🎄 2025 Style and Beauty Advent Calendar Discussion ***SPOILERS*** THREAD 10

[BakeOffRewatch]

Final one before the opening threads. Who is starting the opening threads and for which ones? Please share the links below. There’ll be Waifs and Strays one, DIY, and possibly Harrods, Space NK, Liberty?

On 1st December, the opening threads start, I’ll ask MN to update this post with links.

If you’re looking to continue the chat beyond BACs there is the Beauty chat thread here by @OvaHere : https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5444855-beauty-chat-freebiesgifts-with-purchaseoffers-thread-six
and the perfumistas thread here by @IDontHateRainbows : https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5443053-scent-of-the-day-part-six-what-will-the-friendly-perfumistas-spray-next
Both threads are quite spendy, be warned!

Waifs and strays opening thread
thank you @AprilLady

Liberty opening thread www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5452449-liberty-beauty-advent-calendar-2025-opening-thread thank you @IlovePond

Empties and beauty hoarders rehabilitation thread www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5441152-cant-stop-buying-hoarding-beauty-treats-youre-in-good-company-here thank you @Experiment627

[New links added by MNHQ at OP's request]

It was me. @LetitSnowball I recommend contacting CS about your leaked bottle.

SNK CS were very prompt responding to me, and have offered me £20 refund for my missing fragrance, which I’m happy with as it’s one I wasn’t too bothered about (but would have gifted it to someone if I’d received it)

@Twinsandsome you’d definitely be able to sell a previously lit Diptyque on eBay. I’ve done a similar thing (not liked when lit) and sold them for £35.
The candles in my closest SNK are all ancient and barely smell too. In the Diptyque shops they tip the candles out and you can smell the jar, much more effective, but I can’t imagine asking SNK to do that!

I've done that myself in SNK. They've never seemed to care. Maybe theyre silently seething inside 😊

That's great. It makes such a difference when they respond and resolve promptly.

@OchonAgusOchonOh Absolutely! I was disappointed that something was missing but the way the dealt with it and offered a quick resolution is exactly what you want.
They also offered me the choice of returning for exchange or refund, but as I wasn’t as bothered about the item that was missing I decided to take the part refund

Good to know companies with good customer service. I must say I have had very positive recent experiences with Boots and Argos with regards to refunds/returns/ items that got lost in the post. Both were extremely easy to deal with and helpful. On the other hand, I will absolutely never ever order from Cult Beauty again. Their customer service is so awful that I'd rather pay more elsewhere than order from them.

Oh no! Im what way were they bad?

When the CB Skindulgent edit was released a few people said their customer service was terrible so they wouldn't order. I nearly posted to say I'd never had an issue. Wellll guess what? My order has gone missing and it's out of stock now so I won't get it. Customer Service have said they'll process a refund within 5 days, but I used £10 of loyalty points so I wonder what will happen to them. I'd also have liked something as a goodwill gesture because that edit was such a bargain so I do feel a bit miffed.

Similar happened to me. They did credit my points but I had to chase with several messages.
My stuff also out of stock.

It makes such a difference. I'm still boycotting LF many years after they messed up my advent order. On the flip side, I tell everyone how wonderful HN and Grüum are after they resolved the calendar issues I had last year.

I really don't understand it though. It doesn't cost them much to resolve issues appropriately and doing so gets great goodwill that people will spread through word of mouth. In contrast, poor CS loses them a customer and bad will is spread by dissatisfied customers.

My HN experience has not been positive this year. Ordered the fragrance AC as a gift when it went to 30% off. Never arrived. Took over a week for HN to respond to my email. They were resending. Waited a week, Never arrived. Took two further emails and more than another week to get an admission it was OOS and start the refund process. Still waiting for the money. And another order of two bags (again presents) ordered a few days ago has not been fulfilled yet. Both now OOS so very much doubt the order is arriving. Annoying because it’s all presents that I think I’ve got then have a mad panic to try and replace. And they literally have not bothered to share anything about it until chased multiple times. Never again.

Oh no. That's terrible. I think the good service I got was partly due to the fact I was dealing with the woman in the shop who sold me the calendar and she remembered me. Online is always a bit more impersonal.

Maybe try social media? They tend to respond a bit better if it's done in public.

So I finally bought the Kiko advent calendar on Monday night and I have a bit of buyers remorse. I wanted it for all the sparkly stuff, but as we're halfway through December now, I don't need as much sparkly stuff 🙈🤣

love the box and would still love to see what you got ? if you didn’t mind 🙂

I just looked again at Ms Boux unboxing this. I thought most of the products were lovely and I love a bit of glitz but on reflection felt that the calendar was a bit heavy on lip products.

@JoRaRaRa - pretty box! You could always save it for next year.

How did you get it? I thought it was OOS. Thanks

In the Next VIP sale (starting on Monday) previews have their luxury calendar down to £150 and the standard one at £75. Also The Rituals wreath at £72, Nuxe at £89 and the White Stuff socks one at £19.50.

I noticed that the AC had disappeared from general sale. £150 for the premium is still more than I want to pay 🤣

@AppleDumplingWithCustard yeah, there's quite a few lip products. I do like a sparkly lipgloss though 🥰 I've put a few things away for next year as I don't think I have time to use them this year.

@IlovePond they still had 3 of them at the Meadowhall store. They were reduced to £100 😁 so at least I didn't pay full price. I'm thinking though that I should've spent my money on something else 🤦🏻‍♀️

@JoRaRaRa - thanks for letting me know. There was nothing reduced in my local, which was probably just as well!

Soo, my takeaway from this year is that single brand advent calendars are just not as exciting. I’m going to enjoy using all my Espa products once I get to them as I know I love them and I wouldn’t usually buy myself them but in terms of opening, my boots skincare calendar is just more exciting. And it was a lot cheaper!

My CB order went missing and they did immediately send a replacement when I notified them which I was really pleased about HOWEVER since then I’ve been hassled by both them and Evri about the original order which I didn’t receive. I don’t know how many times I’m going to have to say I only received the replacement before they leave me alone.

My takeaway from this year is that I’m going to get Vogue next time. They don’t reduce it and it seems so luxe, even if some of the things are a bit niche

It’s a beautiful calendar (my other takeaway is that I’m a sucker for pretty festive packaging). But wtf is that keychain about?!

@KeffertI am opening Vogue and loving it, I do confess I took out the keychain and replaced it with a Natasha Denona palette as the keychain wasn’t a me thing.