#NorthernBloggerMeetUp

Hey everyone!

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a blogging meet up in Sheffield; the #NorthernBloggerMeetUp! The event was my first since Crabtree & Evelyn, so I was still relatively nervous about attending a blogging event.

First of all I just want to say a huge thank you to Catherine, Kat, Tori and Kirstie for organising this event! I had such a great time so thank you so much for all the thought and preparation you guys put into this.

The night before I had stayed at my friends in Nottingham, meaning I had to get up quite early to get ready and make it to the station on time! Annoyingly once I'd picked up my tickets I realised I'd forgotten my railcard, meaning I had to buy a whole new ticket. Sigh, it was worth it in the end though! The train journey mainly consisted of sending excited tweets back and forth with some fellow bloggers, as well as being cramped full of Forest fans for the Sheffield Wednesday v Forest match.

Reaching the station first, I waited nervously outside for the other bloggers I'd arranged to meet. I hate it but I'm always nervous when meeting new people! Eventually there was quite a group of us, and with some guidance from Hannah (the only blogger from Sheffield) we eventually managed to find the Eten Cafe and Bistro. It was a lovely little cafe where the upstairs had been reserved for the event!

Settling down, I initially opted for a glass of coke (still feeling tender from the night before when I thought it would be a good idea to go out last minute). However, with some convincing from Hannah (HannerKing) and Becky (Just-Becky) I eventually opted for the Rosé and my nerves soon calmed! The organisers had also set up a cute table at the front with freebies on to help yourself - we were even informed that they were kindly donated, but they couldn't fit them in the goody bags!

Now I must admit, when I first walked in and saw a table full of nail polishes, I almost did a little dance. I love nail polishes, and some of the colours immediately caught my eye. They were brought in by Leanne, and can be purchased over at LM Beauty. I could honestly have brought one of every colour! Sadly though the event finished before I had a chance to buy any, but I'm definitely going to order some soon!

First on the agenda was Lush. Lush is one of those brands that I go for ages without getting anything, and then when I do I end up realising what I've missed. A couple of weeks before the meet up I'd been in Lush with my boyfriend, where we both sampled the 'toothy tabs' (I can't remember which flavour), which left a horrific taste in our mouths. Needless to say, I was praying these wouldn't make an appearance at the meet up! 

We had such a lovely informative talk from a couple of representatives from Lush. I don't know why, but I had pretty much been in the dark about how much work goes into Lush products. We were also told about the history of the company; did you know they don't trade with companies who test products on animals, or even those that associate with them? How cool is that? The reps were so warm and passionate about their work and it really came across, definitely making Lush one of my new favourite shops!

We were also given a couple of bath bombs per table, which made me realise how much I miss bath bombs! I'm a serious bath person, and I used to love Lush for them. After plonking one in the water I couldn't resist poking it (childish I know). They also filled the room with a lovely scent which hung around for the rest of the day!

Afterwards we were even treated to a little lush goody bag, which was just lovely and they seemed to go down perfectly! In mine, I was treated to;
'Sex Bomb' Bath Bomb
'Blousey' Intensely Moisturising Shampoo
'I Love Juicy' Liquid Shampoo
All the products smell amazing, and I can't wait to try them out!

Afterwards, the hosts had even set up a raffle for us all. It worked out perfectly as they kept drawing until everyone had got a little prize at the end of it. I ended up choosing the Our Tiny Bees 'Cocoa & Shea & Honey Bath Melt.' It looks just like a chocolate bar, and I even had to tell my boyfriend it wasn't actually chocolate (much to his disappointment).

Next up were the people from Benefit. Most people must know by now how much I love Benefit, as was shown in my huge Benefit Haul! Even though there were a few technical difficulties when they first arrived, both Kitty and Jamie managed to give us a talk about the history of Benefit. Did you know the brand first started over in America, and they were reluctant to move it over and try out in the UK? All I can say is, Thank God they did! I've got a major Benefit collection going on now! In addition, they also gave us an exclusive look at what would be gracing the Benefit counters this Christmas. I can't wait!

They were also kind enough to give us a demonstration of their products, which I must say opened my eyes quite a bit! At least now I know how to 'map' my eyebrows! We were even offered a makeover at their counter in Boots (conveniently across the road from the cafe), and an exclusive 10% off for us! Needless to say I was sold, and couldn't wait to splurge. In the end, I managed to get the 'Hello Flawless' foundation I'd been lusting over, aswell as the new 'Majorette' blusher that was released that day. Score!

