Holland & Barrett 2021 advent calendar thread

[IToldYouIWasFreaky]

This year's thread for chat (and potentially) swaps for the 2021 Holland & Barrett beauty calendar.

No spoilers please! As per last year, can we please use 7am as a cut of point? So, if you are an early bird and open your door before 7am, please don't post until then. At some point during the day, I'll pop a link to that day's product in the thread.

Can't wait to open this one! Last year's was great...reusable earbud notwithstanding...

I have problems with getting allergic to face creams so I will try this eye cream to see if I can tolerate it. I am looking for new products so it's nice to have an advent calendar.

I loved the reusable ear bud though wasn't aware you weren't supposed to use it as an ear bud

I like today's offering, seemed to instantly brighten

I like todays. This make did a face scrub made from ground coffee waste in last year's calendar, which I also really liked. I like the slight brightening effect so it is a good start for me.

Just about to try this one, hoping for a miracle

I had a oil based serum from them last year which was very nice, so I'm happy with this eye cream. Especially as my current one is running low! Did smell faintly of coffee but I like that!

Love it!!!

Disappointed.

I've pumped the cream head and nothing will come out!!!

Anyone else had this?

@IToldYouIWasFreaky

No worries about spoilers if it's after 7am...feel free to say what the product is!

Day 1:
UpCircle Eye Cream with Maple and Coffee 10ml Full size, worth £14.99

I can't get the bloody pump to work! I've got the bottle on my desk and I'll keep trying when in meetings today. However, I have unscrewed the top to get to the product, and I quite like it. It does smell like coffee which is a little odd but quite nice to use in the morning. I have about a million eye creams but this one specifically targets dark circles which is great, so I'm looking forward to using.

Just realised your pump doesn't work either.

I also unscrewed the lid and it looks quite hollow inside. Like there's not much cream to pump out?

Mine is working, however honestly the smell is very odd.

I got the pump to work...just kept going and eventually it came out (very quickly!)

Haven’t tried it yet, but hoping it doesn’t have coffee grounds in like last year’s face scrub.

I loved the coffee grounds in last year's face scrub! Anyway, the eye cream doesn't have any grounds, but does smell of coffee.

Maybe it's lucky I recently had COVID as I can't smell it 🤣 I like it, tried it this morning & makeup went over it fine.

I opened the first door and very happy with the eye cream! Nice and smooth, soaks in well. It just came out of the pump a bit fast.

I don't have the calendar but following with interest. There was some good recommendations on here last year. I love the sea spa magik bb cream from then, it's my HG.

My first year for H&B as well. Exciting!
I’m sort of sharing it with DD11 as well. She turned her nose up at the eye cream obviously. I’m looking forward to using it but I have an Estée Lauder one on the go.

I had to pump about twenty times to get the product out. I've still got coves nose, so can't smell a thing, but it seems ok - my eyes are easily irritated, and no problems with this.

@allofthecheese, I’m with you on the Spa Magik BB cream, I’ve bought several tubes of it this year and never would have tried it without the calendar. That and the Weleda bath milk were my best days last year. Using up Origins Ginzing eye cream from the M&S summer beauty box at the moment, but I’ll try today’s cream when I get through that.

I feel like the product is too thick for the pump, but it does seem nice.

The face scrub from the same brand in last year's calendar was brutal. Took about 6 layers of skin off my face!

@GreatSoprendo

I feel like the product is too thick for the pump, but it does seem nice.

The face scrub from the same brand in last year's calendar was brutal. Took about 6 layers of skin off my face!

Yes I think the coffee scrub was the only thing I didn't like from last years box, it was horrible. And the smell 😱. This eye cream smells a bit funky but thankfully it dissipates very quickly.

Intrigued by today's hair oil! A quick google tells me you are supposed to massage it into roots in the evening and wash it out in the morning. I'll give it a go tonight but slightly concerned about oily roots forever...

Day 2: Fushi Really Good Hair Oil 10ml sample size.

I'm also intrigued! And not quite sure how to use it. I follow the Curly Girl Method so I'm super fussy about what I put on my hair and I'm not sure if this is approved, so need to do more research. However, I have just smoothed a tiny bit over my dry hair before putting it into a bun and it's made it lovely and shiny and smells gorgeous so I may just use it for that.

Hmm, interesting about the hair oil. I thought it was for the ends (like I've used argan oil in the past) rather than for the roots. Smells nice, but with avocado oil in (I'm allergic to them

I'm excited by the hair oil as I have just run out of mine! The coffee eye scrub was a disappointment as I hate the smell of coffee and gave last years scrub away.

Although I am still using an eye cream from Last years calendar so all is not lost!

I have fine hair & not much of it which needs washing almost daily, so I'll probably pass this onto my daughter to try. I'm enjoying the eye cream from yesterday.