🎄 2025 Style and Beauty Advent Calendar Discussion ***SPOILERS*** THREAD 2

[BakeOffRewatch]

Link to thread 3 added by MNHQ - www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5396898-2025-style-and-beauty-advent-calendar-discussion-spoilers-thread-3

Annual Style and Beauty Advent Calendar discussion thread. First AC reveal this year was 23rd June. First luxury reveal was 2nd July. Thread 1 here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5360770-2025-style-and-beauty-advent-calendar-discussion

The regulars on the thread mainly discuss luxury BAC and this dies down by September when everyone has purchased and forgotten the contents. Then it goes into discussion on what’s selling out, what hasn’t and what deals and discounts to be had on ACs in the lead up to December. Then in December we move onto AC opening threads!

There’s a separate thread for GWP, discounts and other deals here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5338957-beauty-chat-freebiesgifts-with-purchaseoffers-thread-three

A thread for the Liberty Beauty Drop here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5253698-liberty-beauty-drop-spoiler-from-the-despatch-date-part-9

MN has a great Christmas board for deals and early gift buying here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas

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LUXURY MULTI-BRAND
Brown Thomas
Cult Beauty Classic Curation and UK-Only Limited Curation with more fragrances https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/c/advent-calendar/ 3rd September
F&M £265 https://www.fortnumandmason.com/2025-fortnums-beauty-advent-calendar Pricing by category post here https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5360770-2025-style-and-beauty-advent-calendar-discussion?reply=146293148
Fenwick £250 https://www.fenwick.co.uk/blogs/daily-muse/beauty-advent-calendar
Flannels
Harrods £250, £99 www.harrods.com/en-gb/c/beauty-advent-calendar pricing by category post here https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5360770-2025-style-and-beauty-advent-calendar-discussion?reply=146296157
Harvey Nichols £250 https://www.harveynichols.com/stories/beauty/harvey-nichols-beauty-advent-calendar/ 4th September
John Lewis
Liberty £275 https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/pre-order-liberty-beauty-advent-calendar-2025-R641279006.html_ pricing by category post here https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5360770-2025-style-and-beauty-advent-calendar-discussion?reply=145402406_
Selfridges £250 https://cloud.mail.selfridges.com/beautyadventcalendar25
Space NK £260 https://www.spacenk.com/uk/gifts/beauty-advent-calendars/beauty-advent-calendar-MUK200055896.html
Vogue https://shop.vogue.co.uk/pages/british-vogue-festive-calendar-2025

HIGH STREET
Anthropologie
ASOS
Beauty Bay
The Body Shop https://www.thebodyshop.com/collections/beauty-advent-calendars
Boots
Elle
French Pharmacy
Glossybox
Holland & Barrett https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/info/beauty-advent
Jarrolds
LIB Latest In Beauty x Stylist
Lush £125, £179, £205, https://www.lush.com/uk/en/c/christmas-advent-calendars
L’Occitane
LookFantastic £105 https://www.lookfantastic.com/c/waitlist/advent
M&S
Next
Revolution Beauty £50 https://www.revolutionbeauty.com/uk/en/gifts/advent-calendars/revolution-beauty-makeup-advent-calendar-2025/1868648.html
Sephora https://www.sephora.co.uk/c/beauty-advent-calendar-waitlist
Ted Baker
The White Company

BUDGET
Aldi
Sainsbury’s

SINGLE BRAND BEAUTY
Arran £85 https://arran.com/products/advent-calendar
Charlotte Tilbury
Elemis https://uk.elemis.com/advent-calendar-2025-sign-up
e.l.f.
Gruum
Jo Malone
Liz Earle
Lumene
Neom https://neomwellbeing.com/pages/neom-wellbeing-advent-calendar-sign-up-page
Shisheido https://www.shiseido.co.uk/gb/en/newsletter-advent-calendar.html

BATH & BODY
Ciaté
Cowshed
Rituals

JEWELLERY
Oliver Bonas
Liberty
Accessorize

FOOD
Bonne Maman jam
Degusta
Paxton and Whitfield cheese
Fortnum & Mason Tea and Biscuits

MEN’S
Liberty

FRAGRANCE
Acqua Di Parma
Diptyque
Fragrance Shop
Harrods fragrance
Harvey Nichols fragrance
L’Artisan Parfumier
Jo Loves https://www.joloves.com/pages/advent-calendar
Jo Malone
Penhaligons
Perfume Shop
Sniph
Space NK fragrance

K-BEAUTY
Stylevana
Yesstyle
Stylekorean

Degusta do reveal the contents online. They reveal after the calendar goes on sale. You have to search their website, they set it out in the style of an online calendar, you click the number/door and it then pops up with what's inside.
I agree that last year's was disappointing. I also thought the box wasn't the same quality, as it fell apart around halfway through

I'm thinking it might be a good backup if the Look Fantastic one is really naff (too much makeup and skincare aimed at teens) or is really great and sells out before I get it. I'm already thinking that resellers will set up bots to buy as much as poss, with it being their 10th anniversary 🤔
I'm really getting into this this year. I think it's taking my mind off the current renovation that we're doing which feels like it's taking forever 🤣

They still have the reveal from last year on their website. Pic attached shows door no19 and the contents.

