General “waifs and strays” beauty advent calendar opening thread

[AprilLady]

As in previous years, this a thread for those opening Beauty Advent Calendars not covered by specific calendar opening threads (though also happy for contents of those to be shared here too).

As previously, it will also be fun to hear about other calendar openings - food, jam, socks anyone?

Please do not include spoilers before 7am on the relevant day. Please also avoid dropping hints or spoilers about future contents if you have opened the calendar in advance.

I’ll be opening the Vogue and Selfridges calendars this year. Really looking forward to Day 1.

@lookingforMolly that's tough. She'd be so proud of you both.

Day 23 Boots No 7 R&R

An eye cream. I have a few piling up so I need to decide which one to open next

I've finally wrapped all the presents whilst watching Sherlock. I don't mind once I've started but it's the getting started that's the problem. There are less presents this year than normal but they are well chosen. I love buying presents even though it can be quite challenging - looking at you DS

No7 Ultimate is Future Renew serum. Lancôme is lipstick in French Cashmere. Nice colour, maybe a bit dark for me but I’ll give it a go.

@AppleDumplingWithCustard

I've been using that serum since it came out on the days between using retirides

My skin is looking really good from the combination. No wrinkles yet

Boots Premium - lancome genifique serum. I'm pleased with this, although it is tiny (7ml).

That’s good to hear. I’m looking forward to trying it.

Day 23 Diptyque: 10ml velvet hand lotion.

Not wildly exciting but it's always handy to have a neutrally scented handbag sized hand lotion.

H&B is an ‘anti-ageing overnight face mask’ by a brand I don’t know called Native State. It’s too late for me, I’m old already, but I’m willing to give it a go!

Day 23:

Vogue: A full size Votary Hyularonic Serum. Very nice.
Selfridges: A Kylie plumping lip gloss in a pinkish colour. A miss for me unfortunately.

Harrods Day 23 is a Champo growth serum for thickening and strengthening your hair. Hair products are usually a miss for me but I’m interested to try this as my usually thick hair has started thinning around my hairline post menopause. I was worried it would be oily but I’ve used it this morning and it isn’t at all, it just sinks into your scalp so crossing my fingers and hoping for good things!

Day 23 of my sisters calendar was Wanderflower lip balm in sweet almond

Day 24 - a cute heart shaped velvet coin purse from Monsoon, I may keep some jewellery in it.

Ethique shampoo bars in H&B. I would have given them a go but they’re for dry hair, which mine emphatically is not - I look like an oiled seabird if I leave it more than two days without washing it.

I meant to say yesterday, I tried the pink salt shampoo and it’s rather good. It has actual grains of salt in it, so it’s gritty which was a bit of a surprise, but my hair feels really clean and soft afterwards.

Day 24 of Harrods is a mini Nars lipstick in Dragon Girl which is a bright red. I am usually a nude lip kind of person so this will probably get passed on unless I’m feeling particularly brave over Christmas.

Overall I think I haven’t quite been as blown away by this calendar as I was expecting to be. There were a few very expensive standout products which seem to be where the value has gone which has left quite a few days of underwhelming/small products.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a knockout and end it on a high!

@lookingforMolly I think yours was the winning calendar put together with love and thoughtfulness, what a brilliant sister you have. Special mention to @Pinenu with the self assessment reminder and polo mints though 😂

😂 thanks @bigdecisionstomake

Today is a set of 6 earring backs. Not the earring itself but the back of them.

Foolishly, I thought this might mean a pair of earrings behind door 25 but no. He said ‘you’ve got loads of earrings but you’re always losing the back bits’.

An orange Huda cream blusher. I don't generally use cream blusher and if I did, it wouldn't be orange.

This is the last day in mine so a disappointing finish to the Boots premium.

Overall, I enjoyed it but wasn't wowed by it. I think I may have advent calendar fatigue though as there wasn't anything really that totally excited me this year.

Wow that is orange.

Thanks for the update @CordeliaNaismithVorkosigan - I may give it a go if I see it on offer.

Very disappointed with the M&S calendar - I won’t use anything unsealed on my face/lips and loads of the stuff in this year’s didn’t have a security seal, so useless to me. I did like the own brand hand cream, the l’occitane hand cream and ditto shower gel, plus the Clinique moisturiser and lipstick, and the PK shampoo and conditioner minis, but that was about it - not really worth £45 for that lot! The nail varnishes were just ok. So basically about 9/24 doors were stuff I was quite pleased to have. Still got door 25, but not holding my breath.

Really liked my 2022 Rituals entry level bargain calendar so will look out for another Rituals bargain for next year. I liked it better than the last Rituals I had a couple of years ago.

Opening day 6 on the WS socks tomorrow and saving days 7-12 for next year, (ditto the men’s).

Merry Christmas in advance to everyone! 🎅

Day 24 Diptyque: 10ml Eau des Sens perfume.

Really happy with this as I need/want an orange based perfume :)

I also opened tomorrow's as we're not at home but won't post the contents in case it spoils it for anyone.

Day 24:

Vogue: a full size Neom candle
Selfridges: Byoma eye gel - also looks full size and not one I’ve tried before.

@Pinenu I love how practical your DH is!

@OchonAgusOchonOh that is a very odd shade for a blusher.

Anthropologie has a 50 ml moisturiser worth £39. I've really enjoyed this AC. Gorgeous reusable box and great value with lots of lovely usable treats from interesting brands. I got a great deal on it too.
Liberty has been great too. I'm really pleased with my choices.

What happened to that photo? If you click on it you can see the whole bottle.

If anyone knows someone playing the part of an oompa loompa in a play they are welcome to the blusher.