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.

I opened my MS during November (opening H&B now) and the case held up quite nicely when empty. It has got the hoard in it now though!

@tobee

beautyadventcalendar.net/a-z/

beauty-detective.com/category/beauty-advent-calendars/

These are 2 useful links. The second link is actually better.
It takes a while to get the hang of it. Once you get used to the layout, you set yourself a budget (say £60, £120 or £250 etc). Then you search for calendars around that price, open them in separate windows, compare and ponder ad infinitum, close the windows of calendars you don't like, then, possibly, make a purchase. Then slightly wonder if you've gone a bit mad, then you want to buy more, then eventually you calm down and wait for 1st of December.
Or if you prefer a particular brand, you just look for it online.

You want to see the calendars on the website where they are for sale, as there might be more photographs.

I didn't like LiB this year compared to previous years (they were really great before) so haven't really looked at it since it launched.
Guerlain has been in my basket for ages, purely for porn reasons, too expensive for me.

If you're not familiar with the different types of ACs, you are in a better position because it's all fresh and exciting. Some become repetitive or too expensive after a while.

Hello, today’s offering from the old Rituals calendar was a mini diffuser - I am very pleased with that as I have recently become a fan of the diffuser!

Shiseido was a very poor effort - a tiny night serum, which makes yesterday’s oil cleanser look big. I knew it was mostly small sizes, but opening it is proving a bit disappointing.

On the plus side, it’s a beautiful box that I will reuse and at least I got it reduced by 30% at Bicester!

Got my Nars from Boots premium and it's going in a goody bag for either SD's or DIL. I have soo many bronzers already.

Am I the only one with a Boots MacMillan Cancer calendar?

I've already given Day 1 and 2 to my niece but was happy with a Boots Serum and a Soap and Glory body butter.

@tobee yes, the two sites Branster linked to are the best for looking at calendars - with most details emerging between July and September each year. I like BACnet site linked to above, as you can search by A to Z and see not just this year’s but also previous offerings from each retailer/brand. I also like the links to products to help with research (and the spreadsheet I compile annually to help with my decision). And the threads on here are great too.

Ooh that’s interesting @weebarraas my NUXE item today was different! (I won’t say what it was, for spoiler reasons). I love it though.

Really enjoying this thread, and seeing all the different items people are opening (and some beautiful boxes too).

Thanks for the replies! 😊

I forgot to mention Paxton and Whitfield. A delicious gruyere-style hard cheese. We also tried yesterday's goat's cheese with a coffee rind which was amazing.

I'm really enjoying these posts.
This was day 2 for me with Vogue. The Laura Mercier caviar stick eye colour. In natural. I'm not overly keen on the shade! But it's ok.

Grüum was a eucalyptus and pine wax melt, it is so strongly scented that I could smell it as soon as I got the calendar out of the box - it will be fab when someone has a head cold

I paid £120

It’s a good workhorse colour, good as a primer type for bright colours or evening out your eyelid and brow area so that browns and tans can really sculpt that area.

We have vegan Love Hearts, chocolate snowman, Salt of the Earth vanilla and lavender deodorant, a picture of a kitten in charge of a very large candle and grumpy Christmas Princess Leia.

I love Princess Leia’s top

Hey 👋🏻 just catching up .. Harrods here and totally agree with the others .. that shower gel was far too small !
I'm not against shower gel and it smells good ... and wee ones are cute for the gym and travel. But it's not a high value item ml for ml so I think it could have been bigger , or had a matching body lotion.?
Hope tomorrow is more exciting

My Grüum one still hasn't arrived.

Sounds yummy.

The diffusers are nice. Today's drawer in the current Rituals advent calendar was a hand soap in Precious Amber. It's a nice scent, quite strong but it's only a mini at 110ml.

I can't totally remember but I think there could be a full size hand soap further on in the calendar. I hope so anyway because minis of soap is a bit mean when the calendar was nearly £180.

Has anyone else got the Sephora calendar? I got a lovely neom candle yesterday and a mascara and a pot of highlighter/shimmer that I am not sure how to use yet!

@ChannelLightVessel love the princess Leia

@Wistful977 I did debate getting the Sephora, as I thought it looked good. Sounds like an excellent first couple of days. What is the shimmer/highlighter?

Thank you. Yeah was thinking that it may work as a primer. Will give it a go in daylight.

@OchonAgusOchonOh thats not good, I would contact them about it - mine took about 5 days after I had the dispatch notice - they use parcel force to deliver and they are not great in our area - I hope it arrives soon

Harrods have redeemed themselves today with a 50ml Clarins moisturiser 🙂

Harrods Day 3 - Clarins Super Restorative Day Cream -50ml (c£65 several sites). According to Clarins: "an everyday replenishing, anti-ageing day cream suitable for all skin types".

Nice producr and I will definitely use it so not a DoD (drawer of disappointment, doom, direness...) for me but Clarins doesn't excite me. Maybe because it was the aspirational brand when I was a teenager (in glorious display at the local Debenhams) so I subconsciously feel that it's a bit old school? Solid one.