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.

@PuzzlingRecluse Just wanted to say thank you for sending the Sisley toner. It’s going into my DS’ GF stocking! She’s a big skincare fan and will really appreciate it.

You’re very welcome I’m so pleased it will be used 🥰

I’ve also noticed the change in tone @redluckycatand I find it off putting. A great part of the enjoyment of these calendars for me is this discussion board. It’s a shame. My post yesterday (about Liberty’s beauty halls being known for their niche fragrances) was intended as a wee hint in that regard.

I love this drawer!! This is exactly the kind of thing I look for in a bac. I loved the Davines last year and think these are similar? Reading the notes you can use them for the same or slightly different things. Looking forward to trying especially as one says it’s good for done/ flyaway hair, need all the help I can get with that!!
I got a lovely email last night about the mascara, apologising and saying they’ll send a new one out.
In terms of tone, I guess it depends on what people were hoping for/ whether they had researched contents in advance. I looked and chose Liberty knowing it wasn’t all for me ( as none would be) but was the best one for me personally. I took anything I wouldn’t use out, and either gave away or sold and replaced with things from other BAC I fancied. Overall I’m happy, I personally don’t like it as much as last years but it’s great value and I’ve loved lots of the products.

I can appreciate that people are having very different experiences with this calendar hence the tone won't be right for everyone.

I'm "lucky" in that I checked contents before buying so knew I'd be happy with it. I had another bath this morning with the Mirror Water oil and have a feeling I'll buy a full size when it runs out.

I agree it is a bit of a general downer - plus knowing there's a few more perfumes to go it feels as though there's going to be more negativity coming, shame as in general I'm really enjoying opening the calendar - then going online to the digital liberty info calendar and then coming onto here to see other peoples thoughts.

Anyway, onto today - happy with these, smoothing hair products dont generally suit me as my hair is fine and straight but I already have the social life cream one and it's also good to also add texture to dry hair too if scrunch up a bit.

I am so happy to have another Larry King finishing cream, I’ve got fine wavy hair and it takes away all the frizz. Love this product! Looking forward to trying the argan oil - great draw as far as I’m concerned.

re the perfumes, I think for me the perfumes we receive each year are a highlight so to receive so many makes it very glamorous and luxurious. My husband buys me the Liberty AC every year for my birthday and I think this one has been equally as good as the previous ones. I suppose the best thing to do is check contents before purchasing if you’re expecting a certain ratio of skincare to perfume etc.

In the spirit of a more positive vibe, shall we share favourites so far? Mine are the Zephirine and bibbi perfumes, the serum and moisturiser, the mirror oil and the eyeliner. Oh and the cleanser and the hair things from today.

I’ve loved it can you tell 😂

Also very happy with this drawer! I enjoy spending time reading how to use new types of products and desperately need extra help with my hair. If anyone has any tips on these I'm all ears....(and unruly wiry grey hair 😂)!
I've really enjoyed this calendar curation this year. I have the beauty drop box so always knew I would get this but, for me, the addition of the perfumes was the icing on the cake as I am a bit obsessive about trying to get each perfume edit as they land, but do accept that isn't the case for others. Mind you I loathe masks and eye creams which others love so I guess you can't please everyone 😂. Anyway, I'm personally loving this and look forward to reading others thoughts on best use etc each day.

I also chose this calendar for the fragrances (after a lot of research). I love all of them and am pleasantly surprised with some of the other items (the body oil feels so luxurious).

I would happily swop the hair argan oil for any of the perfumes.

It's tricky because everyone has different experiences, and views, and we definitely should be allowed to speak freely. I haven’t noticed a tone, there's been a few who have had issues with the mascara, and the lipstick, myself included. These posts haven't been negative, they've just stated facts on the issues and how Liberty have chosen to deal with it. Other than that there's been very few posts from people moaning about their dislike to products. The Liberty calendar is one of the higher priced calendars, there should be no errors. I've not heard of any other calendars having faulty products, I've also had many beauty calendars over 10ish years from sainsburys to vogue, and none have ever had any issues or reasons to complain. I think it's fair for people to feel disheartened with this calendar after experiencing adverse reactions, products not up to standard, and bad customer service. Also alot of people don't sell calendar items on or regift them, I certainly don't. I understand it works out at only £10 a drawer, but if you're then giving away a few, and having to bin a few, that soon adds up.

I’m another one a bit surprised by the turn the thread has taken. I haven’t loved all the perfumes but as someone else said, waking up on a dark morning and having a spritz of something surprising that I would never have chosen myself is exactly why I’ve bought the liberty calendar for the past ten years. I can understand people being disappointed if they bought it blind or have been given it as a gift, but it’s a bit ‘my diamond shoes are too tight’!

double post

My post wasn’t about the allergic reactions or clumpy mascaras. I gave an example in my paragraph. And there have been people constantly complaining about the number of perfumes.

it’s a bit ‘my diamond shoes are too tight’!

