All About Feelunique Pick 'n' Mix - March 2019 Selection*

Over the last few months or so I've been sharing my thoughts on the various subscription boxes that I subscribe to, and bar a few dodgy items, and a few hiccups here and there I'm still a huge fan of the concept, I love trying new things and I love the whole surprise element. Given the financial outlay and the risk element though, I can completely understand why some people don't like them. If you like the idea of trying new things but you aren't keen on the surprise element though there are a now a few options that able you to enjoy the beauty box experience without as much of a risk.

A lot of the beauty box companies such as Glossybox, Cohorted and Latest In Beauty do a lot of limited edition one off boxes, as do various beauty retailers including QVC UK, Debenhams, and even ASOS. The contents of these boxes is either clearly listed so you know exactly what you're buying or in some cases you can even choose what you want in your box. The fact that you know exactly what's in the box takes away that surprise element but since you can choose whether or not to buy it, it definitely takes away some of the risk. One thing it doesn't tackle though is the price issue, and if anything some of these one off boxes can actually work out more expensive than a regular subscription box, just having a quick look online the cheapest one off box I can find at the moment is £20 for QVC UK's TILI, not cheap and potentially still a pricey way to try something new. Fear for those of you who are watching the pennies but you fancy trying something new beauty wise, then there is another option.

Now if you read my February empties post or if you've ever watched any of my You Tube videos, and then you'll already have heard about the Feelunique UK Pick 'n' Mix. I don't know about you but I love Feelunique UK, their site features beauty products from over 500 brands including Clarins, Charlotte Tilbury, HUDA Beauty and Anastasia Beverley Hills, it really is a beauty junkies paradise. Apart from the sheer amount of choice on the website one of the reasons that I really love Feelunique is because of their fabulously proactive sampling policy. As well as the popular "try me" policy on certain items, you also get 2 samples on every order over £40, and they offer a fabulous Pick 'n" Mix service.

It's exactly the same as buying some Pick 'n' Mix at the cinema only without the terrifying price tag. Feelunique UK allows you to pick 5 samples a month, from an extensive and ever changing list of everything from perfumes, to make up, and skincare products from all of their most popular brands for only £3.95 shipping and handling. It sounds a lot but after your samples have been dispatched you then receive an email from Feelunique containing a code, which entitles you to £3.95 off your next purchase, so it's pretty much risk free.

Now I'm going to be honest some of the samples are quite small, they usually have not for sale printed on the packaging, and they are often samples that you could get on counter if the assistant was feeling generous that day. The website clearly indicates though the type of sample that you're requesting for example, a vial, a tube, a sachet or a card, and the size.

I'd the first to admit that I don't get a Pick 'n' Mix every month but if I see something that I've wanted to try for a while, or even smaller or mini of products that I already love then I'll go for it. Now by looking at the sizes and so on you can often really good sized products such as the Sol de Janeiro Body Buff Smoothing Scrub 'N' Mask that I talked about in February's post. I've had all sorts from mini eye pencils, to decent size fake tan sachets and mini lip glosses, it really it worth keeping an eye on it to say what's new. If you have a look at my You Tube channel then you can see some of my previous samples but today I thought I'd share this month's selection with you. I haven't had a chance to try anything yet but I thought it might give you an idea of what was on offer.

Now you don't get any fancy boxes with these, your samples will either come in a padded envelope or in a cardboard box / envelope like what you can see in the picture above. It's not about the packaging it's all about the contents and this is what I chose in March 2019.

RMS Beauty Living Luminizer - 0.04g

Even if you're a relatively new reader than you'll probably know that I have a bit of a thing for highlighters, so when I saw this one from RMS Beauty, I thought that I'd give it a try.

Now I've tried anything from RMS Beauty before but I'm really liking their philosophy, their aim is to transform the way that women use make up, their products are made from organic, non toxic ingredients and designed to heal and nourish the skin.

Containing almost skin care like ingredients such as castor seed oil, coconut oil, beeswax and rosemary leaf extract, this product apparently has a cult following, and promises a translucent, sheer, dewy, satin pearl finish.

It's a carded sample so you don't get a lot, but there should be enough for a couple of uses on the cheekbones and maybe on the brow bone. The full 4.8g size retails at £36.

Glamglow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturiser - Pearl Glow - 1.5ml

From an out and out highlighter to a multi use product that can add glow and luminosity in all sorts of different ways.

