#BloggersBall 2016 – Brands to Watch

Last month I attended a Bloggers Ball (yes, an actual ball for bloggers!). It was so exciting and gave me an excuse to dress up! The event was held in the ultra-chic DSTRKT next to London’s Piccadilly Circus. 

The lovely Scarlett from Scarlett London Events (who organised the ball) greeted us at the front door. As we walked into the main room, there were deliciously cute cupcakes and fruity cocktails waiting for us! It was a fun and lively atmosphere with waiters handing out cocktails and canapés throughout the event and there were so many brands to discover!

Selfie Tanning 

Enticed by the chocolates and candles, I wandered over to the Selfie stall which was full of tanning products. I’m naturally fair-skinned and find it hard to tan so I was pleased to see instant tanning lotion! The brand rep kindly demonstrated the instant tanning lotion which looked super easy to use. They also sell gradual tanning products if you want to build up your tan over summer. Perfect for the English weather!

Boho Betty

Boho Betty had all sorts of colourful and summery wrap bracelets on display. I love wrap bracelets because they fit to your wrist and are more unlikely to fall off (I seem to lose things all the time!).  They currently have a sale on their website which makes the bracelets very affordable! At the event, they hosted a competition to see who could design the best stack of Boho Betty bracelets - unfortunately I didn’t win but here's my stack...

On The Dot 

I was amazed to hear that On The Dot pick up and deliver packages anywhere. So if you're in town with loads of bags and realise you want to go out for the night, they can come and collect the shopping and deliver it to your home the next day! They are very flexible and make it super convenient by offering 1-hour delivery windows. 

Fei Liu

Fei Liu caught my eye with their dazzling jewellery. The designs are so beautiful, feminine and elegant – the sort that you would see on glamorous women on the red carpet. I loved the cascade collection, which was inspired by the movement and strength of flowing water. I met the wonderful Fei Liu who designs all the jewellery and he kindly styled a glamorous cascade necklace on me. I didn’t want to take it off! You can see more designs on the website at www.feiliu.co.uk. 

   

Lipivir 

I discovered Lipivir, which is a little miracle formula that keeps cold sores at bay. So if you frequently get cold sores, you can put this on your lips to prevent a breakout.

I had the most fun at the Lipivir lounge where there were loads of games to play. I enjoyed trying to draw a face whilst blindfolded(!), taking an instapic with quirky accessories such as lips and moustaches, and guessing how many lipsticks were in a bag! I then got to try on lipsticks and keep my favourite!

Vatika

I hadn’t heard of Vatika before this event but apparently you can find them in Superdrug, Tesco, and Asda. Vatika use natural ingredients to create beauty products, including argan oil, tea tree, cactus, amla, olive oil, black seed, and honey. I tried the honey moisturiser on my hand and it smelled delicious and felt very smooth. 

Bon Prix

I loved Bon Prix's new summer collection!  They had a range of cute pieces from maxi dresses to boho dresses to summer evening cardigans – everything you need for heading to the beach this summer. This monochrome maxi dress was my favourite…

JustBeauty

Whilst at the event, I also discovered JustBeauty which is an online beauty shop selling everything from nail polish to shampoo. They offered manicures and were demonstrating some very pretty polishes from brands including Orly and Bluesky. Orly are one of my favourite nail brands with their vitamin-enriched and high-pigmented polishes. 

So...? Fragrance

So..? have released a range of floral, fruity, and feminine fragrances. Four of them were themed by cities, including Paris, Rio, NYC, and London. I fell in love with Rio – it’s refreshingly sweet, and reminds me of a Pina Colada. I also tried so many body sprays that I ended up smelling like I’d fallen into a perfume-filled bath!

Handbag Spa

An actual spa for your handbag! The Handbag Spa restore and rejuvenate luxury handbags and give them new life. They can even collect and deliver handbags nationwide, so you can send your handbag to the spa from anywhere!

Jewellery Box

Jewellery Box had a wonderful little woodland fairytale display at the event. I couldn’t stop admiring the stackable rings. They sell tons of unique silver and gold jewellery in their online jewellery shop. The prices are very affordable making it easy to justify buying enough to wear a different necklace every day of the week! 

