Beauty chat - freebies/gifts with purchase/offers THREAD THIRTEEN

[OvaHere]

Easter is here and so is a new thread. Who needs chocolate when you can have beauty stuff? Or maybe have both. 💋🍫

Welcome to newbies and welcome back veterans of beauty chat threads.

PS. As a sobering thought we are maybe only 3-4 months out from the first advent calendar spoiler. 😂

I tried the MZ eye cream and moisturiser last night. The eye cream was fine but the moisturiser seemed a bit thick and possibly ‘off’. It was fine when I bought it and opened it a couple of months ago, so I think it is one of those items that needs using up immediately after opening.

On a related note:

I watched a MissBoux video last night where she talks about the ancient products being passed off as new in the current NEXT mystery boxes.

I was quite shocked and it made me wonder how many of these edits are full of products that are years out of date.

Of course, some things seem to last forever, (and it’s our choice if we use things we’ve sat on for years), but you don’t expect such old stock in edits.

She used this site - not all companies are included, but lots are:

https://www.checkfresh.com/

Good to know about the MZ moisturiser, I used mine for the first time last night so I'll make sure I use it up. I really like it so that won't be hard

I am using the MZ eye cream and really liking it. I have a second in reserve and a Murad one from my Next box so have just sold the Trinny London one was in the JL box for £42 on Vinted. Was quite pleased with that.

My FTF parcel is due to arrive today but we are away until tomorrow so hope they leave it with a neighbour. I am eager to get my posh MZ serum 😃

@IlovePond it probably wasn’t, but you make your 4 days sound like Pulp/Blur song 😊

I am a bit shocked by them using really old stock too, I wonder if others do this too? Very cheeky!

😹@Sminty2 - I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It was - allegedly - according to the AA call out, caused by the garage breaking the header tank whilst changing the battery last week and not fessing up, (or at least charging us for the replacement).

It would have been an easy fix if it hadn’t conked out on Easter Saturday in a field 🙀

Re: Dates I now feel like checking all of my vast non-Korean skincare stash, but think I might be too scared to!

Fortunately the Boots offer seems to be out of stock/not working anymore or else I probably would have cracked and added yet more to my stash 🙀

The LE Velatura Balms are on Liberty now in cazs anyone was wanting to use credit on them.

*in case!

Oh dear: I have just checked my EL stash - I use it regularly but haven’t been keeping track of using things in order of purchase. I have found loads of really old stuff that I now think I should chuck.

I am really annoyed with myself!

Obviously I have been doing this for years with zero ill effects, but now I know, I think I should act😿😿😿

Peeko (Formerly Discount Dragon) are selling a four piece Elemis travel set for £29.99. Code PEEKO will get you another 10% of for the next 48 hours. I imagine this will be short dated or out of date stock but I have never had any problems with products I have ordered from them.

It's back in stock now.

<runs away>

ETA oh no! it is out again! I didn't click quick enough!

I can’t believe I have been using my EL anti-wrinkle serum that I use EVERY day without considering date of purchase. I have had to throw away two brand new ones and one on the go as they are ancient!

This should act as a lesson to me not to overstock on skincare 😿

Of course, I could have carried on using all this old stuff, (as I have been apparently doing for years), but I have had a problem with my lips over the last week or so and it started when I began using an EL lip balm from my stash. I use these all the time without problems, but genuinely couldn’t remember when I bought it. Sadly I had three other brand new ones in the stash - now all in the bin as they didn’t have batch codes on, (probably just on the box - long since thrown away).

@SheilaFentiman - if the deal reappears I might crack as I now have space in my cupboard…

Nothing is an easy fix on a bank holiday! It’s just frustration heaped on misery 😊

I trust the Korean codes, easy to understand but like you, I’m now looking at my stash and wondering how much will survive the cull 😱

@IDontKnowWhatYouMeanthanks for explaining how to stack the Boots codes, that worked out really well
@Fillybustergreat to know that the NO7 primer is good, it will be nice to try it

I found a Spanish Sephora today and a dept store. Amazingly I was good and didn't buy anything from Sephora as vast majority was just same brands as UK.

I did sniff some perfume. The new 7 Virtues Strawberry Jam does smell just like Jam if anyone is looking for such a scent. Cherry Ambition smells just like Cherry Cola. They also had a couple of Sephora sets not seen in the UK but none of them that tempting.

I couldn't leave totally empty handed so did get a couple of Bourjois blushes in the dept store mostly for nostalgia reasons as the brand isn't that readily available in the UK anymore. One of them looks exactly like the Merit balm blushes.

There seems to be a lot of nice looking Pharmacy brands here but most I'm not that familiar with so haven't bought anything. I should have done some research really.

Saw this earlier and think I might order it tomorrow, it actually looks really good for the price. Quite a few bits I’ve wanted to try in there too

https://beautycalendar.com/stylekorean-bestie-mint-box-2026/

@OvaHere I would not like to smell of Jam in an English summer, I would be covered in wasps 🤣

I still have all my little cardboard Bourjois eye and cheek powder pots. Mostly empty but too lovely to throw away. I have my mum’s Bourjois blush, which she bought in the’60s and smells wonderfully of her somehow. Very nostalgic.

Jam or cherry coke 😬 each to their own I suppose but good lord that seems aimed at Tweens but not the price point I expect!

The Strawberry Jam smelt lovely I'm just not sure it's what I want to smell of though. Sometimes you just have to admire from afar! 😄

Just got an impressive haul of free hair samples with a couple of purchases I wanted anyway from Space NK. It seems to be an app exclusive. I’m normally really good about rtft before posting but confess I haven’t this time as I’m pushed for time - apologies if I’m duplicating

I’m still basking in the joy of my StyleKorean pharmacy box! Can’t wait to try it!

I have made a serious error. Firstly, CB never sent the free living proof gift apparently they have had issues sourcing it! 🙄. But after much deliberation I decided to keep the bottles of living proof shampoo and conditioner because there were discounted 30% and I couldn’t be bothered to return them. However, I now can’t find them anywhere. I think I left them in the box because the gwp hadn’t arrived but now I fear that the box complete with the new living proof bottles got put in the recycling. 🙈. The recycling was collected yesterday so no way of knowing for definite but I can t find them anywhere! Although on a positive note I have more hair products arriving from SNK but still I’m feeling awful about it!

Oh no @Beautyfox - I hope you find them 🤞

On a related note: DH once put two parcels I was returning to a shop in the recycling, (this is a man who, in the normal course of events, NEVER puts stuff in the recycling unasked).

This is the same DH who was sent to the post office to return a parcel, got bored halfway there and shoved it into a post box without a return label on it 🙀

Oh no how gutting @Beautyfox I hope they show up.