🎄 2025 Style and Beauty Advent Calendar Discussion ***SPOILERS*** THREAD 5

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IF YOU ARE NEW TO BEAUTY ADVENT CALENDARS AND WOULD LIKE IDEAS PLEASE READ THE THREAD FIRST

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

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

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

@nearlylovemyusername I think I've also bought a Vinted fake!

Thought I'd been really careful, the person had lots of five star reviews and selling lots of other beauty stuff.

The one I have has a whipped texture, but it's a creamy colour, should it be white?

Did we buy from the same seller? my one is creamy colour as well, seller is 100% five start, selling some other beauty items.
Cream looks like this

I ordered a few days ago with the ReallyRee discount and a day or two later my payment was declined with no explanation 🤷‍♀️ (mild panic as there had been plenty in my account - luckily still was!)
Dont know whether to try again or take it as a sign to stop buying things I don’t need!

@nearlylovemyusername - that looks like someone dug their finger in it or it’s ‘gone off’.

Buying makeup/skincare from eBay/Vinted is such a lottery.

Ok so I’ve already just reordered 🤣
fingers crossed

@nearlylovemyusername Their user name on Vinted begins with r.

I've tried to add a picture of mine, but can't seem to get it to work.

The texture is very dense, it's not runny at all and it smells a bit weird, but I can't work out what it smells like, almost medicinal?

I’ve had two bad buys from eBay this week and an opened/tampered with package from Boots, so you guys with potentially dodgy MZ cream have my sympathy!

I wish skincare/make up manufacturers would all put tamper proof seals on their products. It would help reduce spoilage/testing, but then reselling, etc.

John Lewis will be on sale to My John Lewis members on 30th September through the rewards section of the app www.johnlewis.com/content/beauty-hair/john-lewis-beauty-advent-calendar the calendar is here www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-beauty-advent-calendar/p113539202

Yes, the name starts with r, what you described is exactly like my one. I was stupid to close the deal and give 5* when I saw the box and jar were seemingly fine. Let me PM you

@IlovePond I tried this cream, this is how I know about texture.

Ohh, this is worrying, I bought mine from 2 different sellers, both start with R 😬
one had a bundle of two and accepted my offer of £30 which I thought was a steal. Panicking now. Could you please PM me the name of the seller. I will have to video opening the parcel, incase the ones I bought are dodgy too and Vinted cs are useless ☹️

I’m sorry to hear about everyone’s issues with fakes

@nearlylovemyusername - I’d say that’s gone off tbh. I had a Cult51 day cream from an F&M calendar that I forgot and took out of dressing table after nearly 3 years and despite having not been opened previously it looked like that and had a strange smell. I’ve used both the night and day so knew it had gone bad.

Anyone looking for a jewellery calendar for someone goth/alt, Regal Rose are doing one for the first time. Preorders open 28th September for mailing list customers. I think it’s 12 day

PM-ed you.

I think video of opening won't help unfortunately - my one looked pristine and I closed the deal with 5*. It's only when I tried the cream I felt that the smell was a bit off and consistency was strange, almost like hard jelly which then goes a bit non-homogeneuos.

If you bought from the same seller (r....hn) and haven't closed the deal yet I'd advise you to raise a dispute. I can see this seller has another item of this cream.

Please come back and let us know here, if a few of us have the same problem and we all raise the case we might have better chance I guess?

Thank you, because I have only purchased yesterday and she has not posted yet, I was able to cancel. I knew her accepting my offer and having 3 available was a bit sus, but she had all 5* reviews so I took a chance. So glad I was on this thread, dodgy rye eye cream crisis averted

Hi
I saw on here about reduced Elle mag through Hearst website. I've just looked at it's still £130. Maybe s Limited time. Does anyone have any codes for this.
After dismissing space nk I'm now dating getting it but want to check the Elle again, especially I'd reduced a bit 🤣🥰

I decided on Glossybox instead of Elle, mainly due to the amount of sample sizes in Elle but I really do like the contents. Im really tempted to get it as a second one as there's a few things in there dd would like as well. If anyone is thinking of buying, this link takes it down to £109
Elle

I paid £109 this morning. Hope it gets dispatched 🤞. Has anyone received Elle?

Sorry for derailing the thread, but thank you to everyone for your sympathy and to @nearlylovemyusername for originally posting about the dodgy eye cream which made me check mine. We bought from the same seller so goodness knows how many they've sold!

I'm torturing myself contemplating the Elle for £109, especially as I need new tweezerman tweezers. Or do I get the Liberty using the bd discount and £30 voucher for £220. Or do I wait for the beauty boxes/edits etc to be released. I also have look fantastic vouchers. Plus it's my birthday soon and a friend has kindly offered a gift voucher, I just can't decide what shop would be best

I’m just catching up on the latest posts by https://beautyadventcalendar.net

There’s a £570 Dior calendar. Lots of fragrance and lip products.

Byredo £650 are doing one this year, have they done one before? I know the brand is popular with the Scent Of The Day thread people. As well
as perfumes and candles, it’s got a hair brush, key turner for tubes, lip balm, hair perfume and a mirror. The box design is an odd choice at that price point, like spray graffiti www.selfridges.com/GB/en/product/byredo-the-byredo-christmas-advent-calendar-2025_R04532364/

@HolaLolla I got my first MZ eye cream from Liberty's AC, and the 2 I've bought on ebay since have come from other Liberty calendars. The pot is sealed in the box and the cream is white and whipped, with a faint scent. I've posted images of a brand new one and my current used.

@Seahorses12

Thank you for posting the photos.

The box was sealed at the top but it was possible to open it at the bottom. The pot itself didn't look like it was tapered, but the colour and consistency is different to yours, it's creamy colour and a bit lumpy. I messaged the seller and they replied that they are buying from someone who gets these creams from closed stores, whatever this means. I can imagine it expired ages ago or was stored in a wrong way or faulty batch or just a fake. Very annoying and put me off buying on Vinted/ebay.

ETA: I'm glad my post helped others

Thank you, I also have one from last years Liberty, but cannot remember if it was sealed.
Has anyone opened their Harrods BAC yet and can confirm the MZ Eye Cream is sealed?

@HolaLolla - it’s sealed at the top, but very easy to open from the bottom. Mine from eBay looked like it had been opened from the bottom before, but the cream itself looked untouched when I opened it myself, (from the bottom), to check.

Basically, I will use it as soon as possible as it’s been exposed to the atmosphere at least twice since packaging, but it seems ok.