General beauty advent calendar discussion and swap thread

[AprilLady]

Like many others, I’m looking forward to starting my Beauty Advent Calendars on Tuesday. With no M&S calendar or thread this year, I thought it might be fun to have a general beauty advent calendar discussion and swap thread. I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts about the calendar they are opening, whatever it is.

I suggest though we comment only on content from current or previous days, so as not to spoil the surprise for those opening one day at a time.

@BookShark

To be fair, I have no reason to think they won't. But the man I spoke to had to pass it on to someone else, so I'm just waiting for them to get back to me. I'll update when I get a reply - hopefully they'll be better than LF (sorry Ochon!)

Fingers crossed you'll get a replacement. I love rose water.

Another good day from N-a-P, a full size REN primer. I haven’t worn full make up much since starting to WFH, but this might encourage me to give it a go.

F&M is a hand and body lotion (sample size) from a brand I haven’t tried before. Happy enough as it will get used.

Travel size Bobbi Brown mascara in John Lewis this morning. Pleased with that, my current one is nearly done and have been meaning to buy a new one so very timely. Also it's a make up brand I haven't really tried before as I don't wear lots of make up but have been experimenting a bit more lately.

Loving hearing about all the products everyone is getting. I think this thread, with products from lots of different calendars being discussed, is really informative (also making me covet lots of new products but sitting on my hands until the new year as am already a bit of a skincare hoarder ).

Hand balm from L'Occitane which I guess is a hand cream by another name.

I tried the verbana shower gel - it's like showering in Lemsip! Won't be buying any more of that.

@Taytocrisps - I tried the verbana shower gel - it's like showering in Lemsip!

Lumene calendar has a pot of gel moisturiser, I don't normally use a gel but this feels lovely and refreshing.

I've got the l'occitane one. Very happy so far. I tried the hair mask last night and it's lovely. I was happy with the shower gel but I like the verbena range though. There was a nice skin moisturiser early on, small blue tube. It's very nice.

Amazon Day 10 is three eye shadows branded Find. I don't really need these but they look nice and neutral and it's nice to have something tiny with a mirror in my make up bag.

The F&M hand/body cream is lovely and sinks straight in. The scent is pretty potent so I'll use as a hand cream as it might be a bit overwhelming if used everywhere.

After yesterday's delicious flapjack the degustabox has delivered a very nice looking peanut butter.

@CupboardMonster - The F&M hand/body cream is lovely and sinks straight in. The scent is pretty potent

I was reading this while looking at the photo and thinking peanut butter scented body cream sounds a bit weird

An eye mask from CEW, gel moisturiser from lumene and Berry Fruity tea. I'm not the biggest fan of any fruity teas other than lemon but I'll give it a go.

@Snowplop Amazon must just be putting a random selection of leftover eyeshadow stock in and it's luck of the draw what you get...I got a metallic navy, khaki and electric blue with no mirrors in 🤷‍♀️

PCA Skin ExLinea Peptide Smoothing Serum Anniversary Edition - Full Size (Worth $115)

Skinstore. I repurposed it as body moisturizer, the most expensive single use body cream ever! It smells like toothpaste - very minty/lemony and the scent will irritate my skin. Plus I have other things I am more keen on using. The skinstore advent was really surprised winner, apart from this and the omorovicza cream I will use everything. That's very high success rate for 12 day advent for me! Today's item will be great for someone who isn't sensitive to fragrance.

And while I am at it I decided that today's liberty product is not worth the risk. I tried to use it last month and it dried/irritated my lips really badly but didn't want it to go to waste and add it to my body moistorisorisation routine this morning!

245gbp single use body treatment feels.... sticky to be honest!

In fairness this is the first double fail day and I am loving so many of my new skincare goodies!

Very pleased with the Lumene micellar water from yesterday, my skin felt very smooth afterwards.

I had an inspired Advent Calendar idea last night in bed stroking my very smooth face What about a AC with a selection of unbranded items (obviously it would have to have what it is eg micellar water and the ingredients). But importantly it would be a selection of price ranges, eg a £5 garnier face cream or a £££ creme de la mer cream (I can't think of any other expensive skin care brands ) And the list of items is only revealed in January!

I actually think that would be so interesting. Obviously the pricing would be tricky but it's the same as any AC really, advertised at (eg) &100 but with £400 worth of products, you just don't know which ones are the £££ or which brands so you have no preconceptions.

Admittedly the ingredients list may give it away but I think if you were the target market to actually buy that AC, you wouldn't google it.

(May I just say now, this is totally NorskSkogkatt™️ so no nicking this idea and doing it, or if you do I want royalties )

In fact I am going to do this for my skincare loving DD. Perhaps a couple of glossyboxes (and department stores starting to give samples out again) would cover it. But I would have to decant the items into unbranded pots etc. Perfume is easy. I could do the face cream (for example) the night before if I had a selection of new travel bottles/plastic pots lip balm style).

It would make a good thread!

@NorskSkogkatt - that's a great idea.

sounds fun if it's not too expensive.

I am not sure if very expensive brands will be happy to be part of it and be judged by the product without the brand part of it

Yes good point Mia I have decided to do one for DD though myself, she will love it I think.

I would too to be honest. I love DE protini but I wonder is it really better than LRP, Cerave or Jordan Samuel for example. I am convinced it is but put them in same packaging will I be able to recognise the one I think I like most?

Ah, we don't really have high end stuff usually, so this would be unknown territory. I once won a beauty box subscription (in a MN competition ) and loved it so if you can buy one off boxes I could use those samples (and cover up the branding with labels etc so they can't be removed for spoilers ) and things like perfume it's easy to get samples and decants. One of my DD is really into skincare (and has beautiful skin even though I'm biased ) and would really enjoy this.

Now I am also thinking of things like a Prestat chocolate one day and a Thornton's one day. I would have to buy a whole box of Prestat chocolates to take one out though. Obviously the rest of the box would have to be eaten. It would be difficult for me but I would take one for the team

I think it would be pretty easy to taste the difference between Thornton's and Prestat though!

I got a double product box today - go Fenwicks! Not hugely interesting actually, but nice enough - a shower gel and a hand cream from L’Occitane. The hand cream is the right size to carry around at work and the shower gel will join its brethren on the windowsill.