🎄 2025 Style and Beauty Advent Calendar Discussion ***SPOILERS*** THREAD 3

[BakeOffRewatch]

Annual Style and Beauty Advent Calendar discussion thread. First AC reveal this year was 23rd June. First luxury reveal was 2nd July.

Thread 1: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5360770-2025-style-and-beauty-advent-calendar-discussion

Thread 2: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5388836-2025-style-and-beauty-advent-calendar-discussion-spoilers-thread-2

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

Cult Beauty - partial reveal so far beautyadventcalendar.net/cult-beauty-advent-calendar-2025/
£265 Fortnum & Mason - full reveal www.fortnumandmason.com/2025-fortnums-beauty-advent-calendar
£250 Fenwick - full reveal beautyadventcalendar.net/fenwick-advent-calendar-2025/
Flannels - only a cracker so far beautyadventcalendar.net/flannels-beauty-cracker-2025/
£250 Harrods - full reveal www.harrods.com/en-gb/p/harrods-of-london-the-harrods-beauty-advent-calendar-2025-000000000007826118
£250 Harvey Nichols - full reveal www.harveynichols.com/harvey-nichols/harvey-nichols-beauty-advent-calendar-2025-42956-232485/
John Lewis - later in the year probably October
£275 Liberty - full reveal https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/pre-order-liberty-beauty-advent-calendar-2025-000839831.html
£250 Selfridges - full reveal cloud.mail.selfridges.com/beautyadventcalendar25
£260 Space NK - full reveal beautyadventcalendar.net/space-nk-advent-calendar-2025/
Vogue - later in year probably September issue, £350 last year

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

Here’s my analysis of the space NK I couldn’t be bothered to price everything but I am very interested in all the skincare. Does anyone know how effective the Dr Levy intense eye serum is? I def need all help in my eye area these days. I can get my skin looking glassy and dewy and plump and whatever buzz trend word it is these days but the eyes give away the sleepless nights.

I really like in the CB how they’ve got full sizes of some hard hitting products like the medik8 c-tetra advanced and the True Botanicals anti aging sleep serum. I like the ND palette colours, nothing like I own and could be good party colours. They’re not wishy washy pastel, or that’s what it looks like to me on the swatches. www.cultbeauty.com/p/natasha-denona-mini-pastel-palette/13997271/

I think I just like this one! Even though skincare value in Liberty and Harrods is higher, the Liberty is more single use masks and acids (I don’t use acids and haven’t even finished one bottle from last year’s three) and Harrods is lots of pricey moisturisers. My moisturisers are not where I have interest.

Limited EDITION £240 advertised value £1200
Classic Curation advertised value £1100
https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/c/advent-calendar/

Below is done on the Limited Edition

Skincare £510.21

1. Kosas DreamBeam SPF 30 in ‘Sunlit’ 15ml £13.88 (£37 for 40ml)
2. Medik8 C-Tetra Advanced 30ml FULL SIZE £69
3. Summer Fridays Jet Lag Skin Soothing Hydration Mist 50ml FULL SIZE £21
4. Laneige Bouncy & Firm Serum 15ml TRAVEL SIZE £19.50 (£39 for 30ml)
5. True Botanticals Phyto-Retinol Anti-Aging Sleep Serum 30ml FULL SIZE £75
6. Elemis Pro-Collagen Toning Mist 30ml TRAVEL SIZE £9 (£45 for 150ml)
7. Paula’s Choice Resist Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturizer 50ml FULL SIZE £41
8. BYOMA Phyto-Mucin Glow Serum 40ml FULL SIZE £14.99
9. Augustinus Bader The Eye Patches £19
10. Dr Levy Intense Stem Cell Eye Booster Concentrate 7ml £82.50 (£165 for 15ml)
11. U Beauty Resurfacing Flash Peel 5ml DELUXE SIZE £29.67 (£178 for 30ml)
12. Sisley Paris Black Rose Cream Mask 10ml £23.67 (£142 for 60ml)
13. By Terry Travel-Size Hyaluronic Hydra-Powder 8HA 4g £20
14. Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment 60ml £72

