General “Waifs and Strays” Beauty Advent Calendar opening thread

[AprilLady]

As last year, I suggest we use this as a general beauty advent calendar thread for everyone with beauty calendars that may not be covered by other threads or who prefers a general thread. I’m opening FM, Harrods and M&S this year, and will aim to post on both this and the M&S threads.

Please can no-one post any spoilers before 7am on the relevant day.

Just over a week to go. I’m really looking forward to it!

Delilah lip liner in buff. From LF today.

@WingBingo, I have that lip liner, I enjoy using it.

Emma Hardie prime and protect moisturiser today, it's travel size so going to pop it in my travel wash bag so it will come in handy.

Good to know @AprilLady. Hoping a lipstick makes an appearance soon!

Omg the JL perfume today is the most amazing smelling perfume I've ever come across. It's so potent in a kind of lovely pheromone way it's making my head swoon.

Day cream from No 7 with spf which is always useful

Degusta is vegan mint chocolate

Re the perfumes you spray them both as they compliment each other.

A layer of the smell is starting to remind me a bit of white musk from the body shop which I wore as a teen

Pretty boring today. Lip balm from M&S. I use a natural beeswax one so no interest in this.

Defence drops in the other one. I'll give them a go and will hopefully catch nothing this winter.

Space NK is an hourglass scattered light eye shadow. It’s very pretty and soft.

@Jooox

Space NK is an hourglass scattered light eye shadow. It’s very pretty and soft.

That sounds lovely. Any chance of a pic?

I came across hourglass for the first time in my calendar last year (a blusher) and really like it.

JL is Juliette has a gun perfume wardrobe with Not a Perfume and Music Invisible. I love Not a Perfume!

ASOS is Clinique Take the Day Off cleansing balm. I used this years ago when I went through a phase of following CH and it’s nice, but I realised that cleansing balms and double cleansing make no difference to my skin so my cleansing routine is much simpler nowadays. I’ll still use it - it’s a lovely product.

@JustLikea

A layer of the smell is starting to remind me a bit of white musk from the body shop which I wore as a teen

I think that might be the Music Invisible; I’m wearing a different one on each wrist and get that from that one too.

Todays Rituals item was under one of the village trees! That was more exciting than the item itself, which is a Holi body spray. The scent is white lily and peach blossom, nice enough and quite light, but at only 20mls its tiny.
Todays museli was NOT museli! It was Cereal pillows with a honey cream filling. I gave them a go for breakfast and they were quite sweet but very light, nice to try but I wouldnt buy a box if them!
@OchonAgusOchonOh I have your M&S lip balm, and find it good for chapped lips, when other balms might sting. I often get chapped lips here in Winter when its really cold and the ultrasun is the business.

@OchonAgusOchonOh sorry I’ve left the house otherwise I would have swatched for you but here is the photo I sent my sister this morning (we’re sharing advent snaps).

I’m a complete hourglass convert. After spending a couple of years trialling all kinds of foundations I tried their vanish liquid and it is hands down the best for my skin. They’re cruelty free (no selling in China) and donate to wildlife charities too. Wish they did an advent calendar

The perfumes look great!

I got the lip liner from LF and a Molton Brown body wash from Glossybox, happy with both.

@Jooox - that looks gorgeous.

@FaoinDrualus

Todays Rituals item was under one of the village trees! That was more exciting than the item itself, which is a Holi body spray. The scent is white lily and peach blossom, nice enough and quite light, but at only 20mls its tiny. Todays museli was NOT museli! It was Cereal pillows with a honey cream filling. I gave them a go for breakfast and they were quite sweet but very light, nice to try but I wouldnt buy a box if them! *@OchonAgusOchonOh* I have your M&S lip balm, and find it good for chapped lips, when other balms might sting. I often get chapped lips here in Winter when its really cold and the ultrasun is the business.

Good to know about the lip balm. Ds1 is hoping to go skiing in the new year so I'll throw it in to his stocking.

I'm a bit mixed on the Rituals one today, it's OK but slightly too sweet. DD can have it!

Today I got a sponge, a little black tear-drop shaped one. Not very exciting, but it's fun to squish. I don't use make-up sponges, but I'm going to keep it to play with.

I got a nose strip in Sephora 🥴

Kiehls today is a vitamin C serum for dark spots. First thing that’s a decent size!

Skincare from LF and BirchBox today. I really like Omorovicza products

Day 7 and, more lip balms!

AB Lip Balm. Harrods. This is probably about as exciting as a lip balm in a calendar will get. Looking forward to trying it.

Pomegranate Rose hand sanitizer. FM. Handy handbag size, and practical. Happy with this.

Percy and Reed Wonder Balm. M&S 2021. I’ve used before (from previous M&S calendars). I find it stickier than the equivalent Aveda products, which I prefer.

Skyn lip balm in berry. M&S 2018. Another lip balm, but less utilitarian than yesterday’s Ultrasun. Another point to 2018.

2021 still leads 4.5 to 2.5

@Babysharkdoodoodood, a nose strip is probably leading contender for biggest Drawer of Disappointment so far….

@SapphireSeptember, if you use foundation or tinted moisturiser, definitely give the beauty sponge a try. Use it damp so it doesn’t absorb too much product.

@countdowntonap, I’m now also a fan of Omorovicza, after realising they had much better products than the Moor cleanser that used to be in every calendar. Currently using their perfecting lip balm actually, which is amazing - and why I’ll hold off trying the AB for a while.

Alpha H liquid toner, which I'm happy to try out. Wonder balm from M&S. I still haven't finished the one I got in 2017....

I do use the wonder balm occasionally but, like @AprilLady, I find it a bit sticky and prefer the Aveda.