2026-000000000000284475^

Harrods 12 Days of Hair & Body – £99. Now on sale online and in-store
^https://www.harrods.com/en-gb/p/harrods-of-london-the-harrods-12-days-of-hair-and-body-advent-calendar-2026-000000000000284465^

Harrods Fragrance Advent Calendar – £225. Pre-sale sold out. Went on sale in-store 1/9.
^https://beauty-detective.com/harrods-fragrance-advent-calendar-2026/^

Vogue Festive Calendar – £355. Available to pre-order
^https://shop.vogue.co.uk/products/vogue-festive-calendar-2026^

Fortnum & Mason Beauty Advent Calendar - £275. Available now
^https://www.fortnumandmason.com/fortnums-beauty-advent-calendar-2026^

Fenwick 25 day beauty advent calendar - £250. Available now
https://fenwick.co.uk/products/fenwick-fenwick-beauty-25-day-advent-calendar-2026

Anthropologie 24 Day Beauty Advent Calendar – £98. Available now
^https://www.anthropologie.com/en-gb/shop/24-days-of-beauty-advent-calendar5^

The Fragrance Shop - Available for pre-order £120 members, £150 non-members
Women's Advent Calendar
^https://www.thefragranceshop.co.uk/the-fragrance-shop/the-fragrance-shop/gift-box-advent/p/76306^
Men's Advent Calendar ^https://www.thefragranceshop.co.uk/the-fragrance-shop/the-fragrance-shop/gift-box-advent/p/76307^

Selfridges
Beauty & Fragrance £250. Went on sale 1/9, but appears to be ‘sold out’ at present.

^https://beauty-detective.com/selfridges-beauty-advent-calendar-2026/^

Elle £197 or £187 if you joined the waitlist
^https://beauty-detective.com/elle-advent-calendar-2026/^

LookFantastic Beauty. Available for pre-order:

https://www.lookfantastic.com/p/beauty-box/the-beauty-advent-calendar-worth-over-665/17691363/

LookFantastic Fragrance. Available for pre-order:

https://www.lookfantastic.com/p/beauty-box/the-fragrance-advent-calendar-worth-over-530/17691405/

Glossybox. £90 or £75 for subscribers. Code: KAREN5 may give £5 off the £90. Available now:

https://www.glossybox.co.uk/p/beauty-box/glossybox-2026-advent-calendar-worth-over-645/17691528/

OK Beauty Box advent/Hannah Martin. Available now £109:

https://www.okbeautybox.co.uk/products/the-ok-beauty-box-advent-calendar?srsltid=AfmBOoppTH5x1vrf3PT8oCWpKiUj111T5PdA8IBPKCjA9SYOpugUFCBJ

⏳ Coming Soon / Waitlists
Cult Beauty £245 - £20 gift voucher back when buying at launch 03/09 early access.
^https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/c/advent-calendar/^

Harvey Nichols
Due to the recent takeover, it’s unclear if these a/cs are still going ahead for 2026. Details TBC.
Beauty:
^https://www.harveynichols.com/harvey-nichols/harvey-nichols-beauty-advent-calendar-2026-75896-258491/^

Fragrance:
^https://www.harveynichols.com/harvey-nichols/harvey-nichols-12-days-of-fragrance-advent-calendar-2026-75906-258490/^

John Lewis Fragrance £99 - appeared briefly for sale 1/9 online but this seems to have been a glitch.
^https://beauty-detective.com/john-lewis-fragrance-advent-calendar-2026/^

Space NK £275
^https://www.spacenk.com/uk/gifts/beauty-advent-calendars/beauty-advent-calendar-MUK200063764.html^
Unboxing video

Sephora UK
Spoilers:
^https://beauty-detective.com/sephora-uk-advent-calendar-2026/^
Waitlist: ^https://www.sephora.co.uk/c/beauty-advent-calendar-waitlist^

Fragrance - current thinking is that this will cost £225 and launch around 30/9-1/10
^https://beauty-detective.com/selfridges-fragrance-advent-calendar-2026/^

Next £150 launching 3/9:

^https://beauty-detective.com/next-beauty-advent-calendar-2026^/

Debenhams £120
^https://www.debenhams.com/pages/beauty-advent-calendar^

PURESEOUL £140 (first year they are doing an advent)
beauty-detective.com/pureseoul-advent-calendar-2026/

Jo Malone Waitlist:

www.jomalone.co.uk/advent-calendar-signup?

