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

[BakeOffRewatch]

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

Thanks @CordeliaNaismithVorkosigan - I have received an automated response to my email but my online submissions didn’t go through.

Sephora TP reviews are full of the same issue with other products. I am not hopeful that Sephora will respond appropriately.

I know what you mean. It's like a really strong B-lister as opposed to a genuine A-lister

Haha, I hear you! I still have other branded empty boxes from last year, though I plan to stick them on eBay at some point. I’ll definitely keep my Harrods one, despite it being a little bashed in the corner, because it is a lovely box.
I really liked last year’s box and was disappointed to have missed out on it (and its contents!). The green was all about Christmas, Harrods and luxury

Yeah I prefer the green box then the one this year. It felt more Harrods. I still have mine from last year and did think about moving it all over but decided against it. I'd like to see them do the Harrods green box with the green design but with a more Christmassy design. Maybe add red berries in the windows and bows etc.

Why am I still wobbling on GBox when I don’t like half the stuff in it? Quidco had 6% cashback on it yesterday and I got ad far as checkout!

Meanwhile, all it would take for me to buy Liberty would be a small cashback offer and I would definitely be in.

The third month of my £20 BD at Liberty is due to be credited mid-October. If it’s still available then, I will probably crack.

Full spoilers for Shiseido:

https://beauty-detective.com/shiseido-advent-calendar-2025/

I would be tempted by this if I could get a good discount as I am loving the Benefiance eye cream.

I have no use for lash serum and already have the sunscreen and last year’s unopened mascara. The men’s moisturiser is an odd addition.

Apart from that, I would use everything else. Not paying £185 for it, though! I

@RadiatorDrying - ASOS was a big hit with teen Dd a couple of years ago .

My Jo Malone for DM has arrived - it really is a thing of beauty. Fragrance every other day with body cream, candles, hand wash etc interspersed.
It’s certainly not a bargainous AC but I know she will be over the moon and could never have afforded to treat herself.

@RadiatorDrying - I have just looked at this years and not sure it’s really a teenagers calendar this year , which is a shame . We’ve also done body shop and Soap & Glory in the past .

I have just done a price breakdown for Shiseido’s calendar.

As follows:

Five full size items, (the rest are not available for sale in those sizes).

Price today at Shiseido:

Benefiance eye cream: £72
Sunscreen: £20
Primer: £37
Eyeliner: £25
Mascara: £31

This comes to exactly £185 - the same price as the calendar, (which I don’t think is a coincidence).

In other words, to borrow from Cosmetopeia, the remaining 19 items should be regarded as GWP, (albeit a pretty good one!)

However, when you factor in that you can usually get between 15 and 20% off the RRP from various places by ‘shopping around’, then £185 looks even less like value for money.

For example:

At allbeauty.com:

Eye cream: £57.50
Eyeliner: £19
Mascara: £24.75
Primer: £29.50

At LF:

Sunscreen: £15.20

Total for these five items if bought today: £145.95

Before I would consider buying it, I would want a reduction of at least 30% off the calendar RRP, (which is what I got it for last year), or a great deal with GWP like @OvaHere got direct from Shiseido.

THANK YOU! Not being able to find the skin care box on the website or through a Google search was sending me crazy yesterday! I didn’t even know the members rewards have early exclusives so would never have found it!

https://beauty-detective.com/elemis-x-harrods-25-days-of-pro-collagen-skin-wonders-beauty-advent-calendar-2025/

Elemis are going all out with their store collab calendars this year. They've got their own BAC, the 12 day JL exclusive and now this very expensive Harrods exclusive.

This one looks nice and has full sizes of products you don't usually see but of course comes at a premium price tag of £440.

I am another one who has signed up to Boots recycle scheme. I have scored 15 recyclables all approved on the App. Planning to deposit on the upcoming weekend. I have a question about the purchase I have to make after the deposit. Do I have to make three £10+ purchases to qualify for the £15 of points on my loyalty card? Or is it £30+ for 15 recyclables? Thank you very much for introducing me to the scheme!

Thanks for the info on the JL boxes. My initial thoughts were that I didn’t need them, but when I read @owlpassport post, I relooked and agree that the 3 moisturisers and especially the Medik8 one which I’ve been meaning to try makes it a no brainer for me. I’ve got the Liberty advent and want to get the JL one but there is a dearth of moisturisers in this years batch of advents- I loved last years Liberty where we got a full size serum, moisturiser, rich cream and 2 eye creams but haven’t found any similar. I was about to buy a skin rocks moisturiser off Vinted but after all the problems with the Mz skin I decided this was much safer and timely as the Elemis pro marine I got in my edit last year is close to running out!

that was long, sorry! But thanks 🤪

@Strawberryfield12 Yes, with your 15 items it would mean 3 deposits for £15 worth of points. Once you deposit your items, id suggest picking your bits then activate your voucher as you only have 5 mins to use it now.

@Caggie09 Oh, thank you for heads up, I would have totally run out of time!!

I also had the same thought when I read her post (after waving my hand and saying 'nope, not for me' I went 'Ooh. Hang on a minute now') I could also use vouchers which would mean it <whispers> costs nothing really.

Hmm I also have lots of John Lewis vouchers. I was tempted by the mintd offer but JL much more sensible.

The only way to get anywhere with their CS is by being extremely vocal on social media.

I need to do a spread sheet on Sephora.
I’m 99% set on JL but for some reason haven’t looked properly at Sephora. I initially thought it was for teens.
I love the Grown Alchemist exfoliator, would like to try the Medik8 eye cream and all the perfumes are up my street but I already have the LF fragrance calendar…

That’s awful @NotABiscuitInSight

Sephora have responded to me about my missing calendar - we shall see what happens!

My LF bargain order of Clinique eye cream has arrived. It fits perfectly in door number four of my refilled Shiseido a/c.

My DIY calendar is finished now, although I might squeeze in a few more samples of things should I acquire any before 1/12. I have enjoyed doing it even though I have bought everything myself, (except for some which were free GWP).

I have already forgotten some of what is in it, so hopefully it will be sort of a surprise come 1/12!

At some point I should try to add up how much it has cost me…