Purchased by me. Some affiliate links.
This is my first year indulging in a beauty advent calendar and Liberty London just destroyed the bars of every other company. I did some (albeit, not a lot) research on different brand calendars and Liberty London’s seemed the best based on value, size, and variety. It was on the more expensive side (165 British Pounds) and factoring a UK mail forwarding service the final price came to about 230 US Dollars. The full contents (25 separate days) valued at over 500 BP and while I may have rolled my eyes at first I definitely believe it now.
I opened each drawer daily on my Instagram Stories (@monicawithra) but I decided to write a round-up post of every item and my opinion on it. I love most of the items but there are a couple I can do without. But hey, how often do you love all 25 products??
The Liberty London Advent calendar is huge! It has a gorgeous painted double flapped door that claps shut and opens forward. Inside are 25 small Liberty print drawers with copper numbers embossed on the front. Each product is nestled in cute copper tissue paper confetti. I repurposed many of the drawers for storage and am currently racking my brain on how to save the large box. It’s just too pretty to throw away!
This post is very long so grab a snack and settle in or use the links to jump to specific items. Enjoy!
Aveda Hand Relief Moisturizing Creme | Aurelia ‘Refine and Polish’ Miracle Balm | Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge | Kiehl’s Amino Acid Shampoo | JinSoon Nail Polish | Laura Mercier Hydrating Primer | C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve | Malin + Goetz Vitamin E Face Moisturizer | Davines Oi All in One Milk | Marvis Toothpastes | Byredo Bal d’Afrique Moisturizer | NARS Lipgloss | Eve Lom Cleansing Balm | Odejo Rollerball Fragrance | Trish McAvoy Lipstick | Dermalogica Daily Microexfoliant | Votary Facial Oil | bbrowbar Night Balm | Skin Laundry Gentle Foaming Face Wash | Kai Body Lotion | Dr. Sebagh Serum Repair | Suratt Artistique Blush | Espa Overnight Hydration Therapy | Le Labo fragrance | Diptyque Candle
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Aveda Hand Relief Moisturizing Creme with invigorating rosemary mint aroma
($24.00 here) – Purchase? Yes
This is a pretty impressive moisturizer. It absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy cast. The cream has a nice yet strong herbal scent.
Aurelia ‘Refine and Polish’ Miracle Balm
($98.00 here) – Purchase? No.
It is a nice midweek pick-me-up but not as effective as I hoped. The exfoliating beads are not rough enough to adequately remove dead skin and my skin looks no different after use. The Estee Lauder ‘Clear Difference’ Purifying Exfoliator Mask (linked here) and Ole Henriksen Truth Sugar Glow Polishing Mask (linked here) are both similar, less expensive and way more effective.
Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Powder Pink
($30.00 here) – Purchase? Maybe.
Bobbi Brown is the queen of the natural, light makeup and she is cool to boot. Regardless, the items in her makeup line are long-lasting, subtle and fit a wide range of skin colors. Powder Pink is a perfect pinky neutral for me. I love the creme consistency and love wearing this on my lips as a light stain.
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Kiehl’s Amino Acid Shampoo
($7.00 – $30.00 here) – Purchase? I will go to the store and ask for another sample 😛
This is the one time I am disappointed in the advent calendar. Liberty London gives us the same samples Kiehl’s gives in-store. Not cool. Regardless, this shampoo is pretty impressive. It smells of coconut and cleans my hair well without stripping it of moisture.
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JinSOON Nail Polish in Coquette
($18.00 here) – Purchase? No
This is one of the items not included in my Advent Calendar. The mail forwarding service removed this because they could not ship it overseas.
I hear mixed reviews on this brand and honestly would not buy it on my own because of the price and less than original color options.
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Laura Mercier Hydrating Primer
($36.00 here) – Purchase? No
I am not a foundation girl so I rarely wear primer all over my face. I generally hit the spots where my pores look a little bigger. This primer is nothing special and I am not sure I would wear it in the Spring/Summer when the air is more humid and my skin is more oily.
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C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve
($7.50 here) – Purchase? No
This product is a straight dupe for the original Smith’s Rosebud Salve. However, unlike Smith’s, C.O. Bigelow’s has a very off-putting strong, fake rose smell. I’ll stick with the original Smith’s which is also a dollar less expensive, found here.
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Malin + Goetz Vitamin E Face Moisturizer
($46.00 here) – Purchase? Yes
I am surprised I like this moisturizer so much because Vitamin E makes my face break out. The light cream has a pleasant fresh scent and feels cool upon application. It absorbs quickly and does not leave a greasy film.
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Davines OI All in One Milk with Roucou Oil
($25.00 here) – Purchase? OH YEAH
I gushed about how this magically moisturizes my skin and removes lines, etc before I realized this is a hair oil. Whoops. But, in my defense, the bottle says Multi-Beauty so why can’t I use it as a hand cream?
As a hair oil, it is completely weightless and does not leave my hair feeling greasy or shiny. It smells fresh and absorbs quickly.
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Marvis Toothpastes in Amarelli Licorice and Strong Classic Mint
($10.50 here) – Purchase? Yes
These taste so good. I am partial to the licorice one but neither contain flouride or other anti-cavity ingredients so they are only useful as a mid-day breath freshener.
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Byredo Bal d’Afrique Hand Cream
($35.00 here) – Purchase? Yes
This is a very effective hand moisturizer. I only need a quarter-size amount to fully coat my hands. This cream is fresh and light if not a little greasy.
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NARS Lip Gloss in Baby Doll
($26.00 here) – Purchase? No
This product is just your average gloss. NARS has never WOW-ed me with their lip glosses primarily because they are not ultra-pigmented or long-lasting and the darker colors feather. For the price point, I definitely expect more.
