When it gets to this time of year, things undoubtedly become much busier. Particularly when it comes to my blog. and I've been so lucky to be invited along to some absolutely unreal Glasgow blog events this month. So I thought that I would do a monthly roundup to show what I've been up to this month blog-wise. and hopefully it will be something different to read from me other than beauty or travel. I also can't forget the fantastic CCW Blogger Road Trip to St Andrews that took place earlier in the month either.
But let's get straight into the blog post in question and the Glasgow blog events I went to. In what will be a pretty photo heavy blog post;
Specsavers Scottish Press Night at Blythswood Square Hotel
The first event of November took place on November 1st at the unbelievable penthouse suite at Blythswood Square Hotel. I can't even begin to explain just how beautiful it was. You may hear me say it a few times in today's blog post. But I really do need to win the lottery at some point to enjoy these kinds of things and places on the regular.
The suite was adorned with flowers from Mud (we even got to take a bouquet home), plenty of fizz and some seriously stylish frames.
We had a chance to wander around the penthouse suite, taking in the spectacular views and furnishings. As well as checking out frames from Karen Millen, Balmain, Cath Kidston, Lyle & Scott and Specsavers' own range. There were quite a few that immediately caught my eye. And then I got a chance to try out the Specsavers Frame Styler.
This nifty little program allows you to try on lots of different styles and colours without even having to lift a single pair of glasses from the shelves. So if you're popping in on your lunch break or on a day when you don't have as much time as you'd like to physically try on most of the store. This app is for you!
Which face shape are you?
It takes a 180 degree image of you. Which means that you can see how the specs look on you from many different angles. And it also recommends some frames based on your face shape. To see the Frame Styler in action, be sure to check out my Events highlight in my Instagram Stories. Where you'll see just that and snippets from the rest of the events in today's post.
I was particularly taken with this tortoiseshell pair from Specsavers own range. And I will certainly be making a trip to my local Specsavers store in person to try them on IRL.
Having attended the Scottish Specsavers press show in previous years. This year's totally blows the other ones right out of the water. And a lot of it had to do with the setting. I mean, I'll be daydreaming about staying overnight at that penthouse suite for many years to come now, I can imagine.
bareMinerals Give The Stars event at Buchanan Galleries
Later that night, I hurried along to the bareMinerals boutique at the entrance of Buchanan Galleries for their Christmas launch event. I was so excited to be properly immersed in the Christmas spirit. And that's exactly what happened.
As soon as we stepped through the door we were greeted by Christmas songs playing, more fizz and the first mince pies of the season. Considering the fact that this was just the first of November. I was very much here for fully embracing the festive spirit. And seeing what bareMinerals had planned for Christmas 2018.
We were treated to a masterclass by their national makeup artist. And shown the Christmas collection in more detail. We were also colour matched to their Original Foundation. And given one away with us at the end of the night. I'd seen what I assumed was their powder foundation but had always steered clear of it. As I thought it would be a big no no for my dry and dehydrated skin. It turned out that it was basically the complete opposite of what I thought it was. And I'll be sharing my thoughts on it in a blog post very soon.
KGA Press Morning at Market Coffee
I finally got a chance to visit Market Coffee a few days later to meet up with the team from KGA PR. Located in Mount Florida in the Southside of the city, I met up with Sandra from The Black Pearl Blog. And her adorable little daughter Mia in Glasgow Central, where we then got the train.
To say that Market Coffee was an Instagrammer's dream would be a serious understatement. We had some hot drinks to warm ourselves up after our journey over. And what was honestly the best and yummiest chocolate brownies that I have ever had. We have already made plans to return solely to have some more of those insanely good brownies.
We were shown the Christmas fragrance and watch offerings by the team. And I ended up with the biggest wishlist by the time that we left. My personal favourites; Girl Of Now Shine by Elie Saab (with notes of vanilla, pineapple, almond and orange blossom). Cartier Carat (and in particular the handy and properly portable hair and body mist). And for the guys; Coach Platinum (this smelt SO good!)
You can click into each of the fragrances below to find out more;
JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.It was also really exciting to have a sniff of the latest Elizabeth & James release, Nirvana Bourbon, here in the UK. I used to have to wait until I was visiting the US to get my E&J fix. But I'm now happy to share that you can get the entire range at the likes of Feel Unique, The Perfume Shop and Escentual here in the UK.
They also showed us some stunning watches. And I was particularly taken with this one from John Paul Gaultier. Inspired by Madonna's iconic cone bra. I loved the protruding studs and beautiful sleek face.
Speaking of watches.
Chisholm Hunter Flagship Store VIP launch at Argyll Arcade
I took a trip to one of my favourite spots in Glasgow, the Argyll Arcade to attend the VIP launch of Chisholm Hunter's new flagship store. The new store is set to become Scotland's must-visit watch destination. And it is easy to see why. With exclusives, such Breguet, Blancpain and Glashutte Original, that are only available in Scotland in this exact store. I was pretty much mesmerised from the moment that I stepped through the door.
