I really haven't been to many blogger events in my time. In fact, bar a couple of get-togethers with other bloggers, and an event I went to with Champneys as a member of the media rather than a blogger, I haven't been to any.
Last weekend I eagerly (and very nervously) headed down to Piccadilly Circus in London to go to the the 2016 Bloggers Ball organised by the lovely Scarlett London. Although I've spoken to a fair few bloggers that were going on Twitter, I was uber anxious about meeting new people, being able to speak to them and not coming across as the lonely girl in the room who came on her own. Thankfully the lovely Laura (Elilibee), Emma (Essays and Wine), Chloe (Mojichlo) and Kayleigh (Very Berry Cosmo) took me under their wings and ensured I had a fab day.
We were greeted by a mass of lovely PRs and brands who were incredibly willing to help us out with any queries. The people at Seed & Bean were especially lovely, even though I was that person who asked whether their bars contained nuts or soy. Whoops. All in all, I was very impressed with how friendly the PR people were, and how much they know about the brand. That is, until disaster struck. Now I'm not going to name names, but a skincare brand rep was not only rude to a number of other bloggers but had the grace to inform me that my skin was quite clearly 'problematic' because of my freckles and obviously large pores. Thankfully I wasn't too hurt by this, but honestly can people not watch what they say? So. Damn. Rude.
There was a whole variety of stalls down there - fashion based ones, jewellery ones, foodie ones and more. We all know I don't do fashion that much, so my little beady eyes were drawn to the skincare and food/drink stalls more than anything. My favourites of these were definitely Seed & Bean (um they do lavender flavoured chocolate), Vatika who gave me the most nourishing garlic hair oil, and the On the Dot team who were SO enthusiastic about their brand.
Anyhoo, I had SUCH a fab day, and came away seriously laden down with all the goodies I received, and that's to say nothing of all the food and drinks I got to sample whilst I was there. The Roam and Relish pastrami was absolutely gorgeous, and I may indeed need to repurchase it. Plus, if you've ever wondered whether Boomf marshmallows taste as good as they look, they do.
Now onto the bit you guys are all actually interested in, right? I received SO many goodies in the end - so many that I couldn't not share them with you guys. So, I've got a giveaway including bits and pieces from Bravura UK, So ... ? Fragrances, Exuviance, Lipivir and Carmex. Altogether this bundle comes over to just over £100, eeeek!
The giveaway is open to UK RESIDENTS ONLY (sorry but shipping costs are just eurgh). You need to be over 18 to enter and all entries will be checked. I am not responsible for any breakages or damage during shipping. The giveaway will close at midnight on the 9th July.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Healthy herbal teas are basically my life. I start my day with one, they accompany every meal of mine and I finish my day with one. So I was overjoyed to have the opportunity to collaborate with Higher Living Teas. Trying out new teas is a wee bit of an addiction for me (boxes of tea take up an entire shelf in my kitchen!), so I was super excited to try out five teas I've never given a go before.
Despite my rather large tea collection I can be rather fussy - anything spiced, cinnamon-y or aniseed filled is a definite no-go. BUT this little collection from Higher Living Tea turned up a priceless little gem for me this winter: coconut green tea*. This has been glued to my hand - and lips - in my favourite new mug from Tiger all winter. It's totally filling and warming and makes me feel uber snuggly when I sit down with a cup in front of netflix of an evening. The strawberry white tea* was similarly a bit hit on my radar. Clipper seems to have stopped selling their strawberry green tea (why tea gods, why?!), and this was definitely a worthy replacement.
What teas are taking your fancy this winter?
The products in this post were sponsored, however all opinions are my own as always.
