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.

Is anyone else feeling very sad the advent calendars are coming to an end? (apart from lucky Jadvent people of course!)

Looking forward to the Lumene mask today. I would definitely repurchase the glow serum thingy and cleansing balm from Lumene if funds allow in future. Love them. (Although I think the serum has very similar effects to The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid which is about a fiver!)

(Also have GCSE and A level DC next year, I don't think I have ever been as stressed in my life! And I've had other DC do it all before, but this year is different to say the least...my advent calendar has really cheered me up and made the mornings a bit brighter )

I'm pleased with F&M as my usual mascara is running out. I wonder if this will be my holy grail of not giving me panda eyes!

Dijon mustard from Degustabox, DH happy as well hung (tee hee) beef is one of the meats for the meat eaters this Christmas. Boxing Day cold cuts are one of his favourite things, I see several beef and mustard sandwiches in his future.

@NorskSkogkatt very much, and this is why I like to have a Jadvent calendar! More than ever this year as January is going to be bleaker than we imagined.

Happy enough with the mustard in Degustabox today as we will use it, though that is two pots of mustard in the calendar which might take a long time for some people to get through.

Is anyone else feeling very sad the advent calendars are coming to an end? (apart from lucky Jadvent people of course!)

YES! I always love advent but it's been a real tonic this year to have some little treats each day, and I've really enjoyed this thread. Very much wish I had a Jadvent calendar now

Feeling a bit meh about today's offerings too. Mustard in the Degustabox is fine but nothing to get very excited about and the mask that's in H&B has caused major allergic reactions to a lot of people, according to the review on the site, so I'm scared to use it!

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer from Fenwicks. I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever had a multi-brand beauty advent without this in it. The only thing more common is the dreaded black eyeliner - WHICH I’VE JUST REALISED I HAVEN’T HAD THIS YEAR - could it be, a black eyeliner-free calendar? The holy grail.

I didn't have two pots of mustard @Butterymuffin have you had a duplicate?

@NorskSkogkatt - yes, sad for the end of the advent calendars, as @IToldYouIWasFreaky said it has been such a treat to get a little surprise every morning given how bleak the year has been.

Glad I have a Jadvent calendar to start soon - two in fact as I have the Roccabox 25 day one and the Glossybox/Grazia 12 day one which should be arriving today I think.

Both were a lot cheaper than the John Lewis one but supposedly have products to around the same value so it will be interesting to compare. Crossing my fingers for a bit more skincare than in JL so far.

Face serum from Rituals today.

Looking forward to my Selfridges Jadvent.

I have Origins 12 day for Jadvent but I will start to open it after my new dressing table arrives.

I’ve never done Jadvent before but you lot talked me into the Grazia 12 day one. Really looking forward to the extra presents to myself

Amazon is a hair mask today. It’s in a pouch so I was a bit meh but then realised it’s 25ml which in a pot I’d be chuffed with so I changed my mind.

I've just ordered the Grazia one from Glossybox, thanks very much! This year has been so crap I need more things to look forward to.

From CEW, a goat's milk moisturiser, which sounds fab. A mask from Lumene and white tea.

When are all those with the Grazia/Glossybox calendars starting to open them?

@OchonAgusOchonO Kate Somerville stuff is lovely so will be really interested to hear how the goats milk moisturiser goes. Hopefully it doesn't smell like goats milk though. Your CEW bits have been great.

@bigdecisionstomake - no real scent but it feels lovely. The description sounds very nourishing.

It was a bit of a challenge to get in. It's actually a pump but because it's a pot, I assumed it was just a normal pot and couldn't figure out the pump bit. Great thing is you can unscrew it to get at the last bits too.

@OchonAgusOchonO Looks lovely. I've just googled the CEW beauty edit and it looks incredible value for money and right up my street. Did you just happen upon it or was it advertised somewhere? I'd be keen to know when they do the next one.

@bigdecisionstomake - Did you just happen upon it

No. One of the wonderful posters on the advent calendar thread recommended it when look fantastic cancelled my calendar. I must say, I'm delighted with it.

Clarins moisuriser this morning from Fenwicks. Not exactly the most exciting thing in the world but it will be used. Still no eyeliner...

Shower bomb from H&B - didn’t even know such things existed, so I’m looking forward to trying it in the morning.

John Lewis has redeemed itself today with an Estée Lauder anti-aging day/night cream.

Day 22 already, rather sad that we are nearly at the end.

Full size fancy product from F&M today, this time not a face cream but a neck and décolleté cream instead. Rationally, it’s hard to believe a specialist neck cream is anything other than a marketing ploy to get us to buy yet more beauty products, but I’m getting to the age where I’m prepared to try anything that might improve the appearance of the skin on my neck. So I hope this works.

N-a-P is an Hourglass Ambient light powder. Not something I normally use but reading the rave reviews of this on other threads, I might give it a try. Can you use it even if you aren’t wearing foundation?

@AprilLady - that neck cream is hilarious. Maybe you will get a forehead cream and a thumb cream next. But let us know if it works. I'm of a similar age

@bigdecisionstomake, despite the many newer and more exciting brands around, EL remains my go to for decent quality make up and skin care. I really like that cream.

@OchonAgusOchonO, a thumb cream, great idea, why haven’t I got one already?