Intu Metrocentre Fashion Live Spring / Summer 2017 VIP Event*

As an established blogger I'm lucky to get invited to the occasional blog event, I've worked hard to establish my blog over the years but even now invites and samples aren't something that I take for granted and I really do appreciate how lucky and how privileged I am.

When I first started blogging over 10 years ago, blogger events were few and far between, and up in the wilds of northern England, they were almost non existent. Thankfully over the years things have changed, and brands, companies and even individuals are now recognising the power of the blog and the influence and the power of real people.

Nowhere in the north east has embraced the power of the blogger more than Intu Metrocentre. and this week I was lucky enough to attend a VIP preview of this weekends, Spring / Summer 2017 Fashion Live Event.

All of the previous Fashion Live events have been themed and this one was no different, think tropical beach bar, come kitsch heaven and you're probably thinking along the right line. With contributions from various retailers including Wilko, and Primark, the team had created a truly tropical, and exotic setting, with light up palm trees, ball pools, pineapples, deckchairs, and flamingos! A lot of bloggers I know are slightly obsessed with Flamingos and at this event they were in their element. There were literally flamingos everywhere from the inflatable pool float, to the string lights, to the napkins, and even the pick n mix bags.

This season Intu Metrocentre have made a return to the traditional catwalk styles shows for their Fashion Live events and as much as I've really enjoyed their other events I really do enjoy the buzz that I get from witnessing a proper fashion show. Shooting a proper catwalk show though is hard especially when your camera skills, like me are shall we say, lacking something so we all had the opportunity to give ourselves a pre show energy boost, with some food and drinks. Everything had a slightly exotic feel with fruit kebabs, doughnuts made to look like pineapples, mini cupcakes, and a range of chilli bowls from the fabulous team at Barburrito. Drinks were on hand courtesy of TGI Fridays and we choose from some mini milkshakes, some mocktails and a cocktail or two. I was trying to be good and I only had a couple of fruit kebabs, so I couldn't resist trying one of TGI's signature cocktails, the Apple Passion - a mixture of blue curacao, passion fruit and apple juices, and black vodka, and I also had a mini Birthday Cake Shake which was incredible. Forget about the food I'm going to TGI Fridays to drink cocktails and shakes - they really were that good!

At 7pm at was time to take our place on the FROW and wait for the show to start. We were welcomed by our host for the evening, the lovely @Ladyannafoster from BBC Radio Newcastle, clad in Top Shop and New Look and whose hair had been freshly styled by SHOW Beauty in House Of Fraser, then it was cameras at the ready and the show began.

The fashion show showcased a wide variety of Spring and Summer looks, from stores throughout the centre including Top Shop, Burton, Karen Millen, Accessorize, New Look, Cath Kidston, Primark, Tessuti, Miss Selfridge, House Of Fraser and Coast. On show was everything from swimwear, to beach wear, and occasion wear. There were so many beautiful things on show, covering all of the major trends from prints and florals, to stripes, lace and colour blocking.

Top Shop 

Karen Millen

New Look Men

Cath Kidston

Tessuti

Miss Selfridge

Coast

As you can see there were some fabulous pieces on display, I literally fell in love with everything from Coast, and Karen Millen, I just wish I had a wedding or a special occasion to attend this summer. I also loved the prints at Cath Kidston and the navy blue jumpsuit at Karen Millen. There really was something for everyone and all occasions. 

So if you're up in the North East and you fancy your own FROW experience, then pop down to Intu Metrocentre this weekend, and head to Town Square. There will be four shows a day both tomorrow and on Sunday, so brave the bank holiday shoppers and pop in for a bit of fashion inspiration. You can find out more information and show times on the Intu Metrocentre website. If you are popping in this weekend don't forget to pick up one of the leaflets that are at the customer service points and dotted around the centre to grab yourself some bank holiday weekend discounts. This season Intu Metrocentre have also teamed with a fabulous North East based charity St Oswalds Hospice, so if you want to make some room in your wardrobe for all the new things that you want to buy then you can pick up a donation bag at all of the customer services desks. You can find out all about the fabulous work that St Oswalds do, and find your local branch via their website.