Jo Loves Waitlist:

https://www.joloves.com/pages/a-jo-loves-advent-calendar?

💄 More Calendars & Spoilers
Rather than making the opening post a mile long, here's a brilliant roundup of lots more advent calendars and the latest spoilers, including Charlotte Tilbury, Elemis, Lancôme, Tatcha, NEOM, Neal's Yard Remedies, Holland & Barrett, YesStyle and many more as they're announced.
👉 ^https://beauty-detective.com/category/beauty-advent-calendars^/ 👈

My friend is a total minimalist . As long as I've known her she's only owned about 15 items of clothing at a time (she actually used to blog about it) she also has one shampoo bar at a time, one moisturiser etc etc she's never really worn make up so that is not a thing
One year on returning form holiday- she had her backpack stolen with every single item of her clothing in even her underwear. She had to go out and buy everything from scratch. I've often thought about this and am fascinated by the idea of having to just start again. For fun - if you had to start again with your wardrobe with a max of 15 items what would you buy?
You don't have to include a coat (my friend has one woolen and one raincoat parka type)

Mine would be :
Matching tracksuit (sweat shirt and wide leg joggers)
Barrel leg chino type trousers in 2 colours
Soft white t shirts x 3
Thin soft cardigan
Simple dress
Oversized plaid or denim shirt
Graphic t shirt
Cigarette trousers
Vintage or floppy oversized silk shirt
Soft velvet/denim or leather jacket

Anyone else want to play?

So things finished with my situationship late last year. He ended it. It was awful timing. I wasn't a really bad place. Ive been doing therapy for other stuff, going to a life coach etc. Really working on myself and getting back into exercise and trying to love myself. This guy has kept coming back over and over. Its a very long story. Weve seen each other 2 times in last few months and most recently slept together. I told him he would have to wear a condom as i was no longer taking contraceptives, he said he'd just have to be careful and he pulled out. Im not worried about pregnancy as im late 40's and it wasn't the right time of the month. I just cant seem to get mad that he did this. Whats wrong with me? Do I think so little about myself. Was it really that bad? Im not even thinking about STI's- again, what is wrong with me?? I reckon im in some sort of trauma bond and ive worked so bloody hard to pick myself up after an emotionally abusive marriage and now this guy. Am I under reacting? I dont trust myself with this guy at all

Can anyone relate to this?

Currently struggling with DP. We live in separate houses and if it wasn’t for me going round when my kids are with my ex, we’d only see each other once a fortnight. When I brought this up I was told it’s up to me if I want to visit or not in between. DP isn’t fussed.

Best way I can describe how it feels is in the title. Has anyone experienced this?

Having a sleepless night due to overwhelming food stench in bedroom directly about kitchen. This is a 2019 Bellway new build, and have always noticed food smells in the home and particularly strong smells in this bedroom but tonight is worse than ever despite hours with the window open now.

We naively assumed this was normal household smells but neighbours with same set up don’t report same issues at all. Don’t want to just blindly replace extractor in case it’s more of an installation issue.

Could it be blowing air behind the walls or into the ceiling void and then seeping in through gaps/light fitting? Instead of extracting outside? Who can we contact to investigate this?

Any advice, ideas or experience welcomed please

Thank you

Just that. I’m not saying I would, but would like some views. My DP messed up with one of my adult DC, acted stupidly and overstepped my DC’s boundaries. DP apologised but this wasn’t accepted. I was clear in saying that DP was in the wrong but DC wanted more from me and NC with me now as a result. Second adult DC, not directly involved, now also threatening to go NC if I don’t separate from DP. We’ve been together several years and this is heartbreaking in every direction.

