I was recently invited to Intu Lakeside’s A/W Fashion Blogger’s Event, and had such an amazing time that I just had to document the experience! I wasn’t really sure what to expect – every blogger event is always completely different, but I can definitely say I had an amazing time! Read on to see what I got up to!
The event started with prosecco and nibbles at Intu Lakeside’s Personal Stylist Lounge. At first, I was pretty nervous (I always am before these events!) but luckily, I had been allowed to bring a +1 along to the event. My friend Jodie came (yes, we are both called Jodie, she is the yin to my yang) so I was glad I didn’t have to encounter those awkward ‘no-one is talking to me’ moments that I dread so much! There were only a small amount of bloggers, though, and everyone was so lovely that we quickly settled into the group and were able to talk more!
There were some quick introductions from Chloe, from Intu Lakeside, and Megan, from Voice Comms, about the new #IntuVIB club (Intu’s Very Important Bloggers!) and the exciting new opportunities that should be arising over the next few months. If you’re interested in becoming a part of the #IntuVIB club, then get in touch with them on Twitter for more info!
We were then introduced to Carlene, who runs intu Lakeside’s Personal Stylist lounge. Carlene is a celebrity personal stylist herself, and I was absolutely AMAZED to learn that Intu Lakeside offer her personal stylist sessions COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE. You don’t have to buy anything – there are absolutely no strings attached whatsoever! Carlene will sit you down, have a consultation, and then take you out shopping all around intu Lakeside to find the perfect outfit! Personal stylists are normally hundreds of pounds (or you end up being roped into buying hundreds of pounds worth of clothes!) so I am so glad I now know this service exists so close to home. I’m actually booking myself & my boyfriend in with Carlene to find the perfect couple’s outfit for a wedding we are attending soon!
Carlene also took us through the top 5 trends for A/W 2016… Velvet, Animal Print, Heritage, Sparkle & Purple! I was pretty chuffed that I was bang on point that day with my Biba leopard print dress!
We then had the chance to speak to a few different brands in smaller groups. We spoke to Fleur from Toni & Guy, who advised that an ombre might look good on me, without damaging my healthy hair I’ve worked so hard to achieve. I’m not sure how I feel about dying my hair at all after ruining my hair from a really bad bleach job when I was younger, so I think I’ll stick to my natural colour for now!
A Victoria’s Secret ambassador gave us a quick bra fitting and advised what the best styles for our preferences of bra would be. She also told us that Victoria Secret hopes to have a UK distribution centre within the next 5 years, which is great news as it means the price will come down to be more on par with the US prices. Yay!
Kiehl’s talked us through some of their best selling products. I was really intrigued to learn more about their range, as my sister swears by their Facial Creme, and I have heard many a good thing about the brand. Normally, Kiehl’s would be a bit above my normal price range for skincare, but a brand doesn’t get that many happy customers for nothing! We were kind enough to be given a little goodybag of samples to take home to try out, so keep an eye out for my thoughts on the products in more detail soon!
The event finished up with speaking to Carlene in more detail to find out our body shape. Many women don’t actually know their body shape, let alone dress to flatter it. I had a feeling my body shape was either hourglass or pear because I have a small waist and when I gain weight it tends to go straight to my hips, thighs and bum. Carlene confirmed that I was a pear shape, and sticking to shapes like an a-line or skater skirt will flatter my body shape. She told me the dress I was wearing was perfect for my body shape, so I was very happy! On trend AND dressed to my body shape for once! Haha!
I was wearing a Biba dress* from House of Fraser, which I styled with a black belt, black backpack, boots and some black lipstick. I paired this with a Barley & Bo ring* and a Corbico Jewellery midi ring. I just wish I had painted my nails to tie the look together, too!
We finished off with some group photos, received a lovely little goody bag full of samples which I can’t wait to try out (thank you!) and then some of the girls headed down to the fashion show. Me and Jodie were absolutely shattered (I was still recovering from my tonsillectomy, so this took up a lot of my energy!) so we split up from the group and nipped into Primark before heading off home.
If you visit intu Lakeside or are a local blogger, let me know in the comments below – I’d love to get to know more of you!
If you liked this post, why not check out the other blogging events I’ve attended?
Shop the top 5 trends for A/W 2016 – Velvet, Animal Print, Heritage, Sparkle & Purple:
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*This post contains PR samples/gifts. Please visit my disclaimer page for more information.