Beauty Advent Calendars 2023 Part D- waiting till December?

[Stoic123]

Or will you start opening in November?

Either way, it's not long now......time to make your choice (s).

Continuing the thread.

"This is a thread to discuss the buying of beauty calendars and not the opening of them. There may be general discussion about contents of a calendar but please do not share information about what is behind a specific door you've opened. Thank you"

Edited by MNHQ at OP's request

@Stokey I am in the same boat on advents after a few years of having at least 2. I do have a Cowshed one from last year stashed away as it was pretty and different to what I usually have and a massive bargain. My daughter has a baby annabel one! I might cave though if there is a bargain. I do end up with some lipstick colours I don't use as the browner ones don't suit me and that is a waste. Last year I gave a few away. Also potent topicals as I have sensitive skin etc. That said I love the glamour of an advent and it helps me up my game and stay in the loop. I like a red lip or nail but have many. Black eyeliner can be harsh on me. Absolutely no love for a gold nailvarnish or Oplex 3 and don't need another highlighter or want a mirror. Some of my favourite products - Sunday Riley, Drunk elephant, primers Stilla and some pallets came from advents though and I wouldn't have discovered them otherwise. So I don't think I am over them next. On backlog I have a plastic box subdivided system having had to pack up the house for a rennovation. That helped me take stock and I have lots of serums and eye cream left over still. If I don't get another. one this year I think I will next. If Sephora had a decent reduction I would be tempted and M&S looked good but missed the boat and didn't upset me. I would miss one if I didn't have one but with the renovation costs it isn't the biggest priority. Looking forward to the waifs and strays thread....

Sadly, I feel the same. Local brand HnB and more brands

I did the same, with it going off to my son's uni address. Took about a week.

Thank you it’s a longwaybackfromsorry. Is your son being restrained and waiting till December?!

Has anyone discovered any holy grail items from advent calendars over the years?

I have two. The first is an oil from one of the earliest H&B calendars that I use as a primer. It’s the only thing that stops me looking dry when wearing foundation.

The second is also from H&B, the vitamin c cleanser from last year. I adore it. Lovely to use, non irritating and makes my skin look fresh.

Not sure about holy grail but I definitely have gone on to buy things in advent calendar’s. Mac stac mascara ,Mac radiance primer ,Mac glow play lip balm. Lumene moisturiser .I think I would buy the Charlotte Tilbury highlighter .

My Diptique calendar arrived today, it's beautiful!

I have a muhad exfoliating cleanser, sunday riley jet lag facemask, charlotte tilbury masks and silta long stay lipstick. I also use cream eyeshadows and masks more than I would have. And a revolution blur primer I never would have tried. A bronzing compact I use everyday, hand cream and a face oil. So quite a lot really,

Mine are REN body cream, Stila eyeliner, Venn vitamin cream, Seated Queen night cream and Votary light cream. Probably a couple of nice lipsticks too. Oh and the Augustus Bader cream 🥰

My number one a/c item is the wet brush from the H&B calendar a few years ago. I also liked the Weleda skin cream also from H&B and repurchased, (have since gone off it - think they changed the formula🙃).

I also really liked the Clarins firming cream and the Elemis day and night creams that came in one of my previous calendars - haven’t repurchased as yet, but only due to cost.

I liked the Eyeko mascara I got once, and repurchased, ditto for a Mac mascara.

I really like the face roller and the gua sha I got - again from H&B - but I don’t need half a dozen, (and yet they are EVERYWHERE!)

I loathe brow gel, make up setters, dry shampoo and anything similar- it just goes straight in the bin if I can’t donate it - also face powder, but at least I can give that to my friend!

Wonderful @SwordBilledHummingbird ! How excited are you?

@HollyGolightly4 Very! I decided it's close enough to December to have it sat in the living room so I keep looking at it and wishing I could start opening it :D

Champo products…I’ve purchased a lot of things from them since I tried the Pitta shampoo and conditioner in last years Harrods.
I know it’s a contentious pick but I do really love the BS foam cleanser, although can’t remember if it was AC or Beauty box that I first tried it. It doesn’t sting my eyes at all and just feels quite soft to use, smells really lovely too.
I really love Sunday Riley Good Genes…think that was a Liberty AC many moons ago.

@SwordBilledHummingbird I’m very jealous, as I love a scented candle, particularly now that it gets dark so early.
To answer the question about advent calendar discoveries, lovely candles would be one of mine. I’d never seen the point of them before because I’d never had any really nice ones.

I love Sunday Riley and Votary which have both been AC discoveries. Think all the products I've had from both of those brands have been good, although I need to use Good Genes sparingly.

I loved the Venn cream in Liberty a few years ago but it felt too pricey to repeat buy.

I'm jealous of the Diptyque calendar @SwordBilledHummingbird . I'm considering buying their discovery set in lieu of a calendar.

Yes @SwordBilledHummingbird it looks lovely. I couldn’t justify buying, but have bought the Delice Christmas candle. Enjoy 😍

I have only bought the £19 nail polish calendar (opened and most drawers given away) and the White Stuff sock bargain (work secret santa).

I'm going to focus on stash clearance in 2024. I've reduced it down a lot in 2023 - partly less buying and partly by being fussy (ruthlessly chucking early on if not enjoying using).

I am enjoying these threads and could still be tempted by another big bargain - so please keep sharing these!

Has anyone discovered any holy grail items from advent calendars over the years?

Lots! But already some of the holy grail items people have listed are things I don't get on with, so just goes to show how different we all are. Mine are Living Proof dry shampoo, Coco and Eve hair mask, Alpha H Liquid Gold, M&S Formula night cream, Eyeko liquid eyeliner, and Biossance squalane and rose oil. Bioeffect EGF serum would be one but it's just not affordable for me. Interestingly most of my other holy grails were in lower priced calendars like ASOS and M&S! Considering I love a luxury calendar that is unexpected.

I'm the same @stoic123 nail polish and sock calendar only - may keep the polish calendar** so I have least something to open.
The rest of the family have received theirs and I'm looking at the slim pickings left - hoping Liberty or Sephora reduces🤞🏼

Holy Grails for me are the Eyeko liquid eyeliner and mascara - I've repurchased those lots. Actually thinking about it, it's mostly the M&S calendar where I've repurchased things , due to the price point. I really loved lots of the products last year from JL but many are too expensive for me to buy again. I really loved a lipgloss in last year's Bare Minerals calendar and meant to repurchase but I haven't got round to it yet

Emma Hardie Morninga Cleansing Balm. I got a tiny one in an M&S Calendar years ago and have bought it ever since. I tried the Olpaplex No 3 this summer which was in my John Lewis calendar last year and would probably repurchase that too.

Also I had a Rituals Calendar once and really love the Ritual of Jing Sleep spray, I love the smell and buy that frequently. Trying to force myself to use the Neom one from last years Calendar but I don’t really like it.

@Roundaboot I had John Lewis last year but not tempted to repurchase anything. I have had the Ted Baker Calendar a couple of times and really like everything in it & it’s great value, might get that again if it’s reduced.

I really liked the peach autograph chubby lip balm that was in a M & S summer beauty box . A bit of sparkle in it which I like.
My cult beauty box arrived. I like the blusher but the Charlotte Tilbury lip blur is a joke looks like a dolls lipstick it is that small !

@kerstina mine arrived earlier and I spent a good few minutes staring at the CT lipstick in disbelief.

Holy grail items- votary super seed serum, dizziak shampoo and the frushi (?) hair oil and weleda skin food from last year’s Holland and Barrett. Amazing.
my H &B arrived today and I’m really looking forward to opening it as I’ve totally forgotten what is in it!