General “Waifs and Strays” Beauty Advent Calendar opening thread 2024

[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).

Carrying on the traditional from previous years, it will also be fun to hear about other calendar openings - Degusta, jam, escape room anyone?

I know there are mixed feelings on this, but many of us would really appreciate it if spoilers are not posted before 7am on the relevant day. Please also avoid dropping hints or spoilers about future contents if you have opened the calendar in advance.

Posting pictures of contents is also always much appreciated.

I’ll be opening the Space NK and Harrods calendars this year. Really looking forward to Day 1 tomorrow.

Oh wow, it's £29 😳 on Lookfantastic with excellent reviews! Going in the shower in a minute so will try it!

@Pickled21 I really don’t think 15ml of EL ANR is too bad. Whenever I got a Gift With Purchase from Estée Lauder in the past, it would include a dinky 5ml of the ANR, not 15ml. Also, most cosmetics companies only give small sachets of stuff as genuinely free. You would have had to buy something decent from EL to get that sort of freebie, so not really free at all.

@AprilLady - cross post. Scent is sweeter than I'd normally go for and I'd not have bought from a shop after a test spray but I keep on sniffing my wrist so it's drawing me in.

I'm going to wear it all day today to see how I feel. Unlikely to buy RRP - but if I like it, chance to pick up another from eBay/Vinted.

DCat is very gratified by your comments. Here he is with DCat2, who joined us in September, ‘helping’ in the kitchen:

Vogue today- Burberry Goddess edp 30ml, on this site it’s £58. Not sprayed it yet but will wear today. https://www.thefragranceshop.co.uk/burberry/burberry-goddess/eau-de-parfum-spray/p/63624?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=tfs-pmax-sale&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD-XZ8CZE0kgox9UWRh5-g65jdEva

@ChannelLightVessel i am so impressed they got into that!!!!

My Day 8:

Cult Beauty:

Two things in today's box, which has an eye theme.

Dr Levy Intense Stem Cell Eye Booster Concentrate 7ml (can buy for £99!!!).

111SKIN Rose Gold Illuminating Eye Mask (sells for £12).

I'm never sure about eye products and I'm not a huge fan of masks but looking forward to giving the cream a go. Maybe it will reduce some of my 20 eye bags and make me look less haggard! I've got high hopes at £99 for 7ml!

Bird & Blend Tea:

Enchanted Narnia - 'Turkish delight brew with rose and cocoa.

Intrigued by this one (and no rooibos in the ingredients - hooray!), looking forward to trying it later if I remember.

Oooh @ConradKnightSocks finally an exciting Bird and Blend one! That would make a nice Christmas present, I might have to nip into store at some point.

I think I'm most jealous of the perfumes in other calendars - love that excitement of a spray!

I received a foot mask and foot cream today.

Oh my, what beautiful cats @ChannelLightVessel - thanks for sharing! Your kitchen also looks lovely!

@AprilLady I just went off the box which states free sample on it, albeit in French. After some digging it seems that you can buy it in a 15ml size on the Lookfantastic website so that made me feel a bit better. It's definitely something I will use having liked it before.

I am loving the last 2 days of Harrods .. the clea de pray serum and today's perfume

Have been trying to work out which advent has the tea and biscuits , can anyone help ? I fancy it for next year

Sorry autocorrect ! Peau not pray 😆 I pray I can find some on eBay because it's £165 for 30ml 🥲

Day 8 vogue
Burberry goddess eau de parfum 30 ml
Smells lovely.

I'm impressed so far with the vogue calendar. Lots of stuff that I will use. See if it continues!

Degustabox day 7 was some chutney and day 8 some lentil penne , so far not too bad though I'm ready for some biscuits or choc now!

Grüum is a wax melt today. I'm not a major fan of melts generally but it does smell nice so I'll use it.

Just sprayed the perfume from today’s Harrods. I wasn’t sure at first but it has settled now and is quite nice. This little bottle is £60 to buy so an expensive one

Day 8 Boots unlimited: it's the arrival of the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream 😆

Forgot photo, and apparently you can't add images if you edit a post, so trying again

Day 8 Boots unlimited: it's the arrival of the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream 😆

@ChannelLightVessel Gorgeous cats!

Love the cat content @ChannelLightVessel

The description of the perfume in vogue today sounds lovely @Ems235 @Isitfridayyetsophie .

I wasn’t “seduced” by Cult Beauty or Space NK, for me I’d tried most of the brands and was familiar with the products. But each day of PP sharing what’s inside I’m like ooh yes thats lovely, I’d use that. I prefer the Liberty AC box though. LaNeige is a great brand, I love their moisturiser @AprilLady . On the other hand, I don’t recognise anything coming out of the Harrods AC so it would have been above my appreciation!

@ConradKnightSocks the 111SKIN Rose Gold Illuminating Eye Mask is really good, when I used it I came downstairs and DH said “you look amazing what have you done”. However it didn’t last, it’s more like a perk than a treatment so it’s one for before you hit the runway or go to a gala event - as they’d say on women’s magazines at Christmas! Your Bird and Blend tea today sounds delicious.

Baby is 12wks @Isitfridayyetsophie and I have a toddler too. Interesting what you say about F&M, the AC discussion threads said Cult51 was great, I probably wouldn’t have appreciated it either. I’m not into smells and luxury, more effectiveness and impact and texture. Cult Beauty and Space NK are pitched right at me, but I’ve really been enjoying Liberty past few years.

I really don’t like the REN eye cream, it’s claggy and sits on the eye. Doesn’t melt in and disappear like Sunday Riley Autocorrect. It’ll be relegated to hand cream I think.

Wish I'd seen that deal; I'd have gotten it for my daughter.

Fortnums is a Bramley mask. Not something I’d use but I’m sure lovely if you would.

M and S I am pleased with, a cowshed shower gel.

re Cult 51 - I really like the brand and it’s the reason why Fortnums swayed me. Having said that, I love the look of space NK and cult beauty.
I tend ti get the Liberty kits so was tempted by the AC.

Forgot the pic again !

Yes, I think so. I buy myself chantecaille jasmine and lily mask every year around black friday. If it's applied at night and you don't wash it off to me it's just marketing name for night cream. Not that is bad product, they all do it

Morning everyone, long time lurker, first time poster 🙈
I got Liberty, Space NK and Harrods fragrance at the time they came out, but having zero patience means they were all opened at once 😬 kept what I wanted and the rest went on ebay/vinted.
Afterwards I started feeling sorry for my self 😂😂 as I will have nothing to open when DH and DS will be opening theirs (whiskey & Lego). Then someone mentioned Brown Thomas calendar, I checked it out, they also had GWP at the time so it was a no brainer lol
Anyway, here is the 8 in 1 update on Brown Thomas AC. I must say I am really really impressed so far. Although it was slightly more expensive than any other AC I ever bought, but in 8 days there were only 2 semi DOD items for me, and only because I naturally have good hair and cannot be bothered with serums, masks and other haircare stuff.
Day 1 - Champo Pitta Growth serum,
Day 2 - Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6 Retinal,
Day 3 - Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream,
Day 4 DOD - Hair by Sam McKnight’s Cool Girl Barely There Texture Mist,
Day 5 - Prada Beauty Face Cream 15ml,
Day 6 - Le Labo Thé Noir 15ml,
Day 7 Charlotte Tilbury Magic Water Cream & Make Up Remover

Ooh that does look good @HolaLolla . How much was the Brown Thomas AC?