Beauty Advent Calendars 2021 Thread 4 - One month to go! (Spoilers)

[Bavarois]

Hope nobody minds me starting the next thread but we'd hit 1000 posts!

F&M has arrived and something in it smells fantastic. I also got the note about the replacement product but I'm fairly sure that's the product that I'd seen advertised so it doesn't make any difference to me.

M&S is great value, as long as you'll use the stuff. I can always use an eyeliner so for me the two eyeliners more or less justified the £40 spend. Or that's how I justified it to myself anyway...

[quote BunnytheFriendlyDragon]@OchonAgusOchonOh I've managed not to buy one so far (except the Invisibobble obvs) but im going shopping this week and think I'll be very tempted to buy the M&S if I go in store...[/quote]
It’s really, really pretty…

Ooh, checking in! I have Rituals, Glossybox and H&B - decided against M&S after being seduced by Glossybox. (As an aside, I got their subscription box because it knocked £20 off the cost of the calendar, and it included a fabulous matte liquid lipstick but I now can't find who made it! It's too cool to have the brand name on the lipstick itself, and the colour was perfect on me.) I've also ordered Degustabox for the household, Haribo for DD and two L'Occitane ones as presents - the advent calendar industry is doing well out of me this year!

I've got Harrods and F&M is arriving tomorrow.
Even though FOMO is running high I am resisting!
I logged my stash by item type in a notebook ready for me reviews and repurchase decisions. Oh my lord. I am an addict. Next year is for using up not buying more
(Ignores the fact she joined the Liberty save/beauty box thing)

My M&S calendar arrived today and I’ve already opened it and tried a few bits Just me?! I think it’s excellent value and the tin is lovely. My only slight disappointment is that a couple of the hair things are smaller than I expected and I don’t need three hand creams (will use one as a body lotion and pass another to my mum).

I’m also after the Invisibobble calendar if I can get it cheaper!

@AprilLady Harrods does look good, it probably is the best this year. Although no candle and I do like to get one. I think John Lewis is the overall best offering, considering the price point. I've also got F&M so I must have thought that was good but I've forgotten what's in it and don't want to check.

NAP didn't appeal to me, and CB and Space NK were disappointing for me but I understand why other people would like them. Liberty has small sizes for the price. Selfridges is nice but not as good as last year. Fenwick was a let down, similar price to JL but smaller sizes. I didn't like GB, FU and LF, but I never do so that's not surprising.

I usually like ASOS as a cheaper option but it was disappointing this year. I think Next and M&S are really good this year, especially for the lower price point.

@BunnytheFriendlyDragon I think I'm going to open F&M in November. Three calendars for December is too many and I think I'd rather have a longer build up to Christmas than do Jadvent. It's all over by then and would just depress me.

It’s so individual because we all like different things. JL was top for me this year, followed by ASOS (was going to repurchase the Origins mask and another item anyway) and Space NK. Was very close to getting Space NK but decided against once I realised how small some of the items were. The others didn’t appeal.

The main thing I’d want to try from the M&S one is the hydrating face cream which you can buy for £16. Have no interest in hand creams, eyeliners or most hair products.

For those that have seen or bought the M&S calendar - and sorry if this is a daft question - but does it still feel like a calendar without having doors or drawers to open? Thinking of buying as a gift but from the photos online it looks nice, but not particularly festive or calendar-y if you see what I mean.

@woodlandcalm - it is like a normal advent calendar as it is full of numbered boxes. LF was the same last year, except the boxes were in a cardboard thing. The tin is much bigger than it looks in the pictures.

That makes sense @Bavarois

Did I tell you all that I got a free M&S calendar a couple of years ago - Christmas 2019? Mainly down to M&S errors

I probably mentioned on an old thread (I NC quite a lot)

This is my favourite time of year! I've got the Harrods and M&S ones. Both cracking value...I can't wait for December

@MidnightMeltdown, @Bavarois as it happens I also have F&M. I w surprised at how low Cosmetopia rated it, and wondered whether I was biased because it’s been by far my favourite calendar in previous years. Agree that JL was a good mix and great value this year.

I’m planning to open three (F&M, Harrods and M&S) in December and look forward to the threads on here.

After reading these I thinj I might open the Space NK one for November and keep F&M for December alongside my Bonne Maman one. I was going to keep one for January, but I agree with @Bavarois about it all being over.

Then again, my birthday is at the end of January so it would do as a birthday build up? Maybe I ought to just buy another

@AprilLady

Yes I was too, although I think that she's quite young, and F&M is definitely targeted more at the over 30s market. This is my favourite F&M calendar so far!

Planning with Crystal also does good advent calendar reviews and she has a great unboxing video of F&M (although you may not want to watch if you're trying to forget the contents!).

Thanks @OchonAgusOchonOh

@DrRamsesEmerson

Ooh, checking in! I have Rituals, Glossybox and H&B - decided against M&S after being seduced by Glossybox. (As an aside, I got their subscription box because it knocked £20 off the cost of the calendar, and it included a fabulous matte liquid lipstick but I now can't find who made it! It's too cool to have the brand name on the lipstick itself, and the colour was perfect on me.) I've also ordered Degustabox for the household, Haribo for DD and two L'Occitane ones as presents - the advent calendar industry is doing well out of me this year!

Could you post a pic on here of the lipstick to see if any of us could ID it?

Can anyone explain why people are bidding on calendars on eBay when they are still on sale? For higher prices too..I don’t get it!

Like which ones? Are they definitely ones in stock @Ilikeviognier

I just brought my sister a Kiehls one it's lovely.
Liberty is also lovely, and Elemis, space Nk and Nars.
Depends on your budget. X

L'Occitane too x

How strange. I wonder if they don't realise they're in stock but surely you'd check?!

I'm sorting out my little boy's room and I have quite a lot to use from last year's calendars and the M&S summer gift so I'm really not going to buy another calendar if I can help it.

So I've never bought a beauty advent calendar before but I spent most of last night reading through thread 3 and the M&S calendar jumped into my basket, so I think it's time for me to join this thread now. Hi everyone!

I’ve fortnums and m & s - if John Lewis come back in stock will get that too.
I’m also using a notebook to keep track of my stash. Although I’ve just starting using my Elemis products which I got when someone linked a deal on here last year - my skin seems to really like it - so pleased fortnums has such a mix of products rather than being heavily skin care based (from what o remember- my memory is not what it used to be! )

@FreshFaceTime - welcome

Be careful though. This thread is a dreadful enabler. Last year I ended up with 3 calendars, an Elemis set and Neom candles from QVC and gwp from beauty bay.

I've been more restrained this year. M&S and I'm making another from 2 CB beauty edits.

I have Harrods but really want fortnums too. There’s a small tree decoration & an Xmas cake I want to buy from there. I do think nearly £500 on 2 advents would be madness though……

@Yogaandcocoa several - no 7, ASOS, m and s too! Cheeky people trying to list way above asking price as well!