Founded in 2010 Glamglow are famous for their face masks, but this is something a bit different, it's a moisturiser and illuminator in one.

It contains a mixture of botanicals including jojoba, Shea butter, and green tea ceramides, and hyaluronic acid, to add moisture, hydration and radiance to the skin. It comes in 3 different shades and this one, Pearl Glow appears to be the lightest shade and in swatches online it appears to be a shimmery creamy, white.  You can use it as a moisturiser, and use it under the rest of your make up or you can wear it on its own, or you can use it as a highlighter and apply it to the cheekbones and where ever else you want to glow.

This is a decent size sachet so hopefully I'll be able to get a few uses out of it. The full 50g size again retails at £36.

Clarins Instant Poreless Mattifying Primer - 3 x 1.5ml

Next up an item from Clarins - I used to use a lot of Clarins products but bar a few products, it's a brand that I don't really pay that much attention to any more, so I thought that this might be a nice way to try a new product, and to try and tackle a few issues that I have with my skin and make up at the same time.

Despite being now in my early 40's (cry!), my skin can still pump oil out like it's going out of fashion, and you could still on occasions drive a truck through my pores, so if a product promises to the matte the complexion down, and minimise visual pores and imperfections, I'm all over it .Containing organic strawberry tree fruit extract, this cream gel primer, apparently turns into a powder on contact with the skin and absorbs oil and sebum to minimise shine.

Bring it on I say, and with 3 sachets, I've got plenty of product and time to see if it lives up to all of its promises. A full size 20ml tube retails at £24.

Benefit Gimme Brow + Brow Volumising Fibre Gel - 3 Neutral Light Brown - 1g

As much as I like trying new things, I've sometimes used Pick 'n' Mix to pick up minis and travel sizes of products that I already love, and I do love a bit of Gimme Brow. It's the perfect lazy girl (or shattered, time pushed girl!) product, it add a hint of colour, thickness, and definition to the brows, as well as taming the strays, and stragglers and covering the occasional white hair!

I'm usually a 4 / 4.5 in Gimme Brow now but this colour is perfect for when I don't want and obvious or full on brow or for adding a bit of definition and highlight. This is a good size tube and it would be ideal for trying the product for the first time, without too much of a risk. The full 3g size retails at £21.50.

Guerlain Cild D'Enfer Maxi Lash So Volume Mascara - 01 Noir - 1.5ml

Finally a product from Guerlain, now despite the fame and cult status of their Meteorites, I think I've only ever owned one of their products and that was a lipstick, so when I saw this, being the mascara junkie that I am I added it to my sample selection.

Again it sounds really impressive, it's designed to intensify and enhance the eyes, by adding condition, thickness, and volume, and all without running or smudging.

I can't wait to give this a go and whilst mini tubes like this don't always give you a true picture of the wand, it will definitely give me some idea of the formulation. The full 8.5ml size retails at £28.

As I say I haven't had the opportunity to try any of these products, bar the Gimme Brow yet, so keep an eye on my Instagram, and my future empties posts to hear my thoughts x I hope that this has given you at least some idea of some of the items that you try with Feelunique Pick 'n' Mix. The selection is constantly changing and every day there seems to be something new, so it's well worth keeping tabs on the website. I know this post probably sounds like a bit of a ad but I promise you I just love the concept x If you want to find out more about Feelunique and the Pick 'n' Mix service, then check out their website to find out more x Are you a fan of samples? Let me know xx

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

Trimming My Stash - February 2019 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews*

I don't know about you guys but at the moment I think I'm in the middle of a pancake coma! Gluten free pancakes aren't the easiest thing to master but thanks to a slight tweak to Gizzi Erskine's famous recipe, pancakes have been made (you can see some pics on my Instagram if you want to see how they came out x) and consumed, so I'm now feeling a little bit full and a bit lethargic, so I'm going to apologise in advance for how this post might comes out lol

I'm finding it all a bit scary though that we're in March already, it doesn't seem two minutes since Christmas, and what with the relatively warm for the time of year, temperatures, it seems like we've bypassed winter altogether. Only joking it's actually forecast for snow this weekend, but I'm sure you get where I'm coming from, yet again the months and years are flying by!