What are your thoughts on these shoes?
https://www.grenson.com/myrtle-womens-goodyear-welted-boat-shoes-in-black-leather/?setCurrencyId=1&utm_source=rakutenmarketing&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=3642857:Kelkoo+UK&utm_content=15&utm_term=uknetwork&ranMID=45046&ranEAID=Sl5uPV1NkiY&ranSiteID=Sl5uPV1NkiY-bVhfZNeHCKcUUcTuSM.X4w

I had to go to the local shopping centre the other day to pick up a click and collect for my husband, new work shirts so nothing fancy! I thought why not make an afternoon of it as I rarely go shopping and I could maybe get a coffee and cake and even treat myself to a little something as my birthday is coming up.

I loved some of the clothes in places like monsoon and seasalt but it was all way too expensive dresses were £80 to £100 or more same with skirts which seemed to start at £65 and I know that isn't even considered expensive today but for me it is! I went for a look in the sephora as I love skincare but again it was all really expensive. The queue for the till was full of school girls buying things I wouldn't be able to buy for myself!

To be fair they were probably there spending birthday money and probably aren't spending money like that all the time. I suppose it just feels like the goal posts on these admittedly luxury items have been moved since I was in my teens and early 20's when I imagined that by my 40's I'd be able to at least buy some of these things or buy nice clothes now and then. My husband and I both degree and post graduate educated and work in professional jobs but we have to prioritise bills, the kids and food over luxuries. To be fair we have no debt at all and we will save for an buy large purchases cash mostly but I admit to feeling a bit personally deprived at times! When my mum was my age she worked in a call centre part time in the evenings and would go round the shops most weekend and buy herself a new top or other item of clothes and exclusively used clarins skincare, I use the ordinary, cerave or boots and superdrug own brand mostly and my clothes come from charity shops. My parents were working class made good but their disposable income seemed to go a lot further than mine does. We don't even have a large mortgage.

DH and I recently looked at taking a short trip to London as a joint birthday present to each other but the cost was so expensive we seem to have quietly shelved the idea.

In the end I had a look in waterstones but even that was expensive, since when are paperbacks routinely £14.99! I never even had a coffee or bit of cake as the selection of cakes looked dry and unappetizing but would still have cost £10 in total.

Am I being unreasonable to think the cost of a middle class lifestyle with a few luxuries has had the goalposts moved by quite some amount?

Hi all, I need to know if I’m being unreasonable.
background - I’m a sahm homeschooling our 3 children (11, 4, 2). My partner works from home (data) full time and is the only financial provide which I’m extremely grateful for to enable me to stay home with the children.
I used to be a primary school teacher but came off to be with the kids.
I naturally do all of the cleaning , laundry , housekeeping , childcare. I’m up every morning anytime between 6 and 7. I do all bath times and bed times alone as they don’t settle for him. At weekends, he stays in bed until 10/11 . He struggles to sleep at night so he argues he gets the same amount of sleep as me (I go to bed with the 4 year old). I generally don’t get a lie in or much of a break. Every evening after I’ve cooked and cleaned up he will head to his office usually around 7pm and have rest and alone time until he comes to bed around 11/12. I might get an hour if the youngest naps in the day but feel things are unfair. If I ever bring it up he makes out I’m ungrateful, that he’s working a job he hates and I can do whatever I want. Is this right? I don’t know how if this is the norm for others in sahm / homeschool positions ?

Thanks so much to @Sideorderofchips for keeping things going. I can barely believe it's September and (for me at least!) that only means one thing - Christmas can start!!!!

Hope you've all had a great year and have missed you all. Last couple of years I've had various health things going on so have been a bit distant from the threads. Not quite there yet but feeling stronger than this time last year and I can't wait until I see more festive items in the shops! I've already bought my advent calendar - I've got the taskmaster one (which I'm quite excited about!).

I'll post various links etc in the next thread first post but essentailly you guys know the drill - share and be nice or leave.

<waves to everyone>

My beloved daughter died in October last year. Totally unexpectedly, aged 24. I am completely undone by the loss of her.

Historically I was always someone who remembered birthdays (friends and family) and sent a card to adults and a card and a gift to children. There are a lot of them. It gave me pleasure and was never a chore.

I used to send Christmas cards also; often drawn by my daughter who was an illustrator.

I know many people do not bother with cards these days, but I did. And most of my family and friends still do as well.

Since my daughter died I just find it all too much. She still lived at home with us so would sign her name on the cards (many of them would have been drawn by her). I obviously cannot put her name on the cards. But I cannot stand to leave it off either. And the mental effort of thinking about these events (especially Christmas) is just overwhelming.