So much so, that I got that excited at the prospect of what was to come that night that I completely forgot to get a photo in the private room upstairs in the new flagship store. So thank you to Yasmin from The Girl With The Big Hair for the middle photo directly below.
How beautiful?
I had the incredible opportunity to try on diamonds, rubies, vintage pieces with incredible stories. That gigantic ruby flanked by diamonds, used to be worn to flapper parties in the 1920's, for example. Along with tennis bracelets. And of course, watches, during the evening.
I was in awe of the gorgeous Blancpain watch. Which had an incredible hidden feature. I may have to treat myself to this one from Olivia Burton to get a bit of a similar effect in my price range. But the one piece that absolutely stole my attention and heart was this pear shaped diamond ring. If you haven't seen it on my Instagram already, here it is. I was shocked that I was as drawn to it as I was. Especially when Carrie Bradshaw and Co. had pretty much put me off that ring shape for life. Now I just need to find someone special. So that one day I can hopefully wear it on my other finger.
If you're looking for a special piece this festive season or just fancy having a look at all things sparkly, I would definitely recommend paying Chisholm Hunter a visit. I'll be going back with my Mum to pick out a new watch for my Christmas in the run up to the big day itself. Which I'm already so excited to do.
I mean, who wouldn't want to try on two of my other favourites; this tanzanite and diamond ring and the baguette diamond tennis bracelet? They're simply jaw dropping!
Pyjama Party at Moxy Glasgow Merchant City
What I didn't mention above was that sadly there were a few events that unfortunately I couldn't make it along to after a few horrible IBS flare ups mid-month. One of those events was the grand opening of Moxy Glasgow Merchant City. And I was really upset to miss it. But then I got a message from Sandra asking if I'd like to be her plus one to a pyjama party at the hotel the following week. I was over the moon to say the least.
It was unlike any blogger event that I've ever attended before. We had an evening packed full of activities. All of which we'd be taking part in in our pyjamas. If you'd told me a few years ago, before I started blogging and when I was incredibly shy and pretty much afraid of meeting new people. That I'd be meeting new people in my pjs. I would never have believed you.
Once we did get there and saw that many of our fellow guests had come in matching pjs and fancy slippers. We wished that we'd made a last minute dash to Primark to arrive in style. Little did we know what they had planned for us later the night. And we were definitely glad that we hadn't come in something brand new.
Fun (size) touches
We dropped off our bags in our room, where we were greeted by some fun scribblings on the bedside table and plenty of sweets. I really love the whole branding of the hotel. And the fun and quirky touches throughout. We then got changed into our pyjamas and headed down to the ground floor/living room for a night of fun.
We were immediately split into two opposing teams. And tasked with creating a signature cocktail out of ingredients that were hidden around the ground floor of the hotel. You should have seen us scrambling about in an attempt to beat the other team. The other team ended up winning (their cocktail was actually really good!) But it was such a great task and ice breaker. Especially as there were only a few fellow bloggers that I knew when we initially arrived.
Then we went upstairs to be met with the ultimate pyjama party and pillow fight room. I'm still finding feathers all over the place. Be sure to check out my Events Instagram Stories highlight to see the feathers in action. We ended the night with popcorn, pizza and our signature cocktails ready for the night's movie; Magic Mike!
It was such a unique and fun event. And I had a fantastic time getting to know Sandra even more as well. It was like a proper girly sleepover. And we sat up until 3am talking and laughing at the silliest of things. A huge thanks again to Sandra for bringing me along.
St. Enoch's Fashion & Beauty Wonderland
Last but not least, we have the one blogger event that I always look forward to; the St. Enoch fashion and beauty event. They tend to host one for Spring/Summer and one for Autumn/Winter. And as much as I love seeing holiday wares. I'm definitely more of an Autumn/Winter kind of gal.
If I wasn't already in the Christmas mood before this event. I certainly am now. There were lots of brilliant gift ideas, festive food from Kimble's and so much sequins, sparkle. Plus my personal favourite; velvet.
Honestly, all I want to buy in the Winter months is velvet and snuggly stuff. Again, I came away with a wishlist as long as my arm. And I can't wait to show you what I pick up with my St. Enoch gift card.
How cute is he?
We were also given the most beautiful festive floral arrangement from Urban Blooms, a personalised Christmas decoration, a goody bag of little treats. And a furry friend to take home with us. We actually had to grab the bear with our name on it like you would at a hook a duck kind of stall! See how I got on in my Insta Stories. Do you think we should name him Hamley (after the store he came from)?
So those are the Glasgow blog events that I attended this month. I still can't believe that I get invited to these kinds of things. I actually have the last of my Glasgow blog events tomorrow. Where I'll be joining Glasgow Loves Christmas for a festive day out. So expect to see a full blog post on that at the start of December.
Would you like to see more of what I get up to on a day to day basis on here? Which of the Glasgow blog events would you have been the most excited to attend? And if you blog, has blogging helped you to gain confidence?
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