At the end of the talk we were even gifted with a cute goody bag from Benefit, which contained the new 'They're Real!' eyeliner and the mascara, both in full size! Needless to say my mouth fell open a little bit - this we were not expecting! It was so kind of them, so thank you very much Benefit :). We were even given an in depth demo on how to use the eyeliner properly; I think most people couldn't wait to try it out!

Eventually it came to the end, and we all had to leave. I was quite sad as I'd had such a great time, and met some amazing new bloggers along the way! On the way out, the organisers were kind enough to give us a goody bag each, which absolutely weighed a ton! So much so that we couldn't be bothered to walk back to the train station, so me, Hannah and Becky split a taxi.

Getting home, I couldn't wait to dip into the bag as curiosity got the better of me! There was so much in there that you could tell the organisers had put a lot of effort into it all. Some of the stuff isn't really for me, but overall it's quite impressive and some of it I can't wait to try out!

Make-Up:
Xenca Perfection Blusher in 'Rose'
Xenca Perfection Concealer Medium
Xenca Perfection Lipgloss in 'Champagne'
Xenca Perfection Lipstick in 'Cherry'
Billion Dollar Brows 'Universal Brow Pencil'
Beauty UK Posh Polish in 'Midnight Iris'

Skincare/Haircare:
Soften Her and Soft Goat 'Soft Stubble' Pads
Viridan 'Skin Hydration' Capsules
Organic Surge 'First Class' Mask
Simply Beautiful Collection 'Collagen' Skincare Gel
Faith in Nature 'Organic Coconut' Shower Gel and Foam Bath
Umberto Giannini 'Glam Hair' Texture Cream
NKD SKN 'Tinted Tan' Liquid in Dark
Halo Deodorant Wipes
Femfresh Intimate Skin Care Feminine Wipes
Perfectil 'Skin, Hair and Nails' Tablets
Nourish 'Golden Glow' Toning Body Shimmer
Manuka Doctor 'Purified Bee Venom & Manuka Honey' Skincare
Ginvera 'Green Tea, Nude Cover' BB Cream
Yardley 'Uplifting Daisy', 'Invigorating Blue Orchid' and 'Energising Peony' Body Lotion
Dermatix 'Scar Treatment' Silicone Gel
Nougat London 'Peony' Hand Cream
Exuviance Hand & Body Lotion, Eye Contour, Toning Neck Cream, Night Lift and Bionic Tonic.
Dr. Lewinns Anti-Aging Primer, Restorative Cream and Cleansing Milk

Dental Care:
CB12 'Safe Breath' Oral Care Agent in Mint/Menthol
CB12' 'Boost' Sugar Free Chewing Gum
Clinomyn 'Smokers' Anti-Stain Toothpaste
Wisdom 'Sensitive Defence' Toothpaste
Intellicig Disposable E-Cig
Wisdom Toothbrush
The Doctors Brushpicks
Dentek 'Complete Clean' Floss Picks x5

Pink Parcel:
For Now & For Later: Tampons
For You:
Maybelline 'Baby Lips' Intensive Care Lip Balm
Simple 'Kind to Eyes' Soothing Eye Balm
W7 'Cover Stick' with Tea Tree Oil
Binky London Nail Polish in Bright Pink
Teapigs 'Tummy Tonic' Tea
Green & Blacks Organic Dark Chocolate

Food and Drink:
Rumble Stop 'Drug Free Weight Loss' Appetite Suppressant
Yorkshire Tea 10 Teabags
Laimon Fresh Sparking Lemon-Lime & Mint Drink
Gluco Tabs Orange Flavour Glucose Food Supplement
Tiny Tea 14 Day TEAtox
Crushed Fast Fruit Snack
Mackays 'Dundee Orange' Marmalade
Skinnyboo Detox Teabags
Drink Me Chai Chocolate Chai
& an assortment of sweets!

And last but not least, the Bananagrams game!

I had an amazing time and there's even talk of another event soon in the Midlands! How about you? Did you attend the #NorthernBloggerMeetUp? If so leave me your links below!

❤