My TOWIB OOTD Featured on the ASOS Website!

So it looks like all of my agonizing over my outfit for the TOWIB event this weekend paid off as my Outfit of the Day has actually been featured on the ASOS website! They have this section which I'd never seen before called Fashion Finder and a few of the lovely ladies from the team were present at TOWIB. At the end of the event they got a few snaps of me and some of the other lovely ladies I met during the day in a 'Street-Style'-inspired improvised-on-the-spot (by us 'models' I mean as we had no idea we were going to be shot...) photo sesh. The images have since gone onto the ASOS website, complete with a list of similar items to those which I have on in this photograph which can be purchased from ASOS. Fab!

So what did I wear?

1) The Beatles T-shirt from H&M tied at the waist in a center knot - a similar one can be found on the ASOS site.

2) Black pashmina from Mom's Wardrobe :) - ASOS have one similar for a tenner, score!

3) A sheer waterfall-shaped midi-skirt with a small animal print pattern from Topshop - ASOS have one for £22.50

4) A standard pair of black tights - ASOS definitely have a variety of these in different finishes for a range of prices

5) Little black booties with tassles from... Mom's Wardrobe again lol. I love nicking her things, but they were originally from Topshop - Again, just hit up ASOS for a similar pair which will hopefully be more comfy than the ones I wore...

So there you have it. To shop this look on ASOS.com just click here and keep an eye on their Fashion Finder resource because if you're as nosy as I am then you'll love seeing what others are wearing and how to tweak their looks to suit your own style :)

Have you ever been featured in a street-style type piece? What do you reckon to ASOS's Fashion Finder? What do you think of my outfit? I also wore my black cropped leather jacket and my black cape also to keep out the cold... 

Love

gabriellasofia

x

Event Review: TOWIB Part 2...

This is part two of my TOWIB Event Review... For part one click here. Please understand that everything I've posted in this review is my own personal opinion and there is no malice intended. I have the utmost respect for the organizers and I generally had a great day. However, there were elements which I didn't enjoy as much as I could have done so to give a balanced review I am going to be honest. This is just the way I saw the event, and I'm sure many out there saw it very differently and that's obviously fab! Just wanted to give that little disclaimer so as not to become a big part of the big Twitter debate where some people have been ungrateful, disrespectful and classless.

ANYWAY! What happened after the PR session?

 

We had a break for a little while as everyone 'digested' (aka. gossiped about) the information which we'd learned as there was a fresh batch of teas, coffees and water available as refreshment. This was the stage when no-one could help realizing that there was two very handsome men stood at the front of the room. Amidst whispers and swoons, Hayley made it clear that we were about to have an eBuzzing experience involving these Sex Gods. Unfortunately, this experience was nowhere near as arousing as it sounded. The lady who was supposed to be conducting the first half of the presentation was absent meaning that a hunk with a Kiwi/Australian (I'M NOT AN ACCENT EXPERT OK???) had to literally wing it. It was apparent that Hayley wasn't impressed with his presentation as about fifteen minutes in she actually stood up and gave him advice on where he should have started his speech. This was slightly awkward and despite the fact that the dulcet monotones of him and his sexy colleague were sending most of us to sleep, I still felt kind of sorry for him. After being called out in a room full of women who essentially just wanted the simple facts, this poor guy had to continue with his colleague for another forty-five minutes, and by the end of the hour I sadly felt that although the concept which he was discussing (making between £80 and £130 per blog-post HELLO!!!) was obviously very attractive at first glance for most bloggers, at least two thirds of the room clearly decided the event wasn't worth hanging around for as they made a rather sharp exit once the session was over (with a handful even leaving during the presentation which, whilst being widely considered rude, was understandable.)  I will be doing a post about eBuzzing in a couple of days with some of the key points which the handsome men went through, although I promise I'll try to make it less sleep-inducing and cringeworthy than the whole interrupted palaver was yesterday.

This was the time of the day that we'd all been waiting for... Tea and scones. Although most people had already drank a waterfall of tea, since it was what we'd paid for people virtually climbed over each other in order to grab another cup. As before I opted for water as I don't drink hot drinks and no alternative was on offer, and I also helped myself to a scone with jam and clotted cream (do you pronounce it scown or skon? One of the most thought-provoking questions of the event...) a meringue nest with whipped cream and raspberries and a cupcake with what seemed to be coconut on top. Now, this has been a bit of a taboo subject from the event. Many people have (fairly) argued that considering the event began at 12pm and finished at 6pm, there perhaps should have been food on offer if only a selection of little sandwiches and crisps. Others have argued that the tickets were only £5 and considering the amount of benefits we've 'reaped' from the event we could hardly expect there to be a gourmet three-course dinner on offer. At risk of sitting on the fence (which I usually hate) I agree with both. Our £5 got us six hours of blogger-chat in a four-star central London hotel. However, I would rather have spent £15 and had lunch, because six hours is really too long (especially when the event falls across lunch-time) not to have anything more than some tiny scones. Having said that, the scones were delicious but there didn't seem to be enough. This meant that many who were not scared away from TOWIB by the sexy men, were about to collapse from hunger so they left to eat.

