Advent calendar reviews

[tobee]

Can I ask you how you found your 2017 advent calendar? Which one was it? How much did it cost? How do you rate it overall? Any other comments? Would you get it again?

This was my first year getting one and I got the Amazon one. It was £50. Overall I liked about 90% of the stuff and some stuff was very good. I would get it again also I liked opening a box every day. I'd be interested in trying others though. Hence this question.

Thank you!

Liberty had it every year since it came out, it’s too samey each year, if they don’t mix the products up a bit this year I won’t be getting it again.

M&S I liked it, but it had a lot of products I wouldn’t use, and I found the design quite annoying, boxes kept falling out! (Did look nice though!)

I got the M&S one. Second year running.

Some good things in it, some I won’t use. Smaller sample sizes in most, I agree the boxes were annoying they fell about.

The boxes could have been a lot smaller for the contents really.

I love the concept of the beauty advent calendar. I don’t want to peek and ruin the surprise of the contents, but should have really with the M&S one, very anti aging heavy. Lots of similar products.

I had the M&S one for the second year running and really enjoyed it. The only real disappointment for me was the colour of the matt lip stain. I think someone described it as very "Youtha Joyce" and I knew exactly what they meant!

I especially liked the Korres rose face cream, the Gattineau face cream and the hair spray. The gold nail varnish isn't a colour I would have bought but I liked it as an accent nail for Christmas.
Already looking forward to Dec 1st 2018!

I had the Feel Unique one, it was a gift so not sure on price but I really liked it. One or two things I didn't love, and it's only 12 days, but a few things I loved and one I have already repurchased.

I got the Amazon one on Black Friday it was only £30 - I really liked having a little pressie for me to open every day so will try again this Black Friday!

I got the l'occitane one. Was lovely but too many soaps and hand creams for me. I probably wouldn't buy it again but did enjoy my 24 little treats.

I had the No 7 Boots one again this year. Was dull and unexciting. Perhaps coz I already had it last year. Now I have x6 eye shadows I will never use. My own fault. I should have hung out for the M&S one though the Amazon one sounds intriguing. I didn't know they did one.

I have the No7 one and the Look Fantastic one

I just love the LF one. I liked and use most of the products. Most were full sized. My favorites were the red lipstick on day 1 (name escapes me) and the caudalie moisturiser. There was Molton brown, Moroccan oil, kohl eye liner, elemis morturiser, beautiful products in it.
The box is absolutely beautiful too. I use it now to store all the products.

I'm not sure that I'd buy the No7 one again. I think it was £40, but Boots often have great offers on No7 skin care that would be better value.

Lookfantastic one, loved it, and i'm picky about my cosmetics. Will use most of the products and they were really nice brands, not some random leftovers.

I had the Liberty one for the second year. Overall I was happy and am using most of the products, but (as already mentioned) it is a little bit samey so I'll check out this year's contents before I decide if I want it again. Have heard good things about Look Fantastic so might go for that one if Liberty is too similar.

Had an aftershave one and a make up one.
The dc’s really enjoyed them. Paid about £15 each and money well spent.
Aftershave a different scent everyday, some smelt vile but most smelt lush. Also great way to introduce stuff to a pre-teen.

Makeup one had alsorts varnish, glittery stuff, lipstick and gloss, Foundation and a few other things. 20 year old was really happy with it.

I had a malteser one. The chocolates were tiny and didn’t taste of malteser. Wouldn’t get that again

I had the m&s one for the second year. The design was a bit shit compared to the previous year, the boxes just kept falling out, and it just didn't look as nice as the previous year.

The content was a bit samey. There are only so many exfoliating products you can use in one month. There also seemed to be a much larger proportion of m&s branded products than the previous year.

Overall though, I'm not pissed off that I bought it, and the rose oil is amazing stuff.

If you haven’t already seen this, you have to read this hilarious review of the beauty advent calendar not to get - ie the one from House of Fraser - truly awesome in its awfulness - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/3102388-Sharing-the-Shitness-HOF-Advent-Calendar-SPOILERS

Ariadne yes I was wondering about any HofF comments!

Like the Yootha Joyce comment latedecember. I have an instant image of a shade come to mind!

I had the Liberty and Look Fantastic Advent Calendars. I enjoyed the Liberty one but overall the Look Fantastic one was much better and less than half the price. I’m using the majority of the products at least once a week so great value for money overall. I’m sorted for luxury makeup/ skincare/ haircare and a few presents for 2018 for £250. Not bad at all.

Next year I’ll be looking to get the M&S calendar

I really liked the M&S one, I reused the packaging twice! Filled it with sweets for DS then makeup for my niece.

Agree there were a few 'low brand' items and I never like the nail polish colours, but for the price it was great.

I had lookfantastic - it was fab. Xmas day especially was brilliant - a highlighter liquid, powder and lip gloss set that I love. Loads of other gorgeous stuff and a good balance of hair, body, skincare and make up. Only thing missing was a face wash! I ran out towards the end of December and was hanging out for one so I wouldn't have to fork out but sadly none was forthcoming. I had m and s last year and loved that too but overall preferred lookfantastic.

Well, I bought the John Lewis one in a “what the hell” moment. I think I saw it recommended on mumsnet. It was great. There were 3 perfume samples (good sizes): Thierry Mugler “Aura”, a Hermes one and Chloe, which I love and am now wearing; This Works pillow spray, Nars Orgasm blusher, Dermalogica microfoliant, a lovely lip pencil, Bobbi Brown mascara (though in black which isn’t right for me), several face washes, including a Ren one, Elemis enzyme papaya peel... Molton Brown peppercorn shower gel and lots more. All small sizes but bigger than normal samples. It’s not cheap but a lovely treat.

I had the M&S one again this year and I wasn’t very excited by it. Last year was fab but this time it felt like we had multiple versions of the same product from different brands, all face creams and anti ageing. I hated the lip and nail colours too - if I’d have liked those I probably would have felt better about the overall contents. Last year there seemed to be more variety, and with M&S selling brands like Glam Glow I would have preferred a few smaller samples of things like that. I still think it’s good value for the number and size of the products but the overall ‘theme’ wasn’t for me this time so I’ll go for a different one next Christmas or would definitely read about the contents for M&S beforehand.

I had the M&S Advent Calendar for the third year running - loved it again, but I'm probably the target demographic (age 50). There are always a few bits I don't like/use but I just swap them or hand them down to teenage DDs.

I was very tempted by the Amazon calendar, but was too late to buy one.

All the others are just too pricy.

I had the L'occitane one and liked it for the reasons the poster above didn't i.e lots of soaps and hand creams. There was also shampoo, conditioner, lips stuff and perfume, but no make-up or nail varnish, which was ideal for me. Mine was a present so don't know how much it was but I would definitely consider it next year (this year now).

Reading these I'm pleased I got the Amazon one although I had wanted the M&S one but it would be interesting to see if it would be as good to have again this year.

I love the idea of having the Liberty one.

Was I the only one who loved the Matt lip stain in the M&S calendar then?!

Echo, I liked the liquid lip too, but then I have no idea who the Yootha person is.