🎄 2025 Style and Beauty Advent Calendar Discussion ***SPOILERS*** THREAD 9

[BakeOffRewatch]

New thread! Will this be the last thread? I think it will last two weeks and we’ll finish on a round number 10. Though Black Friday deals may mean we burn through this and 10 onto 11 and 12!

I’ve started getting Black Friday early access emails for 25% etc.

Same. I’m slightly offended they don’t want me to have it!

It’s all new to me 😅. I’d never bought beauty from M&S before, and ThisWorks is new to me, I think I’ll be repurchasing the Body Smoothing Wash from the summer bag, it has been great for ingrown hairs. And I liked the Bloom & Blossom moisturiser. So I’m looking forward to trying more of what M&S stocks. They recently launched EDP versions of their scents (don’t think we’ve discussed in this thread specifically) and I think they're excellent perfumes for the price point. It is a shame to see the price drop but I’ll remember that as a newbie. The summer bag sold out so quickly though.

What is a Gua Sha?

I think if you can make use of the stuff it's a decent calendar but there's nothing exciting or aspirational in it for me. It's very practical and I'm not short of practical stuff.

It's a flat tool thing that you use to massage face/body. It is supposed to improve circulation and do lymphatic drainage. I think it's also meant to reduce wrinkles.

I'm the same, I've never bought the m&s ac before and don't really shop in there, so a lot of it would be new for me. I think it's brilliant value, £60 without the discount for over £300 worth of stuff 😊 Don't worry about the price drop, sometimes the stress and worry of something selling out is not worth the discount ✌️🩷

I agree about the price drop. I'm still happy I got the boots skincare one at full price as it was the only one I wanted and I'd have hated not to have an AC if it had sold out.

I had the M&S one three times I think and I enjoyed it each time. It was my first calendar. The problem is though that it is very samey so if you've had it a couple of times it's a bit boring. However, if you haven't had it before it's excellent value at the original price.

If anyone would like this code for HN beauty AC

HNADVENT-Hh6FIvuW1kKHkJiQ553A

Also HNBEAUTY20 takes off £50

Any views on the Boots Showstopper Box? £90.

But how do you spend your £15 card with any other discount? It doesn't work. If you're using your £15 CB gift card it then removes the 20% discount, which is annoying.

Do they actually work? I used to get them every so often in one of the monthly boxes we got but never managed to do it more than twice in a row because I'm extremely lazy. I also have metal plates in my jaw which I can sort of feel if I do anything like that with any kind of pressure.

I've been refreshing my memory of what's in the advents I ruled out just in case there's a good deal!
M&S is still a no at £45, I had it for several years from around 2016(?) when it launched and it really hasn't changed much. It's a shame because the beauty kit they did in that pink mesh bag a few months ago was great but it hasn't followed through to the advent. The advent needs to be £30 for me to be tempted, I think.
John Lewis I'd potentially get for £150/£160 but it has too many DODs and is overpriced for me at the moment.
Harvey Nichols and Selfridges would maybe do at £150 too.
None of these are purchases I'd be really excited about though so goodness knows why I'm here deliberating! What I really need is a Dyptique or PDM reduction 😁

Not a clue. The closest I got to using one was seeing a picture of one.

I like it but am only drawn to a handful of products I would really want so it's a no for me.

Did anyone end up getting the Aldi BAC and have any thoughts on it?

Same, I'm not loving the boots showstopper box. I think 2 setting sprays, 2 blush.and the ubiquitous neom is enough to put me off 🤣

I buy items not to high in value but still make sure I get free shipping. Or edits that the code won't work on x

I bought it, I’ve had a couple of the bits out of there before and liked them, so figured it was worth a try for the price

My friend has bought the Boots showstopper box to make her own advent calendar. I had a look at it but not enough in there to excite me. Good job really as I have too many advent calendars and the JL beauty box on the way!

I think it’s the first time ever that the M&S calendar has been reduced - at £45, free delivery and no minimum spend I think it’s very decent value. Having previously decided I didn’t want it, I’ve caved and bought it with the offer.

@XelaM yes, it’s annoying that the CB money off is actually effectively a discount code rather than a genuine gift card which could be stacked with other discount offers. I’m pretty sure that in the past it did work as a gift card, but it does look like they have changed that now.

Diptique has sold out. I'll be racing you to PDM if that discounts, I'm not sure of the chance though as it's cleverly designed to start on christmas day

I’ve tried to stay away from this chat in the last few eeeks, having bought myself two (Glossybox and Lumene), and then a third (Boots Skin) with points, which I justified as planning to split into gifts but ended up wanting to keep more of the contents for myself than gift to anyone 🫣.

I’m now back on to ask if anyone has seen any really good Black Friday discounts to get a decent BAC under £40. This would be a gift for a woman in their 30s with a birthday at the end of the month. Not MacMillan and not Boots own brands, but open to just about anything else. TIA!

The debenhams advent calendar is available for £106 down from £150 using the code BEAUTY5. It's not one I am interested in but thought I would share incase anyone had their eye on it.

On your marks, get set...😉

I really need to think next year if I should cut down on the "cheaper" ones and splash out on one of these. Too scared to add up what I've spent this year but its more than enough to cover both Dyptique and PDM.