Beauty advent calendars 2024 #2

[virgocatlover]

With just under 3 months to go until 1 December, there are some big decisions to be made! Thread to discuss advent calendars while we wait for more content revelations and release dates.

Thread 1 - https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/styleandd_beauty/5108657-beauty-advent-calendars-2024

Selfridges

beautyadventcalendar.net/selfridges-beauty-advent-calendar-2024/

I’ll get the matching brush too @Giftwithpurchase . I have the Tiger palette from 2022 and completely credit it with making me look human again post children. I bought the Ambient Lighting brush at the time, but when I went back they recommended the larger Veil Powder brush instead to pick up less product for the all over powder. I use both with the palette, so happy to have another Ambient Lighting brush. I won’t get another AC (though loving the discussion!), shall we revive the GWP thread? Especially in advance of Black Friday?

Each time a new AC gets released it makes me happier with my pre order Liberty. The Selfridges box isn’t nice, but I have read a lot of PP don’t keep them.

I'm not sure whether or not I'll bother with M&S this year

I like the This Works cream, the fact that the shampoo and conditioner are suitable for coloured hair (good for holidays), the fact that there are a couple of cleansers, a good size shower gel and body wash, and that the paw paw is tinted.

Less happy about more nail polishes (especially another red one!), black eyeliner and that living proof stuff. I'm sure that I also have one of those nail serums unused somewhere. Not sure that I'll like the vanilla perfume either.

I kinda like liberty and vogue but I don't use much stuff tbh so am happy with my H&B, picked it up today!

Have you read the editorial for each item in the Vogue calendar written by one of their writers or editors? https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/vogue-festive-calendar-2024#door1 That link should go to the first one and then scroll down - spoilers though.

The scarf is described as versatile enough to wear as a bandana - it’s a 50cm by 50cm scarf that would barely support one boob! When people wear them as bandanas it’s the huge 140cm Hermes ones, or at least 90cm. I’m convinced the Foreo item is actually a sex toy, the description is more about its vibrating and massaging than cleansing and it makes a point of saying you can use it in the shower.

I love the wild vanilla orchid perfume in the M&S calendar. For any Vilhlem Parfumerie fans out there, it’s really really similar to Poets of Berlin

I’m convinced the Foreo item is actually a sex toy, the description is more about its vibrating and massaging than cleansing and it makes a point of saying you can use it in the shower

@BakeOffRewatch the gift that keeps on giving 😅

Same perfumer too, they smell same to me.

I'm fed up of Floral Street. I would add it to the Elasticizer, Nails Inc polishes, AB Rich Cream, Bum Bum Cream, Ren Glow Tonic & black eye pencil that seem compulsory every year. I would give 10 bonus points to any AC for every one of these items it doesn't contain!

Lib is now available and there's a code for £25 off. I wish Boots would hurry up and reveal their calendars, as if they're total duds I could be tempted by LiB.

What does LiB stand for? :)

I'm waiting for Boots; H&B is my front runner at the moment.

@Saltybee latest in beauty

I had Liberty two years ago and then Fortnum and Mason last year. Both were great and I really enjoyed them but they are expensive and I still haven’t used up everything. I thought I would go for a cheaper one this year so I was thinking either Holland and Barrett or M&S. The price increase on the M&S put me off a bit, and there are some items I wouldn’t use (eyeliner, red nail varnish, floral street) and I see they are the same ones others on this thread seem to dislike.
So it’s H&B for me this year and hopefully I will now forget what is in there so it’s a lovely surprise when I open it.
The other reason I went for a cheaper one is that I realised that I actually enjoy the mumsnet chat each morning about the contents just as much as I enjoy using the actual products.

I can't decide between Vogue, Liberty & Space NK. I didn't have Vogue last year and actually quite like some of the non beauty things like the mask and socks. Has anyone tried the Foreo thing (sex toy) or the T Bar?

There's quite a few perfumes in Liberty which appeal although I haven't tried any of them so may not like them. Duds are the rich cream, hand cream, pillow mist, elasticizer, gel liner and blush. But I have got £20 off and £60 credit.

Space NK has a few things the Dds would like. But also a few that I either already have unused bottles of - exfoliKate, colour Wow, Supergoop - or that I'm unlikely to use blush, the Ordinary, highlighter.

Tricky!