After the scones-session, Vikki asked if we could leave, but despite the fact that I have absolutely no interest in wigs whatsoever, I begged her to stomach the hour-long session with Annabelle's Wigs as I was really eager to see one of my favorite bloggers A Model Recommends in the Q&A bloggers panel session at the end. I will post about Annabelle's Wigs at a later date, although I must admit that this session was in no way useful to me (or most bloggers) at all. The founder of the company conducted this presentation, if you could call it that, but again her voice didn't carry very far and as much as I hate to say it, the presentation was not very polished. This meant that she struggled to command much of the audiences attention and I did feel kind of bad for her. 

Nonetheless, we endured the wig session, took it with a pinch of salt and eventually managed to have a bit of a laugh with it. Can't say I wasn't happy when that session was over though. Now for my big disappointment for the day. Although I absolutely love Get Lippie who sold me her ticket last week, I was kind of gutted when the organizer of TOWIB, Hayley from London Beauty Queen explained with a couple of throwaway comments that A Model Recommends actually was unable to attend and I worked out that Get Lippie was perhaps her replacement. Now this is something which I'm absolutely not positive of, but I do know that Get Lippie was roped in at last minute about a week ago as she originally had bought her own ticket before being invited onto the panel and no longer needing said ticket sold it to me. If I am right in thinking that she was A Model Recommends' replacement, then this tells me that Hayley may have been aware a while ago that my blog idol wasn't going to be able to make it. Had I known she wasn't coming, I may not even have purchased my ticket to begin with, or at the very least might have left with everyone else for lunch! 

AND YET despite my irritation that this might have been the case, I am glad in the end that I stayed as the Q&A blogger session actually was very informative as introduced me to the fabulous King's Road Rocks! blog and allowed me to experience some of Get Lippie's amazing personality. Not to mention that by this point, about 75% of attendees had left leaving a more intimate atmosphere. 

Then that was it! Hayley the organizer bragged a couple of times that she had to dash as she was going to an Ollie Murs concert and checking the time I decided it was definitely Nandos o'clock so Vik and I headed off after signing the guest book and having our photos taken by ASOS (all very glam!).

So my overall opinion of TOWIB was that it was a good value for money event where I met a lot of awesome girls and learnt a couple of tips. If I had organized it, I would charge more, serve food and have a bigger room. I would also make sure that each of the sessions was relevant and of interest to the majority of guests, would corroborate the presentations of each of the sessions as there were a couple of contradictions throughout the event (eg. when one of the PR ladies was saying she dislikes seeing that bloggers have been paid for posts... when our next session was with eBuzzing; a company that specializes in paying bloggers for posts... awkward...) Finally, I'd finalize the itinerary before tickets went on sale and make everyone aware of any changes to the itinerary as and when they happen just to avoid disappointment and let bloggers know exactly what it is that they are paying for.

To conclude, Hayley put on a fab TOWIB for my first time. I will attend again if I find the sessions relevant and the price reasonable (going to London from Stoke is a trek if I'm not even interested in what will be discussed). Although there were some statements which were made which I found offensive and unprofessional, I'm not sure exactly what people expected from a lady who is only charging each person £5, works a full time job on top of blogging and is putting on an event for over 100 strangers. Hayley, I salute you.

So thanks TOWIB for a great day :) And thanks to all the beautiful bloggers that I met at the event! 

Do you call it a skon or scown? Did you attend TOWIB? How do you feel about events like this?

Let me know :) 

Love

gabriellasofia 

x

Event Review: TOWIB Part 1...

Hey guys! Hope you're all waiting with bated breath for my next Jenny Craig and IMATS posts which I'm planning on giving as much detail as possible on... Unfortunately that means multiple posts and much time spent on the posts so please bear with me. HOWEVER, today I have the first of a few different TOWIB posts which I'm planning and this is quite simply an event review. Whilst I was slightly reluctant to post this due to all of the controversy on Twitter regarding some rude, unfair and classless TOWIB reviews, I feel I owe it to my readers as much to myself to be as honest as I can, whilst maintaining respect for everyone involved in the organisation of this event.

So now I've given that little disclaimer, let's get started!

You may have seen my post a week or so ago begging for anyone with a spare TOWIB ticket to get in touch. Thankfully, Get Lippie was able to sell me hers as she'd been invited onto the Q&A panel since buying her own ticket. The organizer of TOWIB Hayley from London Beauty Queen gave me the tip that there may be a spare ticket over there as I'd emailed her to ask if I could be on a waiting list and this was fab of her.

