Beauty Advent Calendars 2023 Part B - have we chosen...or not?

[Stoic123]

Are we going to buy or have we peaked?

Yes you would be miserable. Joining an advent calendar buying thread and not buying an advent calendar is a venial sin

@MidnightMeltdown too funny - i think you know I’ll end up with at least 2 😳

Re. Olaplex, I read somewhere that it used to contain an ingredient that was associated with fertility issues, but they have since updated the formula.

Yeh the olaplex thing is bc of the fertility issues but I believe they have updated. EBay still wouldn’t let me sell it tho

Yes, I googled, and apparently (as well as the fertility issues) there are a number of people who’ve suffered hair loss to the extent of large bald patches. One Youtuber reckons people are just leaving it on for too long and/or that they’re allergic to the fragrance. (I only wash my hair about once a fortnight so will probably be OK if I don’t leave No.3 on for longer than recommended.)

Around 8% cashack from Top Cash Back for Vogue purchases completed through the website.

Their AC is truly beautiful but I'm staying strong and not buying investing the last hour looking for discounts. Too expensive for my current mindset.

Lookfantastic says, at random times, 10% off for AC if buying through their app but the discount does not come up for me when I get to the checkout. I discovered I have some £15 credit with them which I didn't know about but I'm still not tempted enough by contents.

Sephora does apply the 10% discount if Sephora favourites is part of favourite brands. None of the coded I have work for any further reductions. Again, I'm really taken with their selection this year so a pass (for now!)

I'm waiting for LiB final reveal- there's a 'guess the product' video on their tiktok for a couple of their products and one is the lilac tub of Tatcha cream. Although I'm not keen on all of the brands they list (for ex. Yes Rituals is lovely but I don't want it and that Bum Bum nonsense is everywhere I'm sick of it).

Boots, M&S might be an option just to say I'm not missing out completely.

The truth is I realised I've purchased 10 beauty boxes using various offers over the last 4-6 weeks, overall incredibly good value and I'll be using 90% of products. I will be truly embarrassed to spend any more money and to see DH taking in yet another package from the delivery guy and cheerfully announcing Branster has another parcel! If he knew exactly how many beauty products have arrived, he'd probably send me to the doctors for a mental review. I haven't even opened 3/4 if these boxes!

I shall be reading this thread and join in with your delight and do my best not to order an AC for as long as I can.

I'm trying to stay strong and not buy F&M @PomRuns, the M&S and a Jadvent discount is more sensible!

@wheresmyshoe twinning - fortnums would be my pick.

I decided to order Selfridges. It was showing as 3 left in stock when I ordered, just in case anybody really wants it.

I except that they will re-stock but you never know

Just ordered my first AC of 2023!
I've decided on Liberty for my main birthday one. Just treated myself to Anthropologie. For anyone else who is interested, if you sign up to Anthropologie perks you get £20 off your first £100 purchase. (They have 10% off your first order - can't use them both together- but 10% takes the AC below £75 so you pay for postage )
I ordered the calendar, a full size Urban Apothecary Smoked Leather candle (£40 down to £20) and a £5 bar of coffee chocolate reduced to £2 to get to £100. Then £29 off with perks.
So it was £80 with free postage for the calendar, full size candle & chocolate (I'll put that away as an extra for my husband for Christmas. ) About 4% on topcashback too. - If anyone is not signed up topcashback & wants my link, please DM me.

£20 off not £29. Typo in my post above. - AC excitement!

£80 total

I also would recommend the Ted Baker Advent Calendar from Boots. It’s £46 but was half price from mid December last year. I’ve had it 2 years in a row and although it’s pretty much the same ever year, I’ve used all the stuff & think it smells really nice 😊

So I now have the Boots Premium and the Selfridges advent calendars winging their way to me and they should be arriving tomorrow. Now to resist the temptation to open them before December.

There's a Harvey Nics unboxing on YouTube if anyone is interested in that one. It's not for me, but it has some nice bits in it.

I think Harvey Nichols is my favourite of this year’s offerings, but it’s more than I usually pay for one calendar. I am scared to watch the unboxing in case I crack🤣

Treat yourself @Dee1224 - you know you want to!

It looks pretty good, there are lots of drawers with multiple items in. I'm not tempted as it's mostly products that I either already have or that I've tried before.

Ok so I either want (need?!)
a. Boots premium; or
b. JL; or
c. CB

Help me wise people of MN - which do I actually get?! My overall feeling this year is that I’m underwhelmed which makes me think that boots is the best choice since it’s cheapest and still has some interesting products . I had CB last year and loved it but also remember feeling like I wished I’d got JL too. So answers on a postcard please.

I know I need to decide myself but it would just be so much easier if someone did it for me! 🤣

I have opted for the MAC one as I know I can use most of it . It was more than I wanted to pay for it though ( couldn’t find any discount codes) so will be the only one I get . Looks like lots of full sized . I also didn’t want a calendar with lots of cleansers and shampoos in !
i watched Diary of a beauty geek do her unboxing of it last night.

I really do @MidnightMeltdown 🤣Off to look at the unboxing…

I think there's a typo here. I reckon that you probably need Boots Premium AND JL.

@MidnightMeltdown This is the help I’m looking for - I like your thinking!! 🤣
Maybe I’ll order boots now and then get another if there are discounts to be had later on…

I only want to buy in September looking at this thread, completely forget about Christmas once I am off. So I’m going to unfollow and MAYBE see you on AC threads in December. Thank you so much to all the discussion! It is so good to be able to cut through the marketing and figure out what would actually be useful and what is a DOD.

JL and CB were both reduced last year so you may well be lucky @Squishmymallow

Mind you, Selfridges seems to have sold out by lunch time on launch day which is rather odd. I wonder whether they have genuinely sold out, or whether they are drip feeding stock because they don't have the capacity to send them all out at once.

Now I'm looking at Vogue & thinking I want that. I love the box it comes in.
Decisions, decisions