February was a busy month for me, as well as dealing for a seeming never ending fibro, and CFS flare, as I mentioned in my last post, I've also been having a bit of a sort out and a bit of a change around in my room. As well as binning a few bits that were passed their best, I also discovered a whole box of beauty products that I'd completely forgotten about! but hey what's one more boxful of goodies, when you already have about a dozen to use up? It's only made me even more determined to keep on using things up, and of course to stick to my philosophy of buying less and using more. 

Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bod Buff Smoothing Scrub 'N' Mask - 15ml
AVON True Nutra Effects Micellar Cleansing Water - 400ml
Natura Rose Infused Sheet Mask - 1 x Sheet Mask - 22ml
Clarins Foot Beauty Treatment Cream - 50ml
Tea Tree Daily Use Cleansing Facial Wipes - 25 x Wipes

Total - 5 Items

When it comes to trimming my stash though, February wasn't the best of months. Although I was one up on January's total I still only managed to finish 5 items. As I say I binned a few bits and pieces but because I didn't actually use them up I can't count them, so no make up items, and no haircare, and instead a nice but small mix of skin care and body care products.

1. Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bod Buff Smoothing Scrub 'N' Mask - 15ml

Now first up a products that I acquired sometime last year through the FEELUNIQUE Pick 'n' Mix scheme. I don't use it all the time but it does give you a good opportunity to try try some sample sized products before you buy the full sizes. Every month you can pick 5 samples from an extensive list of skin, body care, fragrance and make up minis for only £3.95. Your samples are delivered straight to you door, and the £3.95 that you paid, can be redeemed against any future purchases from FEELUNIQUE. As I say I don't get one every month but if you keep checking back your can sometimes pick up some real gems.

A lot of the samples are in sachets but I was lucky enough on one occasion to get this good, travel sized tube of body scrub. From the same stable as the almost cult status, Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. This scrub isn't just a daily exfoliating body scrub, it's also a detoxifying body treatment mask. 

Containing, Amazon river clay, rice bran wax, coconut oil, cupuaco seed butter, acai fruit oil, henna, basil, turmeric, and crushed Brazilian quartz crystal, you can either use it like you would a regular body scrub by massaging it in to damp skin, or you can use it on the body as a treatment mask, simply apply it dry skin, and then leave it for 5-10 minutes until it sets, and then add warm water, and massage into the skin before rinsing the excess away.

The first thing you notice about this is the colour, probably thanks to the turmeric and henna, it's a bright mustard yellow with very small blue, green particles suspended, in an almost clay face mask kind of consistency. After the colour the next thing you notice is the smell, officially described as pistachio and salted caramel, it has quite a strong perfumed scent, I'm sure I get those particular notes from it but it is very tropical and very summery.

To be honest I just used it as a body scrub, and whilst this kind of cream based formula isn't my favourite body scrub consistency I did actually enjoy using this. It wasn't the scrubbiest of scrubs that I'd ever used but it did the job. I don't know about it making me beach ready but my definitely felt cleaner and smoother.

This isn't the cheapest product out there at around £21 for 160ml but I wonder definitely consider not only buying the full size but also trying the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, and the rest of the range in the future. You can buy the full range from various retailers including FEELUNIQUE, Cult Beauty, Selfridges, Harrods, and Harvey Nichols.

2. AVON True Nutra Effects Micellar Cleansing Water - 400ml

Now I'm a bit of a fan of micellar waters, and out of all of them that I tried two from AVON are definitely in current my top 5. I'm a huge fan of the AVON ANEW Anti-Aging 3 in 1 Cleansing Water and at the moment I'm loving this particular one from their True Nutra Effects range.

Basically micellar waters contain an ingredient called micelles which basically act like magnets to remove all of the make up and impurities from the skin. This particular one also contains AVON's unique active seed complex which contained both vitamin E and chia seed. Designed to gently remove makeup from the face, eyes and lips, it's suitable for sensitive skins and it's allergy tested and paraben free. 

It always surprises me how unassuming micellar waters look and this is one is no different. With no real scent and a water like, clear appearance, you don't expect miracles, but this one removes every trace make up without redness and even with my super sensitive eyes only a tiny bit of watering!

