Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar 2025 Opening Thread

[IlovePond]

Hi, if you have the Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar or are just interested in what’s inside, then please feel free to join in by posting your thoughts on each day’s contents.

If you have swapped out any doors, you can either skip a day here or just tell us what you have swapped in and why!

As is ‘usual’ on these threads, please try to avoid revealing each day’s contents before 7am UK time.

Shampoo is no good to me without conditioner

It does seem a bit mean to put just a shampoo in without conditioner in a luxury advent. Maybe the cost of the other items we have had means they are having to use these cheaper ones to balance it out. Personally I feel the drawers' value each day should always be more than the calendar cost /25 but that could just be me because I'm always looking for a bargain 😂!
I really have adored the other shampoo (oi) we have had from Davines/Liberty so if this is as incredible then I'll forgive them 😁

Anyone know if we’re also getting a conditioner? (About to wash my hair), I love the Manketti Oil sets we’ve had before - I repeat buy that conditioner. Would be good to try both at the same time if we’re getting one (not that I’m wishing for such a dull drawer in the future).

I didn’t post yesterday, but haven’t tried the lipstick yet - I’m a new convert to lip-stains and like not having to re-apply all the time, I’m guessing this one needs frequent application?

I also meant to add -I tried the lipstick as a very sheer wash of blush, yes slightly odd I know but I often do this on my travels, anyway I think it is a really good colour for this as very natural. Anyhow -thought I'd share my strange makeup habits with you all 😂

Morning everyone! I’m a bit meh too about today’s drawer and agree it would’ve been far more exciting if a conditioner had been with it. I do like trying new stuff though and there’s no way I’d spend £10 on a bottle that size!

I don’t mind getting a shampoo - hoping for the conditioner too! Mine has leaked & is sticky in drawer over bottle etc, not sure whether to contact liberty?

I like Davines as a brand but earlier this year I finally discovered the best haircare system for my scruffy barnet...now not so scruffy since I worked out that my hair is in fact wavy and not straight...only took me 54 years to figure that out!! I am wary of trying anything new, meaning that today's offering has gone straight into DH's stocking. I am certain he will appreciate it as he usually uses Aveda shampoo & conditioner for his very dry scalp but it doesn't seem to be as effective as it first was.

I have a question for all of you skincare mavens. I still feel relatively clueless about skincare, particularly with the use of exfoliants/actives etc. If I tell you what products I currently use, would one of you help me work out how I can incorporate some of the products we've had so far? Or perhaps more importantly which ones to avoid using together?!

I would contact Liberty. Take a photo and send it to customer services. They are excellent in my experience and am sure would handle it appropriately. Perhaps check the drawers that immediately surround number 6 too to ensure it hasn't leaked onto those either. Ask DH to check if you don't want to spoil the surprises for those days!

I’m happy with the item as it sounds perfect for my hair, but I agree that it should have come with a conditioner on the same day!

Although I guess they’d have had to half the size to fit them in the drawer and I would rather have this larger size as I have hair which needs a lot of product!

I’m loving the calendar so far! A cleanser, serum, couple of perfumes, lipstick and shampoo seems a good variety of products to me, and it’s a real treat as most of my money goes on the DC nowadays - i.e I’ve never had a beauty box from any brand!

I’m the same, @EdinaMonsoon- not sure I want to upset my hair care applecart after a lot experimenting which is finally starting to pay off. This one might be heading to DH.

I opened this drawer a while so I could use the shampoo. I didn't like the smell but it was good for my hair for a while. Eventually it caused a lot of build-up and I started getting a sore, flaky scalp. I'm pleased that it was at least a good size so I could use it for long enough to see if it really agreed with me or not.

As an aside, do other people have this problem. DH and I tend to just use Head & Shoulders (or own brand versions) as anything else irritates our scalps. I think it's the gentleness of nicer shampoos that causes the problem, my scalp much prefers something stronger. Would regular use of a clarifying shampoo help? If so, how often? I could just stick with Head & Shoulders but I'm not convinced it's great for my hair.

Loved yesterday's lipstick, natural and wearable for everyday. I can notice a milk tingling, similar to blistex. Today's is a bit meh without the conditioner and I'd rather not have the matching conditioner elsewhere as that would be boring!

Interesting, I find moisturising / shampoo for dry dmsamger hair a bit heavy on the scalp too - will give this a try and see. As a treatment though to clarify Christopher robin scalp scrub is really nice and non stripping.

Expensive shampoo and conditioner are a bit wasted on me nowadays really; I spent my teens and twenties spending a fortune on expensive brands (various Aveda and Kerastase ranges, the range in the 90s that contained those beads with oil inside!) in a bid to find products to help tame my dry, naturally curly hair. I’ve now settled on the 99p raspberry Alberto balsam shampoo and conditioner as I love the smell and the more expensive ones don’t give me any better results (it’s the styling product that makes the difference for me)! I do like to treat myself to the occasional intensive conditioner though.

Morning, all. I tried yesterday’s lipstick and unfortunately it is going straight in the bin😿

I put it on over lip balm and it’s actually quite dark on me and not flattering at all.

However, moments after applying I was hit by awful tingling on my lips but much worse on my tongue- which has swollen up a bit 🙀 combined with an awful minty taste. It clearly has a plumping agent in that I am allergic to.

I have had to hit the Piriton and am feeling quite miffed as I avoid all plumping products for this very reason, but didn’t realise this was one of them. Grrh!

I think today’s drawer is a bit stingy but I usually like getting hair products. However, I do not have a dry scalp so will give this to DH.

@IlovePond Hope you feel back to normal soon. It's horrible when that happens and I agree that there should be something either on the packaging or on the blurb that states it contains a plumping element. I had very similar reactions to both a MAC plumping product and one by Benefit. They both made me feel quite panicky - like I'd had too much coffee.

Totally agree @EdinaMonsoon - I am miffed! It’s quite dangerous.

I never tried the lipstick as I knew the shade wouldn't work for me but I'm also sensitive to plumping ingredients (shame as I have very thin lips) and I would have been really unimpressed to have tried this without realising.

I just checked the blurb for this one on the Trish McEvoy website and it doesn't say anything about a plumping effect but nearly everyone here has commented on the tingle. Here are the ingredients if they mean anything to anyone:

Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Octyldodecanol, Polybutene, Polyethylene, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Microcrystalline Wax, Isononyl Isononanoate, Jojoba esters, Polyglyceryl-3 Behenate, Silica Dimethyl Silyate, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Acacia decurrens flower wax, Polyglycerin-3, Tocopherols, May Contain +/-, Red 33 Lake CI 17200, Iron Oxides CI 77492, CI 77499

Sorry to hear about the reaction you had. I couldn’t tell if mine was tingly because I applied Burts Bees lip balm beforehand, which is tingly on me anyway.

Here’s how the lipstick looks swatched on my pale (MAC NC15) skin: it’s very sheer on me.

That’s interesting that no plumping is mentioned for the product but it’s clearly got something in it. My tongue is still really hurting and the back of my throat is sore 😿

It’s also are strange that it’s so dark on me but pale on other people!

Thanks for the list of the ingredients @AndeanFlamingo

I’m not keen on just a shampoo as one of my “things” is using the same brand of shampoo and conditioner. I hate mixing and matching. If we don’t get a conditioner I’ll pass it onto my mum.

Black Honey was far darker on me but if I recall correctly that had a softer texture, so I’m wondering if the difference is due to that.

Same - I have to have matching!

I am glad it's not just me who got the tingle from the lipstick. It looks lovely on, but the tingle is almost too much.