Makeup

1. Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil Extreme – Anywhere Caffeine FULL SIZE
2. Fenty Skin Lush Puddin Intensive Lip Recovery Mask in Kalahari Melon 15g FULL SIZE
3. Natasha Denona Eyeshadow Palette – Mini Pastel FULL SIZE
4. Patrick Ta Cream + Powder Blush Duo in ‘She Knows Who She Is’ FULL SIZE
5. Gisou Honey Infused Lip Oil in ‘Cherry On The Cake’ FULL SIZE
6. Huda Beauty Faux Filler Extra Shine Lip Gloss in ‘She Flirty’ FULL SIZE
7. Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara in Ultra Black DELUXE SIZE
8. SAIE SuperSuede Radiant Blush Powder in Bella FULL SIZE
9. Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand in ‘Spotlight’ FULL SIZE
10. Augustinus Bader The Eyebrow and Lash Enhancing Serum 8ml FULL SIZE
11. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush in ‘Watermelon Flush’ FULL SIZE
12. Danessa Myricks Beauty Linework Eyeliner in ‘Onyx’ FULL SIZE
13. RMS Beauty Legendary Lip Oil in ‘Lucia’ 1.6ml
14. Vieve Skin Nova 5ml
15. Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare DermInfusions Plump + Repair Lip Treatment 4ml FULL SIZE

Bath and body

1. Byoma Hydrating Body Wash 100ml
2. L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil 75ml

Fragrance £108.80

1. Kilian Paris Good Girl Gone Bad 7.5ml £33.75 (£225 for 50ml)
2. Creed Eladaria, Queen of Silk and Carmina Samples looks like 7.5ml total £41.25 (£165 for 30ml)
3. KAYALI Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar 42 10ml £9.80 (£98 for 100ml)
4. Sol De Janeiro Cheirosa 59 90ml £24 *FULL SIZE*

Haircare

1. Color Wow Dream Cocktail – Coconut 50ml
2. K18 Leave-In Molecular Hair Repair Mask 50ml FULL SIZE
3. Philip Kingsley Overnight Scalp Barrier Serum 60ml FULL SIZE

Link to new thread THREAD 4 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5403558-2025-style-and-beauty-advent-calendar-discussion-spoilers-thread-4

About 50 posts to go so have made new thread, let’s fill up this one first so the new one can hopefully make it to two weeks life span 😂

Oh wow! Nearly filled up another thread already 😱 we're all such a bunch of ponderers 🤣
So I was between cult beauty and SpaceNk today as a second beauty advent calendar even though I really can't afford it. I decided to have a quick look at Harvey nicks again, well big mistake as now I can't decide between those 3, after initially rejecting them all 🤦🏻‍♀️ I feel pressured with the CB one going on sale tomorrow 😳

I'm feeling the pressure too. 😂

CB vs SpaceNK vs Neither of them.

I guess tomorrow will at least focus my mind on whether I do want CB.

Omg! We're going to end up buying because of fomo and then we'll probably get buyers remorse. We'd definitely be on today's episode of RHOBAC 🤣

I think I'd like some of the fragrances from the CB calendar, and the duo blusher that looks nice. I can't actually remember now what else the CB has in it 😂
I like that the Harvey Nicks has the rich cream and the la mer face oil. It also has some really nice fragrances.
I shouldn't buy any more though 🙈 except the m&s one.

I should go look again at Harvey Nicks. I think I discounted it earlier but I seem to have changed my mind on stuff as times gone on.

I'm hankering after a Rituals one again after moaning about last years. The curations this year are much nicer.

I’ve been looking at Harvey Nicks again too. It’s got some things that I would really like but quite a lot I really don’t want 😬

If you can’t afford it, definitely step away! There’s always amazing festive edits - save yourself for those. Not even festive, there’s usually amazing “season is changing” bundles of skincare and makeup that are way better than ACs which are marketing platforms rather than curated great value like the edits x

I had noticed the amount of creams this year after a cursory look. I’m undecided on which one I want to buy. Last year I bought CB.

Same … do they really think anyone is going to go to the hassle for no reward? They are pretty much in effect winding up the whole scheme then. I’ll just go back to recycling at home.

Wise words! I'm stepping away 🤣

I thought you'd be able to use the £20 gift voucher towards the advent calendar, which was tempting me more. But since you can't, I've not bought it 😇

It's definitely not for me but if you'll use the contents then 😍.
I think generally they have been pretty rubbish. I have liberty with beauty drop so had to get it 🤩🤣
I'm hoping some get reduced, etc then I may be tempted. Although not with vogue. I don't wear jewellery, I always forget to put it on. 🤷

Well CB has landed. Anyone considering buying note that the £20 gift card offer only lasts for 48hrs.