I don't use micellar waters all of the time, but when I'm lacking in spoons, or pushed for time, I often use them for a quick morning cleanse, or for a super quick make up removal or night time cleanse. Whilst some skincare aficionados questions their use, for me they are good alternative to wipes when it comes to speed and convenience. I'm currently trying a few other micellar waters out so it might be a while before you see another one of these in an empties post but I do occasionally order one or two when they are on offer. The 200ml size has a recommended retail price of £4 but depending on the brochure you can sometime make some decent savings. This particular bottle is the 400ml double size, it isn't a regular stock item but you do see it every now and then.

3. Natura Rose Infused Sheet Mask - 1 x Sheet Mask - 22ml

I've already briefly talked this mask in my January Pink Parcel unboxing (click here to read it, if you haven't already) but now I've had a change to try I feel I can say a little bit more about it x 

From Beauty Pro's vegan friendly line, this sheet mask contains extracts of lavender and rosemary and rosewater, and it's designed to calm, and hydrate the skin, and to soothe irritation, and minimise redness.

My skin is a bit all over the place at the minute, with spots, redness and dry patches so I thought I'd give this a go. The first thing I noticed was just how wet this mask actually was, it was literally dripping, with an almost water like scented solution. I expected to have a rose scent but it actually had quite an aromatherapy / herbal based scent, with unusually just a hint of baby powder. Because it was so wet, I had to lie back and properly relax for 15 minutes to stop the excess liquid running down my neck!

After the 15 minutes was up there was still quite a bit of liquidy residue on my skin so I helped it along it's way and started to massage it in to my face, and neck. It was a touch sticky, at first but the majority of the liquid did eventually absorb into my skin. When it had absorbed it my skin felt cooler and fresher, and it definitely looked brighter and clearer.

It wasn't the most hydrating mask that I've ever used buy it was a nice treat for tired, dull skin. The mask retails at £4.95 and is available directly from Beauty Pro and the Pink Shop.

 

4. Clarins Foot Beauty Treatment Cream - 50ml**

As a blogger I'm sometimes lucky enough to be invited along to blog or press events, and something that you often get is a goodie bag. Now I know that I didn't buy thing and I know that I've never received it as part of a gift with purchase so the only place that I think it could have come from is in a goodie bag, which one? I have no idea, but I thought I'd better be safe than sorry and mention it's potential origins ;)

Anyways because of thyroid issues I do have very dry feet so I'm always on the look out for new miracle, foot care products, and in particular foot creams that don't smell of mint. I not the biggest fan of minty aromas so anytime I can find a foot product with them is a bonus. Containing cashew nut, Shea butter, arnica, myrrh and thyme, this cream has a fresh herbal type scent.

It has a a creamy, non oily texture, but it's not too thick, so it's quite easy to massage it in to the feet. Because it isn't the thickest of textures it absorbs into the skin quite easily, and because of the arnica extract it does leave them feeling less achy, and tense. 

When it comes to foot creams though my feet need a products with a bit of a bite and unfortunately this didn't quite cut the mustard. It's a good everyday cream but if you have very dry skin, you might be better off with a more hydrating, intensive treatment. The full 125ml size retails at around £25 at Clarins concessions and online.

5. Tea Tree Daily Use Cleansing Facial Wipes - 25 x Wipes

Finally a packet of face wipes, and unusually they're not my usuals from Primark. I originally bought these in B&M for £1 for 2 packs of 25 wipes, but they are also available in Poundland. I already finished one packet, back in September (read my thoughts here), and after finishing the second packet last month my opinion hasn't really changed.

Yes they contains tea tree, but they also contains peppermint, and as a result they have quite a strong menthol, minty based scent, which I found slightly irritating on my eyes and skin. I ended up using these for swatch removal and in my handbag as almost hand sanitising wipes. They were pretty good for that but in future I think I'll stick to my old favourite Primark wipes.

After all of that concentration and contemplation I think the pancake overdose is subsiding, ah the relief, anyways they were my February empties, the aim is to do better in March but if you have any questions on any of the items that I've mentioned then please leave me a comment below x 

*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

**Came In Blog Event Goodie Bag 

Royal Quays Outlet Centre Beauty Haul

Hi Guys x I've got another long overdue haul for you today and this one is all about bargain beauty bits. A few weeks ago now me, my godmother and some of her friends went on a coach trip. Call me old and boring if you like but personally I'm all for coach trips, even if I was the youngest person on the coach by about 20 years.

