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

[OvaHere]

New thread. Welcome oldies and newbies.

I'm expecting this thread to be busy as we head towards both advents and autumn releases.

There's a dedicated advent thread for advent calendars here to keep up to date with reveals, waitlists etc.
www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5549187-beauty-fragrance-advent-calendars-infochat-2026-spoilers?page=32&reply=153745800

SNK edits have gone down hill this year and seem to be code for 'all the shite we struggle to sell'. I'm not naive enough to think edits aren't a way to offload old stock but usually there is some effort to curate them around a theme and put in some jewell in the crown star product or item to tempt people.

This is as dull as ditchwater.

Not sure when all the advent calendars will start to release, i need a little less talk and a little more action!

Think Liberty leads the way in a couple of weeks for those on pre-order?

Just had an email from living proof, looks like they're coming for the K18 Airwash market 👀

I don't think this edit is that bad. I feel like the theme is holiday essentials. If you're a light makeup kinda girl that's really all you need on holiday, so I can see it appealing to a younger demographic. Maybe not us seasoned pros.

I went into Space NK yesterday, a new one has opened locally. It was hell on earth. Full of groups of 19 year olds and their boyfriends taking up all the room.

YY @owlpassport - Jordana Ticia is quite new to SNK, I believe, so that might be the tempting product for some!

Added this to my SNK wishlist👀

There's a new boots box - it's on BD and boots site - £45

I’ve just used a £10 voucher and my BD credit to buy my Liberty AC! WHOOOOOOO HOOOOO!

Cant remember anything that’s in it, but I like it that way!

Thanks - that's a great box for me! Bought 😁A couple of bits will go in my frankenstein advent calendar (and a couple to DDs). The Money Mist is excellent, I'm always looking for offers on that, so this is a nice deal with that included.

Edit: link for those who want to have a look www.boots.com/boots-trending-beauty-box-10395091

Same here - I love this too but I'm sure i only bought 2 in £10 Tuesday a couple of weeks ago! I hope it doesn't mean they are going to discontinue it and are getting rid of stock.

has anyone used the anti-wrinkle one thats in this week - this one? www.boots.com/lumene-nordic-bloom-lumo-anti-wrinkle-and-firm-day-moisturiser-50-ml-10346493e

@wohmum there's almost always a few bits of Lumene in £10 Tue, I think they just rotate it around.

I have the night version of that pink day cream and I like it.

I really want the Merit baseball cap GWP but I have so much Merit and really don’t need anymore 😅 I guess I’ll have to stalk eBay and Vinted. If anyone gets one and intends to sell it let me know!

The serum chat has reminded me to ask about the Medik8 peptides. I have a bottle from a recent edit and have used it a couple of times randomly. It was a bit "stingy", has anyine else found the same? I'm gutted as my fairy Medik8 Vitamin C is finally finished.

Also I'd be gratful if anyone can help me with order to use - I currently have:
Decree pm
Medik8 peptides
MZ stem cell serum (I'm using it to use it up, it doesn't seem to do much for me).

And obviously multiple sunscreens/day/night creams...

Fine for me and I have quite sensitive skin, my skin didn't tolerate the decree, so that might be your issue with it sensitising your skin, not the Medik8. The MZ is completely benign imo.

I really like the decree, am on bottle 2 but won't be repurchasing due to price sadly. MZ Serum really disappointed me, might be pricey but not doing anything I can tell.

I think I need to repurchase a vit C, wish I'd got more of the "fairy bags".

I had it - it was in their advent a couple of years ago, so I had a little one. I liked it. In fact, I'm yet to find a Lumene product that I haven't got on with.

It sounds like you might have damaged your skin barrier.

Woops posted too soon. Try just using the MZ skin serum + day cream + SPF for day, and MZ skin serum + night cream at night for a while (or even no serum). Vitamin C can be harsh on the skin barrier, and the Decree PM tincture has retinol in it which is harsh too.

Do you have any Bioeffect in your stash? That sorted my skin barrier out previously.

Any guesses? Just for this email from FTF

@HostessTrolley details here - i got it last week.

Just offloaded a decent amount of stash items onto DS who has run out of quite a few of his toiletries since coming home for the summer. He asked whether I could pick up a few bits for him. No, no, no my sweet child we don't go to a shop, we shop my stash. 😂

Very satisfying. He took some S&C, body lotion, hairspray, dry shampoo and soap. It created a few gaps in my carousel so I was able to 'promote' some stuff up from cosmetic bag storage.

Now I know he uses body lotion after showering I'll be sending care packages to Uni because I'm really shit at getting through body moisturisers.

I did this recently with DS and DSD, it’s so satisfying. Totally justifies the constant spending 😁😇
I showed DS my stash and he was very impressed, but I daren’t show DSD or she will be shopping in it weekly 😅

Oh, on an unrelated note, I used my Hourglass evil eye palette a few days ago, for the first time in months. I forgot how much I love it! Everything just melted into my skin. I really need to use it more day to day now rather than keeping it for “best”.
I’m still yet to use my Deer palette; in reality it’s a bit too light for me, but I had the curse of the FOMO

I’m getting to the end of my Medik8 C-tetra. Before I rp, is there anything else I might consider instead? Something better?

@TragicMuse The Lumene in the Boots £10 Tuesday has been getting some love here…

https://www.boots.com/lumene-nordic-c-valo-glow-boost-essence-30ml-10346480

I've got the opposite but same issue. I went for the medium Swan palette (in Deer packaging) but it's too dark for me really. I was seduced by the plum looking blush. I told myself it would be fine for summer but it's not. I don't tan and slather myself in factor 50 so I don't burn.

It was a poor choice and I've only tried it once or twice at the most because I go back to the Dragon palette from the previous year.

If you try out the Deer palette and decide it's not for you I'd be up for a swap.

@TragicMuse i don’t know about “better” (although ChatGPT is enthusiastic) but I finally finished my fairy bottle this week and started the REN Vit C gel cream serum that I picked up in the Fenwicks sale in January when out with dd1- it was marked down from 50 to 21 so I grabbed it despite having no other info 🤦‍♀️🤣 Anyway, I can report that I like it just as much, if not a bit more, so far: slightly thicker consistency, feels great on the skin, sinks in well, smells similar, everything else goes on nicely on top. No idea if it’s still available anywhere, so maybe not very helpful 🙈 although that does make me think I should have a look….