I think it comes with a digital subscription to the mag, I wonder if you can upgrade to a physical mag. I don't fancy staring into my phone to read it (even though I'm staring into my phone now to chat on here 🤣).

Last years was good and it didn't sell out immediately. I bought it several weeks post release. I suppose it depends how good a 10 year anniversary one is. I'm tempering my expectations - it will probably still contain the usual beauty blenders/wash cuffs/headband type thing.

What put me off with the Look Fantastic one last year was the Estée Lauder night serum. I'm not sure why I let it bother me so much 🤣 I've had it loads of times and I do like it but I think I wanted something new. I think in my head I'm expecting that any good ones that come up will sell out fast as quite a few have been a bit naff 🤣

I always think that but 'good' as we can see from these threads is very subjective. The EL ANR was one of my fave finds from last year's calendar as I'd never tried it before.

Yeah, definitely. We're all after different things. Some that I say no to, my sister likes. Harrods is currently the frontrunner for me and she doesn't like it as there's not enough makeup, but I've seen others on here saying they don't like it as there's too much makeup 🤣 I do like the Estée Lauder night serum, I've bought it several times but for some reason it put me off 🤣 although until I found this thread, I didn't realise it was perfectly acceptable to have more than 1 BAC so I went with the Harrods one last year. This year, I'm stacking them up 🤣

Just to add to the Lookfantastic advent chat, they also didn’t cover themselves in glory as filled the pre-orders after people who had bought on general sale, don’t think I actually got the advent until end October in the end.

Yes I have brands like that - Sunday Riley - people love it but none of it has ever done anything for me, so if I see that…but EL ANR is a staple and does work for me.

Me too. Liz Earle, Eve Lom, Gatineau, Murad - never even tried anything from the last three so I don't know why I've taken against them but their appearance in a box or AC puts me off. It's not rational. 😂

This is my current Eve Lom collection 🤣 I didn't even realise I had this much. I've got some face oils somewhere too but I've no idea where I've put them 🤦🏻‍♀️ All those pots in the corner are the cleansing balms 🤣 I buy them if I see them on offer. I probably don't need the advent calendar, I could easily create my own one.

I'm a bit funny with the Murad products too, I did try the night cream from last year's harrods BAC which was actually good - I have only just finished it though as I put off using it. The bright colours make me think it's for youngsters. And I agree with Liz Earle and Gatineau although I've never tried the last one. I also don't like Olaplex, the recent hair edits from CB all included an Olaplex product so that was an easy no for me 😕

I’m using the Caroline Hirons cleanser from either an advent or kit, it’s horrible…I’m trying to use it up, but everyday I look at it and think “is today the day for throwing it in the bin” The smell is just like a 99p bargain bin special!

@SoloCat is that the cream cleanser? I quite like it. Not my favourite and I don't think I'd purchase it over others but if I end up with one again I'd use it.

@2025istheyeari - I got it in the sale from Tiger for £1.

You are supposed to fill them with something tiny and then hang on the string, but I stuffed gifts into the envelopes and improvised!

You could create your own Eve Lom calendar, never mind a general one😂

It's not about need though really, is it?

Glad I’m not alone in the olaplex hate @JoRaRaRa doesn’t suit my hair at all!

Another fragrance one in the mix

@MrsBnow12 Ooh interesting.

I got the no3 in the JL BAC 2022 and I was excited, I starting using it (as per the instructions) and a few weeks later my hair started falling out in clumps. It's never been the same since. There's a law suit against them for hair ruin / loss and a group on Facebook about it so seems we're not the only ones it doesn't agree with 😕

Ahhh that's exciting!!!!

Oooh that’s awful @JoRaRaRa yes it didn’t do a ythjg good for the condition of my hair and more used to fall out after the mask but nothing as bad as that thankfully but I may have binned it quite quickly!

Omg that’s awful about the Olaplex. I’ve got some but the teen seems to have got through it now unscathed.

I LOVE Gatineau! It’s been brilliant for leg colour this year and I’d be happy to have it again, given the cost of it to buy separately!

My pet hate is Augustinus Bader. I've only ever had the rich cream and I hate it, to me it feels like trying to rub PVA glue into my face. It's so expensive, it really drives the 'value' of the calendar up. I'm sure there are other products in the range I'd love but seeing the brand makes me sigh.