I just want to say thank you again to everyone at Intu Metrocentre for the opportunity to flamingle and for hosting such an amazing event, and I also want to think all of the companies and brands that contributed to the amazing show bags, that included amongst lots of other lovely things, a shampoo and conditioner from SHOW Beauty, beauty samples from Murad, L'Occitane and Urban Decay, a shoe care kit from Ecco, sweeties, candles from Primark and Skandinavisk and an amazing fabric Intu Flamingo bag x 

Is your wardrobe Spring and Summer ready yet? Has this post given you any ideas? Let me know in the comments x 

*Press / Blogger Event

Glamorous Hair With SHOW Beauty And SHOW Beauty Lux Volume*

Time flies when you're having fun doesn't it and thanks to the bank holiday and the indulgences of Easter, it's hard to believe that's it been nearly two weeks now since I was invited down to the SHOW Beauty concession in House Of Fraser.

I love bargain beauty when it comes to haircare as much as the next person, and in my bathroom you'll see everything from bargain basement £1 shampoos, to pricier trichologist led brands and guess what? they all do the job they are designed for pretty well, they all leave you with clean and presentable hair but in a lot of cases they seem to lack that bit of pzazz.

Why should an everyday task like washing and styling your hair be boring and mundane, like so many other tasks in beauty we all want to be spoilt and pampered, and we want to experience just that little bit of luxury on a daily basis.

If that's what you're looking for then SHOW Beauty is the brand for you. Founded by the ever glamorous and stylish socialite Tamera Ecclestone, with designer lead fragrances, and exquisite packaging, SHOW beauty provides a range of haircare products that take the mundane to the magnificent.

Last week I was invited along to Intu Metrocentre to find out more about SHOW Beauty, their products and to celebrate the launch of their new Lux Volume range.  After being greeted with bubbly and canapes,  I  had a good chance to talk to some of the lovely ladies from SHOW about the new launches, and about exactly what makes SHOW so special.

Yes the products look amazing but packaging alone doesn't sell a product, and it's clear that the brand concentrates as much on its formulations as it does on it's designer packaging and fragrances. All of the products are formulated with highest calibre of ingredients, including the caviar and white truffle extracts that pop up in the new Lux Volume range.

The whole aim of the range is to care for and repair you hair whilst giving it that body, bounce and fullness, without weighing it down or leaving it heavy or sticky. The lovely people at SHOW kindly gifted us a full size shampoo and conditioner that retail at £30 each to try, so I will be reviewing both of these for you and another SHOW product that I own in due course

As well as offering a wide range of luxurious products that you can use to pamper yourself in your own bathroom, SHOW also offer a range of pampering styling options that are available in both their standalone salons, and in some of their department store concessions.

They offer a wide range of quick, styling options from a basic revitalising blow dry to up do's, curls and braids that are perfect for that special occasion be it a wedding, a party, a prom, or even for a date with that special someone.

All of the bloggers and journalists that attended last weeks event were lucky enough to receive a complimentary express styling session courtesy of the SHOW Beauty team. On the night I saw everything from top knots, to waves, up do's and curls, but seeing as my hair was looking a little bit windswept my stylist suggest some crown braids.

I really struggle when it comes to braiding my own hair so it was fabulous to see a real master (or mistress ;) at work. My stylist used SHOW's fabulous non chalky Dry Shampoo which contains tapioca and rice starch, and a host of amazing smelling botanical extracts including kiwi, mango, aloe, and ginger lily, to give my hair a bit of texture, before finishing off my beautiful braids with one of SHOW's most popular products their non sticky, weightless Finishing Spray which contains vitamin B, lychee, and wheat proteins.

Unfortunately I didn't actually take my own camera so all of these photos were taken on my mobile, thankfully though one of my fellow bloggers, the lovely Amy Rebair took this amazing photo of the back of my hair, which really shows the intricacy of the braids, and my multi coloured hair eek :)

Source

I absolutely loved the style that the team created, and I'm going to be honest and say that it broke my heart to take it out. What surprised my though when I took the braids out though, apart from the amount of the volume that the style had given my hair, was how soft it felt, there was no stickiness or stiffness, which shows the quality of the products that the team used.

SHOW Beauty isn't just a haircare brand, you're buying into a lifestyle, and way of thinking. This brand is about real indulgence, whether you're having your own spa like, pampering experience in your own bathroom, or whether your treating yourself to blow dry to cheer yourself up after a rubbish day at work or spoiling yourself with a special up do for a day at the races, this brand is all about you, and making yourself feel special in one of the easiest ways possible, with a good hair day.

You can find out more about SHOW Beauty stockists, styling services, and products via their own website, and you can also find concessions with styling services in selected Harvey Nichols and House Of Fraser stores including Intu Metrocentre. If you aren't lucky enough to have a counter near you though you can also buy SHOW Beauty products online from various retailers including Selfridges, Harrods and lookfantastic.

Have you tried anything from SHOW Beauty before? Let me know your thoughts in the comments x

*Press / Blogger Event

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.