Best beauty advent calendar for someone in their 60s

[Chockybiscuit]

Hoping for some inspiration. Have a colleague in her early 60s that has been a great support. Looking for a thank you gift but she's hard to buy for. I thought I might give her a beauty advent calendar but not sure which one is best. She is always well turned out but wears minimal make up. Looking for something a little bit pampering. Budget around £200. Any ideas?

These aren’t my sort of thing but I happened to see this earlier today and thought it looked less pointless than most:

https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/liberty-beauty-advent-calendar-2023-000785490.html

But I’m the same generation as your colleague - and I very much prefer to choose my own (high end) skincare and cosmetics. I might be mildly irritated at £200 spent on entirely random bits and pieces. Might it not also be a teeny bit too personal?

In my world, professional gifts generally involved cases of decent wine. Would that be unsuitable for her?

If she wears minimal make up then a beauty calendar might not be the best idea. How about a nice tea one from whittards?

One idea may be the OK Beauty Box one, lovely collection and selection of skin and hair care all sorts and mostly lovely, very little makeup- I buy the box monthly and this is the first year advent which I think is £95 I'd love it as a gift

I am having The Fragrance Shop advent calender this year, which largely avoids the make up/skin creams that I already have a stash of. I'm that age group BTW.

It's tricky. I wear minimal make up but clotheswise, am always well turned out. Oddly I'd like to get Liberty calendar because it's not something I'd ever buy for myself but it's so pretty and I'm intrigued by what's in it.

If tea is her thing then Fortnum and Mason's is the one to go for.
Or their general filled calendar

Fortnum and Mason general filled calendar
Fortnum and Mason tea advent calendar

I have to agree with this tbh

That F&M tea calendar is the stuff of my dreams! How lovely!

I got MiL the Clarins one last year as I know she uses Clarins. It included a few things she uses anyway and some new things too. Of the new ones, some she now buys herself, others she won't bother with.
As a PP said, I might be surprised if a colleague bought me one unless we'd had some conversations about this sort of thing.

I’m 60 and I’d love someone to buy me one.

I'm not far off 60, wear minimal makeup but splurge on skincare-I would absolutely love a beauty advent calendar.

The John Lewis one looks good (will probably purchase), maybe worth having a look at the advent calendar thread.

I saw the Anthropologie calendar earlier, well under budget but lots of nice products in it so go for a cheaper one and add something to it-facial/manicure/pedicure etc if she likes that sort of thing.

I think the essential thing to know about the recipient is "do they like fripperies?" rather than necessarily "would they use every single thing in this calendar?"

It could go either way. You might be buying for someone like me who loves fripperies and frivolities (I'd love all of the suggestions on here *) or you might get someone who reacts with outrage at such a first world waste of money or possibly even worse outrage that the giver thinks the recipient is such a shallow person (i.e someone like me) who would want such fripperies.

As an aside I don't like costume jewellery much but I'd love this one.
Fortnum and Mason jewellery advent calendar

(* With the exception of the facial/ pedicure one which I'd hate)

Have been thinking. If anyone were proposing to spend £200 on me in the near future, I’d like them to hold off until October 30th and choose something (probably tiny, but please no keyrings!) from the new Phoebe Philo collection that launches on that day.

But obviously no good unless your colleague is a fan!

L’occitane perhaps? I don’t think they have any make up in the calendar. There are 2 different ones.

I think that is an excellent way of putting the key question

Latest in style, cult beauty, look fantastic, no7 have various ones, ok beauty has one as so has Elle

I ordered the No7 one for my aunt and it’s lovely. It has nice hand creams, facial washes, eye creams etc in it. It was this one

Molton Brown or The White Company might fit the bill, candles, nice bath and body stuff but no make up, both a lot bit of luxury

Liberty is £250. If you're happy with going over budget, I think it's a gorgeous gift (I'm getting it for my birthday). It doesn't contain very much makeup. A similar price is the Fortnum & Mason which has very little makeup, but lots of pampering items - full size Aromatherapy Associates bath oil and perfume. I think these are two of the prettiest calendars with the biggest wow factor.