🎄 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

After being ridiculously excited about Fenwick for the past two threads, I'm now looking at it entirely differently. I really only want the Frankincense intense cream, I'm not interested in the Thameen and I already have almost everything else in it. Ive also realised how many tiny / sample sizes are in it which just pees me off. It would really make more sense for me to buy the Next premium as it also has the Frankincense intense and quite a lot of products I'd like, plus it's £65 cheaper. It really makes sense to me now. I think I got overly excited about a possible GWP like last year with Fenwick, but that essentially means I'm just after quantity.

Does the Brown Thomas one ship outside of Ireland? I quite like the look of that based on first spoilers.

I’ve decided against H & B: just didn’t excite me. I managed to order 7 things I actually want and need for £40 (down from £65), which arrived today. I’m going to give M & S a look, but otherwise it will just be Hotel Chocolat and enjoying the opening threads.

I am nearly sure that they don’t, only Ireland and NI

French Pharmacy is live £195

thefrenchpharmacy.co/products/the-french-pharmacy-advent-calendar-limited-edition

I've been waiting for the FP one but I don't think I like it as much as last year at first glance.

Agree, I was really looking forward to this one, but I am just not sure. Last year's was a lot more interesting. The search continues

That's probably for the best. 😂

I agree, it seems rather boring. Gosh, our expectations are high this year, eh? Will the BAC curators ever again be able to fulfill our insatiable appetite for all things beauty?

I'm put off by the supplement type stuff. Maybe that was in last years too? I don't remember. Or perhaps we do rose tinted glasses on previous years and 2026 we'll be moaning that this years were all better. 😂

After deciding against Space NK I’ve managed to get 3 of the items I wanted ( Tatcha, Lisa Eldridge mascara and Westman Atelier blush) for a decent bundle price on Vinted, v happy, they’ll fill 2 of my Liberty drawers of perfume I’ve sold. Keeping an eye out for the Medik8 peptide and then John Lewis and that’ll be me. Will miss the debating and fomo of this thread 🤣

Haha I think you're probably right. My list of not-wants is becoming longer; supplements, sheet masks, under eye sticker thingies, Paw Paw, all the usual suspects. I'm fast becoming a complete pain in the arse about it all, whilst still enjoying the trill of the chase and the reveals.

I was in B&M today and I've seen the face sheet masks and the hand and foot ones, but I was rather surprised to see a Boob Mask! I have no idea how that all works.. particularly from a 'size' perspective.

I'm trying to choose between a few calendars but still not feeling enthusiastic about any of them. I tallied up which products were a yes/no/maybe in each one and no more than a third were a 'yes' in any of them. Then I had the idea of looking back at the contents of last years and seeing how many I actually kept/used/loved. I discovered one new product I love (Medik8 toner), used up 3 I already owned (Elemis, ANR, SPF). The rest were used once then mostly thrown away or still sitting in a drawer! I think this is a sign I either need to step away from BACs. Or go the other way and try something more premium? (Last years was Look Fantastic, in past years I've had Glossybox, John Lewis etc). I do love the fun of opening them, I'm just feeling bad about the waste.

Same here! Positives: I'm fine with all skincare, and I like the eye creams and gut supplements. Negatives: not many items from the brands I most like - only one Caudalie and two La Roche Posay, and too many hair products. I counted 5 shampoos.
Agree that the 2023 and 2024 versions were more exciting.

I could get the same level of enjoyment from Boots skincare, for less than half the price, so might now ping back to that. Actually, I might need to do another shortlist of the ones that remain in contention for me - I'm not looking to spend more than £200, ideally £150 max. But once I pick one, I will enjoy it!

It's easy to buy based on your fantasy self and not what you'll actually use and enjoy.

Do you prefer make up to skincare or vice versa?

Single brand calendars get a bit overlooked because the value isn't usually as good and they can feel a bit samey but if you would use most things, for example, in the Elemis BAC that's better than a load of stuff that gets forgotten or thrown out. Ditto make up, if you like make up then something like the Kiko calendar might be more fun.

Just had a look back at 2024 to check I'm not imagining things. I definitely liked last year's more. It was very good.
https://beauty-detective.com/the-french-pharmacy-advent-calendar-2024/

Not for me. Thanks for the link. 🤩

I found this thread late last year but followed the late stages with great intrigue. I promised myself one or two calendars this year and have followed the discussions closely since the thread launched.
Sadly none of the BAC interest me enough to part with my £.
Instead I've ordered the Elemis Superfood 100ml from QVC for a bargain price, my usual Lancome foundation and a new lip gloss to try with 25% off and a Strathberry bag I've been eyeing up for a while instead.
Im debating buying the Hourglass palette, it's sat in my basket but something is holding me back.
I'll be buying a couple of the Elemis special value QVC sets in November then I think I'll be done.
I dont have a DD or any female relatives to buy for, the market is desperately in need of a good Calendar for late teen early 20s males. My 2 DS would like something with different scents and hair products.

I have ordered the space nk one- thanks for the amazing advice and info in these threads!

what does everyone do with the stuff they don’t want ?
I get the LF beauty box as I got the advent calendar last year and it was an offer, so I have lots of mini products and full sized unopened (also has the glossy box for a while too)

do people sell them on vinted? Is it better to do individually or a few items together?
what sells well and what doesn’t? Amy tips

I’m disappointed in the FP - as OvaHere said, last year’s was much better. I’m just waiting for Jarrolds and a couple of the fragrance calendars to be announced now. But in the meantime I think I’ll spend the money I was saving for FP on a handbag thst has found its way into my Yoox shopping basket instead 😆

I actually bought Elemis too last year! I use it all the time so it was good value, but not exciting so I emptied it all at once and just used up the products. I don't think there any other single brand calendars I'd get use of but I will take another look now. I generally like a mix of makeup and skincare but it's so rare to get makeup in shades that actually suit me.
The calendar I'm most drawn to at the moment is You, purely because the box is so pretty!

The Thameen in Fenwick is a bold choice. It makes up a big chunk of the value and the resale market is flooded with them already.

@onpills4godsake Yes just sell via Vinted. I list individually, as i feel like you get more for it rather than selling in bundles. Sometimes you get people buying more than one item from you anyway.

I've listed some of the stuff from my space nk calendar on vinted and the stuff I thought would go fast is still sitting there, and the stuff I thought would be still sat around has gone already 🤣 I clearly have no idea what I'm doing. Maybe next time I should just do the buying and leave the selling to the pros 🤣

I tried Thameen the other day / I didn’t really like it - reminded me of old-fashioned perfume from the chemists of my childhood.

I agree about FP - supplements and infusions - sounds ghastly. Last year’s looked very nice.