General beauty advent calendar opening thread - all welcome

[AprilLady]

As in previous years, this is a thread for all those opening beauty advent calendars not covered by specific threads, though happy for any to be posted here too. We’d also love to hear about other non-beauty calendars.

Only one ask please, do not disclose contents of calendars before 7am on the relevant day.

I’ll be opening the Liberty and Fortnum and Mason calendars. Possibly also Latest in Beauty, assuming it arrives on time.

Only two sleeps to go - looking forward to it!

JL is a door of disappointment for me today - I really don't like exfolikate- can't stand the smell. I tend to use it on tops of my arms

To say I am now fuming is an understatement….. no phone call from F&M so I’ve called again to be told this time until they have collected my calendar they cannot even a replacement- this was not what the previous lady had told me. They need to collect mine and then process the return before they’ll dispatch a replacement.
They is no manager or complaints department I can speak to according to the CS advisor, I am now about to compose an email !!

Send an email but also start tweeting. That is appalling customer service. They are much more likely to resolve it if you call them out repeatedly on social media.

To be honest I think that this is a pretty good response. At least they are collecting and sending a replacement. I received a faulty Harrods calendar with incorrect drawer numbers and a missing item.

Harrods refused to collect it and told me that I had to take it to the post office and return Royal Mail tracked. It was heavy and cost me £16 to post last week, and I still haven't been refunded for either the postage or the calendar.

They also wouldn't send me a replacement calendar so I was expected to repurchase if I still wanted it - without even being refunded for the first one!

Thanks to those who commented on the murad cream, definitely pleased with this now 🙂
Today was eyeco eyeliner in brown full size. I don't wear brown only black but I've given it a go today and not sure how I feel about it. It's more subtle but so far staying on even on my waterline which is a good sign. Think it will be nice for subtle make up days like work from home days

@MidnightMeltdown - that’s shocking from Harrods.
I can see what you’re saying re them collecting and then replacing but it’s an advent calendar, the whole idea being you open in advent. If they collect on Friday by the time they process and send a replacement I could be looking at nearly half the time with no calendar.
Any other product I would agree reasonable customer service.

So telephone call from F&M they’ve arranged a replacement for Wednesday and will collect the original one.
sorry to have hijacked the thread with missing items.

That's a good result.

I would go ahead and open the drawers to see what's in them until you get a replacement but just put the items back in without using them. Although it is a bit much with an advent calendar to say you aren't to open them.

That is absolutely shocking customer service from Harrods! definitely won't be trying that one next year.

I wonder if it's just human error by the people filling the calendars, or theft. I wouldn't have thought people are going home with their pockets stuffed full of scented candles and exfoliator.

I expect that it's human error as I had two drawer number 22s opinion my calendar and no drawer 18!

Sent the calendar back a week ago and still no refund

Todays ASOS, so far so good

I know it isn’t a beauty calendar, but does anyone know a good way to contact Degustabox? I ordered two calendars, but only received one. They don’t answer their phones, and I’ve only had an automated reply to my email.

No7 has been a bit of a disappointment so far, 2 lip make up products and 3 eye make up products including a black eye liner. I was hoping they might have put a skin or body care product in.

debenhams 5 days in is better, a bath product, a candle, a primer, a dr paw paw balm and a mask.

Lets see what the rest of advent brings.

@ChannelLightVessel I had a problem with degaustabix too. Tried and tried ringing. Eventually got my problem resolved by messaging on Facebook, did take a few days though

A lovely Charlotte Tilbury eye shadow palette in JL today. Sadly not really my colours but it’s a nice one.

Aqua do Parma body lotion in HN today. The second of the two products I was meh about (the other is the candle). What's interesting about the calendar is that the size of the drawer is not remotely linked to what's inside. Yesterday had loads crammed into a tiny drawer and today's tiny lotion was floating around in a massive drawer!

No7 is a mascara today, the Lash Extender Fibre. I normally use the lash extender version so this Fibre one will be interesting to try.

Yesterday in ByTerry I had a small, round make up brush. Very useful but a bit underwhelming after so many full sized make up products.
Today was better, a full size hyualaronic primer, gives a lovely finish.

Day 6 opening:

F&M: Margaret Dabbs foot lotion. The first F&M draw of disappointment

Liberty: Opened the right draw this time (I belatedly realised I opened draw 15 not 5 yesterday!). Today is the fabulous Vilhelm Parfumerie Peony Couture perfume, in a very pretty bottle. I’ve had a smaller, plainer travel sizes one before that is now finished, so very happy to get this.

LiB: Full size Amiga dry shampoo. Very happy with this too. I regularly use Dry Shampoo but haven’t tried this one before.

Excuse the typos - I meant drawer not draw above!

@DameCelia By Terry sounds pretty good, I rather like the brand.

@CeeCeeDeeBee I do wonder whether the calendars were designed with one list of products in mind, and then later some substitutions were needed. Otherwise the drawer thing - particularly for H&N where it is their first calendar - is very odd.

@Peridot1 a CT palette is lovely - I really rate her eye shadows for easy everyday use. Hope the colours are good for you.

@Yoloohno one hopes the makers of the calendars think about the order of the products, but in reality I think some give it more thought than others.

@Peridot1 I'm hoping for a CT product in my Elle calendar at some point. I did watch an unboxing video back in sept but I can't remember now what was in it so it's all nice surprises.
Today was sol de janeiro bum bum cream. Very happy as I love this. Perfect size for holiday as well (75ml)

I got the conditioner I had wanted yesterday in L’Occitane and this morning’s was a wooden comb. Haven’t tried the shampoo and conditioner yet. Hope I don’t like it too much 🙈

Body shop - Muslin cloth
H&B - frankincense oil
Selfridges - escentric molecules 01
Degusta - bruschetta crisps

Not sure what to do with Frankincense oil? Might try it in my diffuser unless there's any wise men want it?