No one expected me to do anything last Christmas. They were genuinely fearful for my life. But people have been very kind in the ensuing year and I just wonder if there might come a point where some may feel slighted or lose patience with me if I don’t make an effort and start sending cards and presents again. I’ve not sent anything for anyone’s birthdays thus far this year (save my own 2 other children).

The situation is slightly complicated by the fact I would like to continue to send to my daughter’s god daughter (who is only 5 and meant a great deal to my daughter), but she has siblings and cousins and I don’t want to cause offence.

How would you feel about a friend or family member in similar circumstances?

Hi
i just wanted some other perspectives on this issue.
Husband has been doing some overtime at work. He has decided that he wants to save this money- although our money is usually shared.
He said he was going to save it in cash and put it away so we didn’t spend it, rather than keeping it in our joint account. I went to where he said he had put the money and it wasn’t there, he had kept it in his wallet. When he got home from work I mentioned to him that I actually needed some extra money and went to use it and it wasn’t there. He apologised and said it was an oversight and said he would put it in the agreed place.

Today I went to grab £40 of the cash (the place I was goi no to only accepted cash and it was for our child) and when he got back from work, he must have counted the cash and made a comment in front of my mum about me owing him £40. He’s since gone to work to do an extra shift and it’s really pissed me off. Our children are hard work- one newborn baby, one disabled child, and it very much feels like it’s ’his’ money, even though it has meant an extra effort from me as I’ve had the children on my own much longer.

Im not sure if I’m just exhausted from lack of sleep from dealing with a newborn as well as normal life. I have a lot of things on my plate at the moment and just generally feel stressed. Last thing I want is an argument but I feel hurt.

I have a very good friend or so i thought, for over 30 years.
Recently we arranged a little break together, i booked and paid for an experience for us to do and she booked and paid for accommodation, (slightly unwillingly).
Then I suggested something else I'd like to do, but she was vehement that wasn't going to happen, I was upset and annoyed at her attitude but thought ok, I'll do that another time.
She paid me her half of the experience.
I asked to meet up to discuss our disagreement and moving forward.
She ignored me, and stopped texting me, so I left it a week and tried again thinking I'll be the bigger person.
Another refusal to meet up and it was now getting really close to our break.
So i texted, I assume you've cancelled the accommodation and she didn't answer me.
At that point I decided I wasn't going anyway, so I canceled the experience.

Her next text told me that she hadn't cancelled the accommodation and was going to use it for herself and husband!!
She also wanted me to uncancel the experience so she could do that too.

I am stunned at her actions and a little bamboozled as to what's actually caused her to act this way.

Can anyone see what I might have done to upset her?? She also suggested we meet up in a couple of weeks time!!

Hi all,
My husband and I have decided to adopt. We have had the initial meeting but we need to make some changes in our life before we can continue. These changes aren't quick fix items. We are in a property that we want to move from and our SW has told us to make the change and move before progressing.
I am 44 and starting to feel anxious like time is passing, I'm getting older, how will I deal with the sleepless nights etc. I would say I'm a fit person, very active, and often mistaken for being younger. I have a lot of patience.

How old were you when adopted? Did your age ever influence your decision? For example, age range of the adopted child?

Thank you for any answers.

I’ve fallen in love with my boss. We are both 28. He’s not technically my line manager, but he’s one of two team leaders, so there is obviously still a work dynamic there.

I’ve genuinely never felt like this about anyone before. We’ve grown really close over the last few months and hang out outside of work sometimes, just the two of us. Nothing has actually happened and it’s all been platonic, but I feel like there is something between us.

I think he likes me too, but obviously I can’t know for sure.

There have been enough moments/signs that make me think I’m not imagining it, but I also know when you really like someone you can read into things.

My feeling is that if it is mutual, we’ve both probably avoided actually doing anything about it because 1) we work together, 2) he’s in a more senior position, and 3) neither of us wants to risk rejection and then have to see each other at work afterwards.

Which brings me to the problem.

I’ve been offered a job in Australia, starting in the New Year.

If he wasn’t in the picture, this would already be a huge life decision, but now I feel completely torn.