I got up at 7am and left the house at 7.20am to be on the 8.20am train from Stafford into London Euston in time to meet my pal Victoria's Vintage at 10.50am. I did my entire make-up on the train, had my hair in a sleek donut-ring bun and I wore my The Beatles t-shirt from H&M, my sheer tan-and-black midi-skirt from Topshop, my Forever21 khaki booties, black tights, Delia's leather jacket, Dorothy Perkins black cape, black pashmina and appropriate ring, necklace and earrings combo. Phew. I was wearing a lot of clothes! 

I've heard mixed reviews about past TOWIB events feeling cliquey, and having felt rather uncomfortable when I walked into the VIP Bloggers area at IMATS last week for the same reason, I was a little nervous to look as perfect as possible so no-one could pick on me haha. So I used Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation, MAC Sin lipstick, DiorShow New Look mascara and a nude eyeshadow look from my Urban Decay Naked pallette amongst other things.

Anyway, enough about that! After navigating the London Underground and a variety of Tottenham Court Road's surrounding streets, when me and Vikki arrived at the beautiful little boutique hotel The Montague we collected our name stickers and headed to the toilets to check our make-up (standard Beauty Blogger Habit!) After waiting for about five minutes in line for the toilets (as only one was operational for however many guests TOWIB had) we entered the conference room where it became immediately obvious that the room was slightly cramped. There was tea, coffee and water available which was nice, but some complained that orange juice would have been a nice touch. The biscuits on offer were yummy though! 

Spotting my other blog pal Annabel from Yoyo and Bel was a lovely surprise as I wasn't sure if she had a ticket or not, so me, her and Vikki jogged to grab a seat about halfway down the room. Before we knew it, it was time for the events to begin.

Now, I'm not going to lie, I think I would have liked to see the itinerary for TOWIB before tickets went on sale. Whilst I did have a fab day, it was fab in a different way than I thought. I expected to learn an awful lot of insightful ways in which I could optimize the professionalism, content and (let's be honest for a minute...) blog traffic of my blog. Instead, I learnt a little bit about this, but networked with fellow bloggers throughout the day which for me was about a thousand times more worth-while than the things some of the speakers had to say.

This is a personal opinion, based on what I want to put into and get out of my blog. There are others who found every word to be dripping with valuable information, so please try not to take my review too seriously as blogging is a VERY personal thing which people do for their own reasons, hence they do not always agree with one another. For example, for those wishing to earn from their blog, I can imagine almost every session was immensely useful. However, I can't say this is true for me. 

The first session was perhaps one of my favorites, but it was not without its own obstacles. Bloggers were asked to mingle around the room collecting as many URLs from fellow bloggers as possible, and we were promised that the URLs on each of our lists would be counted and the blogger with the longest list would win a box of cupcakes. Despite the fact that (like Get Lippie later said whilst the rest of us cringed as we felt perhaps her accidental case of foot-in-mouth disease might have offended Hayley...) I'm sick of the sight of cupcakes, I am quite competitive and love meeting other bloggers, so I got mingling and collected a list of about 30 URLs. Unfortunately, the competition element of this task was forgotten until way later in the day, so to those that left TOWIB early the task was essentially redundant apart from simply to discover new blogs. One such blogger has cussed the organizers out for falsely promising a prize, but this is just not true. Nonetheless, despite the fact that the room and layout of the room was no good for accommodating the amount of guests, the task was generally fun and inoffensive. 

Next up, we had a Q&A session with some PR industry insiders, including a young lady from Motel which supplies Topshop amongst others, another young lady who is currently working on Nivea and Dove campaigns and finally Hayley, the TOWIB organizer, who also labels PR, brand managment and copy writing amongst her work tasks. I did find this session quite useful and I will be posting a 'Social Networking... Working with PR' post soon to come so I'll let you in on the likes and dislikes of those PRs which so many of us want to be working with! However, I did find that there was much repetition of the same questions and hence the same responses and also that self-editing in the name of appearing professional was virtually non-existent. Some answers given by the experts were slightly longer than necessary and the bad-mouthing by one of the panel with regards to Handpicked Media was not appreciated by much of the audience and has since become somewhat of a hot topic. I must apologize for not being able to give names, this is for two reasons... 1) I don't wish to shine anyone in a negative light if I can help it and 2) I couldn't even if I wanted to, due to the lack of appropriate acoustics I actually didn't catch their names. 

Check back for Part 2 of this review, to be shortly posted...

Did you go to TOWIB? What did you think? What are your thoughts about the 'ERC on Twitter' as I like to call it... (Event Review Controversy)?

Love

gabriellasofia

x

Hunting for a TOWIB Ticket...

Hey guys!

I'm having to ask you all a huge favour... I missed out of the The Only Way Is Blogging tickets which have sold out today. I'm such an idiot, I've just been so busy that in the excitement I forgot that I actually have to buy my ticket and before I knew it, it was too late. If anyone out there knows of anyone selling their TOWIB ticket then pretty please let them know that I'm dying to buy it from them! Please Tweet for me @HauteFuture and maybe #TOWIB and #bbloggers do anything you can, I'd really appreciate it :)

Love you all and hopefully I'll find a ticket!
gabriellasofia