#bloggersfestival 2014

Hi Everyone!

I was lucky enough to be invited to attend #bloggersfestival - an event put on by the very lovely Scarlett Dixon of scarlettlondon.com.

#bloggersfestival took place at Paramount in Central London. The venue was fantastic - we were on the 31st floor & the view was amazing! Add in the amazing brands & bloggers who attended & it made for a wonderful event! Our hostess, Scarlett, put so much effort into making it a success & it showed!

Prior to my attending the event, I emailed Scarlett regarding my particular difficulties - my Basilar Type Migraine with Aura (exacerbated by particular lighting) & my joint problems (I'm being investigated for Ehlers-Danlos/Hypermobility Syndrome). Scarlett did everything in her power to make sure I was able to participate fully & enjoy myself at #bloggersfestival & I certainly did!

I wanted to share some of our communications with you all:

T: "Would it be possible to put myself & a +1 down for attending please? I 

     have a rare medical condition & my family feel happier if I attend with 

     someone..."

S: "More than happy for you to have a +1... it's likely to to be quite busy, will
     this interfere? I just don't want you to not enjoy it and have spent money & 

     effort getting to the venue if the environment is going to trigger a flare up?"

T: "Packed & busy is ok for me, I can sometimes become a little overwhelmed... 

    This won't make me unwell & I just need to take a step back from things & 

    give myself a minute before returning. May I ask what the lighting will be 

    like? Also how much standing will be involved?"

S: "There will be seating areas, and the lighting will be mostly natural light with 

     a few spotlights on the ceiling - I've attached a picture if that helps... I will 

     make sure there are seating areas available for you just incase you you need 

     to take some time out..."

So now to the event itself...

I'd arranged via twitter to meet up with some other bloggers attending the event. I was early & my stomach was churning while wasting some time so I decided to head to the venue. I wasn't the only one who was early & I was straight away talking to some lovely girls! This was great & I'd advise anyone, shy or otherwise to either arrange to meet others before or arrive early so you can start chatting to people without being overwhelmed!

I spent most of my time going round with the lovely Cat from What Cat Says & Isabelle from Tainted Blues. These two ladies are such fun! We shared drinks, talked fashion & beauty, took lots of pics & chatted to the fab brands that attended!

The brands...

Cat, Isabelle & I started at the back of the room as most people entered & started either directly to the right or left. This way we were able to really get some 'one-on-one' time with brands.

Want Her Dress

Want Her Dress is the brainchild of Carol, who's aim is to inspire real women to feel good about their bodies & provide them with real fashion, while also giving opportunities to young designers.

Chelle - the style & confidence coach behind 'The Body Shape & Style Guide', a pocket/handbag sized guide created to allow women to identify their body shape & use the helpful hints for dressing to flatter each of these shapes.

Very

We were very lucky to be able to view items from Very's A/W'14 catalogue. I really loved the different textures, patterns & bright colours! They were very generous & gifted us a necklace along with a very (get it!?!) useful bag!

Lee Stafford

Lee Stafford had their newest range to show us, launching soon. I read the ingredients of a few of the products & they all contained either wheat or nuts, which I've found common throughout the brand. We were gifted the hairbrush below which, once again was awfully kind. I'm very interested to try this as it looks innovative with both the plastic & shorter bristles.

Oriflame

Oriflame, a Swedish brand, were one I was really looking forward to chatting to, particularly about their ingredients. They didn't have any information on hand, but these can be found on their website - something not all companies do! This is definitely a brand I'll be looking into further!

Quiz 

Quiz are a brand I like & have bought a couple of dresses from previously. They showcased some really lovely items, which we could use to put together our ideal outfit! 

Urban Outfitters

For me, Urban Outfitters are the epitome of cool! I loved taking a peek at their A/W collection with different prints, colours & textures. I was also really excited as they had brought along one of their polaroid cameras! I got to have my first ever polaroid pic taken which I loved, though I need to work on posing & finding my 'good light' Hehe!

iZ Beauty Of London

I loved the numerous & varied designs of the nail wraps at iZ Beauty of London. They had someone there to show us the designs & demonstrate. I wish I'd taken advantage of this now as I've only ever tried nail wraps once & it was a disaster! For the designs of these alone, I'd give them a try again!

ecco & Minimum

Danish sister brands ecco (accessories) & Minimum (fashion) were on hand to show us items from their A/W line. There were lots of dark colours in textured fabrics. The quality of all the products was evident by the feel of the materials. I loved the autumnal shades of the accessories & could quite easily have walked away with all of them! 

 We were very kindly gifted this lovely purse, 'cos a girl can never have too many purses! We were also given this great top - I've always had a thing for slogan tees & this one is perfect for me! I like the way it's not a plain colour, the speckled effect gives dimension. This top looks great with a checked shirt & I'm really excited to wear it!

After I'd made my way round the brands I sat & had a good 'ol natter with the very lovely Beth from Beauty In Beta, who I've been chatting to on Twitter, as well as Monica from Moth Loves and Vicky from Lots Of Love Me.

I had a fantastic time & met some wonderful brands & amazing bloggers. I'd love to be able to meet up again with all the bloggers I spent time with as I felt we really gelled!

I'd like to thank all the brands for taking the time to speak with us & show us all their products. I also want to say a very special thank you to Scarlett for organising such a brilliant event & for making sure my experience was a safe & enjoyable one!

Have you tried anything from these brands before?

Tania Xx