Overall

There were so many brands at the event, I didn't manage to visit all of them but I had so much fun! The brand reps were so friendly and helpful, and I really enjoyed finding out about new products and brands.

Scarlett London is back with the #BloggersFestival in September! I'm so excited, I've already booked my ticket for it! I’d definitely recommend attending, even if you’re new to blogging. 

Summer Garden Party Outfit

Last week I attended the Bloggers Summer Hangout (read my post here). When I heard the dress code for the event was Summer Garden Chic I was so excited to dress up in something summery! (Although I must admit, I was slightly worried about the British weather!!) Luckily it turned out to be a bright and sunny day. 

Here's the outfit I wore:

(Claire from ClaireySweetie kindly took the photos)

Outfit Details:

Dress: Yellow lace dress from Warehouse

Necklace: Pearl necklace from Next

Bag: Pink handbag from New Look

Shoes: White ballet flats from Fiore at Matalan

I'd love to hear what you think in the comments box below.

The Bloggers Summer Hangout (#BloggersHangout)

Beauty products, manicures, cocktail slushies, cupcakes, healthy teas, chatting, and a ton of sweets - the perfect blogger day out! The Bloggers Summer Hangout had it all last weekend at the Strand Gallery in London. The event was held over three days from Thursday 23 June to Saturday 25 June. I attended the Saturday session.

The Bloggers Hangout regularly host blogger fun events like this one. If you're a blogger, I'd definitely recommend signing up to their website at www.thebloggershangout.com where you can find out about events and collaborate with brands.

Before the event, I met up with the lovely Claire from ClaireySweetie for a drink. We ended up chatting all about weddings as Claire recently got married and it's not long until I tie the knot!!

When we arrived at the event, I was overwhelmed by all the pretty displays including the super-cute Oh Crumbs! sweets table. We started at the Pink Parcel stall...

Pink Parcel

Pink Parcel is aimed at women and delivers monthly boxes to you for that time of the month when you need extra relaxation and pampering. Each box contains beauty products, tea, something sweet, along with your preferred tampons/pads. You can get all of this for just £10.50 (inc P&P) a month from www.pinkparcel.co.uk.

I was invited to create my own Pink Parcel box to trial the products included in their monthly parcels. There were so many great products to choose from! The picture above is the box I created.

T-tox

At the next stall, I was amazed to hear that each serving of T-tox Matcha tea has the health benefits of ten cups of green tea! It has many benefits including boosting metabolism, enhancing your mood, calming your mind, and increasing energy. You can add the Matcha powder to smoothies, coconut water, or turn it into a hot drink. I tried one with coconut water which was delightfully refreshing. There are three types to choose from: Health, Energise, and Recovery and you can buy them from www.t-tox.com.

Dinki Belle Nail Wraps

As you probably know, I'm a little obsessed with decorating my nails! I was instantly drawn to the Dinki Bell stall which had fabulous nail wraps on display. I had never tried a nail wrap before but I was reassured that they're super easy to use and once you're finished with them, you can just peel them off! Dinki Bell started up as an alternative for people who are allergic to nail polish, but they can be used by anyone. They have so many different styles and colours, it was hard to choose one to try! You can buy the nail wraps online at www.dinkibelle.co.uk.

Sass and Belle

OMG Sass and Belle have the cutest products for the home featuring flamingos, pineapples, cacti and watermelons! I loved the pineapple photo frame and the cactus ring holder. I'm sure that any of these will be an extremely instagrammable addition to your home! I was so excited when I found out they even have a shop here in Brighton. You can also find the products on their website at www.sassandbelle.co.uk.

Regenerate

Regenerate have created a range of products, including a toothpaste and a monthly serum, which restore the original whiteness of your teeth and help to rebuild enamel. I'm looking forward to trying it out as I've always wanted whiter teeth!

Cocktail Mania

Cocktail Mania offered three cocktail slushies to choose from. It was the first time I'd tried a cocktail slushy so I greedily opted for a mix of all three! The strawberry daiquiri one was my favourite as it was sweet and summery. There's a Cocktail Mania cafe in South East London where you can try the cocktail slushies for yourself. 

