🎄 2025 Style and Beauty Advent Calendar Discussion ***SPOILERS*** THREAD 4

[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

Thread 3: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5396898-2025-style-and-beauty-advent-calendar-discussion-spoilers-thread-3

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/5389635-beauty-chat-freebiesgifts-with-purchaseoffers-thread-four

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

@IlovePond it’s just a photo of a white box at the moment 😂

It is lovely. If you have the harrods fragrance advent, its supposed to be very similar to the valaya in there.

Yes - I meant it looked nice last year.

I'm just trying to find the best way of getting the squishmallow / micromallow advent at a good price and have decided that Boots is the way to go. There's 10% off plus extra points on a £45+ spend etc. My question is, shall I also add on this week's Nars deal? I love Nars and currently use their products, but essentially it's a full size lip balm and a mini Nars the multiple and a mini nars powder for £35 with a boots make up bag. Did anyone bother getting it this week? (I remember it being mentioned)

I felt the same as you. Not the best deal ever. One product with a couple of minis for £35.

I'm interested in this one. Can't find a video of last year's though

@IlovePond The French pharmacy has been showing that page for the advent calendar since it sold out last year. The 2025 calendar has definitely not gone on sale yet.

I can’t help with the Nars but just wanted to say if you’re buying through boots and you have PayPal then make sure you activate the boots cashback ok the PayPal app and use it to pay and you should get 7% back there too. Somebody mentioned it on one of these threads but I can’t remember who sorry.

John Lewis is still top of my list, I like the fragrances and makeup in it and a few of the skincare /eye care things I will use.
I am still doing a DIY one but will use items from the JL and bought the Glossybox one for the box and a few other items that was in it.
I am still contemplating SNK as think the things I want will be popular and will cost me a fair bit on Vinted/ebay. I am lucky to be gold so if I put £60 of my accrued points towards it, will get £20 back in points, it is swaying me.
On the fragrance side I got Harrods and LF should deliver this week.

@MrsBnow12 I agree the fragrances are great in JL. I am just disappiinted with so many lip oils tho. And also last year ut was kind of a budget one but this year it is only £30 cheaper than a lot of the luxe ones. It's a good choice tho

Oh that sounds good. I do have the Harrods fragrance and the Valaya was one of the main reasons I wanted it. 🙂

Having reviewed JL it does look good, think I would prefer to SNK.

The fact that it doesn't release until the end of the month is good as it means I have some time to sell the unwanteds from selfridges to put towards the cost.

I only wanted 3 things from the HN calendar but people are charging a lot for them, so they total up to £100 on vinted / ebay. Annoying 🤣

Thanks for this. I did read about it a few times, but keep forgetting to activate it. Will do it now 😊

I’m now tempted by e-spa 🤣
So expensive though.

I took a trip out into the real world today and went to smell some of the scents in the JL calendar. The Le Labo Noir which was a big part of the appeal I don't really like so JL has fallen back down the list.

Also went to SNK and tried the Tatcha Serum which I did like so I think SNK is back on the table for Tuesday. I've got £60 in points and will get £20 in points back. Will gift my friend a couple of the things she would like in return for the AB eye cream from Liberty she gifted me. There's quite a few things I will use and the rest will go on Vinted.

It's not the perfect calendar but none are so I need to start being a bit more decisive. At least with SNK I do feel like the value is there.

That is what I plan on doing while I am off, I need to try the Le Labo and also the Jo Malone from the Harrods advent. If the Le Labo isn’t for me I will pass on JL as that is the big draw, what does it remind you of?

Spacenk comes out on Tuesday? Oh man! I need to make a decision fast. I'm not really interested in the AB retinol serum or la mer lip stuff as I had these in the Harrods calendar last year and I also can't use the tatcha serum, so I'd sell those, but I'd like the Medik8 serum, the wa blusher, k18 hair oil, Dyson serum and summer Fridays lip oil. I think I'd make enough with what I'd sell to then buy the HN fragrance later in the month. For those that sell on vinted, do you make a decent amount? It soon adds up when paying for the buyer protection thing and p&p. Decisions decisions. It's unfair that I only want a few things from each calendar 😮‍💨

Tbh I don't remember - I smelt a lot of perfumes today. I do know I didn't like it. I don't think I've ever liked a Le Labo scent, they clearly aren't for me. I smelt the Eucalyptus one also as that's in one of the BAC. Also a no.

In other news I finally smelled all the perfumes in the Harrods FAC courtesy of my friend. Was surprised what I did and didn't like. Please don't anyone take offence if I've dissed your faves - it's very subjective. 😁

Brompton Immortals - Didn't expect to like this but really did. Very good unisex one I think - not too feminine or masculine.
Rude Oud - Also surprised I really liked this. Is maybe a bit on the masculine side and is very strong. Not sure I would wear it despite liking it. Probably will gift to DS or DSIL.
Dorade - Nice, will keep.
Riviere - No, smells like cheap Xmas pot pourri (thought I would like this)
Valaya - Yes. Lovely. Reminds me a bit of a peachy one that was recently in the Liberty edit. I don't think I've found a PDM I don't like.
Myrrh & Tonka - Also nice, will probably keep this one.
Sand and Skin - Biggest disappointment of the calendar, the bottle is beautiful and I thought I would like it but it smells to me like the beer drip trays in a pub at closing time. Massive no.
Hacivat - Liked this. Like Rude Oud may be a bit masculine. Will try it a few times and pass on to DS if it's not a keeper.
Ganymede - No. It's not offensive but I don't like it.
Gris Charnel - I've smelt this before and wasn't sure about it but this time round I quite like it. Thinking about keeping it but undecided.
Creed (can't remember name) - No. This smelt bitter and unpleasant. Not my thing. Not sure DS would like this.
Isola Verde - Another I expected to like but I don't. Has that kitchen cleaner vibe that I hate in perfumes.

I like just over half of the Harrods calendar so I think it was worth the money in the end. Will probably try to buy it next year.

le labo the noir, although unisex, is quite a masculine oud-y smell I think. Im a massive fan but its quite particular I think

@OvaHereThis thread continually reminds me how different we all are…Sand and Skin was the surprising hit for me from Harrods, I knew I liked Valaya as for that is a Jarrolds edit.

@trying29At least with JL being released late September it gives me time to try it and the others to see what I like.

I tend to view Vinted through the lens of it all adds up and all money back is a bonus. I do price fairly if something is from a BAC or an edit. I wouldn't try to get close to RRP for e.g. a Augustinus Bader product as it's likely to sit there unsold.

Very popular items you can usually get the going rate for. So I think the Medik8 and Tatcha serums from SNK will sell on there for around £40.

If something has been listed for a few days/beyond a week with not much interest I will accept offers and some stuff I sell very cheap just to get rid.

@MrsBnow12 I'm so disappointed I didn't like that one but I can't even talk myself into liking it.

I feel like I should step away from this thread (and the other beauty one) my stash is ridiculous and I already have the liberty calender, but everytime someone posts about why they are purchasing one I feel like I too should buy it 🤣 In fairness though I did expect to buy about 4 and feel like I have shown excellent restraint so far. I am tempted with Fenwick especially if it stacks with a gwp and I may be easily tempted by stylekorean or stylevana. Or if there's any reductions in price 🤣 I can't really leave though because of my FOMO

This is the Hotel California of threads. 😂