Selfridges Spring/Summer 2013 Bloggers Preview

Isn't December just manic??? I have been so busy collecting top class blog content that I haven't had enough time to actually write the posts! Anyway, it is the thought that counts right? And it is better late than never, so here we go...

On December 5th I was lucky enough to have the afternoon booked off work as annual leave, so I hopped on a train and headed to Birmingham's Selfridges Spring/Summer 2013 Preview for bloggers. I attended the same event last year simply because I invited myself when a fellow blogger had to cancel. Last year was fantastic fun and I met some brilliant girls, so I knew it would soon become and annual must-do. 

*My face-of-the-day was pretty simple to be honest... I did a more pronounced brow than usual, put on more mascara, my MAC Frankly Scarlett blusher, MAC New York Apply lippy in the Frost finish and when I noticed I had a nasty zit to the left of my nose which was refusing to be concealed, I decided to disguise it as a Cindy Crawford-esque beauty spot with the help of my MAC Brun eye shadow*

Selfridges Christmas Beauty Event...

I've been crazy busy so far with so many things to do in time for Christmas, not to mention my looming deadlines for January... don't remind me about them!

I was wandering through the Bullring the other day, and a handsome man in a rather sharp suit accosted me outside Selfridges, telling me all about this Christmas Beauty event which had been organised for two days later (the 1st December). I was told that tickets cost just £10, which was redeemable against purchase on the day of the event. In exchange for my £10, I would get a beauty goodie bag, a glass or two of champagne, a yummy mince pie and a handful of make-up application master classes from some of the major brands in Selfridges. I took a leaflet and walked on, dreaming about all of the beauty goodies I'm craving for Christmas and thought I wouldn't think of it again!

However, that day my dad expressed an interest in a Bullring shopping trip (this means he was desperately lacking in Christmas shopping) so before I knew it, I was stood outside Selfridges with my little sister in tow and a belly full of Jamie's Kitchen!

A couple of hours earlier I'd headed into Selfridges and purchased two tickets and signed myself up for an Estee Lauder foundation lesson, an eyeshadow masterclass at Bobbi Brown and a blush-match with Clinique. However, by the time I'd finished my dinner with my parents, I'd missed the final two so headed straight to Estee Lauder where the lovely Jay removed my 'face' and reapplied a more flawless version of it! Of course, he used the esteemed Double Wear Foundation and the Double Wear Stay-in-Place concealer amongst other great products and my

skin looked and felt so smooth whilst also feeling so lightweight!

There was a 'performance' by some creepy clown-looking version of Santa Claus (and we all know how I feel about clowns...) and some gospel-choir style band of about three women and two men who seemed to be shouting the lyrics at us. This is no exaggeration. I remember the rendition of Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You to be particularly cutting complete with screeching and the 'I've-got-attitude-so-I'm-going-to-wiggle-my-head-from-side-to-side-and-do-twinkle-fingers-up-and-down-by-the-side-of-my-face-as-I-can't-hold-a-note-and-it-makes-it-look-like-I've-done-it-deliberately' dance moves. Fantastic. The music was actually so loud, that Jay and I were having to shout into each others' ears which although he seemed very nice, I have to admit it is a bit too close for comfort with a strange man with a foundation brush for my liking... Nonetheless, he is a wizard with that brush and I felt so much more beautiful than I usually do, haha.

As I previously mentioned, my dad needed to get some Christmas shopping done, namely for me, so I figured that would be how I could get my £10 redeemed as there were numerous beauty goodies I was dying for for Christmas, from benefit, Urban Decay and Nails INC. Of course, I'm a complete idiot and didn't realize that Selfridges no longer have a benefit counter and seems never to have had Urban Decay or Nails INC. I was temporarily gutted, until I remembered that Selfridges DOES HAVE a MAC counter and also NARS. Plus, Debenhams have the three that I was looking for with a fantastic 10% off offer on the same day, so the disaster was generally averted! Thank goodness for that...

I had the best beauty day ever really! I'm not going to reveal the bits and bobs I chose from the various make-up counters as honestly I'm trying to forget so I'm surprised on Christmas morning... According to my dad, they've all been sent off to Santa Claus now and are ready in the sleigh. Eeeep!