Brown Sugarbox

Wow! The cupcakes were delicious! The cupcakes came with a pipette of alcohol so you could add as much or as little as you like. I tried a chocolate cupcake injected with a squeeze of rum. It melted in my mouth and the rum and chocolate flavours really complemented each other.

Afterwards, we decided to do a photoshoot outside the gallery. See the outfit post here.

Overall, it was a fantastic event made even better by meeting up with another blogger. I particularly enjoyed the Brown Sugarbox cupcakes and the Pink Parcel stall. There were more brands at the event but I didn't get a chance to visit them all. I've enjoyed every Bloggers Hangout I've been to so far and I'm looking forward to the next one!

P.S. I decided to put my iPhone to task by only taking photos using the phone (giving my usual camera a break). So I'd love to hear what you think of the photos!

#BLFW Bloggers Fashion Event Spring 2016

On Monday I attended the #BLFW Bloggers Fashion event hosted by the Bloggers Hangout. The event was held in a unique venue under two railway arches in Provision Studios and had a wide range of brands. It was so exciting!!

If you're a blogger and haven't heard of the Bloggers Hangout yet, you should definitely check them out here. They hold numerous blogger events throughout the year as well as hosting their own blogger community. It's a great opportunity to meet brands to find out more about their products as well as meeting other bloggers.

I didn't know anyone going to the event so I arranged to meet a couple of bloggers through Twitter before the event so we could go together. I met up with the lovely Laura Ayres and Georgia from Chasing Belle 23 and we got to know each other over coffee before the event. 

There was a huge gifting lounge and loads of chances to get pampered with manicures, massages, blow dries, facials, and even a hair braiding bar! 

We first headed towards Annie Haak jewellery who were holding a Twitter competition. The blogger with the best photo of an Annie stack on Twitter would win their stack. I had so much fun creating my Annie stack from all their cute and colourful bracelets.

Here's the Annie Haak stack I created - I wish I could've taken it home! 

The next stall I visited was Leighton Denny. I have used Leighton Denny nail polishes before but I didn't know that they also sell fragrances, lipsticks, and tanning products! I particularly loved their lip duals as each one comes with a matte lipstick and a lip gloss which is perfect for changing up your look throughout the week whilst saving space in your bag. The Light & Dark fragrance collection was divine with fresh and fruity aromas. You can even layer the different fragrances to create your own signature scent - which sounds like so much fun!

I came across Zeo who have launched a range of low sugar fizzy drinks that are simply delicious! My favourite was the Mixed Berry - you must try it! 

Magnitone were offering free facials and I got to test out their different types of brushes. The brushes vibrate and whizz round to cleanse, tone, exfoliate, and massage your skin to make it super soft. 

Monu are a professional skincare brand with a selection of natural beauty products including moisturisers, serums, and exfoliators. I tried a few out which left my skin feeling smooth and smelling gorgeous. 

When I saw strawberry and chocolate milkshakes at the UFIT stall I just had to try some! They are sweet like a normal milkshake - but they are full of healthy vitamins, minerals and protein. There were also collagen+ beauty milk protein shakes which are full of antioxidants, collagen, and vitamins, for healthier and firmer skin. 

I was drawn to the Kenneth Taylor table which was filled with elegant candles and seductive aromas! Each candle is scented with one of Kenneth Taylor’s signature bouquets. Once the candle has burned away you can reuse the holder as a flower vase! They kindly gifted me a moisturiser in the midsummer night fragrance - I'll put a review up soon. 

The Curl Company are experts in curls and waves. However if you have flat hair like me then you can still use most of their products such as the shampoo and conditioner to keep your hair looking beautiful and frizz-free.

Waleda are well known for their iconic beauty products and they are now celebrating their 90th birthday. They have just launched Skin Food, a natural beauty all-rounder, that can be used as a face mask, make-up primer, skin revitaliser, and much more! 

There were so many more wonderful brands including Amie, SBC, Paul Mitchell, L.A.B.2, and Bravura. I was kindly gifted by many of the brands and I can't wait to test out the products! So watch out for beauty reviews on the way soon.

Thank you to the Bloggers Hangout for the invite. I had a fantastic time at the event and loved getting the chance to find out about these amazing brands.