Our destination was not one but two of the North East premier outlet shopping areas - Royal Quays, which is an outdoor outlet centre with all kinds of unusual and high street stores, and Boundary Mill, which is a huge store that sells everything from Jaegar, to Evans, to Yankee Candles, and Kitchenware. I mainly went to make a dent in my Christmas shopping but I did buy myself a few home bits in Boundary Mills (blog post to come), and a few beauty bits in Royal Quays.

It was a freezing cold day, and being so close to both the coast and the River Tyne, only the hardiest shoppers were braving the icy blasts of Royal Quays. Nothing warms my heart though then spotting a Beauty Outlet store. Unfortunately this wasn't one of the CCO (Cosmetic Company Outlets) that are owned by Estee Lauder, but after visiting their Dalton Park store earlier in the year, I knew that something would be sure to catch me eye.

If you like nail polishes these stores are well worth a look, one wall in this particular branch was covered in nail polishes for brands including, W7, Essie, OPI, Revlon and Nails Inc. It really was like a polish rainbow and although I saw several polishes that I really liked, I was good and just picked the one shade from Nails Inc.

This is the shade Edwards Mews and I think it's one of their polka dot colours, that you can either wear on it's own or over the top of other colours. It's a clear polish that contains lots of semi matte, small pieces of round glitter in black, pale blue, pale peachy, lemon and an orange. I love polishes like this and I regularly use them to revive a tired manicure or add a bit of interest of a ring finger. I can't seem to find this polish online more so it's obviously a discontinued shade but it was only £2.99 so I'm not complaining.

To be honest I could have spent a lot longer in their looking around, it really is an Aladdin's cave for beauty junkies, but because was some slightly less beauty obsessed people I tried to be as I could. A couple of display stands catch me eye though including one, with a whole load of Clarins boxes on it.
I couldn't resist a little peek and I came up trumps..

I don't own a lot of Clarins items but something that I have always using is the lipsticks. A little while ago now their Joli Rouge Long - Wearing Moisturising Lipstick range was given a bit of a makeover, the packaging changed and a lot of the shades were discontinued. The Royal Quays Beauty Outlet store had such a huge selection of colours to choose from on the old style, silver packaging that there really was a colour to suit everyone.

The colour I ended up going for is one of the shades that has been completely discontinued, 709 Parisian Pink.

This is one of those beautiful blue based pinks that suits most skin tones and ages. In fact my godmother who is in her mid 80's even bought the same colour.

This lipstick has a subtle fruity, rose scent and taste, and whilst it isn't the most hydrating lipstick I've ever worn, unlike a lot of long wear lip colours it doesn't leave your lips feeling like the Sahara Desert. The pigmentation is excellent and I've already worn this lipstick an awful lot, it's just the perfect Louise colour! Apologies that I haven't managed to snap a picture of this one on my lips but the winter light is definitely working against me. Hopefully the swatch below will give you some idea, and if you want to see it on my lips, then have a watch of most recent unboxing videos here and here x

The final thing that I bought in the Beauty Outlet store was a product that literally made my heart skip a beat, when i saw it.

I've been lucky enough over the years to pick up quite a few Wet 'n' Wild items from both swaps and from friends and family travelling to the states, and I've picked up the odd bit on eBay but for whatever reason this is one of the brands that's yet to make it's way across the Atlantic. I already have one of the 8 pan Color Icon Eyeshadow Palettes in the neutral toned Comfort Zone which I love but i always wanted the plum toned Petal Pusher.

With eBay and Amazon prices pushing £17 for what in essence is a drugstore palette, I'd just about given up hope of ever owning this one, but nestling at the end of one of the larger display stands was a small selection of US brands including Covergirl and Wet 'n' Wild.

I literally snatched it off the shelf and took it straight to the till and boy am I glad I did, and I was even happier still when I found out if was reduced to just £2. It contains a lovely mix of matte, shimmer, and out and out sparkly shades in some beautiful pink, purple, plum and grey shades. The pigmentation is pretty decent for the price and I can honestly say that there is only one shade, a matte warm, white that didn't live up to my expectations.

If you have a Beauty Outlet store near you I would definitely recommend that check them out if you haven't already. They do have a website (find it here) which seems to be under construction at the moment but you can sign up to their newsletter to find out when they go live. I have my fingers crossed for an online store but in the meantime, I can definitely see myself visiting my local stores again in 2017.

