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

Boots £65 skincare contents revealed on the Martin Lewis money saving site today:
www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/boots/#24contents

Both the boots ones look shite IMHO.

I disagree. The £99 Boots one is the only calendar that’s appealed to me so far this year. I’d use just about everything.

I think I’ll probably get the £99 Boots one for DD. It has great products in for her - shame some are so tiny, like an 8ml Drunk Elephant serum.

There are 3 fake tans in it!

Okkkk ladies :)

I fear I have missed Space NK as you cannot order it now. I skipped the big discussion but I presume we are liking the Sisley skincare and the Drunk Elephant and the Medik8? Plus the lippy looks great (if it makes my lips look like the pic @Gowlbag posted then I am up for it. But will they restock?

Alternatively and £55 cheaper and that's before a discount - JL is looking good to me actually. I have had the Votary face mask before and it is really lovely. I would deffo RP. Also three fragrances – I like, the makeup looks good (Bobbi Brown mascara) and that Sunday Riley night oil is really good for me.

Do we think JL will discount? I need not to spend too much here (like, nothing really; vvvvv big bill looming) but I cannot have no AC? I have refilled my old F&M box with really nice things from my stash but... is that it? what's my best option?

@clary SpaceNK definitely hasn’t sold out; it’s just only available with early access to those who signed up to the waitlist. So it is showing as available on the site for me. I think general release may be Thursday?

I agree JL looks pretty good too. Only released on 3 October, so a while to consider it yet.

Ah OK - it was showing as click to buy for me earlier today (I think) but deffo not now. JL may be the one - at least I save that extra bit of cash :)

I don't normally buy myself advent calendars but I've ordered the Rituals one this year. I like their soaps and shower products so I know most of it will be used.

Really tempted by the Harrods one. I watched an unboxing on youtube, the box design is lovely and many of the products look fab. A few too many serums I thought and two different retinol creams was probably a bit much. Some very expensive products and fragrances I wouldn't mind trying.

Can't really justify 2 advent calendars. Does the Harrods beauty one sell out each year or does it get reduced?

Not impressed by the Boots skincare calendar.

I may get H&B and JL if there's a discount.

The Boots 12 day premium has also been revealed. Also a no

beauty-detective.com/boots-premium-beauty-12-day-advent-calendar-2024/

I've received the spam email from ok beauty with the contents listed. It's set out like a leaked email. Maybe they are trying to be funny? The list doesn't contain the product sizes so it's a bit useless

And all medium/dark which is no good for pale skin.
Also two micellar waters.

I do keep getting slightly drawn to Boots premium as it's so cheap compared to others but the sizes, especially of the products I'm really interested in, puts me off.

Defo JL (and H&B) for me!

I got that too and found it extremely annoying! I hate those fake leaked emails! And agree, without sizes it's fairly useless anyway

My DD has also got into these, she's 11, and I got her the Next non luxury one at £90.

I've also bought the SpaceNK calendar late last night, delivery 20th September. I remembered to go through topcashback and got almost £15 tracking. Every little helps.

I'm eagerly awaiting the MAC advent, I really liked it last year. I think we have been spoilt with all these early releases, it feels like ages having to wait another 11 days to find out the contents.

I think I've made my decision (although is Fenwicks doing an AC this year??)

I'm going buy the Next Luxury and the M and S.

DH is going to get me the JL for my Christmas present. He doesn't know this yet but will probably be quite pleased as it's job done in one go.

I'll open the JL in bleak January.

Would someone please send me the OK Beauty ‘fake’ spoiler email. I have signed up to the waitlist but didn’t get the email.

It's my first year buying a calendar and I've looked at a few and it feels quite obvious that they are a new marketing strategy. Don't get me wrong, I'm here for it!

But now that noone watches tv with adverts or reads physical magazines with samples, the products are being pushed into calendars to subsidise the purchase of their samples.

You can see which companies have the biggest budgets by those that are repeated across calendars. E.g. Sol del Janeiro, ESPA as they obviously offer the biggest subsidised proce/best value to the calendar curators like Space NK, Harvey Nicks etc.

@GreatMistakes I don't think that's ever been up for debate tbf. Also edits, GWPs, etc.

Shiseido - Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate
Gatineau - Gatineau Collagene Expert Ceramide Smoothing Cream
Kosas - Weightless Lip Colour in shade Turned On
Origins - Ginzing Energising Gel Cream
Ole Henriksen - Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum
Ole Henriksen - Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturiser
Seoulista Beauty - Super Hydration Instant Facial®
delilah - Stay the Night Smooth Shadow Stick in shade Honey Moon
Nail Kind - Nail Polish in shade Wine O'Clock
Commodity Fragrances - Gold Expressive
Rodial - Soft Focus Glow Booster Drops
Sensory Retreats - Sensory Sleep Self-Heating Eye Mask
Blink Brow Bar - Clear Brow Gloss
Aromatherapy Associates - De-Stress Muscle Bath & Shower Oil
Ciaté London - Illuminating Blush in shade Sweet Kiss
ESPA - Bergamot and Jasmine Body Wash
LH Cosmetics - Crayon in shade Black + Sharpener
Rodial - Glass Powder
Erborian - Centella Cleansing Oil
Percy & Reed - Time to Shine Eau My! Shine & Fragrance Spray
Hildun Beauty - Silk to Set Kajal Liner in shade Chocolate
ESPA - Bergamot and Jasmine Body Lotion
19/99 Beauty- Precision Colour Pencil in shade Neutra
Doll Smash - Pout Lip Liner in shade Power
REN Clean Skincare - Evercalm™ Overnight Recovery Balm
L'Oréal Paris Mascara….

I’m excited for December to roll around now and really happy I went for Space NK (less the delivery charge!)

I don’t think I could bring myself to buy two… I felt guilty enough about the one that I had to buy my kids toy advents to try and offset the guilt! Unless…unlikely as I imagine it will be, I’d consider Look Fantastic if it has a good reduction. While there’s quite a few DoD for me, I really like the palette choice, Elemis and Medik8 which add up to more than the calendar price alone. I’d use the sunscreen and hair products but it feels a bit wasteful because the rest of the make up wouldn’t be my cup of tea and I don’t know any teenagers to pass it onto.

I’m also fed up of seeing Sol de Janeiro! Like a previous poster, I haven’t used body spray since my teenage days and I don’t intend to start now! I did think I was being awkward and read the fragrance descriptions but they really don’t sound like my kind of scent either!

I've just been through the contents again (to make sure I don't want any other than H&B) and I think the best in terms of value, interest and make up balance for me are:

1. Sephora
2. Look Fantastic (good price)
3. Harrods

It's so personal tho isn't it!

I'm sticking with H&B and my Hourglass specials .. for now ..

I got the attached email from Mumsnet Money Savers last night which got me all excited - it clearly states that you can get a further 20% off with the code ADVENT but insinuates that this discount refers to the calendar. It doesn't. 😕 You need to buy the calendar at full price and then use the code to get 20% off anything else you buy at the same time. Very misleading and disappointing - I've been dithering over buying a calendar as my funds are very tightly stretched, but the thought of getting the LF one for £80 was very tempting. I'm going to hold out and see if they do any discounts further down the line I think.

Space NK does look better and better compared to the more recent reveals. But it's just too expensive for me - I had it a few years ago when they did a Blue Light discount but I doubt there will be any discounts this year.