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Eve Lom Cleanser with muslim cloth
($50.00 – $135.00 here) – Purchase? Yes
Skincare is a ritual. And, the Eve Lom Cleanser is just that. Everything about applying to removing this cleanser mimics an at home spa experience. This is an effective cleanser but irritates the eyes. I definitely cannot use this during the summer when I become more oily.
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Odejo Eau de Toilette Rollerball
10ml full size (only available at Liberty London) – Purchase? No.
This is one of the items not included in the advent calendar and unfortunately, I know nothing of this brand except it is exclusive to Liberty London and relatively new.
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Trish McAvoy Lip Color in Pink Nude
($28.50 here) – Purchase? Probably not.
I know nothing about this brand and don’t hear a lot about it on social media platforms. The lipstick feels light, non-drying and fragrance free. It is not particularly long-wearing but this the shade is a lovely pink nude perfect to even out my natural lip color.
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Dermalogica Daily Microexfoliant
($54.00 here) – Purchase? No.
Microexfoliants are fantastic when my skin needs a refresh and I don’t want to use harsh ingredients. Unfortunately, this one was not great. Once wet, the fine powder forms a paste and the scrubbing particles dissolve completely. This is not at all useful as a exfoliator.
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Votary Facial Oil in Heal My Skin
($102.00 here) – Purchase? Maybe!
I was skeptical about putting oil directly on my face but this sandalwood and herb scented oil absorbs quickly and keeps my skin feeling soft. I only need four or five drops to adequately cover my face and neck so the bottle will last a while.
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Brow Bar – Night Balm
($45.00 here for day & night balms) – Purchase? Oddly, quite possibly
Initially this product really confused me. I had never heard of a night cream for my brows! While I don’t use the bbrowbar conditioner as it is intended it does make a great lavender scented cuticle treatment.
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Skin Laundry Gentle Foaming Face Wash
($20.00 here) – Purchase? Yes
Skin Laundry is a new to me brand but after trying the face wash, I am definitely interested in trying some of its products. This face wash is gentle and great for a mid-day refresh when I don’t want to use harsher ingredients.
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Kai – Body Lotion
($37.00 here) – Purchase? No
Complimentary toiletries are just as effective as this moisturizer, free and smell way better.
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Dr. Sebagh -Pro Serum Repair with Hyaluronic Acid
($175.00 here) – Purchase? YES
This serum is magic and I need it in my life. I don’t care how expensive it is. I only need a drop and a half to cover my face and neck. It immediately plumps and hydrates my skin and protects it throughout the day. If the brand ever discontinues it I might riot.
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Surratt Artistique Blush in Ponceau
($32.00 here) – Purchase? Depends.
The packaging is flimsy but cute and nice to look at. The blush is pigmented and blends out easily to a natural wash of color. It builds up nicely and evenly. However, it settles quickly into fine lines and highlights dry patches.
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Espa Overnight Hydration Therapy
($58.00 – here) – Purchase? Yes
I love the strong, spicy lavender scent which lingers long enough for me to relax before bed. My skin feels soft and hydrated but not greasy. This product dries sticky which I don’t like so I prefer the Lancome Overnight Sleeping Facial (linked here) which absorbs completely and is less expensive per ounce.
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Le Labo fragrances in Santal 33 or Thé Noir 29
($175 – $290 here and here, respectively)
This is the third item I did not receive. It would have been a full size (retailing at the $175 mark). I think I would enjoyed the Santal so thankfully, there is a stand alone store right here in DC which I need to check out soon!
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Diptyque Mini Candle in Figuier
($23.00 – $62.00 here) – Purchase? Yes
This smells exactly like pine trees and Christmas. I fell in love with the scent even before I lit it. The tiny candle gives off a fair amount of scent but also a good amount of soot. I now know why these candles are such a big deal, even though they are expensive they are worth the money.
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Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.
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I absolutely love love love the Chanel UV Essentiel sunscreen. It is not exclusively a facial protectant but given the bottles small size and large price tag I use it sparingly. One bottles lasts me a full summer and a little beyond. The product is very liquidy and it only takes a little amount (read: 1-2 drops) to cover the neck, face and ears. Be warned though, since the main ingredient is Titanium Dioxide it does leave a white cast that eventually soaks into the skin.
I have naturally oily skin so most face sunscreens break me out. The Chanel one is one of the few that doesn’t but when I ran out I didn’t feel like spending so much money. On a whim and with low expectations, I tried the Neutrogena face sunscreen*. I gave it a solid two weeks and I was beyond surprised. It didn’t irritate my skin even though the product was pretty thick. It doesn’t leave a white cast but it does leave me quite greasy. Eh, nothing a oil-blotting sheet can’t fix!
Hawaiian Tropic was never a brand I looked to for sun protectant since it’s more popular products were sun tan lotions. I saw this sunscreen towards the end of last summer and thought it looked interesting. I am so glad I tried it because I am IN LOVE. This sunscreen/moisturizer works beautifully and makes my skin glisten ever so slightly (sure, it could just be the grease, lol) but it also makes the skin look just a smidge more even-toned. The Weightless version is a little more difficult to find but there are other versions of the Silk Hydration* available.
And last, but certainly not least is the SuperGoop! Everyday sunscreen. This brand was so heavily talked about on social media I originally shyed awaay from it. However, after recieving a sample, I became a convert. The formula is not too thick and applies evenly. It absorbs quickly and does not leave a white cast. I haven’t tried any of their newer products but they are definitely on my list.
Everyone’s favorite Hydration Essentials kit (USD$29)! This gift set comes out every year and does not vary in it’s contents. Of course, I’m not complaining because for less than $30 I get way more bang for my buck! My only gripe is that the limited edition Mickey packaging doesn’t extend to it’s contents but I guess for the price I really can’t complain.
the Rite of Aging...early 