Other than the Beauty Outlet store, Royal Quays is a touch lacking if beauty is your thing but they do have one other store that I couldn't resist going into, The Body Shop Outlet.

I love The Body Shop at the best times but you know me if I can save a bit of money bring it on. They had a lot of bits and pieces including past season Christmas items, and some current lines but I headed straight towards the Cocoa Butter. I love The Body Shop Cocoa Butter range but as I mentioned in a previous post, it is becoming harder and harder to find! I looked on The Body Shop website today and they only have one product from the Cocoa Butter range in stock! I've been told by a couple of staff members that as far as they are aware the range is not being discontinued but unless they're having some supplier or packaging issues, it isn't looking good.

Thankfully the outlet had a few bits in stock so I but a few bits to keep me going, including this duo pack which contained a 250ml Shower Cream, and a 250ml Body Lotion, which was just £8.40 instead of £12. Not a huge saving I know but these are two of my holy grail products.

I also managed to pick a full size of one of the Cocoa Butter Body Butters - Apologies I can't remember how much this was but it was slightly less than retail. I really hope that the range isn't been discontinued and I'm going to keep asking until I get a firm answer. You can read why The Body Shop Cocoa Butter range is my Holy Grail in this post from way back in 2011 x

I've made a little video to accompany this haul which you can see below or via this link. Don't forget to subscribe to my You Tube channel, for lots of beauty and lifestyle videos, and some exclusive content including some unboxings, and coming soon an exclusive festive haul from The Body Shop.



I'm a bit of a bargain hunter so I do love a bit of outlet shopping when I get the chance. It's very much a case of you pays your money you makes your choice, sometimes you can get a real bargain and you could buy everything, and sometimes you'll come home empty handed it really is the luck of the drawer. Are you a fan of outlet shopping? Let me know your thoughts x

intu Metrocentre #intuStyleGarden Event - A Sensory Explosion

Since it first opened in 1986, intu Metrocentre has become one of my favourite place to shop in the North East. Yes I remember the old days the lack of a bus station, Carrefour, amazing ice creams from The Cornish Candy Shop. and of course who could forget the yellow teapot play area, well I was only 8 were the centre opened!

The place has pretty much grown with me and I for one am delighted to have such a fabulous place to shop, eat, and relax right here on my doorstep. When I started to blog all those years ago I never in a million years dreamed that I'd end up working with intu Metro Centre, blogging has brought me so many fantastic opportunities and for that I'm eternally grateful.

I've been invited to a few intu Metrocentre events now but I have to say the one I went to last night was definitely one of the best. The intu Style Garden is an event that is running throughout the intu chain, so whether you're in Newcastle, Stoke or the West Midlands, over the next day or so, you can pop in and find out more about some of they key Spring, and Summer fashion trends.

When I received my invitation to the VIB (Very Important Bloggers) exclusive Style Garden event I expected to see a traditional catwalk show, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Instead of the familiar runway we were greeted with what resembled an art installation - it was almost as if an exhibit from the Chelsea Flower Show had been planted in the middle of the centre outside House Of Fraser.

With faux turf, metal patio tables, white picket fences, and floral displays, a green hedge like construction displayed mannequins showing off some of the key Spring and Summer fashion looks, for men, women and children, as well TV screens which showed experts talking about some of the key trends and must haves.

I love the way that intu Metro Centre embraces the whole blogging community and yet again we weren't disappointed, greeted by Bellini's, mini bottles of Prosecco, and mocktails all garnished with faux flowers, and food samples courtesy of Bella Italia, this really was an event that brought your senses to life.

Unlike previous events that have been very fashion focused, that one really focused on how to look beautiful from top to toe. Instead of a full catwalk show we we're treated to a talk from intu Metro Centre stylist Michaela Dale, who showed us some of her picks for Spring Summer 2016.

We were also treated to a mini fashion show from two beautiful models showcasing some particular trends - stripes,

and formal wear featuring monochrome, brights, lace, and laser work.

I particularly love the monochrome culotte outfit, and the lovely Michael Kors handbags - swoon - there were also some beautiful pieces on the rails, including a striped dress from Oasis - that would have my name on it if I could lose a bit more weight.

