I have been such a naughty little blogger! Since deciding to take my horrible blog-break for about three months from February to May I had planned to avoid everything blog-worthy purely because I KNEW I would want to write about it, but also knew I just didn't have the time. So when I received an email from Laura Gallagher at Flourescent PR a few months back inviting me to the grand opening of Theo Paphitis's brand new lingerie shop,
Boux Avenue, I had to decline as hard as it was.
Then one day after heading into Birmingham to return some books to my university library, I found myself having a quick mooch around the Bullring. As I came down on the escalator to the second level, I glanced to my right and there it was, Boux Avenue's shop window complete with multi-coloured balloons and a huge sign outside saying, 'Theo Paphitis will be officially opening our stunning new store'. When I saw the line, 'Temptation awaits...' I could hardly turn around and leave could I??? So I moseyed on in and luxury lingerie at reasonable prices confronted me immediately... I was in heaven!
*Sexy lace thongs with cute bow details*
*Crisp white bras with pretty ruched cups*
*Cute little petticoats with ballet slippers*
*Comfy-looking cotton hipster booty shorts with lace trim*
*This is my favorite bra in the whole shop. A powder blue-and-white-stripe balcony bra, so adorable!*
The lovely Boux Avenue staff came over to see if I wanted any help which I thought was brilliant in terms of customer service, particularly as in a lingerie shop I know some ladies can feel a little intimidated or too shy to ask for assistance. I was told about their free bra-fitting service which I could inquire about in the dressing room, and the sizing system was explained to me. If you've ever been to a Victoria's Secret lingerie shop then you'll be familiar with the system, but basically if you don't see your size hanging up, then you can pull out one of the drawers below and find a carefully-laid out stock of each style and size in stock. That way, if you ARE too shy to ask for help then you don't REALLY have to. Love it.
The highlight of the event was meeting Theo Paphitis who was absolutely lovely. He set aside enough time for me and a few other bloggers to have a photograph and a quick chat. He seemed very happy that I'd called Boux Avenue 'Victoria's Secret but better'. Also, when I said to him, 'Good luck with this whole thing!' he smiled and said that people don't often wish him luck any more because he's already been so successful. Then he said it was nice of me to say it! I literally want him to be my best friend. Such a genuine guy.
The ONLY thing that I would have done to improve the event would be to not to have models giving away candy in lingerie. Only because, I thought they looked a bit cheap which isn't a very true representation of the company as although the prices are reasonable, the image is expensive and that's why Boux Avenue is a winner in my opinion.
Flourescent PR and Boux Avenue also threw together a lovely goodie bag for all of us bloggers which allowed us to try out a mix of the beauty and lingerie items also, and I've been immensely impressed with each of the things I've tried so far.
*Look how lovely all of the packaging was! I felt a bit like it was my birthday or something, which is exactly how you should feel when buying lingerie in my opinion.*
*Although I've found the flavour of this rose-petal lip balm quite off putting, the formula is lovely and its one of the most moisturizing and hydrating lip balms I've tried so far. Also, the pot is huge and a little goes a long way so I'm sure this will last me for ages.*
*Boux Avenue's White Chiffon hand cream is lovely to apply just before bed because it has such a 'comfy' scent. Does that make any sense? Like, it reminds me of the smell of clean sheets. And again, its really softening which is lovely for me especially because I get stress-related eczema which can be quite sore, dry and itchy, so giving myself a little hand massage before bed with this stuff is perfect. I even use it on my feet before bed too, just to keep them nice and soft.*
*What could be inside...*
*Leopard print pink-lace trimmed panties of course! These were in a size 10 which LUCKILY fit me (I say luckily because I think 10's were the only size handed out, so, winner!) These have a really cute shape, like French panties. Super-duper flattering and easy to be matched with if you don't have the exact pattern bra as virtually any white, brown, black or pale pink one will work.
Boux Avenue also very kindly gave me a USB stick (random) and a £20 gift voucher, presumably so I can purchase a beautiful bra to match the above panties. I haven't spent this yet, but I'm very much looking forward to doing so because I'm in desperate need of some new boulder-holders and can't wait to try out Boux's bra-fitting service.
So thank you once again to Theo Paphitis, Boux Avenue and Flourescent PR for organizing a fantastic event and generously gifting this lovely goodie bag.
Have you been to a Boux Avenue shop yet? How do you feel about their prioritizing customer service? Would you ever wear a plain black bra with these leopard print panties or am I just a weirdo for thinking I could get away with that?
Love and snuggles
gabriellasofia
x