And now for the bit which you all want to know about; the goodie bag. I was going to record a goodie bag haul for the event but the items are all so small that I figured a picture would be best. I got a Balenciaga Paris 10. Avenue George V mini fragrance, and also an Acqua di Parma one too. I got this really cute hot pink cosmetics bag from Juicy Couture with a delux sample size of Viva la Body Lotion by them too. I got a little tube of Dior's Creme Reparation Rides (also known as Wrinkle Correction Eye Cream), Alien by Thierry Mugler Body Lotion and also a sample of Fekkai's Shea Butter which is lush! The best bits in the goodie bag though were, by far, the little sample tube of NARS's Firming Foundation, Super Orgasm skin Illuminator highlighter and Clinique's exfoliating Clarifying Lotion 2. Honestly, the goodie bag wasn't amazing, but considering the whole event was essentially free once I'd redeemed each of my two £10 tickets on a couple of Christmas purchases courtesy of the Bank of Daddy I really can't complain. Furthermore, I got two of everything as my sister is nowhere near as much of a beauty fanatic as I am so she gave me her bag and the entire contents! Great success :)

So in all Selfridges Christmas Beauty Event was an evening well spent. I know that a few different department stores run this kind of event around Christmas time, and it seeks that House of Fraser were giving an even better goodie bag. However, I much prefer Selfridges at the moment as I find it to be a much friendlier environment, so I'm quite content with what I got. I would definitely recommend this kind of event to anyone who loves beauty. Get some girls together and head on a night out afterwards when your make-up has been done by some of the best brands in the industry... not many people will be looking as good as you one the likes of Estee Lauder's Jay has had anything to do with it.

Have you been to this kind of event before? What was in your goodie bag? Was anyone in Selfridges that night?

Let me know

Love

gabriellasofia

x

Letter From the Editor: Finding the Balance!

What a lovely start to October here in the UK! The weather has been glorious for the past couple of days, I've been able to wear my 'Florida-clothes' for a couple of days longer which is just lush... The only real downside to all this beautiful sunshine is the heat in the evenings. It has been really too warm for the past four or five nights which means that I've been sleeping really quite poorly. Considering my boyfriend came to meet my parents for the first time for the weekend, I've been caravaning with my grandparents AND I've just begun my last year at university, I could really have done with a regular sleeping pattern, but alas, no such luck! I know it's no excuse, but this business and tiredness has resulted in me skipping a couple of blog posts, but never fear, I promise I will deliver each of the posts I promised on September the 1st. I just need a little time to get myself back into a routine and I'll be on it :)

This is something that's been really playing on my mind recently. I'm not sure about you guys, but I need to get organized. I love my day planner, and highlighters, and Post-It Notes and more importantly, I feel less stressed when I put them all to good use. October is all about getting settled for me. Getting used to the differences in my life since summer-time (like not being able to sit for hours at a time sipping ice-cold strawberry cider, or whiling away the time slicking on suntan lotion, or trying out bronzer after bronzer for that 'natural' tan look... ahhh to reminisce!) and falling back into the likes of work, university, blogging, socializing and keeping on top of my extra-curriculars! Sound like a lot to think about? Well it is!

I'm sure you've all got responsibilities of your own so we all need to make sure we've got the balance right. Let me know how it goes, and in the meantime keep checking back here at HauteFuture for your latest dose of beauty, fashion and lifestyle chitchat :) Here's what's coming up this month:

2nd October - Blog - Beauty - Review - Garnier BB Cream

3rd October - Blog - Fashion - My October Wish-List

4th October - Video - Beauty - Groomed Eyebrow Tutorial

5th October - Blog - Feature - Tips For Bikini-Wax Virgins...

6th October - Blog - Feature - Knowing Your Worth!

10th October - Video - Nails - Rocking The Gothic Trend

11th October - Blog - Health - Keeping Our Immune System's in Check

12th October - Blog - Beauty - Review - Estee Lauder Free Gift Review

13th October - Video - Hair - 'Nice Buns' Tutorial

14th October - Blog - Guest Feature

17th October - Blog - Beauty - Review: Beauty Counter V Drugstore Foundation

18th October - Video - Beauty - Estee Lauder's Alan Pan's Beauty Tricks

19th October - Blog - Health - How To Get a Good Night's Sleep

20th October - Blog - Feature - Finding a New Boyfriend When 'The One' Becomes 'The Ex'

21st October - Blog - Fashion - Blog Sale!

24th October - Video - The 'What's In My Bag' Tag :)

25th October - Blog - Feature - Who's That Girl?

26th October - Blog - Guest Feature

27th October - Blog - Beauty - Review - Dermalogica Range

28th October - Blog - Feature - How Many Free Beauty Products Can I Get in Selfridges? UNDERCOVER REPORT

31st October - Video - October Faves

Hope these are all to you liking :) As September has proven, I may not ALWAYS begin to stick to this schedule as strictly as I'd like, but this serves as a general guideline as to the posts that I want to get out there! Also, like I said, I will work hard to get any missing posts/videos from September out to you as soon as possible... The posts I owe you include; A New Spin on the Smoky Eye, How the Mouse Stole My Magic, Disco Ain't Dead Nail Tutorial, a Guest Feature, How I'm Wearing the New Season's Trends, a-Who's-That-Girl?-post and of course my September Faves which are due to be posted tomorrow!

Ciao for now, Lovers

gabriellasofia