I disagree. This is my fifth or sixth calendar and I’ve liked the previous ones or I wouldn’t have bought again. I’ve never been disappointed previously which is why this year is a bit gutting. Anyway it’s clear that I’m not allowed to be disappointed in a £250 purchase so I won’t post any more.

I love the chat about the products in the AC, its fine people saying what they don't like, lots say what they do like too: We are all different, funnily enpough this year three out of the 4 perfumes I love and the 4th is perfect for my daughter: The hair products today are great, we had the Larry King cream before and I thought it would be too heavy for my fine hair but it wasn't: Also weve had a couple of hair oils which made me try them and they are also good on fine hair so this one is welcome: don't be afraid to try them!
Favourites so far - The serum, the moisturiser, eye masks, Ex Nihilo perfume (gorgeous!): The mirror oil, Liberty perfume and Bibbi perfume are in my daughters pile (I'm sure there will be more): It so exciting finding the drawer and opening it each day for a surprise - how lucky are we!

I agree regarding the negativity. I've been on these threads for years and it is always fun joining in every year. Really, whatever our financial situation, it is a very spoilt thing for us to have an (often full size) beauty gift every day. I love it. Many of us have multiple calendars too. £250 is a lot of money for me (and I'm sure most of us) so I research contents carefully before choosing my calendar. I don't want to gamble so much money on an unseen calendar. Fortunately the contents are released so early now, that I've forgotten most of them by December.
I knew there would be a lot of perfumes this year and that was a big attraction for me. I didn't like yesterday's perfume, but I've been very happy with nearly everything else. I can understand posters being unhappy with quality issues with the mascara and lipstick.
We are all very lucky to have such a fabulous treat every morning whether the cost is peanuts to us or we've worked damned hard for it. If we are disappointed so often, then maybe next year we should check the contents first. I wouldn't be surprised if Liberty release their 2026 contents next June. It's getting so ridiculously early!
(Very long post as I'm waiting for the dentist. I'll put my tin hat on now! )

This is my first ever BAC and I’m absolutely loving it. Especially all the perfumes.

I’ve loved the lipstick, serum, eye masks, eye pencil, moisturiser, today’s drawer and the Zepherine, also looking forward to the mirror oil, cleansing gel and toner, not used them yet!

The serum is great and the eye masks are genuinely amazingly effective on me - I couldn’t quite believe the effect tbh. Might have to repurchase 🫣 Haven’t opened the moisturiser yet, but the MZ eye cream last year was fabulous so I have high hopes.

@redluckycat I completely agree with you about some of the negative comments this year. The contents of the calendars are released so early now that it’s very easy to check whether the contents of a particular calendar will suit you before you buy it. Like lots of others, I spent hours poring over the contents of each calendar this year and either adding them to my short list or discounting them. I doubt that anyone will find a calendar without any DODs, so I assume people choose the one with the highest number of things they will like or want to try. Like others, the number of perfumes in this year’s Liberty calendar was one of the main reasons thata I bought it, and I’ve loved them all so far. With the contents being released so early on, and buying the calendar in the early autumn, I had completely forgotten what was in the calendar, other than it contained a lot of perfume and thst I’d taken out a small number of things I didn’t want.

Annoyingly one of the things I took out and gave away, as I was convinced I wouldn't use it, was the Mirror Water oil. Then I was given a different brand little bath oil gift by a friend so felt I had to use it, loved it and am now desperately stalking Vinted in the hope of buying back a Mirror Water!! Just typical of me 😂

I've really enjoyed most of this calendar, but I am grateful to those that flagged up the mascara issue as I would't have known to check until I eventually opened it in a month or so. Mine was also faulty and CS have been brilliant, immediately replied and are sending a replacement. I don't think they could possibly have known about the issue though, I am assuming these products are bought in by a third party, using Liberty's choice of item and value. Probably directly from Jones Road -so perhaps our ire should be directed at the Jones Road warehouse team!
Favourite items...hmmm... hard to narrow down but I think the eye pencil, along with Zepherine, Bibbi and MZ moisturiser would probably be mine, though you'd have to prise my sticky fingers open to get the rest of the things away from me 😂

I’m a complete basic baddie and I’ve liked everything so far, including ALL the perfumes. Well except for the shampoo that’s smelt of BO, not sure if I’ll use that again.
Also a thanks from me on the mascara chat. I only ever keep one mascara open at a time and it would have been far too late to find mine unusable. I filled in the form on their website and got a reply apologising and saying they were sending a replacement with 24 hours. Can’t ask for much more!

I’m also very pleased with this year’s calendar. I’m really pleased it’s fragrance heavy.

I understand there will be meh items, I remember the tomato candle one year that was swiftly given away. I also realise that some skin care/ makeup may not suit my sometimes sensitive skin.

I think it’s been a good calendar so far. I was very pleased with my hair products- always useful in the winter.

I always feel lucky to have this in the run up to Christmas, I miss it when it’s over.