M&S beauty advent calendar

[Keepthechangefilthyanimal]

Is available on Thursday in store and online apparently.

I posted upthread but I’ve used liquid gold for a few years now. I don’t use cotton wool or a Muslin cloth, I drop a few drops into a cupped hand rub it between my hands and apply it all over my face.

@cloudtree

I posted upthread but I’ve used liquid gold for a few years now. I don’t use cotton wool or a Muslin cloth, I drop a few drops into a cupped hand rub it between my hands and apply it all over my face.

Ah thank you! Do you rub it in then? And how do you cover your whole face with it?

I sort of pat all over my face lightly with my wet hands iyswim

@FreshFaceTime

I think this is a deliberate tactic. Impressive first few products. Boring middle few. Ending with impressive/memorable last products.

I hope so

I'm really impressed so far. I did make this face a bit when I opened the hand cream and hair stuff, but I've had to retract my harrumphing about the handcream. I have terribly dry hands and everyone buys me handcream, despite the fact that I largely hate the stuff because I hate the sticky, greasy, tacky feeling it leaves behind, but I love this one! It dries so nicely and just leaves my hands feeling soft and not chalky/greasy. Think I'm going to invest in some!

The hair stuff wouldn't have been my pick, mainly because I have fine straight hair that tends towards being greasy and most products make it look lank and I have to wash it every other day as it is. I've had the Wonder Balm before, though, and I seem to remember that my hair actually went longer between washes when I used it, funnily, so I'm keen to give it another go and I'll try the others out of interest.

Overall, I think they've done a great job so far, especially as it must be difficult to curate items to suit people with a vast array of different skin types, hair types, complexions etc. I'd like to see more make-up/scents, but I've found lots of products that I love and will buy now that I wouldn't have wanted to waste money trying in case they didn't work for me, and I haven't had anything that I really don't like yet.

I would like to see:

Fragrance

Body cream/lotion/oil

Hair products that tend to be suitable for more of the population, i.e. shampoo, hair spray

Some kind of thickening or volumising spray/mousse/powder - not everyone is fighting frizz!!

A nail treatment - an oil or strengthening or conditioning polish.

Something for the eyes - eye cream or those gel masks.

My theory is they decided the size of the boxes before they knew what was going in them… small size again for the product type but useful and I quite like the fragrance.

Another hand cream!

@Decaffe

I would like to see:

Fragrance

Body cream/lotion/oil

Hair products that tend to be suitable for more of the population, i.e. shampoo, hair spray

Some kind of thickening or volumising spray/mousse/powder - not everyone is fighting frizz!!

A nail treatment - an oil or strengthening or conditioning polish.

Something for the eyes - eye cream or those gel masks.

Confused as to why there is another hand cream when I gave them this clear list of ideas last night

And now clearly the boxes bear no resemblance to the shape of the product

It’s decent enough but I prefer the Prai one.

Large box small product again, not impressed with the handcream, I really dont like the smell, overpowering lavender smell for me.

With this and the body wash it would not persuade me to buy REN products, so its good to try in the calendar

@Decaffe Confused as to why there is another hand cream when I gave them this clear list of ideas last night

And a very good list it was too.

The packaging is outrageous. I think I will buy a makeup bag from TK Maxx and fill it with all the extra hand cream hair product etc for a Xmas present

I presumed the boxes are shaped and sized so they fit securely into the tin! Nothing to do with the product inside them.

@LizzieSiddal

I presumed the boxes are shaped and sized so they fit securely into the tin! Nothing to do with the product inside them.

That's what I assumed too! A bit like why Amazon packages are always random sizes so they fit in the van.

I was expecting a full size tube so was quite surprised when the little bottle came out.

However I love the scent. It’s not moisturising my scabby ol’ paws but will be good as a body lotion.

Meh, it will definitely get used but I’m not excited by it. Another one for my locker at work.

Meh another mini, another repeat brand. This is my first year getting the M&S one, I can justify the purchase because of the eyeliner, cleanser and Alpha Gold. But I don't think I'd get it again.

@mynameiscalypso omg so THAT'S why the Amazon parcels are weird sizes!!

I think this is a deliberate tactic. Impressive first few products. Boring middle few. Ending with impressive/memorable last products. I too hope this is the case, although I have been enjoying the "gifts" each day overall, I'm just not mad on today's handcream - I'd have preferred a larger tube of the Prai one!

I love the EH cleansing balm, the Liquid Gold, the Prai night cream and hand cream, the Wonder Balm and the Eyeliner. I used the Elasticiser and have to say I didn't really notice much of a difference (and I need that sort of product) but I'm looking forward to trying the PK frizz serum. Overall I'm really happy with it and for the price it's been well worth it in my opinion. DD noted that there's a Christmas Day gift and said that all her calendars (granted, Schleich and Lego) have ended on Christmas Eve so that's a bonus too!

@Decaffe they clearly didn't get your memo on time maybe from tomorrow they'll have got it right

Another one for my mum. She loves hand cream though, so that's a bonus.
Although a few products that don't suit me (hair stuff and hand cream) I must say, so far, I am still really impressed with the value of the calendar. There are some real skin care gems in there - although I'm still hoping for a bit more neutral make up.
Agree with a PP; it must be so difficult to curate something like this and try to suit a whole range of skin types, colourings, hair types etc. So, well done M&S!

Not massively overjoyed to get another handcream as I never use them up (I'm always doing stuff with my hands or about to wash them, it seems! ) but this one is nice.

I'd like to say despite this I think it's a great calendar so far. No not everything I'd choose but that's the point of a surprise calendar! Everything is decent size or quality.

Was telling a relative abroad about the beauty calendar and she thought you'd get a tiny sachet of moisturiser or a scratch and sniff perfume - was impressed to see the full size stuff (although I think she was still thinking advent cals are a few quid!)

In my previous ones I've had a "tool" like a crystal nail file or powder brush, maybe an egg sponge. So wonder if we've got one of those to come.
I'd love the Rosie Lipglossy again but they have discontinued it!

This is actually my favourite hand cream and the only one I buy since I found it. It’s so light, yet surprisingly nourishing and moisturising, without being sticky. I have a 300ml pump bottle on the side table in my living room, so a travel size bottle is fine and will be used.

I too am really pleased so far. For £40, I feel the quality is really impressive.

Yeah, I'm pleased with it overall too. It was a bit of a last minute decision to get it but I'm glad I did as I've enjoyed most things. I've also got H&B but tbh, I'm preferring M&S as it feels more luxurious and treaty.

I really like the scent of this hand cream even if its not very exciting.