@Stowickthevast I used to own this and used the massage head it was really nice and definitely helped with toning and drainage, the T Bar sounds similar and for a similar purpose. From what I’ve read, the best thing is daily massage yourself of face, so I followed this Lisa Eldridge video and use techniques from that. If you don’t have the time I think something that massages and does lymphatic drainage is worth it. The other electronic face device I rate is red (anti aging) and blue (anti bacterial) LED light which was last year’s Vogue foreo device.

I don’t rate electronic cleansers or cleansers with bits in I think they irritate the skin and make pores worse

Sorry forgot link www.philips.co.uk/c-m-pe/skincare

I have been going round and round on this now. My short list was

Harrods - Like most the items but small sizes for some days and as my Fragrance calendar is still no where near making it to me I don’t particularly want to give them any more of my money. Plus I am not convinced by some of the price tags , no serum unless it contains the elixir of life is worth £400 which is putting me off a bit too.

Spacenk - I think this advent is amazing value but I own 12 of the items already and I think there is probably only another 6/7 I am interested in

John Lewis - Probably the best fit but just can’t get excited about it . With a good deal I would buy though

Cult Beauty Initially rejected but watched an unboxing yesterday and quite liked the way the boxes are themed. This would be a fun advent. Unfortunately they are no longer offering the free £20 gift card so I won’t buy on principle now but if they introduce another deal I could be tempted

so after all that there is no clear favorite so I think I will hang on see if there are any deals and if not make my own . I know there were some good Xmas boxes from Look Fantastic , Cult Beauty and Sephora last year which I could use plus I have a Liberty GWP plus beauty box I haven’t looked at forthis reason
There is also still boots OK , Fenwicks possibly Elle so all is not lost

@MiaN wow -is it really the same perfumer that creates the Vilhelm Parfumerie and the Marks And Spencer Wild orchid?? I know that perfume houses do create for other brands on the quiet but didn't know about this one -fantastic if it's right??

I have been buying ACs since the first You/LIB one so probably getting close to 15 years. This is the first year I have found so many to be disappointing. I always get an expensive one for my birthday - CB or Liberty and then often buy extra ones when they're discounted and M&S. For my main one I decide by how few items I wouldn't use and how many I'm excited by. This year I'd only not use 3 items in F&M (I eBay unwanted products), but Space NK has more items I'm looking forward to. I also have a backlog of serums so F&M's multiple serums are less necessary.
This year unless they're heavily reduced I don't see myself going for a second or third. When so many like JL are hovering at £200, they have to have lots of covetable products for me.

And the Lisa Eldridge video, it’s from 2014! At the time I was into Deciem and reading a lot about Brandon’s approach to skincare, that anti aging is more about massage and muscles than topical creams. I was using NIOD FECC where the thinking was it helps drainage for the eye so your eye twitches less.

Yes, it's Jerome Epinette Perfume and the Floral street was the original, believe it in not in 2017
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Floral-Street/Wild-Vanilla-Orchid-47212.html

2018 he made the same nearly identical Poets of Berlin Vilhelm Parfumerie
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Vilhelm-Parfumerie/Poets-of-Berlin-49306.html

he makes everything for everyone form Victoria Beckham perfumes to Zara lately - he has a moment :) and isn't afraid to do dupes of his previous creations.

Perfumers create for many different fragrance houses and price points. Beauty Pie always publicised that the first perfumer they used had also created Santal 33 & other Le Labo scents. This doesn't mean though that the BP and Le Labo scents were necessarily of the same quality. He also created the David Beckham scent. The same perfumers often create the celebrity and lower priced scents as well as the highly priced niche ones. Fragrantica has lists of perfumers and their creations.

yes, but I have 3 floral street perfumes created by him and they are excellent quality. In this specific case, he first did it for Floral Street. I have for example byredo bal d'afrique and rare beauty body mist created by him and while very different experience - the scent is nearly identical and my family can not differentiate the two when I used them on myself. Of course, body mist does not last as much as perfume, they are not identical at all but you can get the vibe for fraction of the price. I am happy to own both.

@MiaN @Housewife2010 thank you both so much for this -I'm really excited now and will be spending the next few days hours buried in the Fragrantica and Floral Street sites!! I love perfumes, but can't really afford the ones I like and have been relying on Vinted and Ebay for sample sizes up to now