This year Boots celebrated 50 years of helping customers feel good in Northern Ireland, through 84 stores and 1600+ colleagues working in the heart of communities. During an intimate event at the Europa Hotel (Penthouse suite) Thee Glamour Fairy (aka ME!) was invited to join the festivities.
I could not have been more in my element. During the celebratory event, a team of makeup artists from Boots exclusive brand No7 recreated key looks from the past five decades, documenting the swinging 60s styles and the electro 80s right through to today’s current trends – from contouring to creating the perfect brow.
The No7 team were also joined by many international beauty houses available at Boots including Smashbox, Benefit, Elizabeth Arden, Estee Lauder, Lancôme and Bare Minerals, who showcased their latest products and trends with the help of their “Dream Teams”. Guests were also treated to skincare from Liz Earle, Clarins and Clinique with summer hair trends demonstrated by Bumble & Bumble.
Out of the five looks that were created the one that inspired me the most was the 1980s’ (typically because this inspires me on daily basis). Every decade has its own style, and the 80s REALLY had its own. From miniskirts to parachute pants and everything in between, the 80s saw a branching out in fashion that made everything bigger and brighter. Makeup was no exception.
The two defining makeup elements in the 80s face were bold eyes and blush meant to accentuate the cheek bones with vibrant over-the-top colours.
To create the 1980’s look, the following products where used…
No7 Lash Impact – £13.50
which adds intense volume for dramatic lashes and for a limited time is available in a sparkling gold pack. It gives great volume in one coat and an amplified false lash effect in two coats without clumping.
No7 Moisture Drench Lipstick – £9.00 nourishing lips with this moisturizing lipstick providing SPF15 protection, whilst leaving your lips with intense colour and a soft, satin finish.
Rose Blossom Powder Blusher – £9.00. The No7 Powder Blushers contain a unique blend of micro-powders for a velvety smooth application, as well as Vitamin E to care and condition. No7 Powder Blushers are now part of their Match Made Service so that you can find the right shade of blusher for your skin tone.
A top tip that I noted was to mix any applied colour with a wash of our rose blossom blush to liven up the look.
Not only did I receive goodies from the No7 range, I also got a few others as well. The first that I noticed was the Boots Coconut Body Oil. I love coconut oil, it is an extremely versatile product which can be used for many different things. The coconut body oil comes in a jar in solid form, however, it liquidises pretty quickly when it hits the warmth of your hands.
A top tip of mine is to use this as a shaving cream. Of all the things I use coconut oil for, this one surprised me the most! It was fantastic, the razor went easily over the oil and everything was so smooth. No red bumps either. When I came out of the shower, the water was beading on my legs because of the oil residue, but I made a little emulation and rubbed it in. My legs were incredibly soft for the rest of the day.
Although instructions state “massage the oil into dry or moist skin after bathing or whenever your skin feels dry paying special attention to the elbows and knees” there are many more ways to use this oil. Boots sell Coconut Body Oil 100ml for just £2.54!! I believe this is a beauty must. Regardless of the reason you use it, it is essential for your beauty routine.
Warning: it does make the shower floor really slippery, so be VERY careful!
Another item that I found in my bag of goodies was “Calm One, Calm All Bubble Bath” from Soap and Glory. I must confess I absolutely love this brand, Soap and Glory products are some of my favourite to use and the vintage-style packaging means they look great on your shelves too!
“Calm One, Calm All Bubble Bath” has a lovely thick, creamy formula due to the fact it has a body lotion mixed into it. It smells sweet and lemon-y but almost creamy too, like strawberries (describing smells is not necessarily my strong point but it’s amazeeee).
This bottle was quite large and my other Soap and Glory products usually last a long time so a little does go a long way. However, I don’t find it is as bubbly as I would prefer when I think of a bubble bath but I do feel my skin is softer and the lovely scent lingers. This bottle is £6.50 at Boots, however Boots have a 3 for 2 offer on selected Soap & Glory indulgent bathing with the cheapest free (subject to change).
I can also confirm that this product works perfectly as an emergency shower gel too, as coming into the summer months I tend to shower more than bathe! Soap and Glory also have many other products from skincare, makeup to even accessories… Take advantage of their current offer and try it for yourself (they do also do travel size products if you would rather try before you commit to a large bottle).
Read more at boots.com/en/Soap-Glory-Calm-One-Calm-All-Bubble-Bath
I also came away with lots of samples of upcoming or current best selling products and one of the products that I will be purchasing for sure is the Photo Finish Foundation Primer by Smashbox. I have wanted to purchase this for a while but it is £25.50 (a little pricey for something you aren’t to sure of).
However, this product is definitely worth every penny. I have been using it every day have found that it is a perfect primer. This colourless, silicone-based serum can help ensure a semi-matte finish when paired with a matte-finish liquid or powder foundation.
The primer is perfect for all skin types: the formula isn’t as elegant as several serums that function like primers but provides skin with a wide complement of beneficial ingredients.
Photo Finish Foundation Primer contains some great antioxidants, but the clear bottle packaging means this must be stored away from light to ensure potency of these skin-friendly ingredients. This product is not tested on animals either!
Lastly, I got a sneak peak of Benefit Cosmetics upcoming eyebrow range! As soon as I saw this I got butterflies, I LOVE eyebrow products.
Benefit Cosmetics is famous for their ability to transform even the dullest and most sparse eyebrows. Benefit has prided themselves on being brow experts since Jean and Jane Ford opened their first boutique in San Francisco back in 1976.
Their newest brow collection consists of 13 new products and 6 new shades to solve every eyebrow dilemma. As you can see from the photos the packaging is a silver, retro style that fits with their unique packaging image. Absolutely beautiful!
This range launches June 24th 2016. I currently use Benefits’ Gimme Brow at £18.50, High Brow at £16.50 and Instant Brow Pencil priced £16.50. Needless to say, I am so excited to get my hands on some of the new products!
https://www.benefitcosmetics.com/uk/en-gb/brow-makeup
Boots UK is committed to providing exceptional customer and patient care, be the first choice for pharmacy and healthcare and offer innovative ‘only at Boots’ exclusive products such as the UK’s leading skincare brand No7, all delivered with the great value customers love. Created over 165 years ago, the Boots brand is still at the heart of the communities it serves.
Thank you so much Boots for a wonderful, beauty-filled day. Check out www.boots.com for more information.
#50yearsBootsNI