After that visual explosion we were given the chance to explore some of our other senses, mainly scent and touch by exploring some of the centre's, and in particular House Of Fraser's best beauty brands, including designer hair care brand Show,

I'm going to be talking a bit more about this brand in a future post, but they take hair products to another more luxurious level, and if you need a quick blow dry, this is the place in the centre to go, even if it's only to smell the beautiful fine fragrances, that they use in the products.

Speaking of beautiful fragrances another brand that we had the opportunity to talk to, was French brand Decleor, who are noted for their use of essential oils in both their body and skincare treatments, There was also an opportunity to talk and try products from a real problem solving skincare brand Murad, and luxury, high end skincare brand Creme De La Mer.

Another skincare brand that  was represented was Kiehls, now this is a brand that I wanted to find out more about, so I had a nice chat with representative, as well as a mini skin care analysis which confirmed what I guess I already knew, I have oily skin in some places and normal to oily skin in others. We were given the opportunity to book in for a bespoke complimentary facial so I can't wait to see what products they recommend. I'm also going to book a complimentary facial with another brand that I talked to Clarins who were demonstrating their new skincare Boosters.

There was one skincare brand though that I gravitated towards as soon as I saw it, Liz Earle. I've used Liz Earle on and off for the longest time, and to be honest I could have probably put on a uniform and promoted the products myself. I didn't know it all though and I was given the chance to try the new Superskin Eye Cream . I'm a bit scared of eye creams, but this was a really light weight, yet nourishing cream that absorbed really well into my skin even over make up. As well as their skincare they were also showcasing some of their perfumes and I'm love with No.100, which was designed to celebrate the centenary of the Chelsea Flower Show, perfect for the Style Garden theme. The ladies on the stand came from the Liz Earle counter in Boots and I have to say they were lovely and so enthusiastic about their products and the brand, and I was delighted when they gave a little goodie bag containing a travel size of my favourite Cleanse & Polish.

It wasn't all about skincare though, there were several opportunities to add a little bit of colour into your life, Nails Inc were offering demonstrations of their Paint Can polishes and Giorgio Armani were promoting some of their latest make up products. Given the price point Armani is one of the brands that I guess that a lot of people only aspire too, but after experiencing some of their products I can easily see why the brand is so popular. Their make up artists talked a little bit about some of the newest products before colour matching me to my ideal foundation, and then one of the lovely ladies then applied the Giorgio Armani Maestro UV Skin Defence Primer SPF 50 PA++  to my face, before applying the Giorgio Armani Designer Lift Smoothing Firming Foundation in 05, before she finished the look with the beautiful Giorgio Armani The Sepia Palette, a combined bronzer and highlighter compact.  Alas I didn't manage to get a picture but I'm completely in love with the foundation, the application was effortless, and it really evened out my skin tone, and left my face feeling silky soft.

I know this post has gone on a little bit but it's so hard to put into words the full sensory experience that I had at last nights event, every sense, from taste to sight, and smell, was enhanced and explored exactly the way that intu Metrocente had intended. On leaving the event we given a lovely bunch of flowers courtesy of The Rebel Flower Company, and a huge goodie bag courtesy of intu Metro Centre and House Of Fraser, that contained lots of lovely beauty products to continue the sensory experience at home.

I'd like to say a huge thank you to intu Metrocentre for inviting me and for hosting the event, and I'd also like to thank all of the other companies and brands that took part. If you're heading to intu Metro Centre tomorrow you've still get time to catch the intu Style Garden event, and to see some fashion presentations from brands including Warehouse, Oasis, Boux Avenue, Yours Clothing and Bonmarche. Were your senses tickled by this post? Let me know x

Intu Metrocentre Fashion Live A/W 2015 And Newness At House Of Fraser

Intu Metrocentre is by far my favourite place to shop in the North East. It's nearly all undercover, it has all the high street names that you would expect, as well restaurants to suit all tastes, leisure facilities and a cinema. I love the place and I never need an excuse to browse the malls and do a bit of shopping, so when the lovely people from House Of Fraser and Intu Metrocentre invited me to an evening of bloggers, fun and fashion on Wednesday night, I couldn't say no.

Our evening started in one of the centres largest and most established,stores, House Of Fraser. I'm going to be honest, the store hasn't been looking it's best lately but there is a very good reason for that -House Of Fraser is currently undergoing a multi million pound refurbishment and expansion that is set to be completed on the 12th November 2015. House Of Fraser kindly invited a group of North East bloggers into store to have a sneaky peek of what customers can expect to see when the renovations are complete.

