Beauty advent calendars 2024 #7

[virgocatlover]

Only a few days to go until the doors open.

Please share thoughts, discussions and any last minute discounts!

Could I ask here for any advice not advent calendar related but just the knowledge from everyone trying beauty products over the years… my nose is driving me mad. It’s like every single moisturiser stings it, i can’t find any specific cuts etc but it’s the bit above the lips round the whole two circles and up the wee curved bit that’s attached to the face if any of that makes sense? I have tried Elemis, medik8, eurcrien etc and while the Eucerin soothing skin balm which is the texture of Vaseline helps at the time by morning it’s sore again and the normal eucerin urea night cream/medik8/ Elemis stings again. Does anyone have any advice?

I’ve just re-read what I wrote and honestly think my children all under 8 could describe the part of their face that sore better than I have above 😬

Sudocrem ?

@AprilLady oh now I think o need an airvstrait…

I do have a dyson hair dryer. Does anyone have both and do you get a better finish with the air strait? My hair has a wave / frizz without careful prep !

@Twinsandsome have you been over using any kind of exfoliating products (toner, serum, mask?) or tretinoin around that area?
It sounds like the top layer of skin is somehow damaged and fragile.
Maybe avoid all products and use something like Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream, or calendula cream or some sort of honey based balm.
You basically want to protect the skin from any further damage from friction or cold and allow it to heal itself.

Or is this something you've always struggled with? In which case it might be some sort of dermatitis and a GP might be able to advise on a medicated cream.

Is it the type of discomfort you get with a prolonged runny nose from a cold when you are constantly using tissues? That happened to me a couple of times and I put vaseline around the area for about a week or so. Not glamorous but it worked.

I did try sudocream and it was fine but dried it out further following day. I maybe had been doing too much and it hasn’t healed yet Ibe ordered that la Roche posey b5 balm to try. I know this sounds odd but I get like cold sores that my dentist said aren’t cold sores but is from drooling when I sleep apparently and I feel like that’s the same with my nose. I also have so many broken capillaries around my nose too. I’m going to strip it right back a week or two because it’s now need my skin to behave when there’s nothing but stuff on x

I read a thread on here about dummies and dark shading with toddlers because the area between the dummy and skin gets sore. Maybe it’s similar with the drooling @Twinsandsome . Perhaps Vaseline or similar at night? Or barrier creams such as

Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream

or

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 Multi-Purpose Repairing Balm

Not at all on topic but my YouTube seems to have lots of unboxing videos of Dior and Chanel whereby the person has a shit tonne of freebies but no actual purchase?!!

How do they get this stuff? Do the houses just send stuff to "influencer " types to film thus creating interest?

I was bored last night and even went to Dior to do a pretend bag purchase (cheapest I found was a a zip up pouch for £480!) and wondered if the throw free stuff at you at checkout but nothing. Nada.

So I didn't bother buying the bag

@Twinsandsome you could try some Canestan on it, in case it's fungal? I get splits at the corners of my mouth and the only thing that actually cure it is Canestan . This sounds like it might be similar?

@Twinsandsome I used to have a similar issue a few years ago. I used Vaseline (in the little tin), which cleared it up. Now and again it gets red but not sore like previously, I just put the Vaseline on when needed - and smother it on if I get a cold

I treated myself to an Hourglass palette and paid for gift wrapping as it was my present to myself, I just opened it tonight and agree the packaging is lovely! And it matches my Space NK calendar

Morning all.

Just wanted to give an update on my GB experience in the interests of being fair. After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, (and trying to persuade me to sign up for 12 months, which made NO sense), they have cancelled my mistaken auto renewal. I won’t go near them again, but all’s well that ends well and they did respond to messages promptly.

Good resolution @IlovePond

Thanks @OchonAgusOchonOh - I hope you get your calendar soon!

Thanks @IlovePond . I have H&B and I was thinking of doing Grüum for jadvent anyway so it's not a tragedy. I doubt I'll be buying from them again though as it's pretty shoddy CS.

I agree. It looks like they haven't managed to shift them, even at less than half price. It seems to be aimed at the Glossybox/Look Fantastic age range, but they priced it a lot higher, and included a load of brands that few people will have heard of, so I'm not surprised that it hasn't sold.

The most expensive item is facial oil, which most people in their late teens/early 20s aren't going to be interested in, yet it's also got fake tan/ fake eyelashes etc that most older women won't want, so it's not clear who it's aimed at. It comes across very much like they've just got an eclectic bunch of products that they haven't been able to sell, and shoved them in a calendar, rather than than something that has been properly curated. They would have been better off dumping this is a mystery box instead of trying to sell it as an advent calendar.

I notice that Vogue are still stubbornly trying to sell their calendar at full price 😂

I've been very restrained and not purchased ANY beauty over Black Friday 😇

(However, my halo has been somewhat tarnished by the £££ I spent instead in the Strathberry and Astley Clarke sales 😳)

I think I will be on a beauty buying ban for at least 6 months as I have tons of stuff to use up.

Ooh @MidnightMeltdown which Strathberry did you buy? I’m on a bag buying ban, so avoided even looking at the 25% off.

@AprilLady

I bought the Mosaic bag, which was the sensible choice, as I've been after a new everyday bag and have had my eye on this one for a while.

I also made an impulse purchase, which was a snakeskin stylist. Definitely not a need, but I love it and the price was good. All my evening bags are black and look boring with a black outfit. This has blue, burgundy black and gold, so I think it will go with a lot of my clothes:

I hope you get a lot of enjoyment and use out of your new bag, but it’s not one for those of us with a snake phobia 🐍

I somehow seem to have parted with the best part of £200 for the limited edition fenty arcane beauty vault. This sold out when first released but was re released yesterday and I managed to get my hands on one before it sold out again .

Fenty Beauty x Arcane: The Legends Vault

Yes, it does look like something a teenager would want and I'm pushing 50, but my inner teenager was screaming out for it and had to be satisfied. I do like the Fenty gloss bombs. Not sure about the highlighter or 'glitty lid' pen but as these are limited edition, can probably shift on ebay.

If my teen had seen that I'd have been in a quandary! We love Arcane!

@MidnightMeltdown I’ve also had my eye on the Mosaic bag for a while - enjoy. I use a cream Box Crescent with chain as my standard evening bag, it’s smaller in real life than it looks in the photos.

I just looked this up and it looks beautiful! Also love your bag @MidnightMeltdown xx

Thank you @Twinsandsome and @AprilLady 🙂

Mosaic bag hasn't arrived yet. I ordered that later and was dithering over colour options.

I may add a mini crescent to my collection at some point in the future. I like the gold one as it would work with any colour, and any season, but it's out of stock.

Anyway, sorry for derailing beauty advent calendar chat!