Part of me thinks I should just take the opportunity, go to Australia and accept that the timing with him was wrong. I also know that realistically pursuing something while I’m still working with him could get complicated.

But I keep imagining myself sitting on the flight wondering whether I’ve just walked away from someone I could have had something really special with because neither of us was brave enough to say anything. As I said earlier, I’ve literally never felt this way before.

At the same time, the idea of confessing how I feel terrifies me. If I’ve completely misread him, I’ve potentially made our friendship and working relationship awkward right before I leave.

Would you tell him before deciding?

I have just bought some Kim Organic Straight Leg jeans from Baukjen and am dying to recommend them to everyone as they are such a nice shape and so comfortable.

https://www.baukjen.com/products/kim-organic-cotton-stretch-straight-leg-jeans-washed-indigo?variant=56827317911933

I don't work for Baukjen but just wanted to spread the word as it's ages since I found some really nice jeans.

Just a rant really as I'm still fuming about DD and her older boyfriend. Talking did not achieve anything and she is adamant that she wants to stay over at his place. I grudgingly suggested having him over for dinner first as it would make me more comfortable. Apparently I'm embarrassing, but she agreed.
The creep is 32, she is 17. They barely know each other. I can't see any way at all that this can end well for her without getting hurt, but she is being completely pig headed.
Will probably use this thread to let off steam at times because it seriously getting to me.

I've decided to treat myself, but I don't know where to start.

Firstly I don't know what else to call the kind of bag I'm after, hence "status" bag. I like Chanel, LV, which I know some fashionistas like to sneer at, so please, if that's you, respect that we all have different preferences.

I'm looking for a lovely every day bag, that I don't look stupid with on the school run etc. We live rurally, and didn't before, so all my Chanel and LV with chain straps etc would look majorly over done and I'd feel ridiculous wandering round town on casual shop with one. I do sometimes take my neverful but I'd like something much smaller. Slouchy and comfy as opposed to stiff leather.

What's a casual but still "status" bag that I could go for? I don't like massive gold logos etc like the GG Gucci bags, or the ones with big YSLs down the front. I would like it to be recognisable as branded, but from close up, not from across the street if you see what I mean.

Thank you.

Anyone bought from Polene recently? What is the quality etc like. And are they trying to make out that they are more exclusive than I currently perceive they are.

Went shopping in London with dd (we are from a region with very few shops). She was looking for a nice leather bag, one that can transition from uni to work to a day out. We'd already looked in Longchamp, Mulberry and Tumi and had brilliant customer service, she was shown several options. Balenciaga was out of our budget but the lady there was lovely and also Loewe (i have a Loewe bag myself) didn't have what she was looking for.

We happened across the Polene store so thought we would take a look. They didn't look busy but to our surprise as we tried to enter the security on the door stopped us and told us we would have to wait. I've been in some very high end designer stores and always been allowed to just have a little wander/browse at will. It reminded me of how Pandora is. (somewhere I would never shop on principal).

We didn't have much time as we were ona tight schedule so didn't bother but honestly, I could have perhaps understood it if it were Chanel or Hermes but Polene? Really?

I did this for the first time today and uploaded some photos of myself in different outfits. The responses were surprisingly insightful - and the outfits it picked as my ‘strongest’ are actually the ones I feel best in.

How have you used AI to help with style?

Been trying to get a thread going to no avail 😄😄

I'm so happy - this is the most wonderful time of the year, between now and December!

I've name changed but i'm a christmas regular

Does anyone knkw where I can get a nice version of this jumper. The version shown is on the Temu site. I dont want to be paying into the £100's but looking for one that has a nice oversized feel.

If no picture, its probably under review.

I have just entered the unexpected world of pain that is helping my daughter to buy a bag for uni. It needs to hold laptop, water bottle etc. I had no idea that backpacks are totally out and that girls seem to be carrying very expensive designer totes? Is this true? Help!

I went through all my clothes and Vinted them in the summer. Now I need a new capsule for the winter. I have jeans so not worried about them, but would like some new tops and bottoms - not too expensive, I'm thinking M&S, Mango, H&M, John Lewis
Anyone fancy helping me/us build a 'casual' capsule wardrobe for the winter