Steve Clarke - Store Manager

We were met with glasses of bubbly,and canapes courtesy of the stores new Mediterranean inspired restaurant Cafe Botanico before listening to a brief talk from store manager Steve Clark about what shoppers in the North East can look forward to.

The answer is a lot, as well as having a major refurbishment and face lift the store has also expanded out of into the mall so there is now a much bigger store to explore. Customers will see the biggest changes in the new improved, and revamped beauty hall. As well as improvements and expansions to current counters, there are several new and exciting beauty brands coming to House Of Fraser Metrocentre including Giorgio Armani, Jo Malone, NARS, Tom Ford, Urban Decay and Kiehls.

The beauty hall expansion also means an increase in pampering options - We had a tour of the new improved, and expanded treatment rooms where you will be able to have beauty and spa treatments from the like of Decelor. The store will also be offering a brow shaping service, a Nails Inc nail bar, the new Estee Lauder 10 minute beauty bar and blow drys from the amazing Show Beauty - I hadn't heard of Show Beauty till Wednesday but I think this brand will become a new, if pricey obsession.

It isn't all about the beauty though, the new revamped fashion and accessories section, will contains all the brands we know and love with a few high profile additions, mainly Michael Kors clothing, accessories, jewellery and watches, German brand Hallhuber, Whistles, and Lauren By Ralph Lauren. The shoe department is also getting a makeover and the first floor will be the home of the new World Of Shoes concept.

All of the staff were so enthusiastic about the refurbishment and the new brands that it was impossible not to feel their excitement. I personally can't wait for the relaunch and to see the results of the money that's been spent and the obvious hard work that's taken place.

After a little look around the store it was time for the bloggers to move on and to take our VIP FROW seats in Town Square for the start of our exclusive preview of Intu Metrocentre Fashion Live Autumn / Winter 2015. The theme of this seasons show is a new leaf and as well as making you think about falling leaves, it's all about changing for the seasons and trying something new.

Our host for the evening was Heart North East's Breakfast Show presenter Kelly Scott, who was clad a beautiful fringed kimono style dress courtesy of Biba at House Of Fraser. She introduced an array of beautiful male and female models bedecked in new season fashions from some of the centre's top stores.

Blue Inc

Miss Selfridge

Simply Be

Top Shop

Dorothy Perkins

Tessuti

House Of Fraser

I admit I'm no runway photographer but hopefully you can see that there were a wide variety of looks and trends on show, from party dresses, to knitwear, faux fur at Dorothy Perkins, and Simply Be, to faux leather and 70's styling, to warm and cosy Canada Goose jackets from Tessuti. I was pleased to see some plus size brands and models this time round but if these brands don't appeal get yourself down to Intu Metrocentre  Fashion Live before Sunday to see some more catwalk shows showcasing some more of the centres brands including French Connection, Yours and Boux Avenue.

The theme of this seasons event is a New Leaf and that's something that was reflected in one of the gifts that we given for attending. This gorgeous magenta, purple, leaf designed, limited edition, fabric bag is designed by Celia Birtwell. Swooooooon I'm a huge, huge fan of Celia Birtwell - If you don't know who she is shame on you! She was the print and pattern designer, and wife of cult, 60's designer Ossie Clark. Famous for her intricate florals, and bold romantic prints Birtwell went onto design several exclusive collections for Top Shop and more recently she's worked with the Valentino - I love her work and I'm so pleased with my bag x These bags aren't for sale but subject to stock,if you spend £50 or more on Intu Gift Cards before 31st October, you'll get one for free x 

As well as the lovely bag we also got two very generous goodie bags courtesy of House Of Fraser full of samples and full sizes from brands including Creme De La Mer, Molton Brown, Marc Jacobs, Rituals, Decleor, Clarins, Origins, Aveda, Show Beauty and much more. I will of course be reviewing some of these bits in due course, so make sure you're following especially if you're interested in hair products, that even after a few uses seems to tick all of the boxes.

I want to say a huge, huge thank you to both Intu Metrocentre and House Of  Fraser for the invitation, I had a great time, I learnt a lot, and as someone from the North East, we have a lot to be proud of and a lot to look forward to when it comes to fashion and beauty.