I was so sure I was going to get this a few days ago and now I don't know.

I'm staying strong. Just been through list again, thank you bakeoffrewatch, nothing that entices me. More dod than anything I want. I'm looking forward now to edits, gwp,etc. 🤩
I'm remembering it's real money I'm using so like someone commented further up, can't remember who, that shopping for your perfect shade is better than random things. I'm fair so the ct wand in shade medium/deep is useless to me. Same eith pt blush. I realise they struggle with universal shades for every skin tone but could have tried a bit harder imo 🤩

I think I agree. There's only 3 things I really would like it in. I got into my head that the Patrick Ta blush would be a gorgeous autumn shade (it may look shit on me for all I know). The Kayali perfume as it's one I've fancied trying for a while and the Medik8 Vit C.

There's a few other things which are nice to have/try out but overall not really good value for me. As @BakeOffRewatch says they'll be some nice edits coming soon, a couple have already been announced that have piqued my interest.

I think I may have talked myself out of this one. I can always buy the blush and the perfume on Vinted when a glut of them land on there.

Wise words. I love these threads and have been on them for years, but this year I do feel some people seem caught up in the FOMO/marketing. I don't want to be a downer, but I would caution people to take a step back and remember that £250 is a lot of money. Particularly if you're talking about getting multiple calendars.

I agree @owlexpress and @BakeOffRewatch . I think it only makes sense to get more than a couple of calendars if you are actually partly buying to sell - as in keeping a few select items and selling the rest. And the selling is actually quite a lot of time and effort for the amount of money you will raise (especially now that so many people do it and therefore selling prices can be pretty low). Great if you have the time and enjoy doing it, but not otherwise. Also, beware the new tax reporting that means ebay/Vinted disclose your sales to HMRC if they are above a certain level and you may be liable for tax.

I’m not going for CB. Overall this year is the first year in a long time where there has not been a single calendar that has been an outright, automatic yes for me. Most have a few things that get me excited, but then a rather long list of things that don’t. I’ve gone for Selfridges because it had more things I genuinely wanted. Still deciding on a second one to open in December.

That was me too. I bought a new lipstick last week Lisa Eldridge Insanely Saturated Lip Colour in New Wave and Skyscraper Rose and a lip liner to go with it. Loved the experience of shopping for it and sales assistant helping and coming home with something I know suits me perfectly. I don’t think the BACs tap that aspect of “luxury”.

I feel I took away my choice when I signed up for BD last year but tbh I needed less choice! I feel quite peaceful about being committed to Liberty come what may.

@Doubleraspberry if there was less choice on the market, I’d be delighted with the Liberty. So much great skincare and full sizes. We’re all spoiled now the BAC market is mature. Which is great because we can all have something nice which suits our tastes.

I’ve bought a few this year, mainly for myself..but also there are quite a few bits that I have earmarked for gifts for certain family and friends. I really can’t be bothered with much selling myself. I think in the first Harrods fragrance advent I sold one perfume I hated…the Roja one.

I had the email from Hourglass for their palettes, but I really don’t need one as I bought one last year. They are very pretty, especially the swan. I tend to use WA blush more than powders.

@BakeOffRewatch if I broke all the calendars down it's possible that one of the others would be marginally better for me (although at first sight Liberty is the one I like best anyway thankfully) but at the same time I was able to buy Liberty for a very small outlay thanks to BD credit so I haven't felt the financial pain of it all that much!

The PTa blush does look really good 😍 I've just gone back through the CB one and there's only 13 items I'd like to try, with 5 of them being the perfumes which I might not even like. I'm not fussed about a £120 eyebrow and lash serum and I'm not sure about the eye booster concentrate which are the high value items 😕 Hopefully people will be put off trying the blush and loads will appear on ebay 🤞
My ebay list is getting longer and longer 🤣

I think Liberty is good this year and if I had BD it would be a no-brainer. Liberty and Sephora are the only ones teasing me, I've ruled out the others. I'm not even sure I'll get one this year at full price and they're so popular now I don't expect any to be discounted. It also annoys me they're excluded from discount codes and GWP, because if you buy the contents individually you tend to be able to get between 10 and 20% off so it reduces the value of the calendars.

@SoloCat I'm tempted by the Hourglass palettes. The swan is lovely but I don't know if I'm too fair for it, the model in the advert has darker skin.